Task force looks at locally based vocational education

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Greenfield-Central High School students Lee Paschal, left, and Brock Thomas work in an HVAC class in 2019. Hancock County leaders want to continue improving access to vocational education, with the ultimate goal of creating a stand-alone career center in the county.

File photo

HANCOCK COUNTY — A group of school, business, government and community leaders is developing a vision to bring access to vocational education within the county.

The county’s vocational education task force believes all Hancock County residents deserve access to workforce training and career technical education pathways, according to a news release. Task force members feel that can best be achieved through partnerships among schools and other Hancock County stakeholders.

Currently, the county’s four school districts send students to five different vocational schools outside the county. A stand-alone career center in Hancock County, supported by schools, businesses and county leaders, would allow for the highest level of collaboration in achieving the task force’s vision, the news release continues.

The task force also believes that communicating opportunities as well as messaging the value of workforce training and career technical education pathways should encompass school-aged children, their parents and other Hancock County community members.

Superintendents of the county’s four school corporations serve on the task force. Jack Parker, superintendent of Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation, welcomes the group’s efforts.

“We are delighted to see that our county leaders are looking in a similar direction and hope that this vision will come to fruition,” Parker said in the news release. “Now is the time to merge the vocational education needs of our school districts and our county. Our students and residents deserve to have this vocational training opportunity within our county; our businesses, students and residents will benefit from a county-wide initiative.”

The task force also includes George Philhower, superintendent of Eastern Hancock schools; Harold Olin, superintendent of Greenfield-Central schools; Lisa Lantrip, superintendent of Southern Hancocks; Randy Sorrell, Hancock Economic Development Council; Mary Gibble, Hancock County Community Foundation; Michael Burrow, NineStar Connect; Steve Long, Hancock Health; Stan Wilkison, Mt. Vernon High School; Bill Spalding, Hancock County Board of Commissioners; Shelly Howard, WorkOne Central Indiana; Sara Joyner, Joyner Homes; Keely Butrum, Hancock County Council; Brian Evans, INvets; Roy Vanderford, Thomas P. Miller & Associates; and Tim Jensen and Benjamin Williams, Veridus Group.