Governor Eric J. Holcomb offered the following statement after leading a letter calling on Congress to provide flexibility in the Pell grant program which would support Indiana’s Next Level Jobs initiative. Eleven governors joined Gov. Holcomb in the effort.
“Indiana has never been more focused on helping people obtain the skills they need to secure good jobs that fuel our state’s growing economy. Expanding the reach of federal Pell programs will help support education for incarcerated Hoosiers, adult learners, and high school students to help them obtain a quality credential beyond a high school diploma. This will go a long way in helping Indiana meet its goal for at least 60 percent of Hoosiers to have education and training beyond high school by 2025 — a goal directly aligned to future workforce needs. These federal changes recognize that states need more flexibility to target support to their unique populations, meet current workforce needs, and prepare for a rapidly changing future workforce and economy.â€
The letter is addressed to U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Sen. Patty Murray. Chairman Alexander recently released a bipartisan package of legislation to reform higher education that included reform of the Pell program.
Read about Gov. Holcomb’s workforce development initiative, Next Level Jobs, by clicking here. The letter is attached.
