Eighteen Pilot Programs Selected to Receive Work Ethic Certificate Funding

 The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today awarded nearly $600,000 to 18 recipients for their plans to implement the Governor’s Work Ethic Certificate (WEC) program. The program was developed by the State Workforce Innovation Council (SWIC) to address the employability skills gap. Grants will provide recipients between $20,000 and $55,000 to develop and adopt community- and employer-recognized work ethic certification programs in communities throughout Indiana.

“Hoosier employers routinely cite employability skills as the most challenging characteristics to find in applicants and new hires,” said Steven J. Braun, DWD Commissioner. “The Governor’s Work Ethic Certificate program is designed to provide Hoosier employers with a pipeline of workers with a proven work ethic and assist Indiana communities in closing the skills gap.”

The Governor’s WEC is part of an ongoing effort to encourage collaboration among employers and local school districts and career centers. Employer input is required during the development of a program with the goal of providing high school students with an understanding of the employability skills in-demand by local employers. High school seniors who successfully complete the program will receive a Governor’s WEC, which is signed by the Governor and DWD Commissioner.

“For the past four years, we have stressed the importance of ensuring high school students have access to career and technical education, and central to that is ensuring that our young people understand the value and benefit of a strong work ethic,” said Governor Mike Pence. “I want to thank the members of the State Workforce Innovation Council for all of their hard work developing the Governor’s Work Ethic Certificate program, and also Dr. Andy Melin and Greater Clark County Schools, for developing a stellar program which was the model the SWIC used when developing the statewide program.”

Forty-two grant applications representing 132 school corporations from across Indiana were submitted to DWD. The 18 selected pilot programs will implement programming during the 2017-18 school years. The grant also requires recipients to develop a “Train the Trainer” plan in order to train neighboring school districts in an effort to replicate the program in their communities.

School districts, career and technical education centers and Workforce Development Boards (WDB’s) were eligible to apply. Interested parties that did not apply or did not receive grant funding are encouraged to develop and implement WEC programs in their community. The Work Ethic Certificate Taskforce of the SWIC has developed a process by which programs can become an approved Governor’s WEC program.

More information about the Governor’s WEC program, including a listing of recipients is available at in.gov/dwd/workethic.htm.