Education & Training
You need a workforce with the right
skills and training.
Our education system delivers the goods. (Seriously!)
STEM Spoken Here
While Columbus, Edinburgh, & Bartholomew County, Indiana, are today home to a highly skilled manufacturing and logistics workforce, our community is also keenly focused on developing a pipeline of talent to meet the future needs of employers. Here are a few examples:
Are we doing anything truly unique?
Yes! Local educators and businesses, led by our friends at the Community Education Coalition, have collaborated for years to develop unique and relevant programming to meet the needs of employers and students. These collaborative, systems-building efforts led to our community being named one of the first “Talent Hubs” in the nation as designated by the Lumina Foundation, and it’s also why we were named a “21st Century Talent” region by the State of Indiana. Put us to the test! If you have a training need, let us know what it is, and let us show you how that need can be met by our local education partners.
Is the community investing in higher education facilities to support the needs of employers and students?
Yes! The Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AMCE) opened in 2012 and is utilized by our city’s higher education providers in partnership with local industry to offer college degrees & certification programs on the Columbus AirPark campus. AMCE houses 13 teaching laboratories operated by IUPUC, Purdue Polytechnic, and Ivy Tech, including:
- Materials & Heat Treatment
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mechatronics
- Metrology
- PLC Systems
- Robotics and more!
In the Fall of 2022, Ivy Tech Community College celebrated the grand opening of the new, state-of-the-art Moravec Hall, the newest campus facility in the state-wide Ivy Tech system.
Also in 2022, the Community Education Coalition commenced renovations to the Columbus Learning Center on the Columbus AirPark campus, including new ways for employers and students to connect.
How can employers connect with students on campus?
Three of Indiana’s premier higher education institutions share one campus in Columbus: Indiana University Columbus (IUPUC), Purdue Polytechnic Institute Columbus, and Ivy Tech Community College. To post jobs, offer internships, and learn additional ways to connect with the talent being developed by these notable institutions right here in Columbus, Indiana, Columbus AirPark College Campus.
How else can manufacturers engage with the pipeline of tomorrow’s workers?
We strongly encourage local manufacturers to engage with local schools (both primary and higher ed) to help raise awareness of local careers and also help teachers & instructors see how their classroom lessons translate into relevant, career-ready skills. One way to engage is through the Manufacturing Education Partnership (MEP), which brings together education partners and manufacturers to develop “Manufacturing Day” events, plant tours, in-classroom presentations, job fairs, internships, and so much more. Call us to learn more.
