Grow Lawrence County Sees Continual Success With Eighteenth Graduating Class

On November 14, 2024, seventeen (17) Lawrence County residents will become the 18th graduating class of the Lawrence County Introduction to Local Jobs And Skills (ILJAS) program during a 4 pm special ceremony at the North Lawrence Career Center. Through this three-week technical and employability skills training coordinated by the Lawrence County Economic Growth Council (LCEGC) students learned the basics of Construction, Machining, and Welding. All participants attained information regarding  Health & Safety careers and received certification in CPR/AED, first aid, and Stop the Bleed. Through Grow Lawrence County’s adult education system, several participants plan to continue their education by enrolling in Indiana’s NextLevelJobs program (at no cost) as they’ve shown interest in advancing into construction, welding, truck driving, or cyber security careers. This class brings the total number of graduates for the ILJAS program to 178.

Grow Lawrence County Adult Education Coordinator Cathy Bullington says, “Next steps are an important part of the ILJAS program. This program is life-changing and has been humbling to witness; however, none of it would have been possible without our community of invested stakeholders coming together to make it happen. We wish to thank our community partners for helping our participants become educated about resources in the community.

As a result of ILJAS’s continued success, LCEGC is currently accepting students for the next cohort to be held in January 2025. The ideal student is a Lawrence County resident not yet earning a living wage. If you are interested in participating in the program, or an employer interested in getting involved, please contact Cathy Bullington at 812-797-3559 or cathy@lawrencecountygrowth.com.