A local vocational school walked away from Greenwood’s deal with Cummins with a big task ahead of it — and the money to make it happen.
Central Nine Career Center officials learned a few weeks ago the school was part of a deal the city was working out with Cummins, Inc., a global diesel engine and electrification company headquartered in nearby Columbus.
Part of that deal, which included about $10 million in city incentives for Cummins, also included a $1 million grant to Central Nine to expand its information technology programs. The idea is to train those students for high-end digital, IT and support jobs at the new technology hub Cummins is building on the east side of the city, less than six miles from the school.
That’s huge, said Nicole Otte, Central Nine’s executive director.
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Besides federal grants which are often earmarked for certain expenses, the school has never received a grant or donation of this magnitude. But including that incentive in the deal was easy for Greenwood, Mayor Mark Myers said.
"It was an interesting twist that nobody’s ever even mentioned before. I love to partner with our school systems, and by doing this we’re partnering with nine school systems," Myers said. "We were happy to do it."
Central Nine serves nine high school across eight school districts in Johnson County and on the south side of Indianapolis. About 1,200 students are enrolled, and nearly 100 are involved in two technology-related programs, Otte said.
"It was impressive that they actually came to us and said, ‘Part of this deal has to be C9,’" Myers said. "They see the benefit now of training these kids for the future, and by giving C9 extra money every year to apply it towards IT classes, they want to make sure that we’re producing the kids at a good rate, but with the ability to come right in and work."
Officials aren’t sure what exactly the new curriculum will look like yet.
"Since it wasn’t public until yesterday, now is when all of that planning begins," Otte said Friday morning.
Cummins and city officials have specified that they do not want it to duplicate anything that is already being offered in the area, such as a cyber-security program, something Otte pitched, she said.
Related programs currently offered at Central Nine are computer programming, and tech support and networking. This grant allows them to expand those programs, and possibly add new ones.
"We hope to grow (those programs), but this is all kind of speculative at this point," she said. "I think, more than anything, it’s about growing what we already have and listening to (Cummins)."
The money could be spent on more space and equipment, and new curriculum.
Officials have suggested the funds will be available by fall, and Cummins is willing to help the school strategize ways to implement it immediately. Still, Otte does not expect any changes next school year, she said.
She also wants to make sure IT instructors at the feeder high schools benefit, too.
"The opportunities for this are endless," she said.
Cummins’ new facility will be a technology hub, with positions in information technology, support and digital media and marketing. Some will likely require training beyond the certifications and licenses made available through Central Nine, Otte said, such as a college degree.
But she’s hoping there are also internship opportunities, she said.
Other programs offered at Central Nine include construction, manufacturing, landscaping, transportation and health services. Most of the school’s programs lead to certifications or licenses, and many offer dual-credit courses.
