April 15, 2019 at 4:38 p.m.
JJCL gets another partner
Organization working with Indiana Tech to offer degree in engineering
JJCL gets another partner
John Jay Center for Learning has another partner.
At a series of kick-off events today, John Jay is announcing its new partnership with Fort Wayne-based Indiana Tech.
The organizations are partnering to offer local residents the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering. Students will be able to complete the program entirely at John Jay.
Rusty Inman, executive director of John Jay, said the partnership is the next logical step after the facility launched its SkillsTrac industrial maintenance training program early last year. It’s part of an effort to build upon the area’s strong connection to manufacturing.
“That’s who we are,” said Inman. “So let’s embrace that and be the best at it that we can be. And this is another way to raise our game.”
Today’s partnership kick-off is the culmination of nearly a year of work that began last spring when Portland resident Barry Hudson happened to meet an Indiana Tech official while on vacation in Belize. Their conversation led to a meeting between Indiana Tech and John Jay staff in Portland.
The opportunity to work together was immediately obvious, said Indiana Tech director of strategic partnerships Greg Perigo. Indiana Tech has 17 total locations from Detroit to Evansville, but had a noticeable gap in east-central Indiana.
“Strategically from my standpoint, we saw the manufacturing base. We saw the potential to develop a very long-term partnership that would help the economy here grow and prosper,” Perigo said.
At a series of kick-off events today, John Jay is announcing its new partnership with Fort Wayne-based Indiana Tech.
The organizations are partnering to offer local residents the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering. Students will be able to complete the program entirely at John Jay.
Rusty Inman, executive director of John Jay, said the partnership is the next logical step after the facility launched its SkillsTrac industrial maintenance training program early last year. It’s part of an effort to build upon the area’s strong connection to manufacturing.
“That’s who we are,” said Inman. “So let’s embrace that and be the best at it that we can be. And this is another way to raise our game.”
Today’s partnership kick-off is the culmination of nearly a year of work that began last spring when Portland resident Barry Hudson happened to meet an Indiana Tech official while on vacation in Belize. Their conversation led to a meeting between Indiana Tech and John Jay staff in Portland.
The opportunity to work together was immediately obvious, said Indiana Tech director of strategic partnerships Greg Perigo. Indiana Tech has 17 total locations from Detroit to Evansville, but had a noticeable gap in east-central Indiana.
“Strategically from my standpoint, we saw the manufacturing base. We saw the potential to develop a very long-term partnership that would help the economy here grow and prosper,” Perigo said.
“It would help Indiana Tech reach a new student pool. It would help the state of Indiana achieve one of its objectives, which is to elevate the educational standards of those communities which they feel are underserved.
“From a mission standpoint, this just checked all the right boxes.”
John Jay staff later visited Indiana Tech campuses in Fort Wayne and Warsaw. By September, the John Jay board of directors, with the support of Jay-Blackford Manufacturing Council, signed on to the idea of partnering with Indiana Tech.
The goal of the partnership is to give local residents the ability to take the next step beyond the industrial maintenance training.
“We have a lot of companies that have engineers, but they’re engineers by title, not by education,” said Inman, noting that the engineering degree is becoming more and more in demand. “We’re teaching the actual boots on the ground, but that’s the next step up, the engineer. There’s the possibility that … somebody started on the loading dock and they could be the head of engineering … because we’ve given them the proper steps.”
Enrollment in SkillsTrac was at 116 as of last week, and those who complete that full regimen of training can earn 30 credit hours toward the Indiana Tech bachelor’s degree.
Plans call for enrollment to begin early this summer, with the first set of classes to begin during the second half of July. Those who enroll in the Indiana Tech engineering program through John Jay can also receive a corporate scholarship to cover 20 percent of their tuition.
Indiana Tech becomes the fifth organization to partner with John Jay, joining Ivy Tech, Indiana Wesleyan University, Purdue Polytechnic and Vincennes University.
“From a mission standpoint, this just checked all the right boxes.”
John Jay staff later visited Indiana Tech campuses in Fort Wayne and Warsaw. By September, the John Jay board of directors, with the support of Jay-Blackford Manufacturing Council, signed on to the idea of partnering with Indiana Tech.
The goal of the partnership is to give local residents the ability to take the next step beyond the industrial maintenance training.
“We have a lot of companies that have engineers, but they’re engineers by title, not by education,” said Inman, noting that the engineering degree is becoming more and more in demand. “We’re teaching the actual boots on the ground, but that’s the next step up, the engineer. There’s the possibility that … somebody started on the loading dock and they could be the head of engineering … because we’ve given them the proper steps.”
Enrollment in SkillsTrac was at 116 as of last week, and those who complete that full regimen of training can earn 30 credit hours toward the Indiana Tech bachelor’s degree.
Plans call for enrollment to begin early this summer, with the first set of classes to begin during the second half of July. Those who enroll in the Indiana Tech engineering program through John Jay can also receive a corporate scholarship to cover 20 percent of their tuition.
Indiana Tech becomes the fifth organization to partner with John Jay, joining Ivy Tech, Indiana Wesleyan University, Purdue Polytechnic and Vincennes University.
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