Eco15 Initiative Begins in Switzerland County

One of the CFSCI's newest initiatives is EcO15, an exciting opportunity to change the way we view the link between learning and earning in Switzerland County.

EcO15 is a regional effort to create educational programs associated with advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and tourism in ten southeastern Indiana counties: Switzerland, Decatur, Ripley, Ohio, Jefferson, Jackson, Jennings, Dearborn, Bartholomew, and Franklin. Funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, EcO15 is administered regionally through the Heritage Fund - The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and the Community Education Coalition, Inc. in Columbus. In each of the regions ten counties, the community foundations are responsible for administering local EcO15 projects.

CFSCI, recognizing the critical link between a skilled workforce and economic development opportunities, partnered with the Switzerland County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) to coordinate the local Eco15 projects with employers, our schools, local elected officials, and the residents of Switzerland County.

The main goal of EcO15 is to move residents up one level in their education, training, job placement, and income. This will be accomplished by working to achieve seven objectives:

  1. Create an advanced manufacturing network of excellence to provide current and future employers with a pipeline of trained, skilled, employees.
  2. Develop career pathways in manufacturing, health care, and hospitality/tourism.
  3. Create career awareness among high school students and adult workers.
  4. Cultivate emerging innovations in these fields.
  5. Increase regional collaboration in education and economic development.
  6. Prepare regional foundations for change.
  7. Position community foundations for visionary leadership.

When we look at the data, the challenges facing Switzerland County become immediately evident. Switzerland County had the 2nd fewest number of high school graduates among all Indiana counties in 2006. Our county has the fewest residents with college degrees of any Indiana county. Our poverty rate among children under 18 is the 9th highest in the state, and our per capita personal income is only 77% of the Indiana average.

Challenges like these usually take decades to overcome. But can we afford to wait that long? Consider the opportunities in southeastern Indiana:

  • The opening of the Honda plant is expected to result in 2,000 new jobs.
  • The likelihood of Honda suppliers locating in the region is strong. One has already chosen to locate in Ripley County.
  • Retirements of workers in manufacturing will result in thousands of job openings - and as many as 1,000 at Cummins Engine alone.
  • Thousands of manufacturing jobs exist along U.S. 42 just across the river from Switzerland County, and the skills needed to fill many of those jobs will increase in the next few years.

We know that education is the foundation for earning higher wages. We also know that local communities are best able to decide what programs will work for them. And we believe that regional cooperation is the foundation for success in the future, as changes in our economy focus less on local communities and more on regional areas of the U.S. With these known facts in hand, participation in the EcO15 program allows us to work for improvements in the education level of our residents, our high school graduation rate, and the income levels of our working citizens over the next seven years.

Switzerland County, along with the nine other EcO15 counties, recently submitted proposals to address opportunities to increase advanced manufacturing education in our communities. We proposed to tackle Switzerland County's challenges with three key initiatives.

First, we will seek to partner with the Switzerland County School Corporation to institute advanced manufacturing curriculum in the middle school and high school.

Secondly, we plan to create adult learning facilities here in Switzerland County that allow for easier, more helpful access to college classes and industry certification programs.

Finally, we intend to undertake an ambitious project to help Switzerland County residents understand the changes in our economy and how those changes affect each worker and each family. For residents who wish to improve their incomes and skill levels, this project will use the EcO15 resources to help provide a direction for action.

Coordinating Switzerland County's EcO15 projects is Mike Busch. A lifelong Hoosier resident, Mike has extensive experience in the economic and workforce development of rural Indiana communities. Mike now lives near Patriot and is working inside the Switzerland County Economic Development Corporation office.

The CFSCI is tremendously excited about EcO15, and its potential to bring positive, meaningful change to our resident and our community. But the EcO15 initiative in Switzerland County can ONLY be successful if citizens who support its goals and vision will step forward and agree to help us. New ideas are needed. Help finding and implementing creative solutions is critical. If you have a strong commitment to supporting lifelong learning and improving our educational attainment, please let us know or contact Mike Busch, our EcO15 coordinator, directly at 812-427-2437; email: mbusch@switzerlandusa.com.