The Indiana General Assembly last week approved 1,650 additional seats for The Excel Center, Goodwill’s high school for adults.
The additional seats will help Goodwill’s Excel Center serve 6,550 adult students in 23 Excel Centers across Indiana.
Michiana was granted 300 additional seats to service 1,035 students in Northern Indiana.
The Excel Center offers adults the opportunity to earn a Core 40 diploma, allowing students to pick up right where they left off in school, providing support and resources for students to meet their goals.
“With rigorous curriculum and flexible scheduling, students can graduate quickly and prepare for postsecondary pathways,” the Excel Center said in a press release.
The Excel Center also offers students free on-site childcare, transportation assistance and opportunities to earn college credits and industry recognized certifications, all at no cost.
“Across Indiana, thousands of adults lack a high school diploma, leading to generational poverty and unpreparedness to compete in the workforce, which, in many cases, causes an inability to secure jobs that offer a livable wage and continued career growth, the Excel Center said. “Graduates from The Excel Center have changed this trajectory for their families.”
“Goodwill is proud to offer job training services, mission programs, and employment opportunities to our communities, but The Excel Center fills a unique and crucial need in our community,” Dr. Chris Alber said. “Besides helping adults earn their state-recognized high school diploma, The Excel Center provides college and career readiness opportunities to all learners while enrolled in classes, so they will be prepared for postsecondary pathways the moment they graduate.”
Since 2010: Over 7,500 students have graduated from The Excel Center’s 19 Indiana locations. More than 8,000 industry-recognized certifications have been earned. Ninety-nine percent of students graduate with postsecondary college credits and/or an industry-recognized certification.
According to the University of Notre Dame’s Laboratory of Economic Opportunity, Excel Center graduates see a 39% increase in their earnings in 5 years.
“The Excel Center is well-positioned to support 6,550 Hoosiers across the state in earning their Core 40 high school diploma, college credits and industry-recognized certifications to help empower families and develop the state workforce,” the Excel Center said