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Article published Mar 25, 2009 $20 million award targets education, workforce
Lilly Endowment Inc. will award $20 million to accelerate science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and training in northeast Indiana.
Wednesday's announcement said the program, Talent Opportunity Success 2015, is designed to prepare the region's workforce to capture high-quality job opportunities in the near term and in the future.
TOpS 2015 will support the following initiatives:
Retraining at least 1,200 adult workers in northeast Indiana during the next three years.
Enhancing the advanced manufacturing program at Ivy Tech-Northeast.
Expanding the systems engineering and wireless technology programs at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Creating new-tech high schools at northeast Indiana school corporations with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
"We wish to extend our sincere appreciation to Lilly Endowment for this very generous financial support," said Kathy Friend, chairwoman of the board of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, in a written statement. "This announcement shows strong support for our community and our efforts to transform the economy of northeast Indiana."
TOpS 2015 is specifically targeting the aerospace and defense industries, the announcement said.
"Lilly Endowment invited the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne to work together with other community stakeholders to propose a plan to engage the educational and charitable sectors in maximizing the economic development potential of the area," Lilly Endowment President N. Clay Robbins said in a written statement. "We are impressed with the TOpS 2015 initiative, which will equip workers to take advantage of the compelling opportunities in northeast Indiana in the defense, aerospace and other advanced manufacturing industries." Check it out for yourself To see Wednesday's announcement verbatim, visit The Scoop: