It’s a New Year, and perhaps you’re thinking of turning over a new leaf. If your self-improvement plans include going back to school — whether you’re seeking a high school diploma, exploring college-level courses or looking to pick up a new skill — you’ll find several options available in Indianapolis.
The state-run Indiana Adult Education program is a free program for adults looking to learn math, reading and writing skills. The program also allows participants to earn a high school equivalency (HSE) designation and an occupational certificate at the same time through the WorkINdiana initiative. Thirty occupational certificates are available through WorkINdiana.
Indiana Adult Education classes are available at several Marion County locations in Warren, Washington and Wayne townships, and classes are available during morning, afternoon and evening hours. For more information about Indiana Adult Education, visit in.gov/dwd/adulted.htm.
Another adult high school equivalency program available in Indianapolis is The Excel Center, a public charter school operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives Inc. In addition to scheduling classes at times that meet working adults’ needs, The Excel Center offers free child care centers and transportation assistance for its students. The Excel Center offers certification training and dual-credit classes to help students transition directly into the workforce or college-level classes. For more information, visit excelcenter.org.
Central Nine Career Center, which is known for providing central Indiana high school students with hands-on career training in fields like culinary arts and auto mechanics, also offers adult education and continuing education programs. New students are accepted into classes regularly, and instruction is tailored to meet each students’ individual needs. Classes continue until the student is prepared to take the HSE exam.
For adults looking to start a new career or pick up a new skill, Central Nine’s continuing education program could be a fit. The program offers instruction in several areas, including business and computers, medical and health, emergency services, trade and industrial, and community education.
For adults who have already graduated high school or completed the HSE exam, the Indiana Plan is a way to start working right away while also learning a trade and earning a college degree. Indiana Plan is a nonprofit focused on correcting low minority and woman participation in the union building trades.
It’s a pre-apprenticeship program that is endorsed by Indiana State Building Trades, and will introduce students to the construction industry and teach skills needed in all trades, such as reading a tape measure and safety training. Indiana’s participating trades include bricklayers, carpenters, cement masons, electricians, glaziers, heat and frost insulators, ironworkers, laborers, millwrights, operating engineers, painters, plumbers and pipefitters, roofers and sheet metal workers. For more information, visit indianaplan.org.
Several Indianapolis colleges and universities also offer degree programs geared toward adults, with classes in the evenings or online: Marian University Adult Programs, University of Indianapolis School for Adult Learning, Harrison College, Martin University and more.
