Indiana Wesleyan University secured a partnership with the Indiana Manufacturers Association (IMA) to offer training and development programs for Indiana manufacturers and their employees at discounted rates. The partnership will allow manufacturing companies across the state to develop leaders, train new employees, and grow skills essential to the workforce. Indiana Wesleyan’s initiative, Talent Ladder, is excited for the partnership launch on June 9th as it offers an opportunity to provide quality education to working adults.
Indiana manufacturers will benefit from the new partnership and the IMA is excited to move forward. “The Indiana Manufacturers Association is pleased to partner with IWU to offer our members a workforce development solution through upskilling their workforce in both technical and soft skills,” said IMA President/CEO Brian Burton. “This program fills a critical need for Hoosier manufacturers and their employees to continue to advance our industry and remain a top destination for new business investment and talent.”
Indiana Wesleyan University also counts the partnership a huge win for Indiana. Andy Miller, the Vice President for Strategic Enrollment and Partnerships commented, “Indiana Wesleyan University is excited to partner with the IMA, an exceptional organization representing a critical component of the Indiana economy. This partnership will provide essential talent and workforce development solutions for Indiana’s manufacturing sector. Employees, organizations, and the broader sector will benefit greatly from this effort to provide just-in-time training and education.”
Programs included in the partnership cover a wide range of skills. The entry-level leadership course develops new career supervisors in self-awareness, resilience, and readiness as new leaders increase their capacity to lead themselves and others. The leadership course is available in customizable formats to meet the individual needs of each organization. In addition, over 500 courses in technical manufacturing skills train new employees in 26 specialty areas of manufacturing. These specialized training modules are all self-guided, online classes to be completed at the manufacturer’s discretion. Workplace and soft skills courses operate in a similar fashion, offering over 250 courses to improve organization, professionalism, communications skills and more. These self-guided, online courses include titles like, “Critical Thinking,” “Communication,” “Team Building,” and “Project Management.”
The partnership also includes courses on cybersecurity through the Cybersecurity Analyst Boot Camp, preparing employees to solve current security problems associated with information systems. This cybersecurity course is an 18-week online certificate program with over 60 labs led by experienced faculty. An additional program in business analytics contains courses to train individuals to collect, organize, interpret, and implement data for actionable improvements. This 10-week online certificate program offers real-world applications to build a set of tools aligned to specific business objectives. Another 10-week online certificate program is the digital marketing course which equips companies with skills in web analytics, search engine optimization, social media and email marketing, and digital marketing strategies.
Manufacturing companies in Indiana interested in utilizing Indiana Wesleyan’s Talent Ladder can complete an online form at https://thetalentladder.com/ima/ to see how the partnership in training could help grow their employees and company. Indiana Wesleyan University continues to create innovative solutions to the challenges faced by the Indiana’s workforce. The partnership with the IMA brings these solutions closer to leaders who need them most. Together, they hope to grow manufacturing companies and the employees of Indiana’s workforce through education and training.
About IWU
Indiana Wesleyan University celebrates 100 years as a Christian, global, comprehensive university providing liberal arts and professional education to approximately 10,000 students worldwide. IWU is one of the largest faith-based universities in America with rich undergraduate, graduate, master's, and doctoral programs in such highly acclaimed academic units as the School of Nursing, School of Physical and Applied Sciences, College of Adult and Professional Studies, and School of Arts and Humanities. An early leader in adult and online education, IWU is known for excellence in innovation. Students live and learn on the beautiful 350-acre IWU-Marion traditional campus and study through IWU-National & Global programs offered online and at education centers in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University, founded by the Wesleyan Church denomination and IWU, prepares Christian leaders to engage in missional ministry locally and globally. Indiana Wesleyan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit indwes.edu.
About the Indiana Manufacturers Association
Formed in 1901, the Indiana Manufacturers Association is the second-oldest manufacturers association in the country and the only trade association in Indiana that exclusively focuses on manufacturing. Manufacturing is the driving force of Indiana’s economy, employing more people and contributing more to Indiana’s gross domestic product than any other industry. The Indiana Manufacturers Association is dedicated to advocating for a business climate that creates, protects, and promotes quality manufacturing jobs in Indiana. The staff of the Indiana Manufacturers Association are recognized experts in areas including tax, environment, labor relations, human resources, energy, workforce development, and healthcare. For more information, visit www.indianamfg.com.