Indiana Tech is the state’s first university approved to offer workforce training programs, paid for by the state as part of the Rapid Recovery Plan to get Hoosiers back to work.

The school is offering short-term certification programs online or in-person for everything from construction management to marketing. Students enrolled at least half-time can get all the costs paid through the state’s Workforce Ready Grant.

Indiana recently expanded the grant in an effort to reduce high unemployment rates caused by the pandemic.

Steven Herendeen is the vice president for enrollment management at Indiana Tech. He said since launching the program a week ago, they already have 80 applicants for the roughly 200 spots they can fund this year.

“So the demand really is much greater than we even expected up front” he said. “Many of those are going through the state portal.”

Ivy Tech and Vincennes campuses across the state also offer a variety of Workforce Ready Grant programs.

Contact reporter Justin at jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.