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Indiana Offering Free Online Skills Courses For Job Recovery Plan

By Justin Hicks, IPB News | Published on in Business, Education, Government, Technology
Indiana is making free job training available for up to 100,000 Hoosiers who had their work affected by the pandemic by Indianapolis-based company 180 Skills. (Screeshot 180skills.com/free-indiana-training)
Indiana is making free job training available for up to 100,000 Hoosiers who had their work affected by the pandemic by Indianapolis-based company 180 Skills. (Screeshot 180skills.com/free-indiana-training)

Indiana is making free job training available for up to 100,000 Hoosiers who had their work affected by the pandemic. The courses will be delivered online through an Indianapolis-based company called 180 Skills.

The online courses can take up to three months to complete and earn an industry-recognized certification. Many courses focus on advanced manufacturing skills, but others teach job interview skills and how to use Microsoft Office. Each course is free to the user, but costs the state around $30 a person. It’s part of the state’s Rapid Recovery plan for workers.

Nancy Davisson, with the Department of Workforce Development, said the online courses complement other short-term certification programs like the state’s Workforce Ready Grants

“This is very important so Hoosiers can get back in the workforce and so employers can fill their vacancies,” she said.

Davisson says since launching the program earlier this week, more than 400 people have signed up for 180 Skills and about five companies are using it to train their employees.

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