Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Tuesday’s ceremony at Ivy Tech Kosciusko County was about more than the big letters of the new, illuminated sign for Ivy Tech Community College across the side of the building facing Silveus Crossing.
It was about Ivy Tech being a bridge between employees and employers.
Dr. Kim Barnett-Johnson, chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne and Kosciusko County, said, “We are here to celebrate what we consider to be another milestone. The illuminated Ivy Tech sign on this building, which is visible to all who travel in this general vicinity, especially the travelers on Highway 30.”
She said for Ivy Tech, the new sign symbolizes the college’s continued commitment to serving students and meeting workforce needs across Kosciusko County, as well as the surrounding communities.
“Since launching this campaign, Ivy Tech Kosciusko County has exceeded our overall goals and expectations by achieving a 5% increase in enrollment and a 12% increase in student retention,” Barnett-Johnson stated.
She said those statistics nearly doubled their initial projections “and this is just the beginning, as we are projecting even more growth through program additions and course expansions.”
She gave a “special shoutout” to Dr. JoAnne Alvarez, vice chancellor of Ivy Tech Kosciusko County, for her leadership at the site, as well as the rest of the Kosciusko County faculty and staff for their hard work and dedication.
Staci Beiswanger, onboarding and employee development manager with Steel Dynamics Inc. and Ivy Tech’s current chair for the Campus Board of Trustees, shared a couple of the ways that Ivy Tech partners with Steel Dynamics.
“About 10 years ago, we were in a position not unlike other employers where we were struggling to find numbers to fill our skilled trades positions. We could not hire enough. So at that time we determined that the only way to make a difference was to develop our own program,” Beiswanger said.
They met with Ivy Tech in about 2018, sat down with Bob Parker, told him about their desire of the classes they needed “and along with Ivy Tech’s flexibility, we were able to design a program.”
Steel Dynamics was formed in 1993 and became operational in 1996. They trained most of their people on the shop floor, which worked out for them the first few years.
“Then we began to recognize we could get them to a certain point, then they would plateau,” Beiswanger said.
Sitting down with Parker, Steel Dynamics told him of the struggle they were having. They identified what was needed and what the workers were lacking was the theory.
“So we started a program and along the way, Bob was very good about saying, ‘Give us feedback. How do we need to change the programs?’ And that’s exactly what we did,” she recalled. “So over the course of time, our program - it’s not the program that started, it’s evolved and has taken shape and is a great program today.”
It started in 2018, graduating its first class in 2020 and to date has graduated almost 50 out of the program. Steel Dynamics took that model and scaled it across the company.
“What started here with Ivy Tech in Fort Wayne is now running in Columbus, Mississippi; Sinton, Texas; Roanoke, Virginia. So it’s great to work with a college partner like Ivy Tech that helps you build that solid platform that you can take other places,” Beiswanger said.
That worked well for Steel Dynamics. They were upscaling current employees through their apprenticeship program and also bringing folks into their operations who maybe had three to five years of manufacturing experience. What they still couldn’t do was bring recent high school graduates into their workforce.
In 2021, Steel Dynamics looked into a program called Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) and formed a chapter in Northeast Indiana.
“What FAME does is it brings a student straight from high school ... we partner with Ivy Tech, they teach the (general education) classes, the technical skills, but we also embed what we call professional development,” Beiswanger said. “... Those are the things we like to see in the workforce, and Ivy Tech has dedicated instructors for our program. They actually go through FAME classes, and they’ve done an amazing job.”
It is a collaborative effort and they work with four other companies - Zimmer Biomet, Micropulse, Incipio Devices and Fort Wayne Metals. Beiswanger said they are finding that 98% of students that go through the program are offered jobs and 96% accept jobs.
“So between both of these programs that we now have running, Steel Dynamics Apprenticeship Program and our FAME program, the retention’s rate in the 90th percentile. I think that’s great for Northeast Indiana,” she stated.
Talking about the importance of having an Ivy Tech in Kosciusko County, Beiswanger said it’s a great community partner, it offers an affordable education and they can train people in the practical hands-on skills that they really need. It also keeps talent local and Ivy Tech is a bridge to employers.
Ryan Christner, president and CEO of OrthoWorx, said, “Today is more than a sign. It’s about an identity and a partnership and the future of this community. Seeing Ivy Tech clearly and proudly represented here in Kosciusko County sends a powerful message that education, opportunity and industry belong together.”
He said OrthoWorx was proud of their partnership with Ivy Tech, and, specifically, Ivy Tech Kosciusko County.
“Ivy Tech plays a critical role in our talent ecosystem by meeting people where they are and helping them gain skills that they need to succeed. Whether that is through advanced manufacturing training, leadership development or technical credentials, Ivy Tech delivers real, career-ready pathways that directly support local employers and families,” Christner stated.
The orthopedics industry is evolving faster than ever, he said. “Innovation, automation, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing are reshaping the orthopedic industry, how orthopedic devices are designed, produced and delivered. Companies that will lead the way in the future are those that can continously adapt and upscale their workforce,” he said. “That’s where Kosciusko County has a unique advantage. We’re not just home to a globally recognized orthopedic industry, we are a community that understands collaboration.”
He said Ivy Tech is an essential part of that equation.
Peggy Simmons, CEO of Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), said, “There’s something powerful about a name on a building. Because today isn’t just about signage, it’s about identity. It’s about momentum. And it’s about a community that knows exactly who it is and where it’s going.”
She said the name Ivy Tech Kosciusko County sends a clear message that the campus belongs to the community, and more importantly, it’s for the community.
“Recently, I was talking with one of the orthopedic employers here in Kosciusko County and they said something that stuck with me. Their biggest challenge isn’t demand, it isn’t innovation, it’s talent. They need people who are trained, reliable and ready to step into the highly technical roles right now. And, increasingly, they’re finding people through Ivy Tech,” she said.
Simmons added this was what she loved about Tuesday’s ceremony: “This isn’t the finish line. This is the signal. A signal that Ivy Tech is doubling down in Kosciusko County. A signal that we’re aligning education with real career pathways. And a signal that the best days for this campus, and this community, are still ahead.”
