Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 15 June 2006 — Page 26

Page 26 • The Muncie Times • June 15, 2006

Region to receive $2.1 million aimed at creating new jobs in emerging industries, shortage occupations

MUNCIE, Ind. Eastern Indiana will be awarded a grant from the state for $2,114,082 to create new jobs in the emerging fields of agribusiness and entrepreneurship, Ron Stiver, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development announced today. Stiver made the announcement at the Ball State Alumni Center at a meeting of business, economic and workforce development officials sponsored by the Muncie/Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and Ball State Miller College of Business. “On behalf of Governor Mitch Daniels, we are pleased to award this grant to help local officials further develop the region’s growing agribusiness/agriscience and entrepreneurship industries,” Stiver said. “These occupational areas have been identified as having great potential for above average growth in upcoming years, and regional leaders have developed a sound plan to nurture and grow these important industries.” The grant awarded is part of the Daniels administration’s

Strategic Skills Initiative, a one-year state workforce development program which seeks to identify critical occupational and skill shortages and their causes throughout the state, and then fund grants to local consortia to develop solutions that address the shortages. The region has proposed three solutions, which will be funded from the state grant: • Agri-Venture Initiative. The cornerstone of this initiative is to assist in new venture creation within the agribusiness and agriscience industries. This will be accomplished by directing award monies towards supporting ventures in business plan formation, technology assessments, and feasibility studies. The long term goal of the initiative is to create 18 new business plans to create new investments in the region’s growing agribusiness industry. • Advancing Entrepreneurship. A new six-week intensive education program will be established at Ball State University for area high school students to help develop the students’ entrepreneurial skills and tal-

ents. Students will complete a business plan and compete in an annual business plan competition. A total of 180 students will receive this training and each will develop a business plan. • Entrepreneurship Business Mentor. Under this initiative, selected Ball State University MBA students will be exposed to new technologies and work with seasoned entrepreneurs and business professionals. Students will receive start-up resources to launch new business ventures in the region. Nine new MBA/entrepreneurs will be retained in Indiana, with five of these remaining in the region. The goal of the new ventures that will result from this project is $150,000 in new revenue and 12 to 15 new jobs created. Local philanthropic organizations and universities will be involved in nurturing the entrepreneurship programs. The regional focus on agribusiness builds on an announcement last month from the Indiana Department of Agriculture. The east central Indiana region was one of two regions

in the state selected to participate in the Agricultural Economic Development Initiative, a planning process aimed at identifying strategic opportunities to grow agricultural businesses. Under the initiative, local farmers, economic development officials, city planners, elected officials and agribusiness leaders will meet to discuss ideas for improving agriculture in the region. “The agri-venture initiative and region’s focus on developing its agribusiness industry and last month’s planning announcement provide a great example of the collaborative spirit not only among state government, but throughout the region,” Stiver said. “Representatives from the public and private sector, labor and industry, higher education, and workforce and economic development officials all worked together to develop the solutions that we are funding with today’s grant.” The state’s Strategic Skills Initiative seeks to identify critical occupational and skill shortages and their causes throughout the state, and then fund grants to local consortia to devel-

op solutions that address the shortages. Last year, a grant of $263,131 was awarded to the region for research and to identify the occupations, industries and skills projected to be in short supply. Today’s grant provides the region with funds to build on that research through specific projects which address those shortages. The grant will be awarded to the East Central Indiana Workforce Investment Board, Inc, which oversees workforce activities in Blackford, Delaware, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Fayette, Rush, Union and Wayne counties. The Department of Workforce Development is charged with continually improving the Hoosier workforce by assisting companies to create new jobs and improve employee skills. The agency offers a variety of training and educational grants, partners with Indiana’s 26 WorkOne Centers, administers the unemployment insurance system, provides labor market information, assists employers with preparing workers for layoffs and closures and operates a statewide job placement service.