BEDFORD — People looking to continue their education could have more options in Bedford soon.
That’s the aim of a formal agreement between the city and the Lawrence County Economic Growth Council. The paperwork was approved and signed Thursday by members of the Bedford Board of Works and Gene McCracken, representing the council.
“We want to attack the workforce issues right here, right now, in our own city and county,” McCracken told the board.
The council’s own studies, among others, have shown a gap between the skills of local workers and jobs that could be available to them. The city, the council and the Bedford Chamber have cooperated on some efforts, such as an Advanced Manufacturing Program, designed to improve people’s skills and continue their educations.
“You’ll hear employers say, ‘They can’t read a tape measure.’ Some of us find that hard to believe, then you find out that’s the truth,” McCracken said.
The city’s Stellar Communities program includes funds to turn the vacant building at the northeast corner of 15th and J streets into the Stone Gate Arts, Education and Cultural Center. But the building will not be ready for a couple of years, even if all goes as planned.
Meanwhile, Oakland City University was seeking to relinquish ownership of its Bedford campus at the historic Indiana Limestone Co. building, 405 I St. Recently, Ivy Tech began offering some classes in that same building. But upkeep and maintenance of the structure became too costly for OCU. The university donated the building to the city in a deal that took effect July 1.
Under the paperwork signed Thursday, the growth council will manage the building and programs, which will be provided by OCU, Ivy Tech and other educational institutions. It will be renamed the Stone Gate Arts & Education Center. Classes and programs can be held there as well as the downtown location when the 15th and J street building is completed.
McCracken and Girgis said it is an opportunity to expand educational and cultural opportunities for area residents.
“We have such strong partners,” McCracken said. “Oakland City University — they want to continue. Ivy Tech is strong and growing.” He said there is a “great growth opportunity for Ivy Tech here in our own communities.”
Mayor Shawna Girgis acknowledged Ivy Tech operates a major campus in Bloomington.
“There are folks in our county and city for whom that drive 25 miles north is a deal-breaker” in terms of time and expense, she said.
The city will pay the council $160,000 a year for the administrative services. Girgis said the money already is in the budget. The initial agreement lasts until Dec. 31, 2016, and it will automatically renew for one-year terms after that, unless one side decides to end it.
McCracken said the growth council has acquired all of the furniture and fixtures in the building and donated them to the city. He said that, since 2011, the council has spent about $80,0000 to assist in the upkeep of the building.
McCracken will serve as the center’s executive director. (”My pay didn’t go up — not one penny,” he joked with board members.)
The three staff members at the center are growth council employees, McCracken said. They included Susan Hayes, who has been hired as a full-time program manager to run day-to-day operations, as well as a part-time housekeeper and a part-time maintenance person.