INDIANAPOLIS – Ivy Tech Community College has been awarded a $2.5 million grant for training in the high-growth career fields of information technology and cybersecurity.  The School of Computing and Informatics at Ivy Tech, which launched this fall, has received the grant to assist in expanding and improving career training programs in the information technology and informatics industry.

Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary Thomas E. Perez, and Secretary Arne Duncan announced today that Ivy Tech is one of nearly 270 community colleges across the United States receiving $450 million in job-driven training grants.

The funding will assist in establishing and expanding IT dedicated labs across 24 Ivy Tech campuses, establishing and expanding 10 to 12 data centers critical for training students majoring in Network Infrastructure and Server Administration, expanding a virtual data lab center accessible by distance education, providing professional development for IT faculty, creating a virtual IT defined career pathway advising system, and recruiting participants in collaboration with workforce partners.

The School of Computing and Informatics at Ivy Tech anticipates more than 4,000 students completing one or more credentials and placed in jobs or advancing in employment during the grant period.  Information technology is a growing industry in Indiana, however many Hoosiers remain unemployed, displaced, or need jobs upon returning from military service.  Building on the current strength and projected growth of Indiana’s IT industry, this grant will prepare students for high-wage, high-growth careers in IT.

“A well-educated workforce is essential to strengthening Indiana’s economy, and this generous grant will help us continue to provide educational opportunities in career fields showing large growth across the state, ensuring we can provide the programs and services that best meet the needs of our students and Indiana’s employers,” said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder.

Ivy Tech will collaborate with employers, employer associations, economic developers, state and regional IT industry advisory boards, chambers of commerce, and individual employers to continuously review curriculum, assess student performance, provide workplace exposure, place students in internships and capstone projects, and help students find employment after earning a credential.

The grant funding is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Education.

Ivy Tech’s School of Computing and Informatics launched this fall with eight programs: Database Management, Informatics, Software Development, Information Technology Support, Network Infrastructure, Server Administration, Cyber Security/Information Assurance, and Computer Science.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.