GREENFIELD — Twenty-five Greenfield-Central High School seniors now have a foot in the door at more than 40 Hancock County business, after having been recognized this week for their employability skills.
The students were among the first to earn a Governor’s Work Ethic certificate through the high school, showing they’re hard-working, dependable — and a safe bet for hiring managers, district leaders say.
The Work Ethic Certificate program is a collaboration between the State Workforce Innovation Council, the Department of Workforce Development and Indiana Department of Education, and was created to “provide a pipeline of skilled high school graduates into today’s workforce,” according to the state’s website.
Only about one-fourth of Indiana’s high schools offer the program to their students, said Nathan Bruck, the program coordinator for Greenfield-Central High School.
Greenfield-Central’s Class of 2018 was the district’s first to participate in the program. Mt. Vernon High School offers the program to its students.
At the start of the school year, seniors signed up to participate, saying they’ll work to achieve a series of state- and community-set standards while displaying characteristics of persistence, respectfulness, initiative, dependability and efficiency, Bruck said.
To earn the certificate students had to have a four-year cumulative grade-point average of 2.0; have 98 percent attendance at school their senior year; have less than one disciplinary referral; and complete as least six hours of community service, Bruck said.
Of the 377 seniors enrolled at Greenfield-Central this school year, 193 signed up for the workforce readiness program. Just 25 completed it successfully, Bruck said.
Having the certificate, which is signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb, guarantees the recipient an interview at 44 Hancock County businesses, officials said.
These companies signed on as program partners when the initiative was first announced, and promised incentives to Greenfield-Central students who want to enter Hancock County’s workforce, whether it be right out of high school or after college, and include a copy of the certificate with a job application.
Rob Caird, a wealth advisor Greenfield Banking Company, which is a program partner, spoke during a recognition ceremony this week about what it means to businesses to see the certificate attached to an applicant’s résumé.
Having the certificate shows hiring managers that a young job-seeker possesses the characteristics any good company wants its employees to have, Caird said. It shows the applicant will show up to work, work hard and be respectful of customers, he said.
“This certificate … shows you have the things we’re looking for,” Caird said.