Goodwill Industries of Michiana Inc. said its Excel Centers will be able to help 1,035 more students earn their high school diplomas and other certifications after a General Assembly approval on April 28.
Goodwill said in a press release that the General Assembly approved 1,650 more seats for the 23 Excel Center locations throughout the state, which will help it serve 6,550 adults. The Michiana division will get 300 of those seats.
Excel Centers offer adults a Core 40 diploma, which allows students to apply at a four-year college or university.
“Goodwill is proud to offer job training services, mission programs, and employment opportunities to our communities, but The Excel Center fills a unique and crucial need in our community,” said Chris Alber, superintendent of Goodwill Industries of Michiana. “Besides helping adults earn their state-recognized high school diploma, The Excel Center provides college and career readiness opportunities to all learners while enrolled in classes, so they will be prepared for postsecondary pathways the moment they graduate.”
The Excel Centers also offer free on-site child care and transportation assistance.
According to the University of Notre Dame’s Laboratory of Economic Opportunity, graduates of the program earn up to 39% more in five years.
Goodwill Industries of Michiana serves 16 Indiana counties and has more than 24 retail locations. It has Excel Centers in Elkhart, Gary, Hammond and South Bend.
