Governor Mike Pence continued his focus on improving education and workforce development for Hoosiers by creating the Center for Education and Career Innovation (CECI). Joined by Special Assistant for Career Innovation Jaclyn Dowd and Special Assistant for Education Innovation Claire Fiddian-Green, the Governor signed Executive Order 13-21 to establish the new agency.
CECI will improve collaboration among Indiana’s public, private and non-profit education and workforce partners by aligning education and career and workforce training efforts. The center will focus on students, clients and results, and will work to ensure Indiana is providing quality education for children and preparing adults for new careers.
“Indiana has made great strides in the last eight years when it comes to improving education and workforce development opportunities for Hoosiers, but with unemployment stubbornly staying above eight percent, there is still work to be done,” said Governor Pence. “The Center for Education and Career Innovation will strive to improve coordination between pertinent agency partners and industry voices to ensure a world-class education for students and to better prepare adults to be successful in their chosen career pathway that also meets industry demands. By creating a focal point for bringing together and deploying critical resources, the agency will deliver real change in Indiana, benefitting Hoosier families, employers and taxpayers, and, ultimately, impacting every Hoosier across the state.”
The agency also will foster, identify, and scale innovative education and workforce models, tools and resources and ensure Hoosier educators have the freedom, support and flexibility to succeed in the classroom. Through transparent accountability systems, CECI will hold students, adult workers, educators, schools, higher education institutions and workforce programs accountable for their progress.
The agency will proactively engage and collaborate with a number of valuable partners in state government including the Department of Education, the Indiana Charter School Board, the Department of Workforce Development, the Commission for Higher Education, and the Office of State-Based Initiatives. The Indiana Career Council, the Indiana Works Councils, the Education Roundtable and the State Board of Education, though functioning independently, will exist as part of the new agency.
More information about the Center for Education and Career Innovation can be found at in.gov/ceci.
