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Friday, April 4, 2025AfiSectionindianapolisrecorder.comPaying for college and navigating financial aid options can be daunting, but INvestEd is here to help. For more than 40 years, INvestEd has been working to make education beyond high school more a%u008dordable for Hoosier families with our free resources.Visit INvestEdIndiana.org or call (317) 715-9007 for FREE supportTake the first step toward a college degree by completing the FAFSA. FAFSA Filing for 2025 Now OpenBy CLAIRE RAFFORD Mirror IndyMarcus Lewis didn%u2019t know what he wanted to do with his life.He had a couple different jobs %u2014 bagging groceries at Kroger, working security part time %u2014 but he wasn%u2019t passionate about them.So when one of his job coaches told him about a new training program for adults with disabilities at Allison Transmission, he was excited about the chance to build a career doing something he enjoys.%u201cA job is somewhere you go to work,%u201d said Lewis, 23. %u201cI feel like a career is something you love to do. So, I would rather have a career than a job for the rest of my life.%u201dLewis recently earned his advanced manufacturing certificate after completing classes at the%u00a0Erskine Green Training Institute, which is run by%u00a0The Arc of Indiana. The program, which expanded from Muncie to Indianapolis last year, offers training programs at Allison Transmission and Riley Hospital for Children for adults with disabilities.Per 2024 data from the%u00a0Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with disabilities were far more likely to be unemployed and nearly twice as likely to work part time as compared to workers without disabilities. A%u00a0recent report from Urban Institute%u00a0also found that more than 38,000 disabled people in the U.S. earn less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and most earn less than $3.50 per hour.Erskine Green%u2019s mission is to help disabled adults of all ages get training and ultimately be employed into better-paying, satisfying jobs.%u201cWhen you can find employment and be successful,%u201d said%u00a0Megan Stevenson, director of Erskine Green Training Institute, %u201cit just opens up doors to a greater independence and a more fulfilled life.%u201dGiving students optionsErskine Green was founded in 2016 in Muncie as a residential program for adults with disabilities to get work experience and learn life skills.Most students live at the Courtyard Marriott in Muncie and get training in food service, health care and hospitality. But when thinking about expanding programs to Indianapolis, Stevenson said they chose to take a different approach to make the classes accessible for local students.%u201cWe desire options for those that we serve,%u201d said Stevenson, %u201cbecause everybody comes from a different walk of life.%u201dUnlike some other educational programs for adults with disabilities, such as%u00a0Indianapolis Public Schools%u2019 SITE program, Erskine Green is focused on supporting students who have already completed high school and are %u201cready for adult life,%u201d Stevenson said.The program is operating on a small scale in Indianapolis. In fact, Lewis was the only student in his class to complete the program at the end of February.Staff have high hopes that the program will expand in Indianapolis. But even if it doesn%u2019t, for manufacturing instructor Phil Smith, the investment in just a few students%u2019 futures would still be worth it.%u201cAnytime that anybody can provide for themselves, you have a little more pride in yourself,%u201d Smith said.A different kind of educationGrowing up, school was difficult for Lewis. Because of his learning disability, he struggled to sit and listen to lectures for long periods of time.Some of his teachers %u201ctreated him as though he couldn%u2019t learn,%u201d his mom, Tara Lewis, said.%u201cEverything was kind of boring,%u201d Marcus Lewis said. %u201cThey said I had a bad attention span.%u201dWhen Lewis turned 18, he transferred from a large public high school to a smaller, adult learning program, where he earned his diploma. But his previous experience had cemented a belief that college and higher education weren%u2019t for him, his mom said.His mom encouraged him to pursue something with his hands, a different type of education than he%u2019d had before. That ultimately led him to the manufacturing training program.For maybe the first time in his life, Lewis was actually interested in the material he was learning %u2014 and that made all the difference. He enjoyed the hands-on, repetitive nature of the work, even making it a point to get to class 15 minutes before the 6:30 a.m. start time every day.He always came home excited to tell his mom about his day.%u201cIt%u2019s something I want to do,%u201d said Lewis, %u201cso I make the time to go to sleep early, do what I need to do to be ready.%u201dA life of possibilityWhen Lewis first joined the program, Smith wasn%u2019t sure if he had what it took to succeed. Working in manufacturing requires clear communication between coworkers, and Lewis was quiet and soft-spoken.But as the days went on, Smith noticed Lewis begin to open up. After two other students in the class dropped out, there were many days when it was just Smith and Lewis in the classroom, running assembly line drills or rebuilding transmissions.%u201cWe had a good rapport,%u201d Smith said. %u201cThere was a lot of good conversation, not just on manufacturing, but we also got to talk about life.%u201dEarning his certificate and completing the training program showed Lewis that he%u2019s capable of more than he ever imagined for himself.%u201cIt taught me not to give up as quickly when stuff got hard or complicated,%u201d he said.Learn more and applyApply online%u00a0to Erskine Green programs at%u00a0Riley Hospital for Children%u00a0or%u00a0Allison Transmission. The program is intended for adult students whose academic, social and adaptive skills have been affected by a disability.You must be at least 18 and be able to provide%u00a0proof of diagnosis%u00a0of a disability to apply.To learn more, contact%u00a0info@egti.org.He was treated like he couldn%u2019t learn. Then he found his calling.The Erskine Green Training Institute wants to help adults with disabilities build careers.Marcus Lewis demonstrates a takes he%u2019s learned in the class Feb. 25, 2025 at Allison Transmission. (Photos/Doug McSchooler, Mirror Indy)Marcus Lewis (left) with his instrutor Phil Smith.