Input sought on education center programming

Official meeting with companies to determine skill needs

One of the main purposes of an education center slated to open in Hancock County next year is to fill skill gaps in the local economy.

A Hancock Economic Development Council official is meeting with companies to identify those voids so that they can ultimately be resolved through the center’s programming.

The future facility, called Amplify Hancock, will be at the northwest corner of CR 300N and CR 200W. It is planned to start at 95,000 square feet and accommodate training and educational needs for employers, schools and adult learners. A 20-acre site has been secured for the property, which Hancock County will own, and an option is in place for a contiguous additional 20 acres. The facility is planned to open in July 2026.

HEDC Community Development Manager Erica Boswell serves as Engagement Officer for the Amplify Hancock Board of Directors, and is working to determine the programs that should be offered at the facility. To do that, she is meeting with businesses and organizations across the county to learn about how they and their career ladders operate. She is keen to discover what education and skills employees need to move up into different levels, any shortfalls that exist on those ladders, and any opportunities Amplify Hancock may have to improve those paths.

As Boswell progresses on this initiative, she is taking into account the variety of talent needs spanning across employers. In some instances, employee advancement depends on receiving a license or certification. In others, it’s a matter of learning new techniques that will help them move up at their place of employment, like leadership skills.

The implementation of this new workforce development system in Hancock County will change the culture around it. As talent gaps are filled, eventually the local economy will reach a point where it no longer needs that many people to take on a role that was formerly lacking, because Amplify Hancock will have developed a pipeline for it. That will allow the facility to narrow those channels and offer new ones.

Because of that, Boswell is interested in not only what skills the county needs now, but also the ones it will need in the future, so that Amplify Hancock will be prepared to offer them.

“Day one is going to look a lot different than three years into operation, just because that is the nature of the game,” she said. “We’ve got to find a balance of supporting our employers and where they are.”

Part of the vision for Amplify Hancock is for the facility to reach out into the community beyond the physical walls of the building when providing educational opportunities for county residents. The overall strategy won’t be about just preparing workers for entry-level positions and leaving it up to them to do the rest, but rather walking beside them throughout their lives. Along with teaching skills for jobs, Amplify Hancock also aims to provide education on other important parts of one’s working life, like decision-making, personal finance, and homeownership.

If you represent a business or organization in Hancock County that you feel could benefit from Amplify Hancock, Boswell wants to hear from you, and encourages you to email her at eboswell@hancockedc.com.

Listen to a conversation with Erica about her role at the HEDC and her work on Amplify Hancock on the Hancock on the Horizon podcast: