‘DIVIDENDS FOR DECADES’: Amplify represents investment in Hancock County’s future
29 Jul 2026
Success Stories
Opening of Innovation Center bolsters local workforce training
The Amplify Hancock Innovation Center officially opened its doors Tuesday, but as County Commissioner Bill Spalding noted, the celebration was about far more than the completion of a building.
“It’s one of the largest long-term investments Hancock County has ever made in its people,” he told the crowd that packed the new workforce education facility at County Roads 200W and 300N. “For years we’ve invested in roads, utilities, and public safety because those are essential for a growing community. Amplify represents another kind of investment – an investment in our workforce, our students, and the future of Hancock County.”
It’s an investment that has taken years of planning and collaboration among a large and diverse group of leaders. They look forward to an invaluable return as it prepares Hancock County community members for high-wage, high-demand jobs throughout the future.
Across its 106,000 square feet, Amplify Hancock houses space for vocational training for high school students and adult learners. Its west end encompasses the Hancock County Career Center (HC3), where over 400 students from the county’s four school districts are enrolled in a dozen programs. To the north of the facility’s expansive commons is learning space operated by Hancock Health and Ivy Tech Community College.
HC3’s programs include:
- Automotive Collision Repair
- Automotive Services
- Aviation Management
- Carpentry
- Criminal Justice
- Dental Careers
- Electrical
- Emergency Medical Services
- HVAC
- Pre-Nursing: CNA
- Pre-Nursing: CCMA
- Welding
Hancock Health’s School of Radiologic Technology and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Training Program will be at Amplify, while Ivy Tech will provide short-term workforce development training in areas such as leadership, manufacturing, IT, and healthcare, as well as customized programs tailored to the specific goals of participating employers.
The learning spaces are filled with equipment for hands-on training, including dental chairs, flight simulators, medical training mannequins, welding stations, vehicle lifts, and a training apparatus replicating the back of an ambulance.
White box space spans Amplify’s second story, allowing the facility to quickly expand to meet other local workforce training needs as they arise throughout the future.
Take a tour of the Amplify Hancock Innovation Center:
In his remarks at the grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting, Spalding noted the motivation for Amplify began with the simple question of how to prepare today’s workers for the jobs that will exist tomorrow.
“They deserve meaningful career opportunities close to home,” he said of students at high schools for Eastern Hancock, Greenfield Central, Mt. Vernon, and New Palestine. “And adults – if they want to improve their skills or begin a new career, they should have those opportunities right here in Hancock County.”
That’s why leaders view Amplify as much more than an education project, he continued, calling it a form of “economic infrastructure” that uniquely brings education, industry, and the community together.
“Instead of asking students to figure out career paths on their own, employers will help shape the training they receive,” Spalding said. “Instead of businesses saying they can’t find qualified workers, they’ll become part of developing the workforce. And instead of learning ending with high school graduation, education will become a lifelong opportunity.”
Achieving Amplify required the partnership of county government, the county’s four school districts, Ivy Tech, Hancock Health, the Hancock Economic Development Council, local employers, and state government partners.
“Everyone brought something different to the table,” Spalding said, “but everyone shared the same vision: Investing in the future of Hancock County.”
The project reflects what can happen when organizations choose collaboration over competition, he added.
“People sometimes ask why county government would invest in workforce development,” he said. “The answer is simple: The strongest communities don’t just attract jobs, they prepare people to succeed in those jobs.”
Dr. Harold Olin, Superintendent of Greenfield Central Schools and Past President of the Hancock Economic Development Council, highlighted the partnership that was necessary to make Amplify possible as well.
“We like to compete at many things,” he noted of the county’s four school districts, “but this is one thing that we’ve been fairly likeminded on. We’ve been able to collaborate. The need has been well established here, but bringing people to the table to build a vision for how to fill that need has taken a lot of voices.”
Olin also thanked all those who helped make the accomplishment possible.
“You are providing an opportunity for the next generation of Hancock County students,” he said. “That will make a great impact.”
U.S. Rep. Jefferson Shreve, who represents Hancock County in Congress, congratulated his constituents on the endeavor.
“Hancock County will be stronger because this community chose to invest in people, and this is all about investment in people,” Shreve said. “It’s the kind of investment that pays dividends and will for decades.”
Commissioner Spalding pointed to the facility as one of the assets that makes Hancock County a differentiator.
“Communities across the state talk about workforce development,” he said. “Hancock County chose to build it. Amplify represents who we are: A community that believes in partnership, innovation, and planning for the future, instead of simply reacting to it.”
Amplify opens its doors to students August 6th.
Catch Inside Indiana Business’s coverage of the Amplify Hancock Innovation Center
Read past stories on Amplify:
HEDC gives $250,000 to Amplify Hancock Innovation Center
Programming taking shape for workforce training center
Leaders break ground on education facility
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