Duke Energy awards over $220,000 in grants to support workforce development in Indiana

- Grantees located in Bartholomew, Delaware, Hamilton, Howard, Johnson, Martin, Tippecanoe, Vigo, Wabash counties

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Jun 16, 2020, 11:19 ET

PLAINFIELD, Ind., June 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy, through its shareholder-funded foundation, is awarding over $220,000 in grants to support 15 workforce development programs in nine Indiana counties.

The grants support workforce education and training programs that address the most pressing skill gaps in communities served by the company.

"We recognize that, for a variety of reasons, not all people have equal access to the same educational and training opportunities as others," said Stan Pinegar, Duke Energy state president for Indiana. "We can help improve that access by making investments in training and education where it is needed most."

Examples of programs supported by the grants include:

A $15,000 grant to the Heartland Career Center in Wabash County to expand the center's educational footprint to become the first adult training facility within a 30-mile radius in the region
A $19,900 grant to the Community Education Coalition in Bartholomew County to expand work-based learning programs and launch career awareness and outreach strategies to successfully grow the pipeline of skilled workers in the area
A $25,000 grant to Bona Vista Programs and its pre-employment transition services in Howard County to support individuals with disabilities to successfully learn necessary skills for community employment

Below is the full list of the organizations, locations and the grants they received:

Program	Description	County	Grant Amount
The ARC of Indiana Foundation Erskine Green Training Institute	Offers postsecondary vocational opportunities for Duke Energy customers with disabilities to empower them and lead to meaningful employment	Delaware/Duke Energy-served counties	$30,000
Bona Vista Programs Workforce Development Programs: Pre-Employment Transition Services and Opportunity Knocks!	Support individuals with disabilities to successfully learn necessary skills for community employment	Howard	$25,000
Columbus Area Chamber Foundation Velocities	Support partnership efforts to grow innovation-driven business in the Bartholomew-Brown-Monroe region	Bartholomew	$9,750
Community Education Coalition EcO Network	Expand work-based learning programs, launch career awareness and outreach strategies to successfully grow the pipeline of skilled workers in the area	Bartholomew	$19,900
Hamilton County Workforce Innovation Network Workforce Recovery, Talent Pathway Initiative	Develop two talent pathways, one in health care and the other in construction, which will provide work-based learning opportunities and degree programs	Hamilton	$20,000
Heartland Career Center Heartland Career Center Adult Certification Training Center Expansion Project	Expand the center's educational footprint to become the first adult training facility within a 30-mile radius in the region	Wabash	$15,000
Indiana 4-H Foundation 4-H Powers the Energy Industry	Provide youth the opportunity to explore the fundamentals of electricity, renewable energy technologies and conservation	Tippecanoe	$15,000
Indiana Talent Network IN Talent Networks	Connect state systems with resources and a forum to collaborate on talent pipeline for underserved populations	Bartholomew	$10,000
Johnson County Community Foundation Employer Resource Network	Help community resources provide employees relief for issues such as reliable transportation, child care, housing challenges, etc.	Johnson	$5,000
Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana Advancing STEM through Career Awareness with JA	Provide young people with the combination of technical skills, specifically in science, technology, engineering and math, and non-technical skills to succeed in the future job market	Statewide	$8,000
LTHC Homeless Services Employment Services	Provide a range of programs to help individuals experiencing homelessness and help them obtain employment	Tippecanoe	$15,000
Radius Indiana @RadiusIndiana	Target three sectors: advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity training and employment; supply more housing construction by training additional workers	Martin	$20,000
River Valley Resources JAG Industry Exposure Opportunities	Increase industry exposure for students by providing career and industry tour opportunities; host the first ever regional event featuring trade-only employers and educators	Bartholomew	$10,000
White's Residential and Family Service Growing Teens for Life	Gives teens hands-on work experience and vocational certifications in areas such as food service, hospitality, logistics and barista services	Wabash	$10,000
Workforce Network Western Indiana Survey and Work Experience Grant	Provide critical data that will support strategies aimed at engaging low-income and diverse populations succeed	Vigo	$9,500

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars.

In Indiana, the Foundation provides approximately $2 million in charitable gifts to a wide variety of nonprofit groups.

More information about the Foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,600 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 840,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana's largest electric supplier.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Media contact: Lew Middleton
800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy