Overview

For many years, Hancock County and the leading employers within the county, such as Hancock Health, Ninestar Connect, and Hitachi Astemo have recognized a need for workforce development, higher education and on-going career training and development for the students and residents of Hancock County. With the continued growth and development around the county, County officials and business leaders believe now is the time to act in order to alleviate the current workforce shortage and provide Hancock County residents a place to learn, grow and develop within their chosen career. The project is currently being called the “Hancock County Innovation and Education Center” or HCIEC. The development concept includes a building which will be home to three separate, but connected areas: 1. Career Training Education (CTE) for the school districts of Hancock County (specifically geared toward grades 9 – 12) 2. Higher Education and professional development opportunities for residents (ie. Ivy Tech, Vincennes, others) 3. Private entity office/lab space innovation area/community gathering space Special care will need to be given to the security of students and how the various spaces interact and work together to create an attractive, cohesive space for development and career advancement. The READI funds will be used for land acquisition. The project's expected timeline is March, 2022 to December, 2026.