BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington was awarded a Perkins Competitive Grant from the Indiana Department of Education in the fall of 2016 to increase rural career and technical education pathways in biotechnology. The $85,000 grant is being used to establish dual credit biotechnology courses through Ivy Tech. Starting in the spring 2017 semester at Brown County, Owen Valley, Eastern Greene and Bloomfield high schools, students have the opportunity to earn dual high school and college credit at no cost to them.

The biotechnology courses are currently taught by an Ivy Tech instructor and the grant will also provide training for high school science teachers to gain credentials to teach the coursework beginning in the 2017-18 school year. An additional $15,000 was provided to Ivy Tech Bloomington by Cook Pharmica to help launch and sustain the program for years to come by providing funding for textbooks that can be reused by the participating high schools.

We have a mission at Ivy Tech Bloomington to help fill the local industry skills gap, and one way we do that is through partnerships like this with Cook Pharmica, said Jennie Vaughan, chancellor at Ivy Tech Bloomington. With the help of this grant, high school students can take dual credit classes in biotechnology, developing a clear pathway toward employment in the life sciences, an industry thats thriving in our region.

We appreciate the work Ivy Tech does to help students in the local community develop the skills they need to enter the workforce upon graduating high school, said Tedd Green, president of Cook Pharmica. This program is a true community partnership that supports the education of our local youth and the workforce development needs of the growing life sciences industry in South Central Indiana. We are pleased to be a partner in this program.

Since it was founded in 2004, Cook Pharmica has grown to 715 employees today. Cook also introduced its new My Cook Pathway education assistance program in 2016 to provide employees the opportunity to continue their education at no cost to them from day one with the company.

About Cook Pharmica

Cook Pharmica is a privately held contract development and manufacturing organization that provides services to the global pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Centrally located in Bloomington, Indiana, Cook Pharmica is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cook Group Incorporated. Find out more at http://www.cookpharmica.com.

About Ivy Tech Community College

Ivy Tech Community College (www.ivytech.edu) is the state's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

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Cook Pharmica Partners With Ivy Tech Bloomington to Further Rural Biotechnology Education - Business Wire (press release)