Dream It. Do It. SE Indiana Shares In $38 Million Grant from the Lilly Endowment

12/13/07 -  07-307                                                                       

CONTACTS: LAURA NARVAIZ (202) 637-3104;
PHYLLIS EISEN (202) 637-3011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

Funding Will Establish Comprehensive Advanced Manufacturing Education and Training Program in Southeast Indiana

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 13, 2007 – The Manufacturing Institute today praised The Lilly Endowment for awarding $38 million for educational and training programs associated with advanced manufacturing and other industries in Southeast Indiana. With more than 28 percent of the region’s workforce (38,000 people) dedicated to advanced manufacturing, a substantial portion of the grant will incorporate the regional Dream It. Do It. initiative to establish a comprehensive network for advanced manufacturing education and training programs  

“We commend Dream It. Do It. Southeast Indiana and its leadership including Cummins President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Loughrey for creating a strong regional alliance of industry, government and education leaders that helped pave the way for this exciting award,” commented Phyllis Eisen, Senior Vice President of The Manufacturing Institute, the research, education and workforce arm of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). “This new funding will fuel regional economic growth by helping individuals acquire the skills needed for high-paying jobs in Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and other industries,” she said.

Developed by the NAM and its Manufacturing Institute, Dream It. Do It. began in the Kansas City region in 2005 and has spread to eleven states and regions across America. The Southeast Indiana campaign was launched in May 2007 in partnership with Indiana’s Region 9 Workforce Board and comprises a 10-county region that includes the cities of Columbus, Greensburg, Seymour, Madison, North Vernon, Lawrenceburg and Batesville.

“Dream It. Do It. is inspiring young people across the country to prepare for and pursue a career in advanced manufacturing. We commend the Lilly Endowment for this generous grant to help Southeast Indiana’s Community Education Coalition and Heritage Fund incorporate the Dream It. Do It. initiative to improve educational and training opportunities for the region’s advanced manufacturing workforce,” Eisen concluded.

For more information, visit www.dreamit-doit.com.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the nation’s largest industrial trade association, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states.  Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the NAM has 11 additional offices across the country.  Visit the NAM’s award-winning web site at www.nam.org for more information about manufacturing and the economy.