Bloomington, Ind. – Today, the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce announced Cook Group as the 2016 Workforce Development Award recipient in recognition the My Cook Pathway program the company launched in June. In partnership with Monroe County Community Schools Adult Education at Broadview Learning Center and Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington, the program creates a pathway between education and jobs in the community.
“Since our announcement this summer, more than 250 people have signed up to further their education,” said Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Medical and Cook Group. “We’re honored to be recognized with this award because it’s a proof point to the impact that meaningful partnerships can make in communities like Bloomington.”
Part of the redesigned education program includes a collaboration with Ivy Tech Bloomington called Achieve Your Degree. At no cost to the employee, this program allows participants to earn a certificate in seven programs including biotechnology, business administration, hospitality and various computing and informatics tracks. They can also continue their education by earning an Associate degree in these curricula developed for Cook.
Cook also developed a program with Broadview Learning Center for employees to work part-time while they pursue their High School Equivalency (HSE). Individuals in Southwest Central Indiana interested in working at Cook who do not have a high school diploma or HSE are eligible to participate in the program after successfully completing the pre-employment screening process. After attending the free seven-week preparatory class then taking and passing the Test Assessing Secondary Completion to obtain their HSE, individuals are eligible for a full-time position at Cook.
“From tuition assistance and the Achieve Your Degree program at Ivy Tech to individuals earning their High School Equivalency, the positive feedback about My Cook Pathway has been phenomenal,” said Katie Smith, director of Human Resources at Cook Medical. “We’re seeing the first round of students working to achieve higher education and it’s already clear that this program will change lives in our community.”
About Cook Medical
Since 1963 Cook Medical has worked closely with physicians to develop technologies that eliminate the need for open surgery. Today we are combining medical devices, biologic materials and cellular therapies to help the world’s healthcare systems deliver better outcomes more efficiently. We have always remained family owned so that we have the freedom to focus on what we care about: patients, our employees and our communities. Find out more at www.cookmedical.com, and for the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.