Bloomington, Ind. – Last week, Cook Medical was named Industry Partner of the Year by the Indiana Association for Adult Education for its High School Equivalency (HSE) program. In 2016, Cook partnered with Broadview Learning Center for Adults through Monroe County Community School Corporation to provide current and future employees opportunities to earn their diploma while working part-time.
“Approximately 5,000 adults in Monroe County alone do not hold a high school diploma, which is a baseline requirement for most jobs today,” said Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Medical and Cook Group. “Providing people the opportunity to earn this credential while working toward a full-time opportunity is good not only for the individuals who earn their diplomas, but also their families and the larger community surrounding them.”
Cook’s program allows individuals to work part-time at Cook while spending the remainder of the work day in class to prepare for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion. After successfully earning their HSE Diploma, these employees will be offered a full-time position at Cook.
To date, Cook’s HSE program has assisted 11 employees to obtain their HSE Diploma, and a new group of ten employees are currently enrolled. The HSE program is part of Cook’s larger education assistance program, My Cook Pathway, which provides upfront financial support to employees to pursue higher education and professional development opportunities.
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.