How Southern Indiana Is Building Its Future Workforce
A skilled workforce is the not-so-secret ingredient behind Southern Indiana’s economic momentum. That momentum depends on people who can step in, solve problems and get to work.
Enter the Prosser Career Education Center, a career and technical education (CTE) institution that serves 23 high schools and more than 1,400 students. With a hands-on approach that feels closer to a job site than a traditional classroom, Prosser – which is part of the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. – is helping high school students find their footing and their future while giving local employers a steady stream of talent ready to contribute.
Tailored Skills for Targeted Industries
“Prosser is aggressively developing the next generation of talent in all career education clusters, including manufacturing,” says Kyle Lanoue, the center’s CTE program director.
“We are developing the very specific skills and knowledge that employees in each of our career paths are seeking,” he says. “Each program is also tied directly to the regional industry companies, making Prosser a direct link and path to employment.”
Lanoue notes that Prosser has developed an extensive selection of in-demand career paths for high school students, including construction, healthcare, human services and manufacturing. Each program provides students with employability skills, professional certifications, dual college credits and direct connections to local employers for internships and apprenticeships.
“In virtually all aspects of instruction, apprenticeship and talent development, our pathways are tied directly to industry and regional businesses,” Lanoue says. “It is evident that the work our instructors are doing is solid, as Prosser alumni have a significant impact throughout all career clusters throughout our region. Many of our alumni are company owners, project managers, CEOs and other industry leaders.”
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The Ultimate Proof of Concept
One such alumnus is Chris Jackson, CEO of Dan Cristiani Excavating Co. in Charlestown. After receiving his foundational training at the center, Jackson entered the company at an entry-level position and steadily worked his way up to CEO.
Jackson says he never particularly enjoyed school beyond the social aspect, so having hands-on work to focus on was the most important part of his high school experience. Learning a trade helped him build confidence, move forward and set himself up for the future with a lifelong skill.
“Prosser was the catalyst for everything I’ve built. It’s what led to the vertically integrated businesses I own today, where we employ about 260 people. I went there with a love for heavy equipment but no real knowledge beyond farm work,” Jackson says. “Prosser gave me the training and experience that opened the door to a contractor job, and over time that turned into us buying the company. Over the last 12 years, we’ve grown it tenfold.”
Now Jackson is able to pay it forward. His company currently employs more than 30 Prosser graduates.
“We’ve hired several students from these programs, and many have grown into some of our best superintendents and foremen,” Jackson says. “It’s not just heavy equipment; we’ve brought in graduates from welding and fabrication, diesel mechanics, paint and body, and other skilled trades.”
Beyond hiring graduates, Dan Cristiani Excavating Co. actively bridges the gap for current high school and college students by hosting internships and externships.
“With K-12 schools doing such a great job, students are getting a much more advanced education than they were 20 to 25 years ago. By junior and senior year, it’s really time to fine-tune their focus and build technical skills,” he says. “We have three summer internships for juniors and externships for seniors, where they begin working with us around February and continue through the end of the summer. By that point, we decide whether to keep them on part time or bring them on full time. We’re also expanding our efforts by partnering with community and other colleges.”
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No Limits: New Aviation Pathways Open for Students
As industries evolve and workforce needs shift, career and technical education programs (CTE) are adapting right alongside them. At Prosser Career Education Center, that means looking to the skies.
The New Albany-based center is expanding its aviation offerings, creating new opportunities for students interested in one of the region’s fastest-growing and most dynamic industries. The move reflects increasing demand for skilled aviation professionals across a wide range of careers, from aircraft maintenance and operations to engineering and logistics.
Prosser partnered with Vincennes University and Clark County Regional Airport in Sellersburg to develop the Southern Indiana Aviation Technology Center, a facility focused on flight training and aviation maintenance training.
For students, the expanded program provides a chance to gain hands-on experience while exploring a field that combines cutting-edge technology with real-world problem-solving. Prosser students can choose from two specialized pathways, Aviation Flight and Aviation Maintenance.
“All of our Prosser programs continue to evolve closely with the industries they serve. For example, this year, we have developed and started a new Aviation Maintenance program as the age of the current workforce is rapidly retiring,” says Kyle Lanoue the center’s CTE program director. Lanoue says Prosser has long played a vital role in connecting education to opportunity.
“At Prosser, we are developing the very specific skills and knowledge that employees in each of our career paths are seeking,” he says.