News
CWI Celebrates Workforce Development Month by Showcasing Industry-Driven Strategies: Spotlight on Work B.I.G.
GARY, Ind. — In celebration of the 20th Annual Workforce Development Month, the Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI) is proud to spotlight the growing success of Work B.I.G. (Beauty In Gary). This two-year, industry-driven workforce development initiative is transforming lives and neighborhoods across the City of Gary. The project was initiated by Mayor Eddie Melton…
Read MoreCWI’s Adult Learning Centers Thrive—New School Year Begins with Strong Momentum
VALPARAISO, IN — As the new academic year begins in the Region, the Center of Workforce Innovations is taking time to reflect on what was a landmark year of student growth and achievement at the Adult Learning & Training Centers. With a record-breaking enrollment of 503 students across Northwest Indiana, this year marks CWI’s largest…
Read MoreCWI Partnership with Portage Township Trustee Makes Space for a More Accessible WorkOne Location
Portage, IN – The Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI) is proud to announce a dynamic partnership with Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy, which has led to the opening of a newly established WorkOne Northwest Indiana location inside the Portage Township Trustee’s Resource Center. This milestone will be celebrated with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony…
Read MoreCWI Highlights First-Year Success of Career Readiness Program
Building Indiana Business – 07/02/2025 The Center of Workforce Innovations announced the early achievements of Bridging the Gap to Student Success, a transformative program helping high school students across Northwest Indiana prepare for meaningful careers. Powered by CWI’s READY NWI initiative and supported by a $1 million grant from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education,…
Read MoreInvitation for Bids (IFB) For Grant Writing Professional
Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI) is a 501(c)3 workforce development organization in the Northwest Indiana counties of Jasper, Lake, La Porte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, and Starke governed by a Board of Directors. CWI is a multi-faceted organization serving as an intermediary to convene community and industry groups to facilitate solutions, build talent pipelines, provide data…
Read MoreCWI Solidifies Role as Northwest Indiana’s Premier Workforce Intermediary through Success of READY NWI and Bridging the Gap
VALPARAISO, IN — The Center of Workforce Innovations is proud to announce the early achievements of Bridging the Gap to Student Success, a transformative program helping high school students across Northwest Indiana prepare for meaningful careers. Powered by CWI’s READY NWI initiative and supported by a $1 million grant from the Indiana Commission for Higher…
Read MoreDollar General Literacy Foundation Grant Helps CWI Bring Back Fast Track to HSE
VALPARAISO – JUNE 5, 2025 – The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) recently awarded the Center of Workforce Innovations a $10,000 grant to support adult literacy. The funds are part of a record-setting, one-day donation in the Foundation’s history of more than $13.2 million to support adult, family, and summer literacy programs in the 48…
Read MoreFrom Blight to Beauty: Gary’s Work B.I.G. Initiative Kicks Off
GARY, IND. — This week marks an important milestone for the City of Gary and the Center of Workforce Innovations with the launch of Work B.I.G., an innovative initiative aimed at blight remediation through workforce development. Twenty-one Gary residents reported to their first day of B.I.G. (Beauty in Gary) work, benefiting from paid skills training…
Read MoreCOMMENTARY: Future of JAG in Jeopardy
By Lisa Daugherty, President & CEO, Center of Workforce Innovations When Indianapolis rolls out the red carpet to more than 900 students for the national Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Career Development Conference April 24-26, it does so even as the future of Indiana JAG chapters is under serious threat of elimination. Regrettably, the current…
Read MoreMayor Melton invites Community Leaders to Think B.I.G.
This week, a diverse group of influential and engaged community leaders gathered at City Hall to learn about Think B.I.G. (Beauty in Gary), an ambitious blight elimination program. The initiative, championed by Mayor Eddie Melton and modeled after a successful work-based learning initiative in Detroit, aims to revitalize areas while equipping residents with essential foundational…
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