RUSHVILLE, IN — October 20, 2026 — Career exploration became a hands-on experience for Rushville Consolidated High School students this week as the 2026 Duke Energy Career Quest culminated in the school’s College & Career Fair.

Through a partnership between Rush County Economic & Community Development Corporation (ECDC), Duke Energy, Rushville Consolidated High School, and participating employers and colleges, the two-phase initiative helped students prepare for meaningful conversations about their futures—and then put those skills into practice.

Phase One: Preparing Students for Success

On Friday, October 16, 165 RCHS juniors and seniors participated in the first phase of Duke Energy Career Quest, featuring guest speaker Savanna Fox.

Fox shared practical strategies to help students approach the upcoming College & Career Fair with confidence and purpose.

The preparation session emphasized the importance of asking thoughtful questions, making positive first impressions, exploring unfamiliar career pathways, and taking advantage of opportunities to connect directly with employers and college representatives.

Rather than simply collecting information from exhibitors, students were encouraged to engage in meaningful conversations that could help shape their education and career decisions.

Duke Energy sponsored the preparation session as part of its investment in strengthening Rush County’s future workforce.

Phase Two: Putting Career Readiness Into Action

On Tuesday, October 20, students had the opportunity to put their preparation into practice during the 2026 RCHS College & Career Fair.

Approximately 40–50 employers, colleges, and other organizations participated, connecting students with opportunities in manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, skilled trades, higher education, military service, and other career pathways.

Throughout the fair, students engaged with exhibitors, asked questions about career opportunities, explored educational and training requirements, and learned more about the possibilities available in Rush County and the surrounding region.

The event served as the second phase of Duke Energy Career Quest, bringing together the career-readiness skills introduced during Friday’s preparation session and the real-world opportunity to practice those skills with employers and college representatives.

Recognizing Students Who Made the Most of Their Opportunities

A highlight of the 2026 Duke Energy Career Quest was a student engagement contest designed to encourage meaningful conversations between students and exhibitors.

Employers and college representatives were invited to identify students who demonstrated exceptional engagement, curiosity, professionalism, and communication skills during the College & Career Fair.

Thanks to Duke Energy’s generous sponsorship, twelve students received $100 gift cards, totaling $1,200 in prizes, in recognition of their efforts.

Duke Energy also sponsored Friday’s career-readiness presentation by Savanna Fox and provided padfolios and lanyards for the student engagement contest.

Together, these investments helped create an experience that went beyond a traditional career fair—giving students preparation, opportunities to practice their skills, and recognition for actively exploring their futures.

Why These Connections Matter to Rush County

Events like Duke Energy Career Quest are an important part of building a stronger local talent pipeline.

Rush County employers depend on a skilled, prepared workforce to remain competitive and grow. At the same time, students benefit from understanding the range of opportunities available in their community and the education or training needed to pursue them.

Career exploration events help bridge that gap.

For some students, a conversation with an employer may introduce a career they had never considered. For others, meeting a college representative may help clarify the next steps toward a particular profession.

These connections also allow employers to introduce young people to their industries, explain workplace expectations, and build relationships with potential future employees.

By combining preparation with direct engagement, Duke Energy Career Quest helps students move beyond simply learning about careers to actively exploring their possibilities.

A Partnership Investing in the Future

Rush County ECDC extends its appreciation to Duke Energy for supporting both phases of Career Quest, including the student preparation session, engagement contest materials, and $1,200 in prizes.

We also thank Savanna Fox for helping students prepare, Rushville Consolidated High School for its partnership, and the many employers, colleges, and organizations that participated in the fair.

Most importantly, we recognize the students who took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions, explore career pathways, and make connections that may influence their futures.

When schools, employers, and community partners work together, we do more than prepare students for graduation. We help build the workforce and economic future of Rush County.

RUSHVILLE, IN — Building a strong workforce doesn’t begin when a company posts a job opening. It begins much earlier, when students have opportunities to explore careers, develop workplace skills and understand the opportunities available in their communities.

For Rush County employers, a new statewide resource may make those connections easier.

On October 6, 2026, Indiana announced the launch of a Work-Based Learning Digital Resource Hub, developed through a partnership between the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Commission for Higher Education and Ascend Indiana.

The resource provides practical guidance to help employers, educators and workforce partners develop meaningful work-based learning experiences for students.

As Rush County continues strengthening connections between local businesses and education, these tools offer another opportunity to help prepare the next generation of workers.

What Is Work-Based Learning?

Work-based learning connects classroom education with real-world workplace experiences.

Depending on the program, students may participate in internships, structured workplace projects, cooperative education, apprenticeships or other experiences that help them develop career-related knowledge and skills.

These opportunities allow students to better understand what different occupations involve while giving employers a chance to introduce young people to their industries.

For example, a student interested in manufacturing might benefit from working alongside experienced technicians, learning about quality-control procedures or completing a supervised technical project.

A student interested in business could gain experience with customer service, marketing, accounting or day-to-day business operations.

Healthcare, agriculture, construction, transportation and professional services also offer opportunities for students to connect their education with workplace expectations.

The goal is to provide experiences that are meaningful for students and valuable for employers.

Why Indiana Is Expanding Work-Based Learning

Indiana’s updated high school diploma places greater emphasis on preparing students for life after graduation.

Students have opportunities to pursue readiness seals aligned with their future goals, including continued education, employment and military service.

Work-based learning is an important component of that preparation.

Rather than relying entirely on classroom instruction, students can demonstrate their skills and gain practical experience connected to potential careers.

For employers, this creates an opportunity to become more directly involved in workforce preparation.

Instead of waiting until young people graduate to introduce them to an industry, businesses can help students understand career opportunities and develop relevant skills while they are still in school.

That approach can be especially valuable in smaller communities where employers and schools have opportunities to develop lasting relationships.

What Does the New Resource Hub Offer Employers?

One of the challenges businesses face when considering student internships or work-based learning programs is knowing where to begin.

Employers may have questions about supervision, training plans, student responsibilities, program requirements and how to coordinate with schools.

Indiana’s new Work-Based Learning Digital Resource Hub was developed to help address those questions.

Available resources include an employer readiness assessment, guidance on different types of work-based learning experiences, program-design tools and information about the responsibilities of participating organizations.

The hub also includes a Work-Based Learning Training Plan and Partnership Agreement Template.

For qualifying experiences under Indiana’s updated diploma requirements, schools must maintain a training plan and partnership agreement documenting the student’s learning experience.

These resources help schools and employers establish expectations, identify skills to be developed and determine how student progress will be evaluated.

Businesses interested in learning more can explore the Ascend Indiana Work-Based Learning Resources.

Five Ways Rush County Employers Can Get Started

Employers don’t necessarily need to develop a large apprenticeship program to begin exploring how they can support career-connected learning.

A smaller, carefully planned opportunity may be an appropriate starting point.

1. Identify Careers Students Should Know About

Consider the positions within your business that students may not realize exist.

A manufacturing facility, for example, may employ people in engineering, maintenance, purchasing, logistics, human resources and information technology.

Introducing students to those opportunities can broaden their understanding of an industry.

2. Identify Skills Your Business Needs

Think about the technical and professional skills that help employees succeed.

Communication, problem-solving, reliability, teamwork and attention to detail are valuable across many occupations.

Businesses can help students understand how those skills are used in actual workplaces.

3. Determine What Type of Experience Fits Your Organization

Some businesses may be interested in offering structured internships.

Others may be better positioned to support a classroom project, workplace simulation or another school-coordinated experience.

The new resource hub explains the different models recognized by Indiana and provides guidance to help employers determine which options may be appropriate.

Not every career-exploration activity qualifies as formal work-based learning under Indiana’s graduation requirements. Schools and employers should review applicable program standards before establishing an experience.

4. Connect With Education and Workforce Partners

Employers don’t have to navigate the process alone.

Indiana has established a network of regional intermediaries to help connect businesses and schools.

These organizations can provide guidance on developing programs, identifying partners and coordinating work-based learning opportunities.

Businesses can use Ascend Indiana’s Intermediary Directory to identify organizations serving Rush County.

5. Start With a Clear Plan

A successful work-based learning experience should have a defined purpose.

Employers and schools should understand what students will learn, who will provide supervision and how progress will be measured.

Safety, age-appropriate duties, scheduling and applicable employment requirements must also be considered.

Starting with clear expectations helps create a better experience for everyone involved.

Connecting Today’s Students With Tomorrow’s Careers

Rush County’s workforce-development efforts already include opportunities for students to interact with local employers.

Manufacturing Day, career exploration activities and the Rushville Consolidated High School College & Career Fair help introduce students to industries, occupations and educational pathways.

These activities are valuable because they create awareness.

But career exploration can also serve as the beginning of a longer relationship between students and employers.

A student who discovers an interest in manufacturing during a facility tour might later pursue technical education or a structured workplace learning experience.

Someone introduced to healthcare careers at a career fair may begin researching the certifications or degrees required for a particular occupation.

Those connections can help students make more informed decisions about their futures.

They also help businesses become more visible to the people who may eventually join their workforce.

Building a Stronger Rush County Talent Pipeline

For Rush County, workforce development is about more than filling today’s vacancies.

It is about helping local employers develop access to skilled workers while giving residents opportunities to build successful careers.

That requires continued collaboration among businesses, educators, workforce organizations and community partners.

Rush County Economic & Community Development Corporation remains committed to strengthening those connections and helping local businesses understand the workforce resources available to them.

Indiana’s new Work-Based Learning Digital Resource Hub provides another tool to support that effort.

Employers interested in exploring opportunities can begin by reviewing the statewide resources, identifying potential experiences within their organizations and connecting with education and workforce partners.

The businesses that invest in developing future talent today can help build a stronger Rush County workforce for tomorrow.

To explore the new resources, visit Ascend Indiana’s Work-Based Learning Resource Hub.

For information about local workforce-development partnerships, contact Rush County ECDC.

Rushville and Rush County projects receive $4.9 million in READI 2.0 allocations as Accelerate Rural Indiana celebrates regional progress.

The Rush County READI investment represents another important step in strengthening our community’s economic future. Through the Accelerate Rural Indiana regional partnership, Rushville and Rush County have been allocated $4.9 million in READI 2.0 funding for six local projects.

Economic development in Rush County doesn’t happen in isolation. Our community’s future is connected to the strength of neighboring counties, the availability of housing, the development of local businesses and the infrastructure needed to support future investment.

That regional approach reached an important milestone on October 1, 2026, when Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) gathered community and economic-development leaders at the Love Community Center in Rushville for its State of the Region celebration.

The organization announced that all $20 million of its original READI 1.0 award has now been disbursed to projects, ahead of Indiana’s year-end 2026 deadline.

Meanwhile, the region is advancing another $30 million in READI 2.0 funding, bringing its combined state READI awards to $50 million. WRBI Radio

What the Rush County READI Investment Means for Our Community

Rushville and Rush County are part of the Accelerate Rural Indiana partnership, which also includes Greensburg and Decatur County, Shelbyville and Shelby County, and Batesville.

The partnership works across community boundaries to pursue investments that support economic opportunity, workforce attraction and quality of life.

During the October 1 event, ARI presented ceremonial READI 2.0 funding checks representing 22 projects across its participating communities.

Rushville and Rush County’s allocation includes $4.9 million for six projects. WRBI Radio

These investments are part of a broader strategy to strengthen the region’s ability to attract businesses, support residents and prepare for future growth.

Investing in More Than Buildings

READI stands for Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.

The program supports locally developed strategies intended to strengthen Indiana communities through economic development, housing, infrastructure and quality-of-place improvements.

For Rush County, these investments matter because economic development requires more than having a site available for a new business.

Employers also need workers.

Workers need housing and community amenities.

Entrepreneurs need opportunities to establish and grow businesses.

And communities need infrastructure that can accommodate future investment.

When those pieces come together, they create a stronger foundation for long-term economic growth.

Rushville’s Love Community Center Demonstrates the Regional Approach

The location of this year’s State of the Region event was especially meaningful.

Rushville’s Love Community Center received $4 million in READI 1.0 funding and brings several community services together in one location.

The facility includes the Rushville Public Library, an early learning facility, a senior center, recreation facilities, a food pantry and social-service offices. WRBI Radio

It’s an example of how economic-development investments can support residents while helping create the type of community where people want to live and work.

The center also demonstrates why quality-of-place investments belong in conversations about workforce and business growth.

What’s Next for Regional Investment?

With READI 1.0 funding fully disbursed, Accelerate Rural Indiana is moving forward with READI 2.0.

According to the organization’s October announcement, all READI 2.0 projects have received formal approval from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

The region is also approaching 65% disbursement of its READI 2.0 funding, ahead of the program’s 2028 deadline. WRBI Radio

The regional project portfolio includes housing development, business and innovation facilities, infrastructure improvements and community assets.

Among the projects identified in Rushville are the Rushville Launch Center and additional housing initiatives.

These projects represent different pieces of the same economic-development strategy: preparing communities for business investment while creating opportunities for residents. Accelerate Rural Indiana

Understanding the Projected Economic Impact

Accelerate Rural Indiana has identified substantial potential economic benefits from its READI investments.

For READI 1.0, the organization forecasts more than $485 million in combined investment, including over $408 million in private investment and more than $34 million in local matching funds.

The region also projects more than 270 jobs, 600 housing units and 260 childcare seats associated with its READI 1.0 portfolio.

These figures are regional projections, not completed outcomes or Rush County-only totals.

ARI expects actual outcome data to be collected and reported in March 2027. GIANT fm

That distinction matters because the true measure of economic development is not simply the amount of funding awarded.

It is the lasting impact those investments produce.

How the Rush County READI Investment Supports Regional Growth

For rural communities, regional collaboration can create opportunities that would be difficult to pursue independently.

A stronger regional economy benefits employers, workers and families throughout the area.

Rush County’s participation in Accelerate Rural Indiana is part of that broader effort to strengthen economic opportunity, encourage investment and improve quality of place.

As READI 2.0 projects advance, the focus will increasingly shift from funding commitments to implementation and measurable results.

Rush County ECDC remains committed to supporting economic and community development efforts that position Rush County for long-term success.

To learn more about the regional initiative and its project portfolio, visit Accelerate Rural Indiana.

Learn more about Rush County ECDC’s ongoing economic and community development efforts by exploring our economic development resources.