MUNCIE, Ind. -- By many measures, the Building Employment Skills Together (BEST) workforce training program run by Ball State University during the past two years was a hit.

Not only did the federally funded community project nearly triple its goal by training 2,700 unemployed and underemployed local residents, it also has become a national model.

BEST was recently nominated for a Best Practice Award by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Last year it won the Award of Excellence in Economic and Community Development from the University Continuing Education Association.

The program's success lies in the enhanced careers and changed lives of the people it helped--from displaced workers and welfare recipients to clerical staff and company managers.

"In terms of value, what price could you put on increasing knowledge, building self-esteem and the giving of hope?" said Steve Janney of East Central Opportunities' Impact program.

With a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, BEST set out in 1999 to upgrade the skills of Delaware County workers through free training programs that filled gaps in existing services.

The original goal was to train 1,000 participants, mostly workers displaced by closings, relocations and consolidations of several major employers in Delaware County between 1996 and 1998. By the time BEST was implemented, most of the displaced workers had left the area or had taken lower-paying jobs. So the program's focus shifted to underemployed workers and chronically unemployed residents. Class offerings were expanded, and evening courses were added.

BEST enjoyed an enthusiastic response from the community as classes quickly filled beyond capacity, creating the need for

waiting lists for most programs. By the time BEST finished its work this past summer, the funding had been stretched to serve 1,700 more people than originally planned.

"It was an excellent program," said Kim Ellington, human resources director at First Merchants Corp., a Muncie-based banking company. "I'd like to see it offered again."

Training included classes in computer software, stress and time management, interpersonal communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, problem solving, job search readiness, certified training consultant skills and personal financial management.

"The BEST grant allowed a large number of people from various employment backgrounds to be educated at one time in one place," said Rob Tyler of Wealth Strategies.

Pre-apprenticeship training prepared workers to enter the building trades. Instruction involved six crafts: carpenters, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, operating engineers and sheet metal workers.

Participants helped construct six new homes in Muncie for first-time home buyers with low and moderate incomes.

"It's training someone for a job for the future in the building trades," said Allan Bramlett, construction manager for the Muncie Home Ownership and Development Center, which assisted with the home building projects.

Most of the pre-apprenticeship training participants have stayed in the construction business, Bramlett noted.

"It's a win-win situation for everyone," he said. "It puts those vacant lots with houses back on the city's tax rolls, and it builds up the neighborhood. It supplies someone with a new home who didn't have one in the past."

BEST benefited from a unique partnership led by Ball State's Center for Organizational Resources in the School of Continuing Education and Public Service. Ball State supplied facilities and project administration, while several community organizations contributed other resources.

Other partners included the city of Muncie, Urban Enterprise Association, Delaware County Building Trades, Muncie Home Ownership and Development Center, Muncie Community Schools Adult Education, Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and East Central Opportunities.

Another 50 individuals and organizations volunteered to promote the program as partnership advisors.

BEST supported Ball State's 2001-2006 Strategic Plan, whose sixth goal involves expanding relationships beyond the campus through community programs, economic development efforts and entrepreneurial partnerships.

By Ted Buck, Communications Manager

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Stephanie Huffman of Ball State's Center for Organizational Resources at (765) 285-2771 or shuffman@bsu.edu.)