INA, Ill. (Feb. 18, 2021) - Free GED classes are now being offered through a cooperative program between Rend Lake College and Southeastern Illinois College. The pair will begin GED classes over Zoom with classes starting every few weeks.
Class start dates coming up are March 8, April 5, May 3
, and May 17. The Zoom classes are held Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.-noon or 6-9 p.m. Reading and math only classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-3 p.m.
The GED, which stands for General Education Development, is known as an option for those who didn’t finish high school, so they can earn a high school equivalency diploma and be eligible for college classes. The GED test modules include English, Math, Social Studies and Science. The free classes prepare students for each of these modules.
Skills Center Director Christina Hutcheson said the main focus of the center’s program is to provide a curriculum designed to integrate basic life skills with those needed to prepare for a future career in the local workforce. The preparations for the tests include helping students with more than just the high school equivalency (HSE); the center also assists students in developing basic reading, math and job readiness.
“I like to say it’s not your grandma’s GED,†Hutcheson said. “We are preparing students to join the workforce.â€
RLC has reported highly successful HSE pass rates the past couple years. In 2020, 83 percent of the students who took all parts of the test passed. So far this year, there is a 100 percent success rate for passing all sections of the tests among Skills Center students.
An index of need assessment conducted by SIUE emeritus professor David Ault projects that there are as many as 9,402 adults in the Rend Lake College district who could benefit from the services offered through the Skills Center.
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