The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

OTTUMWA -- While the economy is bad for many companies, it's proving to be good for the GED business.

At the Indian Hills Community Education Center in downtown Ottumwa, the numbers of people seeking a GED are quickly increasing.

The KTVO Fact Finder team took a look at the site's numbers of new students.

In January of 2008, the center had 21 new GED students. This January that number doubled to 42 new students.    

The trend in February is also significantly higher than it was in 2008.

"We have seen an increase in students attending our site here in Ottumwa because of the economy; students are wanting to get a GED to secure a job. Other students are coming to us because they've lost their job,” said IHCC Adult Basic Education Coordinator Raeann Wyngarden.

Wyngarden also said that there are very few local employers that will hire people who do not have a high school diploma or a GED.

Now students are realizing that they need that certificate in order to be employable and to be competitive in the job market, especially in this economy.