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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for all of the amazing and impactful work you do here in Iowa!
This is often a thankless job and your impact on students, employers and the broader community are not always immediately realized or acknowledged. I've heard many stories of previous students pulling aside a coordinator, counselor or educator years later and expressing their thanks and providing a few examples of how their work-based learning experiences and support staff have positively shaped their lives.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, ideas or other feedback for how we can better serve you and your amazing work. Take care, be safe and happy holidays everyone.
Sincerely,
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It was National Apprenticeship Week last week! This is an annual nationwide celebration between employers, apprentices, educators and other various partners reflecting the success and value of Registered Apprenticeship (RA) and Quality Pre-Apprenticeship (QPA) programs. Although there were quite a few events last week, including Governor Reynolds signing a state proclamation on 11/16, there are a still a number of events planned for the remainder of the month.
As many of you are likely aware, there are also big changes happening in Iowa for RA and QPA programs. Iowa Workforce Development is in the process of launching a new Iowa Office of Apprenticeship, which will ultimately better position the state to promote innovation in RA and QPA models and create more efficiencies for programs that involve high school students, job seekers, employers and other occupations across the state.
Iowa often leads the nation in both the number of apprenticeships offered for high school students and participating student apprentices. Many of your high schools either currently offer apprenticeship opportunities or are in the process of planning to do so. To learn more about some of these changes or updates to RA in Iowa, visit workforce.iowa.gov/opportunities/ra.
Consider submitting your proposal for the Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Conference, scheduled for April 2, 2024 at The Meadows Event Center - Prairie Meadows in Altoona, IA. This conference provides the opportunity to reflect on the essential elements of WBL while learning from others how they have successfully implemented the WBL continuum into the classroom.
Proposals are due by December 15, 2023. Submissions will be reviewed and presenters notified on January 3, 2024.
We are in the process of updating some of our WBL resources that can be found at WorkBasedLearning.EducateIowa.gov. We are also in the process of developing some new or enhanced resources to further support the field. Watch for additional information in the near future.
School-Based Enterprise Toolkit - Updated November 2023
*This toolkit is intended to support educational institutions with planning and launching a school-based enterprise and to connects readers with additional resources to learn more. Additional information regarding funding has been added or updated.
Be sure to keep these two upcoming work-based learning conferences on your radar:
Iowa Work-Based Learning Conference, April 2, 2024 at the Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, IA
ACTE Work-Based Learning Conference, May 1-3, 2024 in Milwaukee, WI
Share the Work-Based Learning Coordinator newsletter with your colleagues. Invite them to sign up to receive it in their mailbox using the following button.
Joe Collins
Work-Based Learning Consultant
Bureau of Community College and Postsecondary Readiness
Division of Higher Education
Iowa Department of Education
515-419-5190
joe.collins@iowa.gov
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