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As many of you have likely heard by now, I am in the process of transitioning into a new role here within the Iowa Department of Education that supports Out-of-School Time (OST) programs! This area of focus (and yet another government acronym) covers supervised programs for youth before school, after school and during summer breaks. The more common term often used for this area is “afterschool”.
Heather Meissen, Administrative Consultant for CTE, will be taking over as the lead for Career-Connected Learning (CCL). She can be reached at 515-326-5378 and heather.meissen@iowa.gov. I will continue to support Heather in this work while a permanent replacement is found over the coming months. Watch for the job opportunity to post and consider applying and/or sharing with friends, colleagues or other partners who might also be interested.
I’ve enjoyed working with you all and hope our paths cross again in the future. Education and public service are very demanding and often thankless roles, so I want to personally thank you for being an amazing, impactful and important person. Iowa is better because of people like you! Take care, best of luck and keep up the great work.
Sincerely,
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The opportunity to provide feedback on Iowa's proposed four-year Perkins V State Plan, which outlines administrative and financial activities for career and technical education programs, is now open. Comments will be collected via two public hearings, email and mail through April 24, 2025.
Work-based learning has and will continue to play an important role in career and technical education and is referenced often in the proposed state plan. Please be sure to review and provide any feedback to ensure we have the best possible plan and supports in place for you, your districts and students.
The Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Workforce Development are partnering to provide technical assistance around work-based learning and to help connect school districts and businesses to increase the number of WBL opportunities available to students.
A very brief survey was sent to Superintendents and district leadership in late February to indicate the types of WBL that are offered at your school districts and the types of opportunities you would like to expand upon or offer in the future. Please take a moment to review and provide feedback through the link below. Your assistance is greatly appreciated to ensure we are offering the best support and services across the state.
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A common mistake that is made in work-based learning is to expect everything to happen quickly. At the very core of work-based learning is relationships. A key component of successful relationships is building comfort and trust with everyone involved, which often takes time.
A metaphor that I reflect on often is "life is a marathon, not a sprint". Although we want to set up as many experiences as possible for the greatest number of students, quality should always be the goal, not quantity. Think "slow dating", not "speed dating" when developing these important relationships with employers, sponsors and other potential partners that are vital for successful and sustained WBL within our communities.
And also try to remember that when you hear "no" from an employer, administrator or other partners, it doesn't necessarily mean "never", but rather "not right now". Continue to build trust and that relationship slowly while you stay in the race! I guarantee your patience and dedication will pay off.
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The interactive work-based learning dashboard available on the Iowa Student Outcomes website provides an opportunity to review what is being offered across the state for WBL. While the site currently contains 2023-2024 academic year data, we are hoping to complete an update very soon with 2024-2025 academic year data.
District or school staff should check the updated information and conduct a thorough review of all identified courses, as well as any that may be missing or seemingly incorrect due to coding or reporting issues. A new feedback form has been added to the site to request corrections, clarifications or other information.
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Register today for the 2025 Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Conference! This annual one-day event is planned for April 14, 2025 at the Prairie Meadows Events and Conference Center in Altoona, IA.
I always look forward to this conference and learn so much! In addition to hearing from nationally known speakers, there are so many opportunities to network, connect and learn from others from across the state. Unlike some other content-specific conferences I've attended, this event seemed more welcoming and less intimidating to me when I was just starting out in this crazy WBL world! Current President Amy "Bozz" Bossard offers her similar experience and love for the conference in the new The Coordinator's Corner section below.
The planning team seems to have really outdone themselves this year with a rockstar line-up of workshops and keynote speaker! Take a look below and get registered today. It looks like there are only about 60 spots remaining though, so you better hurry up. Hope to see you all there!
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Bozz: What's a brief taste of the wonderful things we will hear at the conference?
Volesky: My keynote connects the dots between social capital data and outcomes with the work of work-based learning coordinators. I plan to show coordinators and educational leaders exactly what they can do to make a real impact at their schools and colleges. Expect actionable insights and strategies that will actually move the needle for students and communities.
Bozz: Why is the Iowa WBL conference valuable in your opinion?
Volesky: The Iowa WBL Conference offers a dynamic environment where coordinators can gain valuable insights, network with like-minded professionals, and recharge in the vibrant energy of others who are just as passionate about this work.
Amy: What's your favorite thing about connecting WBL to the world?
Volesky: What I love most about connecting WBL is how even the smallest steps can lead to huge impact. I have seen firsthand the incredible, positive outcomes students in WBL achieve, and I am all in when it comes to helping others make that happen. When we move WBL forward with a student-first mindset, we don’t just shape individual futures—we shape the future of our communities.
Amy "Bozz" Bossard
Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators President (2024-2025)
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The Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Workforce Development are continuing their efforts to expand work-based learning through a collaborative and informative series of webinars aimed at showcasing the many ways that Iowa schools and employers are building the workforce pipeline across our state. Special guests also include strategic partners like the Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Association, Iowa Business Council and the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council.
Past Sessions:
10/01 - Work-Based Learning: Essential Tool for Preparing Students for Careers (recording)
10/21 - Jump-Start Careers: Apprenticeship, Pre-Apprenticeship and Industry-Recognized Credentials (recording)
11/19 - Iowa Business Council’s ‘Top Four' List of Professional Proficiencies (recording)
12/03 - Where to Find Funding and Other Resources for Work-Based Learning (recording)
01/21 - A Deeper Dive into Starting and Expanding Work-Based Learning (recording)
02/11 - Using Labor Market Information to Drive Work-Based Learning Decisions (recording)
03/04 - Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) Work-Based Learning for Students with Disabilities (recording)
Upcoming Sessions:
04/08 - Linking Perkins, CTSOs and Other Programs for Sustained Work-Based Learning
The Clearinghouse for Work-based Learning (WBL) is evolving! With a new website wbl.iowa.gov and stakeholders coming together to create a free, flexible and user-friendly platform that makes it easy to showcase and connect available WBL opportunities in your communities and/or tap into statewide opportunities. Every educator in Iowa already has a login through their AEA Single Sign-On and did I mention that its FREE?
Some new features you may not know about:
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Expanding Opportunity Types - The site had previously focused mostly on project-based learning, but has now been expanded to provide a multitude of opportunities, events and resources that can streamline access and awareness to students.
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District & Custom Program Boards - Manage and curate opportunities and resources that make the most sense for your school or program. Feature Statewide opportunities directly to your board or cross promote county or regional opportunities across multiple boards. Sample Boards to Explore: Boone Edge or Western Dubuque Service Learning
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Regional and County Boards - Economic Development, Area Chambers and Main Streets have always been critical stakeholders in this work of connecting students to opportunities! Now they too can host a community, county, or regional board to support all the districts in an area. Sample Boards to Explore: Greater Des Moines Partnership
Want to help connect your local partners to help build out your local opportunities? Great! Business partners can sign up here and posting opportunities only takes a few minutes (the time it takes to describe how they want to engage!).
Have more questions or need custom support? Email lwilliams@aealearningonline.org or visit wbl.iowa.gov today!
Quick reminder that we posted a new resource last month that serves as a collection of questions, comments and other feedback we received during the WBL Coding & Reporting Support webinar regarding recent changes to the definition of “work-based learning” (WBL), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plan and the new Postsecondary Readiness Index (PSRI) measure within the Iowa School Performance Profiles (ISPP). Questions have been organized as closely as possible to common themes or topics. Please review and reach out with any additional questions or requests for clarification. A similar FAQ resource is currently being developed for Industry-Recognized Credentials (IRCs).
Joe Collins
Work-Based Learning Consultant
Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness
Division of Higher Education
Iowa Department of Education
515-419-5190
joe.collins@iowa.gov
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