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As you all know by now, Joe Collins has transitioned into a new role at the Iowa Department of Education. Which means that I will be covering the role until we can hire a WBL consultant (see job posting below).
A little bit about me...I am the Administrative Consultant for CTE and am responsible for overseeing regional planning partnerships (RPPs), industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning, the CTE portion of community college accreditation and supporting career and academic planning and computer science work. Prior to this role, I was the Education Program Consultant for Program Quality. In that role, I approved community college CTE and transfer major programs and was the co-lead for community college accreditation. Before joining the Department in 2021, I was a Biology instructor and associate dean at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. I can be reached at 515-326-5378 or heather.meissen@iowa.gov.
I am looking forward to covering work-based learning until a new consultant is hired! Please reach out if you have any questions!
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We are looking for someone to be our next Education Program Consultant for Work-Based Learning and Industry-Recognized Credentials! If you are passionate about WBL and IRCs, please consider applying and/or sharing with friends, colleagues or other partners who might also be interested.
The Iowa Department of Education is partnering with the Iowa Hospital Association to introduce middle school and high school students across the state to high-demand health care careers during Health Sciences Career Day in Iowa, a live virtual event on Thursday, May 15 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Students will have an opportunity to see health care professionals at work through engaging video content, hear more about their education, training, and experience during live panel discussions and ask panelists questions from their classrooms.
Health Sciences Career Day in Iowa will feature six high-demand professions that offer students a range of postsecondary education pathways from certificate programs or associate degrees to bachelor's and advanced degrees.
Each career segment will feature health care professionals who work at hospitals in Iowa:
- Physicians - WinnMed, Decorah
- Nursing - UnityPoint Health, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Grinnell
- Radiology Technician - MercyOne, West Des Moines
- Respiratory Therapist - Clarinda Regional Health Center, Clarinda
- Laboratory Technician - Pella Regional Health Center, Pella
- Behavioral Health - Mary Greeley Medical Center, Ames
This free event offers educators and students a real-world learning experience delivered right to the classroom. Educators are welcome to join with an entire class or make it available for groups of students interested in health sciences and related careers. The format is flexible so participants can join based on class schedule or interest in specific career segments.
Educators can register for Health Sciences Career Day in Iowa through the Iowa Hospital Association.
More information can be found on this flyer. Questions about the event can be directed to Heather Meissen, Department administrative consultant, at heather.meissen@iowa.gov.
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We are looking for topics for next year's WBL webinar series hosted by Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Education! Please fill out the following survey to indicate which topics you would like to be presented. Also, if you are interested in presenting, please indicate that as well!
The Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Workforce Develop continued 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 included 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)
04/08 - Linking Perkins, CTSOs and Other Programs for Sustained Work-Based Learning (recording)
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Did you attend the amazing Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Conference on April 14th? We're still buzzing about the powerful discussions, especially that deep dive into Social Capital and maximizing our school's resources - a real game-changer for work-based learning!
Don't miss out on future updates, conference resources, and connections with coordinators throughout the Midwest. Join the Iowa WBL community on Facebook and LinkedIn! Let's continue learning and growing together. We would love to have you join in this community that wants to support each other!
Thanks to all of those that presented! So many great sessions - 25 of them that brought insight on a variety of topics. We are so lucky to have you and your insight. Truly impressive on what is happening around this area of the Midwest. Don't miss out! Let's connect!
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Are you looking for another great conference to attend? Please register for the Iowa ACTE Conference! This is a great opportunity to learn about innovative approaches to career and technical education. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting in the field, there's something for everyone at this year's conference. Topics include how to implement industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) to equip students for high-demand careers; develop work-based learning (WBL) opportunities like internships, apprenticeships, and project-based partnerships to transform educational experiences; enhances career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) to foster student's leadership and technical skills; and more.
The Iowa ACTE Conference will be held on Wednesday, June 18th at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa. Early bird registration is due by June 3, 2025. For more information, check out the conference flyer.
The Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning (WBL) is a place to create awareness for all WBL stakeholders on different WBL and Career Exploration opportunities. Create custom local boards for partners to easily post opportunities or explore the statewide board for opportunities for your students.
Ways to engage now!
- Explore wbl.iowa.gov and take a look at some helpful resources on the new help desk board to learn more about this FREE platform.
- Join our Virtual Clearinghouse for WBL Overview Session on Thursday, May 1st from 11 am to 12 pm. This session will provide a virtual tour of new and upcoming features, showcase success stories, and provide time for a virtual Q&A. Register here.
- Contact Laura Williams for more information at lwilliams@aealearningonline.org.
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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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Quick reminder that we posted a new resource in February 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).
Heather Meissen
Administrative Consultant - CTE and Health Sciences
Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness
Division of Higher Education
Iowa Department of Education
515-326-5378
heather.meissen@iowa.gov
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