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As part of reporting and planning for the Workforce Training and Economic Development (WTED) program, colleges recently reported to the Department some of the many innovative ways WTED funds are used to meet industry needs. This month, we want to share how Northeast Iowa Area Community College recently used WTED funds to host a safety conference for local businesses and industries.
Through business outreach, NICC identified the regional need for this conference and training as many local businesses previously traveled out of the region and state at great expense for these training sessions.
The Safety Conference was designed as a day-long event focused on key safety topics for the business community with multi-session tracks offered to focus on HR Safety topics and safety practices for frontline safety/production managers.
More than 70 local professionals took part in the conference with WTED funds helping to offset registration costs and the expense of a keynote speaker.
Based on the success and positive feedback from the event, planning is underway for a second conference on Dec. 10.
For more information on WTED, contact Bureau of Community Colleges Administrative Consultant Robin Shaffer Lilienthal at robin.lilienthal@iowa.gov.
Bureau of Community Colleges Administrative Consultant Vladimir Bassis recently co-presented at the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) annual conference.
Bassis presented on Iowa’s participation in the National Community College Benchmarking Project (NCCBP). This year, for the first time, the Iowa Department of Education reported to NCCBP on behalf of all Iowa community colleges, repurposing the use of data collected through the Community College Management Information System.
Bassis was joined by Jacque Eidson, Michelle Taylor (NCCBP) and Paula Nissen (Iowa Institutional Research Collaborative) to present the features of the NCCBP, the benefits of participation for nation-wide benchmarking of student performance and the advantages of centralized state-wide reporting to NCCBP.
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Fresh off the success of last fall’s first work-based learning webinar series, the Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Workforce Development are collaborating on a new series of work-based learning webinars for this academic year.
The webinar series is designed to showcase some of the most proven programs and approaches to work-based learning in Iowa’s most in-demand industries.
Both employers and educators are highly encouraged to register for the series, which is intended to help participants explore and ultimately partner on meaningful work-based learning programs.
Each webinar session is held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. The full schedule with planned session topics and registration links is listed below:
Recordings of the webinar sessions will be available on Iowa Workforce Development’s website after the conclusion of each webinar session.
For more information on career-connected learning and work-based learning opportunities, visit the Department’s webpage. Specific questions on the webinars can be directed to Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov.
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The Faculty Advisory Committee recently assembled to discuss several critical topics impacting Iowa’s community colleges.
Faculty deliberated on the proposed expansion of four-year bachelor’s degrees and its implications on faculty qualifications, costs and online delivery methods for high-demands programs like nursing and business. Additional topics such as concurrent enrollment, student readiness, academic integrity and advising were also vigorously discussed.
The committee also addressed issues for state leaders, including the challenges community colleges face in retaining CTE faculty due to higher industry salaries.
Institutional successes such as NICC’s new athletic programs, NIACC’s active learning strategies, SWCC’s holistic advising model and DMACC’s common IT pathway were also celebrated.
For more information on the Faculty Advisory Committee, contact Education Program Consultant for Program Quality and Faculty Support Derreck Calkins at derreck.calkins@iowa.gov.
The application period for the 2025-26 Career Academy Incentive Fund remains open through Nov. 14 for the fall grant cycle.
The Career Academy Incentive Fund supports increased access to career academy programs through regional centers and highlights partnerships between school districts, community colleges, business and industry and other partners. Successful proposals promote equitable access to high-quality career and technical education programs and include at least one school district and one community college. Priority consideration will be given to applicants who focus on programming delivered to at least four school districts. The Department will also consider tier 2 proposals that improve or expand existing career academies delivered through a regional center.
For more information, please contact contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov.
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Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend two exciting annual statewide conference this spring.
Iowa's annual Work Based-Learning Conference is scheduled for April 6, 2026.
Meanwhile the annual Iowa ACTE Conference is slated for June 19, 2026.
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