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 Southwestern Community College recently used WTED funds to educate and train students in the construction industry.

SWCC recently used WTED funds to provide introductory-level education and skills development training for students interested in the construction industry.

By partnering with the Red Oak Carpentry Building & Trades Academy, six students from Red Oak and Stanton school districts received an introduction to various trades with WTED funds offsetting the cost of the course’s instructor, classroom, lab materials and supplies.

WTED funds not only helped cover the program's initial startup costs to address the education and training needs for in-demand careers in the community, but also helped the program become sustainable for future students, which would not have been possible without WTED funding.

For more information on WTED, contact Bureau of Community Colleges Administrative Consultant Robin Shaffer Lilienthal at robin.lilienthal@iowa.gov.

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:

• Feb. 10 - Preparing Student-Learners for Construction and Advanced Manufacturing Careers 
• March 10 - Incorporating Industry-Recognized Credentials into Work-Based Learning

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.

The Bureau of Community Colleges staff is hosting a series of technical assistance webinars throughout the year. 

The next session is set for Dec. 11 on concurrent enrollment special topics with Senior Year Plus personnel providing guidance on determining student proficiency for program eligibility and student data that can be shared between institutions in accordance with FERPA regulations.

Participants can visit the Community College Technical Assistance Webinars webpage to register or contact Education Program Consultant for Program Quality and Faculty Support Derreck Calkins at derreck.calkins@iowa.gov.

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.