The application period for the 2025-26 Career Academy Incentive Fund remains open through April 17 for the next 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 Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov.
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The Division of Higher Education is tracking three Department pre-filed bills of particular interest to the community colleges.
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Bill
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Guidance and Updates
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Summary
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Current Status
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SSB 3163,
HSB 765
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Postsecondary Pathways
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CTE funding and definitions, a statewide lower-division general education framework with common course numbering, implementation of a statewide corequisite model in community colleges and the H3 definition.
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Committee recommends passage
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SSB 3164,
HSB 725
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Preparing to Implement Workforce Pell and Administrative Clean-up
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Education reporting updates, including sharing unit-level wage data for postsecondary program evaluation; creation of a Condition of Education report; changes to Future Ready Iowa responsibilities; revisions to Iowa Workforce Development data-sharing; and establishment of an ICSAC-overseen ROI system.
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Committee recommends passage
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SSB 3049,
HSB 572
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Implementing HF 2545 Recommendations
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Modifies provisions related to career academies, collective statewide articulation agreement, district-to-community college sharing, and individual career and academic plans.
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Committee recommends passage
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To see more detail about these bills, or others, the Department's Legislative Tracker is on the Legislative Information page as the Education Bill Tracker.
The Iowa Department of Education has selected 10 community colleges to receive $75,000 in Pathway to Completion Grants, a new initiative aimed at re-engaging students who have paused or stopped out of their education due to outstanding institutional debt.
The program is inspired by and modeled on Hawkeye Community College’s successful Take 2 program that demonstrated outstanding success in helping students who had stopped out return to the classroom and complete their degrees.
In reducing barriers related to small amounts of institutional debt, Pathways to Completion opens doors for hundreds of Iowans to re-enroll and graduate at the following community colleges.
- Des Moines Area Community College
- Eastern Iowa Community College
- Hawkeye Community College
- Iowa Central Community College
- Iowa Lakes Community College
- Kirkwood Community College
- North Iowa Area Community College
- Northeast Iowa Community College
- Southeastern Community College
- Western Iowa Tech Community College
Colleges can use the funds to award grants of up to $7,500 to eliminate small amounts of institutional debt that is preventing students from registering, re-enrolling and continuing their education.
For more information on the Pathways to Completion Grants, contact Bureau of Iowa College Aid Community Engagement Coordinator Anne Thomas at anne.thomas@iowa.gov.
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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 Southeastern Iowa Community College used WTED funds to provide leadership training and Advanced Leadership Dynamics Certificates to aspiring leaders in the region’s workforce.
The Advanced Leadership Dynamics Certificate is designed to equip C-suite professionals and aspiring leaders with the skills necessary to excel at the highest levels of organizational leadership. The program successfully engaged six local companies with a total of 48 participants in eight sessions. The program provided mid-level managers and aspiring leaders with essential skills in communication, confidence building and leadership readiness while supporting organizational succession planning and leadership pipeline development.
WTED funds supported this program by reducing the overall cost for participating businesses to strengthen Iowa’s workforce by making high-quality training more affordable and accessible. By utilizing WTED funds, SCC was able to offer the certificate at a significantly reduced rate, allowing companies to invest in developing their emerging leaders without bearing the full financial burden.
For more information on WTED, contact Bureau of Community Colleges Administrative Consultant Robin Shaffer Lilienthal at robin.lilienthal@iowa.gov.
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Department staff will join colleagues from community colleges for the upcoming annual Community Colleges Day on the Hill hosted by Community Colleges for Iowa.
Scheduled for March 3, staff and representatives from Iowa’s 15 community colleges will have the opportunity to host conversations with legislators and leaders on how Iowa’s community colleges meet local workforce needs.
More information on Day on the Hill and Community College Leadership in Action Week is available on Community Colleges for Iowa's website.
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The final installment in the Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Workforce Development’s work-based learning webinars is scheduled for March 10 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
The webinar series is designed to showcase proven programs and approaches to work-based learning in Iowa’s most in-demand industries. Register now for this final webinar that details strategies for incorporating industry-recognized credentials into work-based learning.
Both employers and educators are highly encouraged to register for the webinar, which is intended to help participants explore and ultimately partner on meaningful work-based learning programs.
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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It’s back for a second year! The 2026 Health Sciences Career Day returns this spring to introduce Iowa’s most in-demand health care careers and pathways to middle school and high school students. Iowa educators with classes in STEM, health sciences-related career and technical education and more are encouraged to register their classes or groups of students for the live, virtual event set on May 14.
Sponsored by the Iowa Hospital Association, Iowa Department of Education and several Iowa health systems, the Health Sciences Career Day offers career-connected learning and exploration of health care careers through engaging videos and live panel discussions. Participating students will hear from each provider on their education and training as well as real-life career experiences during the event.
Six high-demand health care fields will be highlighted during this year’s Health Sciences Career Day. Each 30-minute career segment will feature health care professionals who work in health systems in Iowa, including:
● 9 a.m. Pharmacy – Great River Health, West Burlington
● 9:30 a.m. Nursing – MercyOne, Des Moines
● 10 a.m. Radiology – Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Council Bluffs
● 10:30 a.m. Physical Therapy – Cass Health, Atlantic
● 11 a.m. Emergency Medical Services – Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids
● 11:30 a.m. Surgical Services – Unity Point Health, Des Moines
Registered participants will be able to access all sessions, and educators are welcome to join with an entire class or make sessions available to 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 careers.
Questions regarding the Health Sciences Career Day can be directed to Corey Martin, Iowa Hospital Association senior vice president of education services, at martinc@ihaonline.org or Heather Meissen, Department administrative consultant, at heather.meissen@iowa.gov
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Many of Iowa's Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) are hosting their annual state leadership conferences in the coming weeks. Below are the dates, times and locations of those upcoming opportunities to engage with and support Iowa's CTSOs.
Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend two exciting annual statewide conferences 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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The Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness has a new career opportunity for candidates passionate about education in Iowa.
We are hiring an Education Program Consultant (EPC) for Career and Technical Education that will be an integral member of the Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness, providing technical assistance, monitoring and support to school districts, Area Education Agencies, and non-public schools.
The position will provide leadership administration and technical assistance in CTE, with a special emphasis on Applied STEM fields such as engineering, manufacturing, architecture, construction and transportation.
Applications for the position close March 4.
To learn more about this and other Department job postings, visit the Iowa Department of Administrative Services website. For specific questions about open bureau positions, contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Chief Cale Hutchings at cale.hutchings@iowa.gov.
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