Iowa’s economy is growing fast — creating careers in manufacturing, transportation, public safety, and tech faster than classrooms can train workers to fill them. Closing that gap starts with investing in the places where students gain the skills employers need most.
What’s new: We secured $2 million in federal funding for a new 120,000-square-foot academic facility at DMACC’s Ankeny campus — replacing buildings that are over 50 years old with modern classrooms, simulation labs, and hands-on training spaces designed around Iowa’s workforce needs. ⬇️
Why it matters: The investment expands training capacity in the industries driving Iowa’s economy and strengthens the pipeline connecting Iowa students to good-paying jobs that are open right now.Â
From advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence to fire science and CDL training, students will prepare for careers in facilities built to reflect the real-world environments they’ll enter — not in outdated buildings with failing infrastructure and outdated technology.
The big picture: This builds on a $1 million investment we secured in 2024 for DMACC’s Transportation Institute to help train the next generation of truck drivers. But strengthening Iowa’s workforce takes more than infrastructure alone. That’s why we’re also leading the bipartisan PARTNERS Act to expand apprenticeships between small businesses, community colleges, and employers across the state to grow Iowa’s workforce.Â
Bottom Line: When Iowa’s classrooms keep pace with Iowa’s economy, Iowa families win. I’ll keep fighting to give Iowa’s educators, students, and employers the tools they need to train the next generation of Iowa’s workforce.