In Iowa, not every successful career starts with a four-year degree. Manufacturing, construction, and the skilled trades are driving southwest Iowa’s economy — but employers across the region can’t find enough workers to fill good-paying jobs.
What’s new: We secured $900,000 in federal funding to renovate and expand skilled-trades training labs at Iowa Western Community College’s Rural Centers in Atlantic and Clarinda — giving everyone from high school students to working adults the opportunity to train for in-demand careers without leaving their communities. ⬇️
Why it matters: For too long, young people in southwest Iowa who wanted a career in the trades had to leave home to get the training they needed — and too many never come back. Now, students in Atlantic and Clarinda can train to become welders, electricians, and manufacturers right here at home, stepping directly into the jobs local employers need to fill. That’s how rural communities grow and keep the next generation close to home.Â
The big picture: This investment builds on the $2 million we secured for a new workforce training facility at DMACC’s Ankeny campus. But bricks and mortar alone won’t solve the workforce shortage. That’s why we’re also leading the bipartisan PARTNERS Act to expand apprenticeship opportunities and strengthen partnerships between community colleges, small businesses, and local employers.Â
Bottom Line: Opportunity shouldn’t require leaving home. We’re fighting to ensure students and workers in every corner of Iowa have the skills, training, and pathways they need to build successful careers — and strong communities — right where they grew up.