The United States faces a significant workforce challenge as businesses grow and the employee pipeline shrinks. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the national unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, with six million individuals available for work. There are 6.9 million job openings in the United States.

The state of Iowa’s unemployment rate is currently 2.4 percent, with 63,500 individuals available for work and 62,803 openings, according to Iowa Workforce Development’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. These statistics are alarming for all communities interested in strengthening their local economies. Everyone wants strategies to retain and grow the local workforce.

One proven successful strategy is businesses and community colleges uniting to build a talent pipeline for immediate and long-term hiring needs. The value of these partnerships is derived from mutually beneficial goals to provide occupational information in high-demand fields and then prepare students with the skills to be successful in those occupations. Iowa Valley Community College District consistently partners with businesses to respond to their needs and fulfill its own mission.

Iowa Valley’s sector partnerships support employers in the areas of advanced manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and construction. Employers lead the discussions to annually update career pathway maps and sets goals to address workforce challenges in our region. The benefits from this collaboration are:

• Identification of jobs that are in high demand

• Enhancement of existing programs or development of new programs to align with critical needs

• Increased student/job-seeker awareness of training programs

• Increased number of work-based learning opportunities

• Development of career pathway programs leading to industry-recognized credentials

A work-based learning event designed to create awareness about careers in healthcare began as a partnership with IVCCD, UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown and McFarland Clinic. The “Introduction to Healthcare Careers” event for high school students begins with students listening to a panel of healthcare experts sharing their educational and professional experiences. Students then participate in hands-on activities to learn more about various careers, including tours of the facilities. This partnership is beneficial to prospective students as they continue thinking about career choices.

Another strategy that encourages collaboration between Iowa Valley and local employers is to enhance the skills of existing employees. IVCE works directly with employers to customize training to meet their immediate needs. For example, JBS and IVCE established an Industrial Maintenance training program that provides employees with essential skills (such as knowledge of basic electricity and hydraulics) that can be immediately applied on the job. JBS provides incentives to employees who successfully complete the training program. This continuing partnership provides a well-trained workforce for JBS.

The two examples above illustrate the value of business partnerships and how they impact students. Moving forward, Iowa Valley will continue to leverage business partnerships to fulfill local workforce needs and build stronger communities.

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Jacque Goodman is Vice Chancellor of

Iowa Valley Continuing Education.