The Future Ready Iowa Act of 2018 provides opportunities for community colleges to help train students for high-demand jobs in the state.

That training is supported by the Future Ready Iowa Last Dollar Scholarship programs, and the Iowa Valley Community College District Board of Directors approved the scholarship earlier this week.

The five chosen careers the district chose to focus on for the program were precision agriculture, automotive technician, business administration and management, certified medical assistance (CMA) and gunsmith technology.

Also approved was the Fiscal Year 2018 audit of the district, which was performed by Schnurr and Co. LLP of Ames. During a presentation, representatives from the firm said the district was easy to work with, and no major issues were discovered in the audit.

As part of the meeting’s consent agenda, the board also voted unanimously in favor of the installation of new security cameras for housing facilities at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls.

The college’s three residence halls will be fitted with the upgraded digital tech, which comes with a price-tag of $17,700. The cameras will be placed to view the buildings’ hallways, and will replace older models, many of which are not functioning, per district officials.

The next Iowa Valley board meeting is set for 4 p.m. Jan. 9, 2019 at the district administration office, 3702 S. Center St.