A partnership between Iowa Valley Community College District and JBS Marshalltown has formally been approved.

JBS announced in March they would begin providing employees and their dependents the opportunity to pursue associates degrees and trade certificates tuition free, paid for by the company.

“We are very excited about the opportunities that this provides to not only the employees of JBS, but also our efforts in making sure that these employees are well trained,” IVCCD Vice Chancellor of Education and Training Jacque Goodman said, who filled for Chancellor Kristie Fisher at Wednesday night’s IVCCD board meeting.

“It’s going to be a great partnership,” Goodman said.

JBS employees and dependents will be able to pursue an education tuition free at Marshalltown Community College and Iowa Valley Continuing Education, and college staff will work on site at an office in the JBS Marshalltown plant.

Goodman said the office inside the plant will provide an opportunity for college staff to work directly with JBS employees to recruit and promote the program, while also providing support. Onsite staff will be available Monday through Friday to answer questions and help with logistics like filling out FAFSA forms.

“This is just an amazing opportunity that they’re providing their employees, and a great partnership that we are looking forward to sharing additional information as we move along,” Goodman said.

The partnership was approved unanimously by the IVCCD Board of Education.

In other business…

• The IVCCD Board of Education unanimously approved a bid to refresh the fiber cable infrastructure at the MCC campus. The low bid came in at $106,000, higher than their allocated $70,000 for the project. IVCCD Chief Information Officer Mike Mosher said he is still comfortable moving forward with the project, as other bids for recent technology projects were accepted at an amount under their budget.

“So from an IT perspective and what we got allocated for our projects, things are still looking good even with this one that’s slightly over,” Mosher said.

• Goodman gave an update on the construction projects currently underway at MCC.

“It is ever changing on the Marshalltown campus,” Goodman said.

Four parking lots and three restrooms at MCC are currently in various stages of construction, with demolition on sections of the interior soon to begin.

Contact Trevor Babcock at 641-753-6611 or tbabcock@timesrepublican.com.