The Pella Area Community and Economic Alliance discussed strategies to retain and attract workforce talent at their quarterly meeting Friday.
Ryan West with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Executive Vice President of Talent Development with the Greater Des Moines Partnership Mary Bontrager, Teri Vos with Vermeer, and Maria Bogaards with the PACE Alliance all discussed strategies and programs in place on a state, regional, and local level during a panel discussion. West noted during his presentation that there are more jobs available than workers in the state, a trend he expects to continue.
Part of the discussion centered on the Future Ready Iowa initiative, a bipartisan measure passed in the Iowa Legislature this past spring to further the goal of having 70 percent of Iowans obtain education after high school, whether it be a four-year college, associate’s degree program, or trade school.