
The Future Ready Iowa Program held a program in Indianola Wednesday morning at Downing Inc, one of 34 planned summits spread across the state. Governor Kim Reynolds spoke at the conference about the goals of Future Ready Iowa, praising local businesses for embracing the training of a new generation of workers, and stating that Iowa is ahead of the curve in preparing for the future. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend tells KNIA News laying the groundwork for businesses to get involved now will only expand once it becomes a success.
“It’s one thing for Iowa Workforce Development to come in and talk to employers about a registered apprenticeship program. It’s another thing to hear their competitors stand up and say that they couldn’t find an HVAC person for instance, so we created our own through a registered apprenticeship program. Now we have a talent pipeline, where businesses have all of the skilled workforce they need now, and know what’s coming up behind them. So it’s a competitive edge, and that’s talking the language of businesses.”
Townsend also said Future Ready Iowa is involved in the schools, businesses, and two-year colleges, but also has a program for students who are attending private four-year colleges and universities.