Reynolds Visits Ottumwa Job Corp For Registered Apprenticeship Week

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds speaks to students, staff, and employers at the Ottumwa Job Corp this past week.

Ottumwa, Iowa – The Job Corp training facility located at the Ottumwa Airport played host to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds as part of National Registered Apprenticeship Week.

The Job Corp has training programs that help young people learn a trade to help them achieve a stable future. Programs being offered at the Ottumwa campus include Facilities Maintenance to Network Cable Installation, with salaries starting out at $24,000 a year up to $52,000 a year.

“It’s no secret that I’m passionate about training Iowans for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Reynolds to an assembly hall filled with Job Corp students, staff, and employers from around the area.

“Through the Future Ready Iowa initiative, we’ll increase the number of Iowans with post-high school education or training to 70% by the year 2025.

Reynolds explained that another desire of the Future Ready Iowa initiative was the expand high-quality work-based learning experiences in high demand careers to all students, “especially to those that were underserved.”

“I believe that apprenticeships, or work-based learning, are one of the best ways to learn by doing,” added Reynolds. “Iowa is fortunate to have one of the leading registered apprenticeship programs in the country, and I believe that registered apprenticeships will help us meet our goal of a highly skilled workforce.”

“For employers, registered apprenticeship provides training and education to help meet their increasing need for skilled workers,” added Reynolds on the skills gap in Iowa workers. “The skills gap in Iowa, as you heard, is real. Registered apprenticeship is one way to help close it.”

Developing those skilled workers is essential not just now, but needed as the skilled workers of today plan to retire in the near future.

“Nationally, for every dollar spent on apprenticeships, employers get approximately $1.50 return on investment,” said Reynolds. “So apprenticeships also help employers retain their workers. 91% of apprentices who complete an apprenticeship are still employed nine months later.”

Oskaloosa High School Principal Stacy Bandy was a keynote speaker after Governor Kim Reynolds had finished addressing the students and staff.

Bandy was going to be addressing Iowa Quality Training with PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act).

Bandy has helped to lead the discussion with local businesses on how students are learning in conjunction with the Iowa Quality Training that Oskaloosa High School does. “It’s about critical thinking and coming up with solutions through continual improvement.”

“Education isn’t just all compartmentalized, it’s all together all the time,” said Bandy. “Kids need to be more on that track for the transference of what we’re doing in the classroom.”

“We’re trying to do that through working with businesses,” added Bandy.

Businesses get a fresh set of eyes looking at processes internally, while students gain valuable experience for work in the future. “The student’s don’t know what they don’t know, and so to get them out in the business to be able to see what really happens and what kind of jobs are out there for them. And it opens the eyes of the business on the other side that these kids really do know what’s going on and they are willing to come out and really work. So it’s the best of both worlds,” said Bandy.

The fresh look at education stems from a better understanding that not every student needs a four-year degree. “It’s about giving kids a chance to see what’s really happening,” added Bandy.