Iowa Passes Workforce Development Law

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds recently signed legislation that establishes apprenticeship, mentor and intern programs to prepare Iowa students for “high-demand career pathways.”

The legislation is part of a plan to increase to 70 percent the number of Iowans with post-high school training or education by 2025.

The governor said the bill is good for employers seeking skilled workers and good for graduates seeking careers in advanced manufacturing and other fields.

The imbalance between employees’ skills and employers’ needs has created an interesting crisis for Iowa, said U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, who was part of the event that included the bill-signing.

“When you have a state with an unemployment rate just a little over three percent, and the job crisis is too many jobs, not enough people—that is a great problem to have,” Acosta said.

“Washington is very focused on what you’re doing, and here is how we’re going to help: We’re going to get out of your way,” he said.

Source: Sioux City Journal