Immigrants and Refugees are often thought of as one group of people, but there are several differences when it comes to employing them. Edgar Ramirez, Refugee Workforce Liaison for Iowa Workforce Development, talks to us about the unique circumstances these populations can face, and how employers can access this talent pipeline. Additionally, hear how Ramirez’s personal story of immigration has shaped his identity as an American citizen.

Yvette Clausen wasn’t supposed to be here.  Sentenced to life in prison following a crime she committed at the age of 17, Clausen was granted parole following an Iowa Supreme Court case that overturned sentencing minors to life without parole.  Now, as a self-employment counselor for Iowa’s Vocational Rehabilitation, she tells us how she was able to get an education while incarcerated and how she used IowaWORKS programs helped her find employment after her release. Hear more about her current journey obtaining her second master’s degree, and how she’s putting her skills to use in helping fellow Iowans achieve their self-employment dreams.

IowaWORKS has a brand new tool to help serve Iowans no matter where they are. The Mobile Workforce Center is an IowaWORKS office on wheels, featuring 10 computer workstations, TVs for presentations, and accessible access lift located in the rear.  Career Planner Joseph Nobile stops by to talk about where we’ve been, plans for our next stop, and how you can request a visit from the Mobile Workforce Center!

When COVID hit, IowaWORKS had to take their career workshops online to best serve Iowans.  What started as a solution to a worldwide problem has become a valuable tool for Iowans who are searching for a career.  IowaWORKS staff Joseph Pittman and Corey Stevens drop by the podcast studio to talk about what you can learn by signing up for a Virtual Career Workshop, how to do it, and why participation continues to grow across the state.

Des Moines, and Central Iowa as a whole, is on the upswing. The Greater Des Moines Partnership President and CEO Tiffany Tauscheck stops by the Mission: Employable podcast to tell us all about the surprising ways Des Moines, IA, continues to grow, and what kind of industries continue to lead the way. Additionally, Tauscheck explains why the Greater Des Moines Partnership supports expanding work-based learning opportunities for students in central Iowa.

Summer Youth Internship Programs are a great way for employers and non-profits to build a talent pipeline that will help both train and retain employees for years to come.  Program Coordinator Melanie Johnson and Grants Administrator Patrick Rice join the Mission: Employable podcast to discuss more details about what the grant can be used for, how businesses can apply, and why Summer Youth Internship Programs make sense for Iowa employers to create.

Home Base Iowa is one of Iowa Workforce Development’s resource for Veterans and their family members, and, there’s new leadership to guide the future of the program. Retired Marine Harrison Swift takes over as manager for the program that aims to make Iowa the state of choice for Veterans, service members, and their families.  Find out more about Swift’s background when it comes to serving those who have served, and why he’s so passionate about making sure Veterans have meaningful employment after they leave the military.

In the first Mission: Employable podcast episode of 2024, we explore how the partnership between Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) will grow in the coming year. Business Engagement Disability Bureau Chief Michelle Krefft joins the show to discuss how her new division will help businesses become more proactive in hiring Iowans with disabilities. She dives into how being a part of IWD will help increase efficiency of services for Iowans.

Come for the workforce conversation, stay for Chicago Cubs talk with Director Beth Townsend!  Take a listen as we reflect on some of IWD's accomplishments in 2023 and get a sneak peek at what the agency has planned for 2024.

One Iowa high schooler is helping lead the charge on issues surrounding youth employment in the state. Ottumwa sophomore Oliver Hernandez Norris is joined by Krista Tedrow from Iowa's South Central Workforce Development Board to tell us about how they secured a meeting with the Federal Department of Labor in Washington D.C. to discuss youth employment.  Find out what Oliver says are some of the main concerns employers should be looking at when it comes to hiring youth, and how a first-of-its-kind survey conducted by Iowa State University will help shape youth workforce solutions.

Iowa Workforce Development's Labor Market Information Division is hard at work crunching Iowa's workforce numbers. On today's episode we sit down with LMI Bureau Chief Donna Burkett to talk about how they collect their information, and why a survey that goes out to employers twice a year is crucial to employment decisions for both employers and job seekers.

National Apprenticeship Week is a time to celebrate the employers and apprentices who have helped create a new pathway towards employment across the country. Here in Iowa, Dane Sulentic, is now Iowa Workforce Development’s new State Apprenticeship Director. Sulentic stops by the Mission: Employable podcast to talk about the viability of Registered Apprenticeship programs, and how they can help employers keep the knowledge of their veteran workforce in-house.  Find out what makes Registered Apprenticeship Programs a great choice for students and recent high school graduates, or even how apprenticeship can supplement a college degree.

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services has a new leader and he comes all the way from Texas. Division Administrator, Dr. James Williams, joins the Mission: Employable podcast to talk about how he plans to lead the department over the next few years. Find out what he has in store for Iowa’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and how his experience in special education and vocational rehabilitation in Texas has prepared him to lead the division in Iowa and especially after the statewide realignment under Iowa Workforce Development.

Mission: Employable continues its series on National Disability Employment Awareness Month by talking with Tami Jewell, Administrative Specialist with Iowa State University Surplus. Jewell partners with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation and Project:Search to hire Iowans with disabilities who are looking for a path to employment.  Find out how this unique partnership is helping Iowans find rewarding work, and how one Iowan in particular is making a difference at ISU Surplus.

October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the Mission: Employable Podcast will be talking about the subject all month long.  Eric Evans, who has done a little bit of everything at Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), stops by the podcast studio to chat about how his department is continuously helping Iowans with disabilities find rewarding work and what it means now that IVRS is under the Iowa Workforce Development umbrella.

We've talked a lot about registered apprenticeship programs on the podcast, but did you know there are ways to get students ready for that apprenticeship before they even step through the door?  Samantha Groark, Executive Director at the Central Iowa Building & Construction Trades Council, is back on Mission: Employable to talk about how pre-apprenticeship programs are helping high school students and beyond prepare to become an apprentice, and how schools and non-profits can easily create these classes to help give students a leg up.

Mass layoffs at companies like Yellow Corp. often affect hundreds of employees.  Iowa Workforce Development plays a major role in getting those people back to work.  Lacie Kraft, Manager for IWD's Rapid Response Program, and Chad Pierce, Business Engagement Consultant, talk about the services IWD provides to both employers and employees during these incidents, and how IWD can help companies avoid mass layoffs before they even happen.

Work-based learning can be a light bulb moment for businesses as they work to develop their talent pipeline. We’re joined by MUSCO Lighting Talent Outreach Manager Paula Wright as she talks about how their programs are creating a 60% retention rate for students who are joining their work-based learning programs.  Find out how you can be successful with one of these programs even if it doesn’t look exactly like MUSCO’s.

The Iowa State Fair is right around the corner and our workforce team will be there to meet with Fairgoers! IWD Director (and State Fair super fan) Beth Townsend joins the show to talk about why she believes it’s so important to be out in the community at one of Iowa’s largest events. Find out what you can expect when you meet our team in person, as well as what State Fair food we look forward to each year!

Hiring Veterans and their spouses is one of the workforce priorities at Iowa Workforce Development.  Iowa now has a job portal that makes it easier for this talent pool to connect with Veteran-ready employers across the state! Jamie Norton, Director of Veteran Workforce Services, talks about the new IowaWORKS for Veterans portal and how it connects Veterans and their spouses to great employment opportunities in Iowa.