Episode 171 - National Disability Employment Awareness Month Kick-Off
Release Date: 10/03/2023
Episode 198 - The Iowa Office of Apprenticeship
Mission: Employable
Iowa Workforce Development has been a champion for Registered Apprenticeship Programs for years now, but now IWD will be even more involved in how these programs operate across the state. Kolby Knupp, Program Manager at the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship joins the podcast to talk about how the state is taking over Registered Apprenticeships from the Federal Department of Labor, and what that means for employers and future apprentices in Iowa.
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Ep. 197 – Iowa Blueprint for Change
Mission: Employable
Grant funding is helping the push for economic equality in Iowa. Iowa Blueprint for Change is a federally funded program that Iowa is using to help workers who are disabled find Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE). Brandy McOmber, Deputy Division Administrator for Iowa’s Vocational Rehabilitation, and Ashley Banes, Project Director at Iowa Blueprint for Change, join the Mission: Employable podcast to discuss how CIE helps Iowans who are disabled find equal benefits and wages, and how the grant is affecting change in the state.
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Ep. 196 – Helping Businesses with the American Disabilities Act
Mission: Employable
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 helped change the landscape for employees with disabilities across the country. As Iowa Workforce Development continues to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) it’s important to show employers how they can make improvements to their businesses and become more accessible to Iowans with disabilities. Ashlee Cummings, Disability Workforce Manager with Iowa’s Vocational Rehabilitation division, joins the Mission: Employable podcast sharing how her team is making on-site visits to employers and organizations across...
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Episode 195 - Dr. James Williams Part 2, The Year Ahead for IVRS
Mission: Employable
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation (IVRS) Director Dr. James Williams returns for the second part of our series on IVRS and National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In part two we look towards the future and see what the next 365 days will entail for IVRS and how that work will impact Iowans with disabilities.
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Episode 194 - Dr. James Williams Part 1, IVRS Year in Review
Mission: Employable
It’s been a year since Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services has joined Iowa Workforce Development. Since then, IVRS has eliminated their waitlist for services. As we start our month of celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month, IVRS Director Dr. James Williams stops by the podcast for part one of a two part series on IVRS. Join us as we take a look back at what IVRS has accomplished since joining IWD, and how the merger has helped them accomplish their goals.
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September 2024 Update
Mission: Employable
A quick update for the end of September and a look ahead at a special series during October.
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Episode 193 - How Work-Based Learning Students, Teachers, and Employers
Mission: Employable
Work-Based learning isn't a new concept, but it's becoming even more widely accepted across Iowa. Abby Tibbetts, Work-Based learning Program Designer at Iowa Workforce Development, joins the show to talk about how apprenticeship and other opportunities can help employers find their next group of talented hires. Additionally, hear from Tibbetts, a former school teacher, about how work-based learning can help students reach their potential and how IWD makes it easy to start a program of your own.
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Episode 192 - Skill Bridge Bringing Veterans to Iowa
Mission: Employable
The Skill Bridge program creates a pathway from the end of military service to the civilian job market, and it is expanding in Iowa. Hear from one of IowaWORKS' Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) about how the program is adding employers to its roster, and from a current Skill Bridge intern who is finishing up his service in the Navy by working a civilian job. Find out how the program helps service members acclimate to life outside the military, and how it can create a pipeline of veteran talent for employers who join Skill Bridge.
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Episode 191 - A Lightbulb Moment
Mission: Employable
You're not hearing double! There are Two Trevors on the Mission: Employable Podcast. Trevor Zielinski and Trevor Stevens from the Skilled Trades Academy at Central Campus in Des Moines pair up to tell us about how their electrician apprenticeship program is sparking interest in high school students. Find out how the pair formed a unique partnership that got the program off the ground.
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Episode 190 - Going from Teacher to Apprentice
Mission: Employable
Iowa's TPRA (Teacher Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship) Program serves as an alternate route for Iowans to become educators. Hear from recent TPRA graduate Trevor Zielinski on how the program prepared him for his new role as a full-time teacher and why he thinks TPRA is such a viable way for others to pursue their career path in education.
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