Iowa Receives Grant to Promote Future Workforce Skills

Iowa among states in partnership to receive job skills grant

A collaboration of state research organizations in Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and Nebraska has received a grant through the Midwest Innovation Initiative (MI2), a project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration, to better inform workers of the skills needed for future jobs.

The Initiative is managed by the Chicago-based Institute for Work and the Economy and works in partnership with the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments, an association of state legislators from the Midwestern states plus North Dakota and South Dakota.

The purpose of the grant is to develop a research framework for analyzing the skills of regional economies and comparing them against the changing skill sets needed by businesses in rapidly emerging industries. The objective of the grant and the larger initiative is to assist in identifying and addressing the barriers preventing Midwestern states and communities from making full use of the competitive advantages of the region by functioning as a single, integrated economy.

"This research and analysis, made possible by the MI2 grant, will give workers and educators in Iowa a clearer picture of the skills and training that employer's value in a job market that is changing more quickly than ever before. It will also help workers and employers identify and prepare for emerging industries in the regional economy," said Elisabeth Buck, director of Iowa Workforce Development.