10 May, 2022
Are you a business owner turning down business due to not having the workforce to accept new business? Are you an employer struggling to find talent? Are you an employee tired of pulling more than your weight because your business is understaffed? Perhaps you are working extra shifts to ensure there is coverage to serve your customers/patients? With the current unemployment rate at 3%, you may be asking yourself: Where can we find employees? What can be done to fill the void? On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, Central Iowa SHRM presented members with the 2022 State Legislative Update Panel for Session 1 of a 5-part Legal & Legislative Series. The panel consisted of Mollie Ross Vice President of Operations at the Technology Association of Iowa; Andrea Woodard, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy at the Greater Des Moines Partnership; Dustin Miller, Attorney at the Nyemaster Goode, PC. and Executive Director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance; Joe Murphy, Executive Director at the Iowa Business Council; Brad Hartkopf, Director of Public Policy for the Association of Business & Industry. The panel provided an overview of the 2022 legislative session that ended recently The panel discussed multiple ways the state is aligning to attract businesses and people to our state and retaining them. Plans to reform Iowa’s tax code, changes to the unemployment insurance program & reemployment opportunities, access to childcare, a focus on maintaining an invaluable budget and further developing the Iowa economy are all valuable components in finding employees for all of the job openings in the state. The panel also discussed another way for employers to find bodies to fill their job vacancies, which requires tapping into our homegrown talent. One way to do this is by connecting with high school students, establishing meaningful career connections, strengthening job readiness and introducing high school students to various career opportunities while allowing income to be earned while they learn. In Iowa, an initiative encouraging this started years ago with our governor’s office after the state received a grant from the nonpartisan organization, The National Governors Association. Shortly thereafter, the Future Ready Iowa Summit was held in 2016, the initiative was launched in 2017 by Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and in 2018, the Future Ready Iowa Act was signed by Governor Kim Reynolds. This initiative provides career opportunities and resources for students and adults to land a rewarding job and to have 70% of Iowan’s access to “education and training beyond high school by 2025 to insure we have the number of skilled workers necessary to match our projected job skill levels in coming years” Arend (2022). Business Owners/Employers: Things you can offer Apprenticeships: Many Iowa employers have stepped up to the plate by providing apprenticeships. In fact, Iowa is a national leader in Registered Apprenticeship Programs. In effort to continue to drive this, the state has increased investments into growing these apprenticeships in high schools throughout the state. Should you have interest in finding more information on apprenticeship programs go to: https://www.earnandlearniowa.gov/ Mentorship Programs: The Iowa Mentoring Program is a statewide networking and professional development opportunity connecting students in high-demand fields with professionals in the workforce. To find out more about the Future Ready Iowa Virtual Mentoring program, visit: https://futurereadyiowamentoring.chronus.com/p/p1/about? Internship Programs : An internship allows entry-level and day-to-day experience and knowledge for a developing professional in a specific career field. Often these programs have both an academic and work-experience objectives. Employers can work to design a successful internship program by ensuring there are objective goals paring the academic learning objectives to the organizational needs. Many colleges offer internship programs. Students focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) can find internship opportunities with Iowa Economic Development at the following link: https://www.iowaeda.com/grow/stem-internships/ Externship Programs: While multiple Iowa based companies foster externship programs, yet these programs seem to get less coverage than the previous listed programs. In fact, many of you may be wondering what is an externship program? These short-term training opportunities allow employee to be immersed in the workplace providing hands-on experience. Externships can be offered to students and high-school teachers. When teachers participate in the externship, often these are during the summer break and are with a local organization. The benefits are multifaceted. Allowing the teacher to learn the job and organization, potential skills to be gained and how the organization welcomes, is inclusive, and trains new employees can be helpful. When the externship programs are successful, the teacher leaves the summer program as an employer-advocate and a potential recruitment specialist who provides students with real world examples. For educators looking for externship opportunities science, mathematics, engineering, or technology click: https://iowastem.org/externships Growth Opportunities for your current employees: A frequent occurrence when new managers are promoted, they struggle with their new role as they often go from being a peer to supervising their peers, being expected to know how to supervise and manage. However, providing them with opportunities to grow, learn and develop leadership skills consider recommending they become a certified work-based supervisor for eligible a high school student. Becoming a work-based learning program supervisor certification provides a 15-hour course, instruction related to fundamentals in career education, training tips, and performance evaluation guidance. The program rules will soon be established. To find out more about work-based learning follow: https://educateiowa.gov/adult-careercomm-college/career-and-technical-education/iowa-quality-cte/work-based-learning Invite elected officials to tour your worksite: By engaging elected officials to see and witness the ways your organization impacts the local economy, a valuable partnership can be forged. Employees: Things you can do Encourage the high school students in your life to find industries of interest and to engage with employers in these industries. The old adage, “you don’t know what you don’t know” applies here. Many high school students have limited exposure to the vast amount of career opportunities and industries in their local communities. Within each industry are multiple career paths to be considered, many of which are not industry specific. Remember, a four-year degree and college is not for everyone…and provide acceptance with this. For many high school students, they are expected to graduate from high school and move on to college, knowing exactly what they want to be when they grow up. This expectation can be especially daunting for the high school students who have had limited exposure to career options or suspect that college may not be for them. The national dropout rate for freshman college students. According to Education Data Initiative updated on November 22, 2021, in the United States, the overall undergraduate dropout rate is 40%. Sadly, a whopping 30% of this dropout rate is from freshman college students dropping out before their sophomore year. (Hanson, 2021) As an Iowan, HR professional, and as a mother who values the education system, it is my hope that engaging and rewarding jobs are found, employers fill their job vacancies, and we continue to find ways to draw people to Iowa and retain them. REFERENCES: Arend, M (2022, May) Governor Kim Reynolds On Iowa’s Next Chapter from Site Selection magazine. About the Future Ready Iowa Initiative Earn While you Learn with Registered Apprenticeship you can take your skills with you anywhere . Future Ready Iowa Fact Sheet Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.0 Percent in April, UI Claims at Their Lowest Level Since 1973 Preparing a Future Ready Iowa / Office of the Governor Welcome to Future Ready Iowa Virtual Mentoring What Are the Benefits of interns and Why Do Companies Hire Them? By the Indeed Editorial Team (May 6, 2022) Hanson, M (2021, November22). College Dropout Rates from EducationData.org,
