‘Uncategorized’ Archives

Community Colleges Key to Growing Iowa’s Skilled Workforce

Author: deanfiihr Published: January 19th, 2012

Two state legislators today said community colleges are the key to growing Iowa’s skilled workforce and bringing good-paying jobs to Iowa. Last week, the Governor outlined his budget plans and called for a $6 million cut to Iowa’s 15 community colleges.

“We need to invest in workforce training and help more Iowans get the skills they need for 21^st century jobs. Iowa is known for our quality education and highly-skilled workforce, but we can’t afford to move backwards when the jobs of tomorrow require more training than ever,” said State Representative Phyllis Thede of Bettendorf.

According to the Iowa Department of Education, tuition at Iowa’s community colleges is 60% higher than the national average. Under Governor Branstad’s proposed budget, community colleges would be cut by a total of $6 million from last year. Reductions proposed by the Governor in worker training efforts include a $2 million reduction in the Workforce Training Fund and a $5 million reduction to the Accelerated Careers Education (ACE).

“With over 100,000 Iowans enrolled across Iowa, community colleges play a key role in training our workforce statewide. If businesses are going to expand or locate in Iowa, we must have a skilled workforce that can meet their needs. Middle class Iowa families depend on affordable community college tuition to get the additional training that helps them land good-paying jobs,” said Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm of Cresco.

“As we begin to put together the budget, we’re going to work together with our Republican colleagues to grow our skilled workforce and bring more jobs to Iowa,” added Thede.

The Legislators also encouraged Iowans to sign an on-line petition in support of Iowa’s community colleges and students at www.iowahouse.org/communitycollege.

Category Featured, Recent News, Uncategorized |

National Guard Addresses Legislature

Author: deanfiihr Published: January 18th, 2012

The commander of the Iowa National Guard, Timothy Orr, addressed a special joint session of the Iowa Legislature today for the annual Condition of the Guard address.

Here is the latest from the Cedar Rapids Gazzette-

As the challenges of the past 10 years – including its largest deployment since World War II — new challenges are emerging for the Iowa National Guard on the home front.

With the exception of 90 members of the Guard and Air Guard, for the first time since 2001 the Iowa Guard has no units currently deployed overseas, Major General Timothy Orr, the commander of the Iowa National Guard told the Legislature Wednesdya.

More than 7,000 Iowa Guard soldiers and airmen have served in support of U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan valiantly and without faltering, Orr said.

“They carried out their duties day-in and day-out, many on multiple deployments, to ensure mission success,” Orr said in his annual Condition of the Guard address.

Their service came with a price – nearly two dozen Guardsmen died and hundreds suffered wounds and injuries, Orr reminded the lawmakers.

Now that the citizen-soldiers have returned, they face an unemployment rate of 10 percent and those returning to college have lost as much as $1,300 a semester in tuition assistance, Orr said.

A record number of applicants for education assistance combined with flat state funding and rising tuition caused the Guard to reduce the award amounts to ensure all qualified applicants get some financial support, according to a Guard spokesman.

Lawmakers are taking swift action Wednesday to remedy the latter problem. The Senate plans to take Senate File 2007 to make a $1.3 million supplemental appropriation to cover those tuitions costs. It will increase the tuition assistance from $3,186,233 to $4,486,233 to pick up the tuition costs for Guard members enrolled in college this semester.

Orr said that each year approximately 1,100 to 1,200 Guard members attend Iowa universities and colleges through the tuition assistance program.

The program is vital to recruitment and retention of members in the Guard and in Iowa, Orr said.

“Without it we couldn’t have mustered the necessary personnel to meet our overseas and in-state mobilization requirem3ents over the last 15 years,” he said.

It also keeps those men and women in Iowa, he added, “and through their service in the Iowa National Guard helps deepen their Iowa roots.”

Overcoming the unemployment challenge may not be as easy.

Most Guard members return from deployment to pickup where they left off, Orr said.

“They return to work, go back to the farm, enroll in school or pursue new opportunities,” he said. “However, some find the transition difficult.”

The Guard is working with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve as well as Iowa Workforce Development to help Guard members and their spouses find employment.

Orr also spoke of the Guard’s other missions, to Kosovo, for example, as well as their involvement in flood relief in western Iowa that “demonstrate the performance and promise of your hometown military.

“Regardless of the challenge, we will remain ‘Always Ready and Always There’” for Iowans and the country, Orr said.

Tags: Iowa House Democrats, Iowa House of Representatives, iowa national guard, Timothy Orr
Category Uncategorized |

Iowa Gets Recognition for Manufacturing Climate

Author: deanfiihr Published: November 14th, 2011

The 2011 Manufacturing and Logistics National Report gave the State of Iowa an A grade for its healthy manufacturing climate. The report grade was based on local factors such as the quality and availability of the labor force, transportation infrastructure, non-wage labor costs, access to innovative technologies and the cost of doing business. Iowa was one of only five states to receive the top grade in the manufacturing category.

The Manufacturing and Logistics National Report which is prepared by Ball State University grades the U.S.’s 50 states in several areas of the economy that are successful in manufacturing.

Other areas were graded including manufacturing and logistics health, human capital, the cost of benefits, the global reach and diversification of the industries, state-level productivity and innovation, the tax climate, and venture capital activities.

To read more go to: http://cber.iweb.bsu.edu/research/conexus11/

Category Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News, Uncategorized |

Stutsman to Run for State Representative in Johnson County

Author: deanfiihr Published: July 24th, 2011

Sally Stutsman, Johnson County Supervisor, announces her intention to run for the Iowa State House of Representatives in the 2012 election.

The redistricting process that was completed this Spring created a new house district in the area where Stutsman lives. The house district includes the towns of Tiffin, North Liberty, Oxford and Lone Tree plus Freemont, Lincoln, Pleasant Valley, Liberty (excluding the town of Hills), Sharon, Washington, West Lucas, Union, Hardin, Clear Creek, Oxford, Madison, Jefferson and Monroe Townships.

Stutsman has completed four terms as a Johnson County Supervisor and began her fifth term on the Board in January. She is the immediate past chair of the Board.