Searching for Talented Employees? Start with Your Local Iowa Students.

February 12, 2021 | Employers innovate to tackle Iowa's child care challenges Michele Farrell, Program Manager, Elevate Advanced Manufacturing, mfarrell@measuredintentions.com

In a post-pandemic business climate, job security will become even more valuable to students and individuals looking to join the workforce. As a business searching for talented employees to join your team, it’s more important than ever to get involved in the community and inform them of career opportunities. So how do you reach a population that is interested in manufacturing? Start with your local Iowa students.

Every spring, Elevate Advanced Manufacturing donates $500 scholarships to 15 recent Iowa high school graduates entering a manufacturing-related course of study at one of Iowa’s 15 community colleges. Elevate Advanced Manufacturing is a non-profit initiative that promotes careers and educational pathways in advanced manufacturing while building a positive perception of these careers by addressing misconceptions like work environment, safety and wages. Advanced manufacturing provides a wide range of in-demand jobs—and a career in manufacturing empowers individuals to join the workforce sooner, with less debt!

The best way to get started is by contacting your local high school’s guidance counselors and shop teachers. An email or phone call is all you need to start your business’s relationship with the local high schools. Let them know about your career opportunities and how students can receive scholarship funding to attend community college with less debt and graduate sooner with job security! Recent studies have shown that two-year degree holders, especially in high-demand manufacturing occupations, can earn salaries that surpass those of four-year college graduates.

With innovative advances in technology, robotics, and augmented and virtual reality, the manufacturing industry continues to grow, providing new and exciting career opportunities for Iowans. Examples of scholarship-eligible training programs include Robotics, Welding, Mechanical Drafting (CADD), Transportation and Logistics, Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machining, Industrial Automation, Industrial Maintenance, and Tool and Die.

Elevate Advanced Manufacturing offers many student resources to share with your local high schools, including online self-assessment guides, information about career pathways and job opportunities. The 2021 scholarship applications are now open, and Elevate Advanced Manufacturing is accepting applications through May 30, 2021. Now is the perfect time to spread the word and get started!

To learn more about Elevate Advanced Manufacturing and how your business can attract educated employees, visit elevateiowa.com.