New state office will expand apprenticeship opportunities

DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa is marking National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) as a time to recognize the state’s progress this year in establishing new resources, grant opportunities, and a new statewide office to drive growth in apprenticeship programs.
Iowa met a significant milestone in its investment in Registered Apprenticeship (RA) this year when the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) officially recognized the state as a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA), following legislation championed by Governor Kim Reynolds. The recognition meant that the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship (IOA), housed under Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), would oversee and administer all RA programs in the state.
The transition to an SAA state will expand Iowa’s options to grow new programs, revamp its customer service model to better support program sponsors, and utilize innovation to better align growth in apprenticeship with the state’s overall workforce strategy.
“I appreciate Governor Reynolds and the state legislature’s leadership in creating the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship, which is fully dedicated to growing Registered Apprenticeship programs across Iowa,” said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Traditionally, 85-90% of apprentices stay with the employer that trained them. The Iowa Office of Apprenticeship has the tools and resources to help employers leverage a training model that creates a skilled and available workforce. I encourage any business that has not yet established an RA program to contact the new state office to learn about these exciting opportunities.”
Recent highlights include:                        

• Governor Reynolds and IWD staff attending a kickoff event at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines last week to highlight the importance of Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs. Governor Reynolds signed a statewide proclamation while highlighting one of the first successful CNA apprenticeship programs in the state. View a recap of the event.
• A funding announcement for a new round of the Teacher & Paraeducator RA Grant, to help drive the growth of new education careers in school districts across the state. Applications for the grant close on December 2nd.
• The expansion of resources and team members with the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship, which now is fully staffed and supporting the hundreds of RA sponsors across the state. Visit the IOA website for more information and new office hours.
  
  

Data on Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Iowa (Federal Fiscal Year 2024)

• Active Programs: 960
• Active Apprentices: 9,764
• Total Apprentices Who Completed Programs: 1,994
• New Programs: 100
• New Occupations: 67
• New Apprentices: 4,522

For more information about RA in Iowa, including program data, contact information, and valuable resources, visit https://apprenticeship.iowa.gov. A list of events and activities for NAW can be found at https://workforce.iowa.gov/naw.