One-Stop Shop: How IWD Helps Business

The  Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program (260E) is for businesses creating new positions who are seeking help with new employee training. The  Iowa Jobs Training Program (260F) provides training services to current employees of eligible businesses. The Accelerated Career Education program (260G) helps Iowa's community colleges establish or expand programs that train students to work in the occupations most needed by Iowa businesses.

Annual Registered Apprenticeship grants are available to increase the number of registered apprentices in Iowa. The training grants are for small- to mid-sized registered apprenticeship programs in high-demand occupations.

Future Ready Iowa administers the  Last Dollar Scholarship, which provides money to fill the gap between available financial aid and the cost of education and training for a high-demand job, as well as the  Summer Youth Internship Program, which provides grants to help develop internship programs for at-risk youth.

The  STEM Internship Program provides grants to Iowa employers for internship programs in STEM with a similar goal of transitioning interns to full-time employment in the state.

The  Employers’ Council of Iowa (ECI) exists to guide and promote business focus, address topics of concern, and sponsor training initiatives.

Use MyIowaUI as an online tool to manage your unemployment tax accounts and get questions answered by unemployment experts.

The  State Information Data Exchange (SIDES) is a secure and timely way for employers and third-party administrators (the people you hire to handle unemployment issues) to electronically receive and respond to the Notice of Claim.

Rapid Response teams provide early interventions to help your business avert potential layoffs, as well as immediate on-site services to assist workers facing job loss.

Under the Short-Term Compensation Program (formerly  Voluntary Shared Work), employees share an overall reduction in work hours while Unemployment Insurance (UI) partially replaces lost earnings. By avoiding layoffs, employees stay connected to their jobs, and employers maintain their skilled workforce for when business improves.

Incumbent Worker Training helps employers with specific needs retain a skilled workforce or avert the need to lay off employees. Workers are able to enhance their skills and increase the employer's competitiveness.  

IowaWORKS maintains Iowa’s largest statewide job bank, which your business can use to recruit virtually for any open position. Learn more on the IowaWORKS network across the state.

IowaWORKS also can host recruitment and hiring events to help your business access target populations of potential workers.

Home Base Iowa’s mission is to attract and retain Veterans, service members, and family members and connect them with Iowa businesses for new careers. The Iowa Works for Veterans Portal likewise helps employers recruit military-connected talent.

Future Ready Iowa administers grants to help employers support their employees’ Child Care needs. An Employer Innovation Fund also exists to help promote innovative training ideas.

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services can assist an employee or potential employee with a disability, saving your company hiring and training costs while emphasizing the value of employees and building a work culture that promotes inclusiveness.

The  Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire eligible individuals from certain groups with significant barriers to employment.

The Federal Bonding Program provides bonds for “at-risk,” hard-to-place job seekers. Your company can use the program to gain peace of mind by bonding job candidates who are considered to be higher risk.

Adult/Dislocated Worker Programs offer a variety of training options for workers to increase their marketable skills, including work-based learning options like work experiences and on-the-job training.

Iowa STEM Externships expose educators to the real-world application of knowledge so they can better prepare students for potential future careers.

Business Sector Partnerships are regional groups designed to pull community and business leaders together to identify the needs and opportunities available for improving Iowa's workforce. Iowa Workforce Development recently took over administration of the partnerships and looks forward to working with business and community leaders to help Iowa improve its workforce.

The  Labor Market Information division of IWD collects, analyzes and prepares a wide array of economic statistics and information that you can use to understand changes in industries and occupations in a given geographic area of Iowa. 

In conjunction with IowaWORKS, Workforce Development Boards assist Iowa employers with hiring and retaining skilled workers.