Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) and the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) stand ready to support the continued development of work-based learning (WBL). Coordination between IWD and DOE will help create and expand WBL programs and participants across the state.
Please contact our IWD Work-Based Learning Team to brainstorm ideas, facilitate meetings with potential partners, design work-based learning programs and learn about financial resources.
Information on how employers can get a head start hiring high school seniors, featuring a successful example from Pella’s WorkSmart Connector. This is especially geared toward employers who are connecting with students expected to enter the workforce full time right after graduation.
Internships are more than a learning experience— they're a smart business strategy. Whether you're hosting high school, college, or adult interns, you gain early access to motivated talent, strengthen your talent pipeline, and develop future employees who already understand your culture and expectations. This document serves as a comprehensive guide to creating these successful programs.
Work-based learning (WBL) can make a real impact in the lives of both students and older Iowans. This handout profiles a successful example of how to create High School IT Community Help Desk, which was created by NewAldaya Lifescapes in Cedar Falls in partnership with the Waterloo Career Center. The program assists residents of senior living facilities with everyday tech tasks - such as attaching a photo to an email and installing a solitaire app without ads - while helping students develop technical and customer service skills that support their long-term success.
Despite the need, understanding how to recruit talent out of high school can be challenging for employers, especially for information technology (IT) skills. The IT Pathways Program provides a structured way for employers to begin to identify that talent and to find out whether students are a good fit, but the benefits are broader. For students, it’s a real-world opportunity to explore whether IT is the right career for them. For communities, it showcases that great jobs from committed businesses are available locally, making it more likely young people will end up living and working close to home.
Work-Based Learning Interest Form
Please complete this form to provide information to the Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) Work-Based Learning (WBL) Team regarding how we can support you.
