NICC receives Iowa Department of Education Intermediary Grant

For the second year, Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) has received Iowa legislature funding to support the development and implementation of a Regional Work-Based Intermediary Network that prepares high school students for the workforce.

Iowa’s 15 community colleges each received a portion of the $1.45 million in funding, which is managed by the Iowa Department of Education, to develop 15 networks in the state. The main purpose of the intermediary funding is to create a connector for schools and businesses within each community college region in Iowa.

The $96,665 in grant funding NICC received will support activities and objectives of the college’s new Northeast Iowa Career Learning Link program, which focuses its efforts on building knowledge of career opportunities for area high school students. Career Learning Link Intermediary Programming includes business/industry tours, classroom speakers, job shadows, job fairs and professional development for educators. A student internship program is also under development.

Also funded by a $2.7 million four-year Youth CareerConnect grant from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, the broader goals of the Career Learning Link are to connect businesses and high schools by offering relevant, work-based learning activities for students and educators. Focus areas specified in the funding include STEM occupations, advanced manufacturing, and the bioscience and information technology industries. Students and teachers may also request experiences in any career area of interest.

For more information about the Career Learning Link, contact Gena Gesing, associate director of Career and Intermediary Programs, at gesingg@nicc.edu, or visit www.nicc.edu/careerlearninglink.