Iowa community colleges to use state grants for new regional career training centers

Two Iowa community colleges will use grant funding from the state to expand their career training capabilities for high school students.

The Iowa Department of Education announced in a news release that it and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds have awarded $2 million in Career Academy Incentive Fund grants to Iowa Western Community College and Ellsworth Community College, part of the Iowa Valley Community College District.

Both institutions will use their $1 million grants to establish new regional centers, which will expand access for students wishing to participate in career academy programs. According to the release, these career academies connect career and technical education with postsecondary education programs to allow students to concurrently enroll and start their path to job credentials.

“When students have more opportunities to explore careers, earn credentials and gain real world experience while they’re still in high school, we build the next generation of workforce leaders in our communities,” Reynolds said in the release. “Iowa continues to invest in its future through the Career Academy Incentive Fund. These new career academies will prepare more students for high-skill, high-demand and high-wage jobs, while meeting the workforce needs of Iowa employers.”

Regional centers are required to offer four career academies at minimum, the release stated, and serve either at least four school districts or at least 120 students from two school districts. Nearly half of Iowa high school seniors completed work-based learning experiences in 2025, jumping more than 13 percentage points from 2024.

Combined, the two regional centers will reach 11 school districts and two nonpublic schools.

Iowa Western Community College will bring the new regional center to its Transportation and Logistics Center, where it will welcome students from seven school districts to attend career academies in welding, construction management, plumbing, HVAC maintenance, electronics and industrial systems, diesel maintenance and automotive maintenance.

The new regional center at Ellsworth Community College will have construction, agriculture, business administration and welding career academies, a news release from Iowa Valley Community College District stated. Funds will be used to renovate the campus trades and industrial building with spaces for construction education, updated classrooms and new equipment.

Iowa Valley Community College District President Anne Howsare Boyens said in the release that this grant funding bolsters their capacity “to prepare workforce-ready students who will contribute to Iowa’s economy from day one.” This is the second grant received by the community college through this state fund.

“The Regional Center will provide us with the resources necessary to expand educational opportunities for students in our area,” said Ellsworth Community College Provost Barb Klein in the release. “We are committed to bringing opportunities to area students while fostering a strong partnership with our area school districts. This will not only impact our students, but also our communities, as it will create another talent pool for local and area businesses.”