Northeast Iowa Community College receives grant for electrical training expansion

Northeast Iowa Community College will use grant funding from a corporate foundation to expand its electrical training capabilities.

The Lowe’s Foundation announced in a news release it has awarded $420,000 to the Calmar-based community college to bring electrical training space and equipment to its Peosta campus and help “meet growing regional demand for electricians.”

“We are grateful to the Lowe’s Foundation for its investment in our region’s workforce. This grant creates new opportunities for students while helping local employers address the growing demand for skilled electrical professionals,” said Northeast Iowa Community College President Dave Dahms in an emailed statement. “Expanding our electrician program to the Peosta Campus is another example of what’s possible when education and industry work together to strengthen our communities and build a skilled regional workforce.”

According to the release, the community college will open a new electrical lab in Peosta with equipment for hands-on learning, providing greater access to the opportunity to earn credentials across Northeast Iowa Community College’s service area.

This grant, part of a combined nearly $8 million in grants provided to 10 community and technical colleges across the U.S., are part of a larger plan to invest $250 million by 2035 in training 250,000 people for skilled trades careers, the release stated. The foundation has invested more than $60 million in this area since 2023.

Janice Dupré, president and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation and the company’s executive vice president of human resources, said in the release the foundation has worked for three years to connect different stakeholders in skilled trades workforce development, including higher education and community organizations.

“Funding is just one part of the equation; our greatest impact comes from bringing the entire ecosystem together,” Dupré said in the release. “We are proud to help lead this collaborative model, to train and develop skills trade professionals to serve across multiple industries and companies.”