In this episode of Mission: Employable, we sit down with Mak Suceska, Bureau Chief of the Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services, to discuss how employers can hire from an often-overlooked workforce: Iowa’s refugee community. Suceska recalls his own story as a Bosnian refugee who settled in Iowa and discusses how other members of the refugee community can connect to employment opportunities.  

We’re talking about how public transportation has an important role in supporting the workforce. Amanda Wanke, DART (Des Moines Area Transit Authority) Deputy CEO, guides us through all the resources DART has available to riders in the Des Moines area, and how businesses can help solve transportation issues for their workers.  

The Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation Fund is designed to expand opportunities for Iowans to earn post-secondary credentials that lead to high-demand jobs. It does this by encouraging Iowa employers, community leaders, and others to collaborate to support regional workforce talent development!

Business Marketing Specialist Kate Pine joins the podcast to talk about how she helps connect employers and job seekers to opportunities in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridor. Hear the advice she has for employers, including the one thing she says to do now to get more applicants for job openings.

Our celebration of National Apprenticeship Week continues as host Ryan West sits down with Lead Instructor Tim Vassios of the Missouri Valley Line Constructors Apprenticeship and Training Program. Take a deep dive into the program that teaches electrical line workers the tools of the trade. Learn how to get started as a Lineman and how much money you could earn after finishing a Registered Apprenticeship program in the field. To learn more about Registered Apprenticeship opportunities and programs, visit: www.EarnAndLearnIowa.gov

On today’s episode of Mission: Employable, we welcome our new Registered Apprenticeship Coordinator Kristopher Byam to the podcast studio. We talk about Byam’s background as an educator and what the future holds for Registered Apprenticeship programs across the state. Find out more about Registered Apprenticeship opportunities by visiting EarnAndLearnIowa.gov

It’s Veterans Day! As we wrap up our Veterans Week special event, we want to say “thank you” to all our service members, Veterans, and their families for everything they do for us.  On today’s episode we welcome Home Base Iowa Program Manager Gary Sharp to talk about how HBI and the Iowa National Guard work together to serve Iowa’s Veterans.  

Our week-long recognition of Veterans Day continues on Mission: Employable. Join us as we talk with Soldier and Family Readiness Specialist Tara Hellickson and Lieutenant Colonel George Mosby of the Army National Guard. Our guests share how Veterans can better advocate for themselves on resumes and what businesses can do to become a welcoming place for Veterans to work.  

We're honoring Veterans Day all this week with three special episodes about the resources in Iowa geared toward Veterans and their families. On today’s episode, we're speaking with Justin Kent, a DVOP (Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist) from our Waterloo IowaWORKS office. Justin shares how IowaWORKS strives to assist Veterans with disabilities, and how hiring managers can tap into a labor force which can produce A+ employees. 

A Mission: Employable podcast on a Friday? That must mean something big happened! In this special episode, we talk about some of the upcoming resources announced by the Governor’s Child Care Task Force, including a new statewide designation for businesses to become a “Best Place for Working Parents” as well as a $10 million grant to help increase child care availability across the state.