During Iowa Governor Kim Reynold’s government realignment process several years ago, there was some confusion and angst about which arm of the government would lead the state’s focus on workforce and workforce training. Would it be IowaWORKS or the community colleges?
Fortunately that confusion has abated (in Cedar Rapids anyway) and a new, unique collaboration is underway, which could become a model for the rest of the state.
Kirkwood Community College and IowaWORKS formed a new partnership to improve the availability and coordination of workforce programs in the Cedar Rapids area, according to a CBJ news article.
As part of the new program, announced April 9 and effective Aug. 1, a new location near Kirkwood’s campus, the former Ruffalo Noel Levitz building at 1025 Kirkwood Parkway SW, will house both the Kirkwood workforce development programs and the IowaWORKS Cedar Rapids office, serving as the American Job Center for the surrounding area.
According to a release, the move will strengthen collaboration across teams that collectively serve employers, deliver professional education and support both current workers and future job seekers.
After all, the unemployed or undertrained worker doesn’t care who helps them or gets the credit for helping them.
Kirkwood’s acquisition of the former Ruffalo Noel Levitz building marks a major step in the college’s long-term strategy to streamline services, enhance community partnerships, and meet the evolving needs of Iowa’s workforce.
“This new facility is a significant win for the Cedar Rapids workforce, providing streamlined access to vital education and employment services. I am excited to see the positive impact this new location will have on our region,” said Ashley Ferguson, chair of the East Central Iowa Local Workforce Development Board in the CBJ article.
This partnership follows Kirkwood’s long and valued history of creating win-win situations with public and private economic development opportunities throughout the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor.
We congratulate Kirkwood and IowaWORKs for making this collaboration possible. We suspect that it will be needed now more than ever.
Whirlpool lays off 650
One of the hallmarks of the Corridor’s manufacturing industry is Whirlpool in Amana.
But this industry stalwart is having some challenges, as indicated by a recently announced downsizing.
“Whirlpool Corporation has made necessary adjustments to production at its Amana operations to align with current market conditions driven by consumer demand,” a Whirlpool spokesman said in a prepared statement. “This has resulted in the announcement of a workforce reduction of approximately 650 employees within specific production teams at the facility.”
The customer demand was cited “particularly as it relates to some of the appliances (refrigeration) made in Amana,” the spokesperson said.
Whirlpool currently has about 2,000 employees at its Amana manufacturing plant, so the upcoming layoff “is approximately a third of the current workforce,” the spokesman added.
Let’s hope this is just a temporary downturn.
