Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) and the Iowa Department of Education are launching a statewide outreach campaign to help Iowa education leaders learn how to post education-related jobs on IowaWORKS.gov.
The information will become important for school administration and human resource personnel given the passage and signing into law of Senate File 560, which eliminated the Department of Education’s Teach Iowa job posting system.
Division XVI of the bill instructs the IWD, in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Education, to establish a system for the Iowa Department of Education, school districts, charter schools, Area Education Agencies and accredited nonpublic schools to post job openings.
The new system will replace the Teach Iowa site, which will no longer be funded or maintained. The transition between the two sites must occur before July 1.
Open jobs posted on Teach Iowa will be moved to IowaWORKS. Job applicants who have resumes and credentials stored on the Teach Iowa site will need to retrieve that information and/or upload new versions of it to IowaWORKS.gov.
Preparing educators for changes
Chad Aldis, the Iowa Department of Education director, has reached out to Iowa school districts to inform them about the transition and how education organizations can make the changes.
“The summer hiring season is a very busy time for Iowa schools,” Mr. Aldis said in a release. “We are working closely with IWD and our school partners to help ensure a smooth transition for schools, job-seeking teachers and support personnel.”
Director of Iowa Workforce Development Beth Townsend said in a statement that IWD staff will provide as much training and assistance as necessary to help educators and job seekers.
“We will do whatever’s necessary to get the right information to the right people as quickly as possible,” Ms. Townsend said. “IWD exists to connect employers with the qualified workers they need, and now we will be bringing that focus to education careers on Iowa’s largest jobs platform.”
Education-affiliated institutions can post open jobs on IowaWORKS by following the instructions in IWD’s job posting guide. One-on-one assistance with posting jobs also is available by contacting the IWD Business Engagement Division at 1-833-469-2967 or iaworks@iwd.iowa.gov.
Education organizations can expect to be contacted by an IWD Business Engagement Consultant (BEC) sometime before July 1 to offer assistance. BECs are based in IowaWORKS offices around the state and will be able to:
- Help schools post jobs quickly.
- Arrange individualized training.
- Assist with any other issues related to transitioning to the new system.
Online training available
IWD has recorded a series of virtual trainings to teach school officials about the IowaWORKS system, including its capabilities, how to post jobs, and how to utilize all available resources. Three videos are available on IWD’s new Iowa Education Jobs webpage: Introduction to IowaWORKS, Posting a Job, and Using the Virtual Recruiter.
A separate set of two videos, also available on the website, covers what to do for job seekers who wish to register and begin pursuing opportunities within school districts. Those videos are Job Seeker Services on IowaWORKS and Registration on IowaWORKS.
If needed, IWD will develop additional training for job seekers and hiring managers. Watch the Iowa Education Jobs page for more information.
