Job Training

Western Iowa employers and workers alike benefit from numerous programs designed to provide technical training for today's workforce. From programs that provide funds to smooth the transition from school to work to those that provide training funds for companies creating new jobs, state programs have been designed to give Iowa's workforce the training they need to keep the economy moving forward. Most counties in the Western Iowa Advantage region offer job training through community college programs. Click on the links below for more information.

Employers seeking job training assistance need not look further than Western Iowa. Customized, affordable training and technical assistance is coordinated by Western Iowa Advantage and provided by all community colleges in the region.

The Iowa New Jobs Training Program (260E) supports businesses adding employees through expansion in, or relocation to, Iowa. The flexible funding of the 260E program allows your company, in consultation with community college experts, to implement an effective training plan for your new employees. The plan is designed to build the skills needed by your new employees to become productive.

The 260E program is of no cost to your business. Training is funded by community colleges through the sale of certificates for the amount of anticipated tax revenue generated from new employee salaries. The revenue generated from the certificate sale is used to establish a training fund for your company.

Your company will then use the funds in this account to pay for new employee training. The certificates are repaid by your business over a ten-year period by diverting a portion of your payroll taxes from the State of Iowa to the community college. The amount diverted is based on the wages of new jobs your company has added. The dollar value of your training fund depends on your company's training and development needs and the projected tax revenue available to repay the certificates.

In other words, the program is free to your company.

To be eligible for the 260E program, your business must currently be:

• Creating new Iowa positions
• Locating to or expanding in Iowa
• Providing services in interstate commerce
• Conducting business in manufacturing, processing, assembling products, or research and development

The Iowa Jobs Training Program helps Iowa businesses fund training for current employees.

The program fosters the growth and competitiveness of Iowa businesses by ensuring that Iowa's workforce has the skills and expertise needed to compete worldwide. Training programs are customized to meet the specific productivity needs of your business.

The 260F program provides state-funded forgivable loans or grants to Iowa businesses needing to train their existing employees. A loan is forgivable if a business completes its training program and trains a specified number of employees.

Project awards are limited to $25,000 per business site, to a maximum of $50,000 over a three-year period (dependent upon availability of funds). Participating businesses are required to provide at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the training program cost as cash match.

To qualify for this program, your business must be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling products, or conducting research and development. Businesses that provide services in interstate commerce are also eligible.

Training Options from 260E/260F Funds:

Job Skill Specific Training