Mission: Employable

Des Moines’ Ironworkers Union is hard at work across the metro building the structures that will eventually turn into the buildings where we live, work, and hang out. However, they’re also using an apprenticeship program to build lifelong careers from the ground up. Ironworkers local 67 Apprenticeship and Training Coordinator Ed Bleimehl drops by the podcast to talk about how

The YSS Rooftop Gardens program is producing thousands of heads of lettuce, but its' more important export is the employability skills young adults need to change their lives. Started in 2024, the garden employs several groups of at-risk youth to grow hydroponic romaine lettuce which is then sold at farmers markets and select Hy-Vee stores. Hear from program founder Samanthya Marla

A New healthcare grant designed to help employers develop or expand their earn and learn programs is open for applications! Kathy Leggett, title, sits across the table with Mission: Employable podcast host, Ben Oldach, to discuss the ins and outs of the grant. Who can apply? How much money is available? And how can earn and learn programs help employers grow their staff for years

Mission Employable celebrates its 200th episode with a brand-new face! Newly hired Iowa Workforce Development Deputy Director Georgia Van Gundy joins the pod to introduce herself to the state and discuss what her past experiences will bring to the department. Find out why the former Executive Director of the Iowa Business Council tells us the unemployment rate isn’t the only numb

Learning English can be a challenge, but learning career specific terminology and slang can be even more challenging. Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is here to help solve some of those problems with its Jumpstart program. Michelle Schott, Integrated Education and Training Coordinator at DMACC, joins the Mission: Employable podcast and shares about the program that is he

Iowa Workforce Development has been a champion for Registered Apprenticeship Programs for years now, but now IWD will be even more involved in how these programs operate across the state. Kolby Knupp, Program Manager at the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship joins the podcast to talk about how the state is taking over Registered Apprenticeships from the Federal Department of Labor, and

Grant funding is helping the push for economic equality in Iowa. Iowa Blueprint for Change is a federally funded program that Iowa is using to help workers who are disabled find Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE). Brandy McOmber, Deputy Division Administrator for Iowa’s Vocational Rehabilitation, and Ashley Banes, Project Director at Iowa Blueprint for Change, join the Missi

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 helped change the landscape for employees with disabilities across the country. As Iowa Workforce Development continues to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) it’s important to show employers how they can make improvements to their businesses and become more accessible to Iowans with disabilities. Ashl

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation (IVRS) Director Dr. James Williams returns for the second part of our series on IVRS and National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In part two we look towards the future and see what the next 365 days will entail for IVRS and how that work will impact Iowans with disabilities.

It’s been a year since Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services has joined Iowa Workforce Development. Since then, IVRS has eliminated their waitlist for services. As we start our month of celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month, IVRS Director Dr. James Williams stops by the podcast for part one of a two part series on IVRS. Join us as we take a look back at wh