Did you know that there are more people with college degrees than there are jobs that require college degrees?

What makes matters worse is that college is expensive. In fact, the United States has $1.56 trillion in student loan debt. It's an amazing amount of investment that doesn't always apply to the career path. 

Specific to Iowa, 54% of Iowa jobs are considered skilled. They don't necessarily require a four-year college degree, but they require more than high school education. While only 34% of the workforce is considered skilled. So that's a pretty significant gap based on what's needed in the industry versus what the current workforce offers. 

Then there is this whole other gap of skill set that we're losing, with baby boomers retiring and smaller generations entering the workforce. There is a quantity gap as well as a quality gap.

So how do we bridge these gaps?

Connecting the Manufacturers and the Educational Institutions

1. Start the conversation. Start asking questions – 

• to get students to think differently about careers and education. 

• to get employers to think differently about what their workforce expectations are. 

2. Get involved. Partner with your schools. Involve yourself in Sector Boards. 

3. Continue to collaborate as a region. If we can come together as a region and as an industry to increase the number of qualified and available talent, it takes away our reliance on the minimal talent pool we currently have within each other.

4. Upskill your current workforce as well as your future workforce.

• High School Registered Apprenticeship Programs - it follows an “earn while you learn” model that makes education affordable. 

• Dual credit coursework

• The apprenticeship program is a mix of related training related instruction, classroom-type learning, and on the job learning.