Kelsey Hewitt knew at a young age that she was interested in engineering. As many students do, she stumbled upon this career field in middle school during a career speaker day. “I had a big interest in math, science and problem solving,” Hewitt says. Hewitt went on to obtain an internship through Kirkwood Workplace Learning Connection at

The staff and volunteers at Indian Creek Nature Center (ICNC) are champions of nature. They strive to connect people to nature and create a passion for the outdoors. Indian Creek Nature Center is an amazing resource we have right in our backyard. While many roles are needed to make things run smoothly day to day, one of the more sought-after positions at

This year, Iowa has been expanding work-based learning to better prepare students for careers in high demand job markets. The state goal is for 70% of Iowa’s workforce to have education or training beyond high school. While this is a nice goal for the state to have, such a goal requires action from the communities to achieve it. Community Promise is

Economic development organizations are continually having to reinvent themselves with changing priorities like the current workforce skills gap. Some are better than others with this difficult task. The one economic development organization that seems to be best at combating this talent issue with a focused effort on connecting and training its own

Hanna Plumbing and Heating embraces the tagline: A family-owned, full-service plumbing, and HVAC Contractor. “There’s nothing more rewarding than having a business you started from nothing grow into something successful with your family around,” said Hanna Plumbing and Heating Vice President Tim Hanna. Tim and his wife Vicki started the

The traditional concept of high school typically consists of a set schedule of classes in a set time frame with a set curriculum planned out well in advance. Students are told what to do and what to learn. Iowa BIG is rethinking the traditional concept of high school. Iowa BIG is a nationally recognized project-based high school educational program. BIG is

According to a recent Gallup poll, the number one thing employers want most in a new hire is an internship or one-the-job experience. So, why not start now? Information and connections gained through Community Promise or an internship facilitated by Kirkwood Workplace Learning Connection are great places to start. Two area high school students are headed in