Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Iowa: Gov. Reynolds announces new registered apprenticeship programs

Apprenticeships

November 15, 2017

Wells Fargo and Tyson Foods were announced Tuesday as the newest companies to offer registered apprenticeship programs in Iowa, according to a news release.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg announced the newly registered apprenticeship programs during the administration’s weekly press conference.

According to the release, the standards Wells Fargo signed are national standards because their registered apprenticeship program is now offered in all 50 states. The four occupations being offered in Iowa are:

Bank branch manager
Operations manager
project management
risk consultations

Tyson Foods signed standards to offer a registered apprenticeship in mechatronics technician, according to the release. Mechatronics is a field of science that includes a combination of mechanical engineering, electronics, computer engineering, telecommunications engineering, systems engineering and control engineering.

“Today is an exciting day as two well-known national companies with a large footprint in Iowa make commitments to offering registered apprenticeship programs,” Gov. Reynolds said in the release. “This is significant because expanding registered apprenticeship opportunities in our states helps train Iowans for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

This is an employer-driven training program that provides on-the-job learning with classroom instruction and a paycheck.

According to the release, Iowa had 846 active registered apprenticeship programs and 8,720 active registered apprentices as of Nov. 2.

Iowa: Gov. Reynolds announces new registered apprenticeship programs | Clay & Milk

A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.

This Pop-up Is Included in the Theme

Best Choice for Creatives