NICC and partners create Sector Board to address education and workforce needs - Local community members and business leaders invited to attend April 29 meeting
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is creating industry sector boards to serve counties in northeast Iowa by bringing together higher education, local high schools, employers, economic development officials and workforce agencies.
The local sector boards employ a collaborative team approach to find solutions to workforce challenges, identify skilled workforce needs and boost local economies. New members of the Waukon Sector Board first met February 19 to discuss objectives of the group, workforce concerns and potential solutions.
The development of sector boards and its focus on teamwork and dialogue is the key to addressing the short-term and ongoing, long-term needs of industries in Allamakee County, according to Wendy Mihm-Herold, Ph.D., NICC Vice President of Business and Community Solutions.
“The Waukon Sector Board offers opportunities for its members to develop a more comprehensive picture of the skilled workforce needs of the community,” Mihm-Herold explained. “By working together, NICC, local high schools, employers, economic development and workforce will be able to create a community-wide plan for the future.”
Members of the Waukon Sector Board include NICC, Waukon High School, Kee High School, Postville High School, Allamakee County Economic Development and Tourism, Allamakee County Board of Supervisors, Iowa Workforce Development and many area businesses in the health, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, construction and small business industries.
Community members and business leaders are invited to attend the next meeting at the NICC Waukon Center April 29 to offer input as the board pares down a longer list of objectives to focus on specific goals. To learn more about the Sector Board and the meeting at the Waukon Center, contact Erica Nosbisch, NICC Waukon Center Director, at 563-568-3060 or nosbische@nicc.edu.
The formalization of industry sector boards, coordinated by NICC and its partners, will provide critical and impactful connections between employers, educators, community developers, regional workforce development boards and other stakeholders in the eight-county NICC district. To address the needs of each area of the district, sector boards are being established for the greater Dubuque and Calmar areas. The objective of each sector board is to serve stakeholders through the exchange of information and implementation of workforce solutions, based on shared goals and human capital needs, leading to measurable results.
