About Us
NIACC Career Connections
Mission Statement: The mission of NIACC Career connections is to connect K-12 students, educators and businesses through relevant work-based learning.
Vision Statement: The vision of NIACC Career Connections is to serve as the primary one-stop contact for work-based learning in order to build and sustain relationships between students, educators and businesses; and to offer all educational districts within the NIACC region quality career and educational opportunities that inspire academic and career success.
The Iowa Intermediary Work-based Learning Network
In 2012 the Iowa Department of Education (IDE) was appropriated $1.45 million for the development and implementation of a statewide work-based learning intermediary network to better prepare students for the workforce by offering relevant, work-based learning activities to students and educators.
The Iowa Intermediary Network was developed to align with Iowa’s fifteen regional community college boundaries. Each network is a member of the Iowa Intermediary Network and has its own unique program name.
Iowa Intermediary Network Guidelines
Prepare students for the workforce by connecting business and the education system and offering relevant, work-based learning activities to students and teachers. The program shall:
- Better prepare students to make informed postsecondary education and career decisions.
- Provide communication and coordination in order to build and sustain relationship between employers, students, the education system, and the community at large.
- Connect students to local career opportunities, creating economic capital for the region using a skilled and available workforce.
- Provide a one-stop contact point of information useful to both educators and employers including information on internships, job shadows, and other workplace learning opportunities for students particularly related to science, technology, engineering, or mathematics occupations, occupations related to critical infrastructure and commercial and residential construction, or targeted industries within the sixteen career pathways.
- Integrate services provided through the program with other career exploration-related activities such as the student core curriculum plan and the career information and decision-making system.
NIACC Career Connections Guidelines
- Provide quality customer service
- Connect students, educators, and business
- Provide leadership and support for the Iowa Intermediary Work-based Learning Network
- Coordinate with school districts’ contacts to assess work-based learning needs
- Promote business, education and community visibility of Iowa Intermediary Work-based Learning Network
- Facilitate the development, implementation and evaluation of the Iowa Intermediary Work-based Learning Network grant
- Coordinate, facilitate, and/or assist with career awareness and exploration of student and educator core activities for the NIACC nine-county service area
- Network and develop relationships with regional employers to assess and promote work-based learning needs and opportunities
- Connect with the area education association, STEM hubs, schools and other educational facilities to assess and further develop the work-based learning network
- Develop, implement and provide core service activities
School Districts in NIACC Region
Belmond-Klemme | Garner-Hayfield-Ventura | Northwood-Kensett |
CAL | Hampton-Dumont | Osage |
Central Springs | Lake Mills | Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock |
Charles City | Mason City | St. Ansgar |
Clear Lake | North Butler | West Fork |
Forest City | North Iowa | West Hancock |
Core Service Activities
- Student Job Shadows
- Student Worksite Tours
- Student Internships
- Student Other Experiences
- Educator Worksite Tours
- Educator Externship
- Educator Other Experiences
Activity Requirements
- Occur within the state of Iowa and preferably within the NIACC service region
- Focus on students, educators, and businesses in the North Iowa region
- Focus primarily on high school and middle students and educators
- Actively engage participants
- Incorporate a career exploration component
- Incorporate an educational component
- Meet grant criteria
Contact Us
careerconnections@niacc.edu
641-422-4073