| Individuals thinking about
entering the field of construction now have an added incentive.
The College announced a gift today from Tom and Linda Schaefer
of Mason City to the NIACC Foundation which will provide twelve
$1,000 scholarships each year to students in NIACC’s Building
Trades Program.
"There are many good employment opportunities here in
Iowa, but those jobs will only go to people with the right
training," said Tom Schaefer, president of Henkel
Construction. "Our business is growing and one of our
biggest challenges is finding qualified people. We hope that
these scholarships will encourage more North Iowans to join the
construction industry and improve their skills."
Henkel Construction is a member of the Contractors Advisory
Association, a group of 10 local contractors who revived
NIACC’s Building Trades Program in 1996 due to the significant
demand for skilled construction workers.
The NIACC program, which is one year (3 semesters) in length,
prepares students for employment in residential, commercial, or
industrial construction. The program is structured so that
students may enter at any semester interval.
The College plans to award four Schaefer Building Trades
Scholarships at the start of each term: June, September and
January. To be eligible for these scholarships, students must be
enrolled full-time and seeking a Building Trades diploma at
NIACC.
Linda Schaefer, who graduated from NIACC and taught at the
Mason City Alternative School for 24 years, sees the importance
of having affordable education and training for everyone.
"With an excellent facility like NIACC in North Iowa, we
need to establish scholarships to assist NIACC students
in achieving their goals," she said. "Their education
will impact their future and the future of North Iowa. It is
exciting for me to see students have success."
The demand for skilled construction workers is near an
all-time high in North Iowa. The placement rate for the
NIACC’s Building Trades Program has been 100 percent four
consecutive years, with most of the graduates choosing to live
and work in North Iowa. |
The Tom and Linda Schaefer Endowment
Fund was established at North Iowa Area Community College as a
result of the College’s "Keeping NIACC First" major
gifts campaign. One of the campaign’s goals is to establish
100 new $1,000 scholarships. The addition of the 12 Schaefer
Building Trades Scholarships brings the total to 68.
In addition to the Schaefer’s, Kary Paulson of Northwood,
president and CEO of NSB Bank, has created a scholarship for
business or advanced technology students; John and Mary
Pappajohn have created a scholarship for students interested in
entrepreneurial activities; and Jack and Gretchen McMenimen have
created a memorial scholarship fund for student athletes.
Several other new awards are the result of scholarship funds
which have been expanded during the campaign. These include the
Helen Perkins Thompson Scholarships, the Rollo C. Keithahn
Memorial Scholarships, the Angus MacNider Memorial Scholarships,
the Joel Picker Social Science Scholarship, the Christopherson
Medical Scholarships, and the Charles W. and Mary Jane Maxon
Memorial Scholarships.
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