March 29, 2024

Project IOWA looking for local partnerships

Program offers free career training

One Des Moines man found success with a central Iowa career training program, and he is now encouraging citizens of Newton and Jasper County to give it a try.

Clifford Salmond spent a number of years of his life incarcerated due to his addictions to drugs and alcohol. Using the one step at a time method, he finally overcame his addictions and was ready to start his life anew.

“The next step from this was to find and secure employment. I understood that my background would be looked at as undesirable. I had no choice but to take jobs that were dead end jobs. Not that I wasn’t appreciative of the opportunity to work, because I did and still do,” Salmond said.

“I love the opportunity to work and support myself, but at the same time I felt that I could do something better, with a higher level of skill if I had the opportunity to learn.”

Although he was staying on the straight and narrow, his past was hindering his career ambitions. That’s when he discovered Project Iowa Opportunities for Work Advancement or Project IOWA, the aforementioned central Iowa training program.

“Project IOWA offered me the opportunity to learn some advanced manufacturing and welding skills. It gave me hope for the future, which from this standpoint looks to be very bright. With this I am able to dream and believe I can fulfill my dreams of a bright and prosperous future,” Salmond said.

He graduated from the program Dec. 13, 2012. By February 2015, Salmond will have finished his second year of working at the Firestone factory in Des Moines, and he attributes this to his successful completion of this 100 percent free program.

Salmond’s story is often used by Melissa Thompson, a recruitment manager for Project IOWA, when she’s pitching the benefits of partnering with the organization.

“What sets Project IOWA apart from other training organizations is that it is not based on the training but on job placement. Project IOWA only offers training for careers that are currently hiring in Iowa, offer the potential to earn a living wage and provide benefits to their employees,” Thompson said.

Project IOWA was formed in 2011, with the intention of helping solve the region’s shortage in the skilled labor workforce. Its first classes were held in February 2012. Since then, 180 people have participated in the program and 72 percent of them are not only employed, but have found meaningful work.

The starting average wage of Project IOWA participants was $4.53 per hour, following the completion of Project IOWA participants were averaging $13.88 per hour, according to Thompson.

“Participants have seen great success in the workforce. Project IOWA aims to provide participants with an opportunity to change their circumstances so that they can sustain a career that offers them a livable wage to provide for themselves and their families,” Thompson said.

Another thing that differentiates Project IOWA from other career support services is it thrives on helping others have successful reclamation projects such as Salmond’s.

“We will not train a participant in an industry in which they would not be able to be place, for example, if they have a criminal background charge that will keep them from working in a specific career industry,” Thompson said.

She added that Project IOWA has established relationships with businesses that are seeking well-trained applicants, and some of those businesses have helped develop the program’s curriculum and serve on its board of directors.

In addition to job training, Project IOWA offers “soft skills” training to participants, to help with the little social intricacies that accompany working in a professional setting.

As Newton and Jasper County’s industrial base is continuing to grow, more local employers are finding themselves in need of people trained in manufacturing. This is why Thompson has been attempting to find potential participants in the area.

“Project IOWA has held one training class in Newton earlier this year for manufacturing specialists. Project IOWA would welcome an opportunity to offer services to Newton residents again. At this point, Project IOWA does not have enough participants from Newton who have applied for training,” Thompson said.

If enough participants can be found, Thompson said they will offer training at Newton’s DMACC campus. The only requirements are that the person is a legal U.S. resident, is over the age of 18 and have a high school diploma or equivalent.

For more information on Project IOWA, you may reach Thompson at (515) 280-1502.

Contact Senior Staff Writer Ty Rushing at (641) 792-3121 Ext. 6532 or trushing@newtondailynews.com