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Disability Employment Awareness Month Celebrates Iowans at Work

IWD staffers from Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Business Engagement, administration, and communication teams gather to watch Governor Kim Reynolds sign the Disabilities Employment Awareness Month proclamation on October 12.

The proclamation signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds earlier this month explains why Iowans should celebrate the hiring of their neighbors with disabilities – because “support for these employment pathways not only benefits an individual’s independence and self-sufficiency, but also the success of the communities and employers who support them.” That’s also the message at Hy-Vee, where Dylan Scott and Conner Gjerde recently got their start at work through programs coordinated by the Vocational Rehabilitation Services division of Iowa Workforce Development. Both are part of 112 Iowans with disabilities hired by Hy-Vee in 2022. Last year marked the 11th consecutive year where Hy-Vee was the top employer in Iowa to hire the job candidates who work with Vocational Rehabilitation Services. "Now," said Joann Peterson, Hy-Vee's human resources manager in Bettendorf says of Dylan, "he's one of our best bakery clerks." Click here to keep reading.

VIDEO: ISU Surplus Visits Podcast

Iowa State University Surplus visited our Mission: Employable team to commemorate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Click the image above to see Tami Jewell, administrative specialist with ISU Surplus, discuss her experience hiring Iowans with disabilities. 

Des Moines Voc Rehab Changing Offices

Des Moines counselors in IWD's Vocational Rehabilitation Services division are moving their desks this week.

Counselors who previously worked out of the Jessie Parker Building, 510 E. 12th St., have moved to the IowaWORKS job center at 200 Army Post Road.

The move, which is expected to improve efficiency and expand access to workforce services for Iowans with disabilities, is part of a broad reorganization of Vocational Rehabilitation Services in the wake of its July 1 move to become a division inside IWD.

More than 50 Voc Rehab staffers will be changing offices in October and November as part of work to more fully integrate the division into IWD.

For more, read this IWD news release.

Reminder: Update Your IWD Bookmarks

Earlier this month, IWD unveiled a new agency website intended to simplify the presentation of important information and make it easier for Iowans to find the workforce solutions they need.

So, how are we doing? Please feel free to let us know. Email communications@iwd.iowa.gov if you’re having problems finding something, and we’ll help point you in the right direction.

To review, the new website comes with a new URL: https://workforce.iowa.gov. The iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov site is no longer accessible to the public, so bookmarks may not work. We’ve set up redirects on the major pages to point you to the new versions, but you may still get error messages if you try to access some areas of the old site.

Email communications@iwd.iowa.gov if you have difficulties locating anything.

Again, that new bookmark should be: https://workforce.iowa.gov

Learn by Listening

More than 35,000 downloads so far by listeners around the world. Hosts Ben Oldach and Kathy Leggett will introduce you to a host of workforce programs and people making a difference.

Click to download.

Director Townsend Moderates Panel on Work-based Learning in Iowa Schools

IWD Executive Director Beth Townsend (left, in photo above) hosted a panel discussion on work-based learning during the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Future of Work Summit on October 5. Educators and employers from successful work-based learning programs in Des Moines, Waukee, and Winterset discussed the need for schools and businesses to work together to design a program that makes sense based on local community needs.

Participants were encouraged to start gradually, if necessary, by borrowing ideas from someone who’s already launched a work-based learning program. Just get started, the audience was told, because Iowa desperately needs to expand employment pathways for young people who aren’t college-bound.

"The time for small steps and half-measures is over," Townsend said. "Now, we're in crisis mode."

For more information on work-based learning programs, contact Linda Fandel at linda.fandel@iwd.iowa.gov.

For more about the 2023 Future of Work Summit, visit the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

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