Kirkwood seeks more business input for education centers

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Kirkwood Community College is seeking more input from businesses in the Corridor regarding what programs should be offered to high school students in three regional education centers.

By Wednesday, 206 local businesses had returned the paper survey sent to them by Kirkwood last month or filled out the online survey at www.kirkwood.edu/workforcesurvey. The college would like to receive additional surveys as it plans regional centers  in Johnson, Linn and Washington counties.

Kim Johnson, Kirkwood vice president of continuing education and training services, said the surveys are being compiled to help identify current and future work force training needs, including space, equipment and expertise that are considered essential to business success.

"The participation of employers in the area is vital in determining the education and training that will most affect the skill needs of businesses," Johnson said. "Knowing what we do from finishing our fourth work force Skills study, we need to lean on businesses again with this survey, to make sure we are helping them grow in the best way possible."

Kirkwood, through its Continuing Education and Training Services division, works with hundreds of businesses in the seven-county area it serves. The college's recent Skills 2014 study, conducted in cooperation with Priority One and the Iowa City Area Development Group, identified gaps between workforce needs of industry and the existing skills of the region's work force.

Employers surveyed are concerned about the lack of “specialized technical skills” in the available work force.

"Everything we do at Kirkwood is about following our mission," said Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich. "Part of that mission is to identify community needs, and provide accessible, quality education and training. With employers filling out this survey, we'll make sure these new regional education centers will do just that."

Kirkwood would like for companies to complete the survey online or send in the hard copy by Friday, Jan. 20.