What is the Employer Innovation Fund?
The Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation fund is a grant opportunity for our partners to carry out creative solutions that address local workforce issues. It encourages employers, community leaders, and others to lead efforts for developing regional workforce talent pools. Employers can promote credit and non-credit education and training opportunities in high-demand jobs. The fund can be used in innovative ways to help Iowans achieve their training and education goals.
NEW EMPLOYER INNOVATION GRANT AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Press Release: Iowa Awards $1.4 million in Employer Innovation Fund Awards
Award summaries of the 2022 Employer Innovation Fund Awardees (PDF)
Map of the 2022 Employer Innovation Fund Awardees (PDF)
Previous rounds of funding:
2021: Gov. Reynolds Announces Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation Fund Awardees
2021: Summary of Employer Innovation Fund Awards (PDF)
2021: Map of Employer Innovation Fund Awards (PDF)
2019: A map of the 2019 Employer Innovation Fund Awardees and a Summary of Awardee Projects
Success Stories
Grant helps fill 911 dispatcher openings
Watch how the Marshall County 911 Communications Center used the grant to fill their job openings.
Assisted living center workers get CNA certified
Staff at the Lakeside Village received Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification.
Grant helps Police Department hire reserve officers
The State Center Police Department was able to train, educate, and hire reserve officers.
View all the Employer Innovation Fund success stories here!
The Coronavirus Relief Employer Innovation Fund
List of Coronavirus Relief Employer Innovation Fund Awardees - Announced Sept. 23, 2020
The Coronavirus Relief Employer Innovation Fund expands opportunities for Iowans whose jobs have been impacted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Programs created with the fund will provide Iowans the opportunity to earn for-credit and non-credit postsecondary credentials leading to high-demand jobs. This fund will award competitive grants to support local initiatives that accelerate credential attainment. Applicants include employers, community leaders and others who will collaborate to address local workforce needs. Iowa Workforce Development is seeking collaborative applications that propose new, cutting-edge ideas as well as proven strategies that will help return affected Iowans to the workforce as quickly as possible in high demand careers.
Additional Resources:
Applications for funds are found at Iowa Grants website.
You can also download a document outlining how to register a new user account on IowaGrants.gov.
Additional information is available in the document labeled as Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation Fund Application Guidance
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