Sheldon, Iowa — A new way for businesses, high schools, and community colleges to partner together to get the workers that they need is coming together, and Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon is a big part of it.
We talked with Sarah Breems-Diekevers, who is NCC’s Director of Student Development, Secondary Programs, and Transitions. She tells us about “CAPS.”
(as said) “CAP stands for the Center for Advanced Professional Studies. NCC has offered internships, practicums, and career exploration courses in its programs over the course of its history. We’ve been working to expand this with a continuum of workplace-based learning opportunities. They’re called WBLs for short. These opportunities are structured educational programs designed to utilize employer and community experiences to help students meet specific learning objectives. So the students are actually working with area businesses oftentimes developing projects or actually going into the businesses for internships. So the CAPS program specifically is a program that three of our local high schools are joining and they are developing the Northwest Iowa CAPS Network. Through this program. They’ll be able to offer students opportunities to go to area businesses and work on projects for them and then through NCC the students will earn these college credits through our work-based learning program.”
Breems-Diekevers tells us that while college students have participated in this program, the addition of high school students is new. She tells us the goal of the program.
(as said) “This program really helps students to make informed decisions about their life goals and career choices because they really get a chance to get out in the field that they’re interested in. It also allows them to earn the college credit, which also helps create a pathway either to NCC for a program that we have here or perhaps to another college.”
She says the program will start in the fall of 2021, and students who are interested should check with their high school guidance counselor. Breems-Diekevers tells us some of the types of opportunities that would be possible.
(as said) “The model across the state… there have been students in healthcare. There are students in manufacturing. We have plenty of manufacturers around here who would love to have students through their doors. Also some of the trade and tech programs that have here at the college… some of those employers in those areas. That would be something the students would be… participate in as well. So basically any area that they’re interested in… any business we have in the area… we would be able to make it work.”
She says if your business is interested in working with NCC, you can call her at NCC or your local high school.
