Maximize Your Workforce with Short Term Training

Shannon Thiele : How are we keeping our talent here? I don't want them moving to larger cities. I don't want them going away. I want them here right in the Ames region.

And so providing those opportunities and that career exposure is really what we're trying to do within this program and within all of our workforce programs at the Alliance. Amanda Ellis : That's the voice of Shannon Thiele of the Ames Regional Economic alliance in Ames, Iowa. She joins us to talk about the free short-term job training program that the alliance helps to run in the Ames community alongside partners. I know many of these types of programs are figuring out funding adjustments with changes at the federal level, but I see them as a fantastic tool to maximize your existing workforce, especially when they're free for participants, relatively short, and open to pretty much anyone.

So with that, let's jump in. Thank you, Shannon, so much for joining us on Inside America's Best Cities. We're super excited to have you. Shannon Thiele : Thank you so much for having me.

This is my first podcast, so I'm really looking forward to it. Amanda Ellis : Well, we do love a debut. You are not our first guest from Ames, but it's been a little while. So we are really excited to hear about some of your work in the workforce space.

Specifically, the Story County Retraining Program is what we're going to be talking about here today. Could you kick us off by just giving us an overview of this program, kind of the nuts and bolts, what it is and how it works? Shannon Thiele : Yeah, absolutely. So I serve as vice president of affiliate programming here at the Ames Regional Economic alliance and so I help lead all of our workforce efforts, which includes the Story County Retraining Program.

So it's a completely free program. It's for individuals 18 years old and up. They need a high school diploma or a GED, and it really just bridges that gap of learning a new skill. So once they complete their 5-15 week course, they have a certificate in hand and hopefully which leads to a new job.

We know that it can be really, really tough to change careers or enter back into the workforce. So with this completely free program, we really hope that these individuals can learn a new skill and feel confident as they enter into that workforce. Amanda Ellis : Yeah, I love that. And just this type of program that is, you know, short, free for people, and also something that people of all ages can do.

I think sometimes a lot of workforce development focus is very much on, you know, young people or high school students or kind of people in that early 20s age range, which is super important, don't get me wrong. But something that can really help kind of anybody that wants to try something new. I love that. Shannon Thiele : Yeah.

And we definitely see individuals that range between right out of high school, but also that average age between that 30 to 40 where they're looking for that career change or they're re-entering the workforce. So that's really why this retraining program made a lot of sense for our county. Amanda Ellis : Yeah. Is there a typical profile would you say of the types of participants that you have?

Are they usually like, you know, unemployed and looking for that next step, or trying to change or..? Shannon Thiele : I would say it's a really, really good mix. We do see unemployed adults, we see the underemployed workforce that are looking for a higher paying job. And so really once they receive that certificate in hand, we're hoping to connect them with a local employer.

And we also see those individuals that are midlife too. So it really ranges for this program. Amanda Ellis : Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, just a little bit of everything. So I know there's a couple partners in this work and one I believe is your community college and you all.

I think there's also one more that you can help me with. But thinking through that and then what is your all's main role with this? Shannon Thiele : Yeah, definitely. So it is the Ames Regional Economic Alliance where I work at and then also our community college, so Des Moines Area Community College, as well as our county, which is Story County.

So three partners involved, plus all of our local businesses that help send some of their participants to get their retraining certificate. But as far as the Ames alliance goes, we really serve as that connector. Amanda Ellis : Got it. I know you said a range of tracks and actually could you name some of those?

Shannon Thiele : Yeah, so most of our courses that we see year after year are going to be those cna, healthcare types of fields. CDL, welding, phlebotomy, IT help desk. We also have done administrative support. We've done industrial electrical maintenance, dog grooming, water operator classes, sterile processing.

So with DMACC they can really create any sort of course and certificate that our local businesses need, which is really amazing. So it kind of just depends on that demand of what is there as far as the courses that are offered year after year. Amanda Ellis : Gotcha. So how often are all of those tracks occurring?

Or is it just kind of looking at the interest from both employers and people that would be doing the training and then deciding? Shannon Thiele : Yep, it depends on the interest between the employers, between the future employees and the students. But we see those courses are offered between 5 to 15 weeks. So it really just depends on the interest level.

Amanda Ellis : So if one person was like, I really want to do the dog grooming course, but they were the only person that really, you might just kind of have to put a pin in that until it comes together? Which I did think that was a cool one to see on the list. Just anecdotally, my mom is a hairstylist and she was like, should I get into dog grooming? Because she could never get her dog in for an appointment.

And she was like, clearly it's like in demand. But there is no local training really where we are. So I think everyone just kind of learns on a job or at least, you know, Petsmart or whatever. But there wasn't really any training training.

So I thought of that when I saw that on the list. Shannon Thiele : Yeah, there's some unique offerings, which is really cool for our region. Amanda Ellis : And kind of something for everybody's skill set, you know, or way that you think. So you talked a little bit about employer demand and how that ties in.

Are there specific employer partnerships that shape this or is just generally keeping a pulse on what they need? Shannon Thiele : I think there are specific employer partnerships. So two that really come to mind are Midstates companies. They're in Nevada.

So we had an individual go through the welding program. He wasn't. He was an entry level student and he learned his welding career and is working for Midstates companies. So which is really, really cool because again, these individuals are trying to build their lives here.

And so we are giving them an extra added boost so they feel confident to continue working here and to continue building their life, really. And another local partner that has been fantastic is Mary Greeley Medical Center. So one of our local hospitals, they send a lot of their individuals for the CNA program, whether they're in a medical field or not. Most of the times it's not.

And they're just trying to figure out what works for them. And so getting that CNA certification really helps those individuals kind of bridge that gap and learn that working in the healthcare field is amazing. And they can do that for a long time for the rest of their life. Amanda Ellis : Sounds like there are some resources then on the job placement front, or at least some connections that they can facilitate that these groups can facilitate to help them land somewhere once they've gotten their training in?

Shannon Thiele : Yeah. And so DMACC offers their first class. They're navigating your journey. So every student goes through that and then goes through all of their coursework, depending on which certificate that they want, through retraining, and then they Also have a resume building class.

And then the alliance also helps with meet and greets. So we provide opportunities for our employers to get right in front of those students that are ready to graduate from the program, are looking for work, and those employers can hire them right there or continue that conversation as the next few weeks go on. And it's really neat to see those employers engaging with those students. And it has been super successful so far over the past several years.

Amanda Ellis : Yeah, I feel like it's just so needed right now because we're in such a weird place with the workforce and the job market. Right. Like, we, you know, keep talking about this worker shortage that we're having and are going to continue experiencing in a lot of different ways because of different, different demographic things that are happening. Right.

But at the same time, there's so many fields that are still oversaturated. So it's like, where do we, where do we need people? And then how do we tie that in with, like, what jobs also pay well enough for you to achieve, you know, a decent salary, standard of living and just marrying all that together, which it sounds like you all are really doing a good job of, of doing with this program. Shannon Thiele : Well, and as our workforce ages, there's so many retirements and we need to tap into those younger generations so then they learn what careers are out there.

So another offering that the alliance does is our Rising Leaders Academy for our high school juniors. Again, making sure that these young people know what opportunities are out there so then they can continue to live here. I' m constantly thinking every single day of how are we keeping our talent here? I don't want them moving to larger cities.

I don't want them going away. I want them here, right in the Ames region. And so providing those opportunities and that career exposure is really what we're trying to do within this program and within all of our workforce programs at the Alliance. Amanda Ellis : Yeah, that's spot on because, yeah, a lot of communities care about retention, but you have to have something for people to stay and do.

Right. Particularly younger people, you know, if you don't have those opportunities for them to start getting that experience or kind of figure out what they're doing, like, they have to go somewhere to get that 100%. Shannon Thiele : And we launched a talent attraction and talent retention campaign called Live Work Plan Ames, where we're highlighting all of the fun things to do. We never want to hear there's nothing to do in Ames or the student graduates and they want to leave after they graduate from Iowa State University.

We want to keep them here. So what are we doing to showcase how unique our community is? Amanda Ellis : Right. And I'm also familiar with the other program you all do with that, which I don't think is called See Yourself in Ames anymore, but it was sort of an exposure program for those interns.

Shannon Thiele : With our interns. Yeah. Amanda Ellis : Which I also think is awesome to see communities doing, because it's like what you're saying. And as a student, a lot of times you're in your little bubble.

Like, you know what there is to do on campus. You don't always know what it'd actually be like to live here as more of, like, a young professional without the school bubble. Shannon Thiele : Absolutely. And what if you did attend Iowa State University and you graduated and your friends left?

It can feel like you're on your own. That's kind of a similar story with me. Because I attended Iowa State, all of my friends had left. It was hard to get plugged in, and I don't want other individuals to feel like that.

So we do host. We host our area young professionals. We host our area interns, like you mentioned, which used to be called See Yourself in Ames, to get… To get these younger people plugged in so then they can give back to their communities. So then they can feel that sense of belonging.

Because if we can keep them here for one event, hopefully we can keep attracting them to a bunch of other events and community events. Right. Amanda Ellis : It's really important, I think, too, about my own experience. I went away to school and then moved back to the city where I grew up.

And that also kind of felt like it might as well have been a new place because I didn't really have, like, high school friends anymore. I think some people maintain those networks more. But I was kind of, like, starting over. And, yeah, it's such a weird and key time.

Shannon Thiele : And I think, too, Covid changed things, and now people are ready to get back out there and they're. They're ready to meet new people, make those connections. And whether that connection leads to another job opportunity or it leads to a nonprofit that you can volunteer at. Like, there's so many opportunities within the Ames region and within central Iowa and Iowa that we want to keep promoting those.

Those opportunities for people. Amanda Ellis : The retraining program specifically, I see, also offers some different types of wraparound support. So childcare support, transportation support. Could you talk through some of that, how that works and what's on offer there?

Shannon Thiele : Yeah. So wraparound support is really a strong feature of the program. We want to make sure that these individuals don't have that expense barrier that they can feel confident and a part of this program. So all tuition and books are provided at no cost.

We also do weekly gas card stipends as well as child care assistance stipends if that is needed. So really trying to make sure that it's for anybody. And we've had single mothers come through the program. We've had so many different types of ages, so we want to make sure that that expense is not a barrier for them.

Amanda Ellis : Is the program day time, like during the day? Are there evening options? Shannon Thiele : Yep. It depends on what, what course.

Yep. Amanda Ellis : Okay. But some flexibility there. If you were trying to work something around working while you do that.

Shannon Thiele : Exactly. Amanda Ellis : Let's talk about funding. How does that work for this? Shannon Thiele : Yeah.

So originally, the Story county retraining program was funded through our ARPA dollars through Story County. As we look towards the future, it's going to be funded through our workforce sponsors. So we have 18 workforce sponsors here locally within the Ames region that help fund all of our workforce efforts here at the Alliance. So part of those funds will go towards our retraining program.

Because we've seen such great success, we don't want it to end. Amanda Ellis : Yeah, it's been really interesting. Initially, when I was planning this episode, I was planning to do it as highlighting a few of these types of programs. We've done a new episode format this season where we have like, voice memos, snippets from people in different communities, and sadly, like what I had found with some of my research and even some programs kind of like this that I was aware of, that a lot of them have sunsetted or heading toward that because they were getting some federal funding.

Obviously there have been a lot of changes we with that this year, which I think is unfortunate because I really feel like there's a lot of value in this sort of thing. So I did want to ask if you had any thoughts or advice on groups that might be facing that. It sounds like you all have really capped your businesses with investing in this to help. But any… Any other thoughts you would offer for groups that are looking at that?

Shannon Thiele : Yeah, I would say local investment is key. We lean on our businesses a lot here at the Alliance. But again, this is a workforce program. So we hope that if these businesses are either sending their people to get retrained and upskilled, or if it's someone who is graduating from this program, hopefully they'll go work at their business.

So I would suggest leaning on. On your local businesses because there are success stories and I think just from this program in itself, it's successful. So we want to keep that momentum going. Amanda Ellis : Yeah, that makes so much sense and I think is something that gonna have to be looked at more.

Yeah. Cause I think a lot of groups like started doing cool stuff based on some of that, like the ARPA funding you mentioned and things that weren't necessarily indefinite, but gave some resources to maybe try something you'd wanted to for a while or get something going. And then it was really successful. And it's like, wait, I don't think that funding… Shannon Thiele : How are we going to fund this?

Amanda Ellis : Right. So you said this started,i f you mentioned ARPA funding, how long has this been going? Shannon Thiele : So the program idea began in 2020. We have numbers started back from 2022.

So we had 45 participants across five cities in 2022. Then in 2023, 55 participants across six cities. So you can see that growth. 2024, 49 across seven cities and then 2025.

So far we've had 46 people across five of our cities throughout Story County. Amanda Ellis : Awesome. And what have been the more popular tracks within what you mentioned? Shannon Thiele : Oh goodness.

Cna, cdl, Welding it, Help desk. Those have kind of been the. The main ones. But again, you know, also offer dog grooming and water processing.

So there is definitely a mix. And we've also been working with DMACC, our local community college, on creating other programs that will help different business and industries throughout the region, like maintenance technicians. That's a super hard thing to fill right now. So working with DMACC, they had a course several years ago, so hoping to bring that back so then we can bridge that gap for some of our local employers with hiring those maintenance technicians.

Amanda Ellis : It sounds like those numbers you mentioned would really lend themselves to smaller class sizes in a good way. When you think about those people being divided up among those different fields, which seems awesome in terms of being able to get more personal attention and figuring out your path, that's awesome too. Shannon Thiele : Well, and when they join this program, they go through the workforce training academy through DMACC. And so there's those other classes like navigating your journey and really making sure that they learn those soft skills that are needed once you do enter in the workforce, if they haven't entered in or it's been several years since they have worked.

So it's really making sure that there is that sense of belonging, that one on one connection for these individuals with their instructors. Amanda Ellis : Right. And there's really not a lot of eligibility criteria people have to meet, right? Just a high school diploma?

Shannon Thiele : Yeah, you have to be over the age 18, high school diploma or GAD. We really try to keep it easy to enter so then that. So there aren't barriers for you. It can be extremely difficult to switch careers.

It can be difficult to re enter the workforce. It's a lot. And so we want to make sure that people feel like they can do it because they can. Yeah, it is a lot.

Amanda Ellis : And I think we're going to be seeing more and more people even in fields that haven't typically had to do that like with AI and some of the different things that are coming down the pipe. And I know there are other like state based school resources like in, you know, we're in Tennessee, we have the Tennessee Reconnect program which is where, you know, any adult who doesn't already have a degree can, you know, go complete one for essentially cost covered. But again, that doesn't help you pivot if you already have a degree.

I just love how it's like really open to anybody who needs to make that switch. Shannon Thiele : Yeah, absolutely. Amanda Ellis : I really hope we start seeing more of this in communities. Any advice you would offer to other communities looking to shape, you know, their own programs, invest in stuff like this.

I know we talked a little bit already about getting your local businesses on board and you know, helping that, helping to use that as a funding support, but anything else? Shannon Thiele : Yeah, I would honestly start with those partnerships, make sure that those are strong with your local city governments, local county governments, economic development organizations, your local businesses. Really make sure that those partnerships are strong because this is needed not just in Story county, this is needed throughout the country.

So it's really exciting to hear that other neighborhoods and other areas are creating programs like this. Amanda Ellis : And that brings us to our fun wrap up question which is of course you're based in Ames. If someone were visiting for the first time, what would you say is a number one bucket list item they should make sure to do in the area? Shannon Thiele : Wow, that is a tough question because I feel like I could spend another 20 minutes answering this.

But Ryman Gardens is fantastic, especially if you come in the winter. They do a bunch of different winter lights and activities. There's so many great restaurants like provisions lot F Wallabies, Tosca in Campustown. There's so much to do.

You need to come to Ames. You need to visit our main street which is right behind me downtown Ames. There are so many local businesses, local shops and especially around this time of the year with holiday season coming up, it's fun to shop local and you can really do that in Ames. Amanda Ellis : Well, thank you so much for coming on and sharing.

I think our listeners will get a lot out of this one. Shannon Thiele : Awesome. Thank you so much Amanda. I really appreciate the opportunity.

Amanda Ellis : Thanks for listening to the Livability podcast, where we take you Inside America's Best Cities. At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review this show wherever you listen to podcasts.

You can also learn more about us at livabilitymedia.com. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at aellis@livability.

com. Until next time, from Livability, I'm Amanda Ellis, sharing the stories of America's most promising places.