DES MOINES, IOWA (April 7, 2023) — Iowa Workforce Development today announced the launch of a new online portal that will make it easier for Veterans and their families to find a new career in Iowa.
The new portal, IowaWorksForVeterans.gov, was created to help Veterans connect with one-on-one job search assistance and to aid employers with locating and hiring people who have experience from the armed forces.
IowaWorksForVeterans.gov provides access to the valuable career-enhancing tools and resources offered by IowaWORKS and Home Base Iowa while also containing a variety of information about the benefits Iowa provides to Veterans. The goal is to make Iowa a top employment destination for Veterans and their families.
“Home Base Iowa for several years has been Iowa’s flagship program for recruiting Veterans and transitioning active-duty service members to our state. The new Veterans Portal better connects Home Base Iowa with IowaWORKS and allows Veterans to get one-on-one assistance with finding that second act career in Iowa,” said Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Combining the new portal with the Home Base Iowa career planners, as well as the Veterans services available in all our IowaWORKS offices, provides more assistance than ever before and an easier route for Veterans and their spouses to build a better life in Iowa after service.”
“Iowa’s economy needs Veterans — mission-oriented people who know how to work hard and get a job done,” Townsend said. “Whether you’re transitioning out of the service and looking for a new place to call home or a native Iowan who’s simply looking to better your economic prospects, Home Base Iowa and IowaWORKS are here to help you get connected with the Iowa employers who need you.”
Veterans and their spouses can use the new portal to create an IowaWORKS account, search for open jobs, attend online workshops, and/or register for one-on-one concierge services. Iowa businesses likewise can register themselves as “veteran friendly” employers and receive access to resumes from a broad pool of Veteran applicants. To tour the site, view this video walk-through.
Alongside the portal’s unveiling, IWD also is expanding access to the recently-launched Home Base Iowa Business Training Program to educate employers across the state about how they can help improve the hiring and retention of Veteran and military-affiliated individuals. The program was created through a partnership with Home Base Iowa and PsychArmor.
"Fewer than seven percent of Americans serve or have served in uniform,” said Jamie Norton, Director of Veteran Workforce Services at IWD. “Consequently, many employers are unfamiliar with military culture and the value a Veteran can bring to the workplace. Contact us at HBI@iowa.gov for more information on how to enroll in the amazing training opportunity."
Absolute Group, an employee-owned construction firm with roughly 400 team members across Iowa, was one of the first companies to participate in the HBI training as part of a pilot project. “This was a no-brainer for us,” said Dean Robbins, Director of Community Outreach. “There is great value in hiring Veterans and those currently serving. This should be a positive for any business.”
