Future Ready Iowa Summit highlighted in Governor’s 2016 Condition of the State Address
(DES MOINES) – Today, Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds, business, labor and nonprofit leaders; educators, students and parents; and state and local policy makers attended the Governor’s 2016 Future Ready Iowa Summit at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. The summit’s purpose is to create a statewide conversation about how to close the skills gap, one of the biggest challenges Iowa faces. More than 750 people were expected to attend.
“Lt. Governor Reynolds and I travel to all 99 counties each year, and employers consistently tell us that it’s hard to find enough workers with the right skills,” said Branstad. “Job creation continues to be a top priority and we need to empower Iowans with the skills needed rewarding careers. The summit today is serving to elevate the conversation about how to assure students and workers have the career opportunities they deserve and business and industry can hire the skilled workers they need to grow.”
“We have set the very ambitious goal that 70 percent of Iowans in the workforce will have education or training beyond high school by 2025, so that Iowans can advance their careers and employers have the skilled workforce they need to grow and innovate. It’s particularly important that we focus on science, technology, engineering and math – or STEM – skills,” said Reynolds, who is co-chair of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. “STEM careers are among the fastest-growing and best-paying, and demand for STEM skills crosses many sectors: agribusiness, advanced manufacturing, finance and insurance, and biosciences.”
The Future Ready Iowa initiative was created after Iowa received a National Governors Association (NGA) grant in 2014 to develop a shared vision and strategies to improve the educational and training attainment of its citizens and the alignment of those degrees and credentials with employer demand. In addition to the NGA grant, the costs of the summit were generously provided by many private sponsors, which can be found here, and registration fees.
The keynote speaker at the summit was Andreas Schleicher,, a global expert on education and skills at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Other featured speakers included Jamie Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation, Mary Andringa, Chair of the board of Vermeer Corp., and Byron Auguste, co-founder of Opportunity@Work. Students, educators, business and labor leaders, and entrepreneurs from around the state and nation are among other speakers and panelists.
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