Iowa Business Council’s “Vision to Vitality” shows a successful collaborative approach to growth

(WCAX)
Published: Sep. 12, 2018 at 10:17 PM CDT
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The Iowa Business Council held its second “Vision to Vitality” community forum in Muscatine yesterday. The forum gave attendees the opportunity to gain insight from local leaders, learn how the Greater Muscatine area has been working collaboratively to address its community’s challenges, discuss potential action items, and see how Iowa compares to other states.

Panelists discussed how Align Impact Muscatine is addressing the area’s workforce challenges, citing recent success with a work training program that helped to employ four previously homeless individuals in Muscatine.

Greg Jenkins, President and CEO, Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discussed the community’s efforts to address the challenge of workers commuting in and out of Muscatine, but not necessarily living in town.

Gary Carlson, Vice President of Member and Community Relations, concurred, citing leaders’ work to address the community’s shortage of affordable housing and shared how surrounding larger population centers are benefiting from the strong economy and job offerings in Muscatine.

Carlson summarized it simply while driving home the importance of addressing Iowa communities’ housing needs, “Housing is where jobs sleep at night.”

It was noted that the Muscatine Community School District is tailoring its course offerings to make certain that students are prepared to enter the workforce or enroll in post-secondary education. This includes removing barriers – like offering free ACT testing for all high school juniors – and partnering with Muscatine Community College to give students a diverse set of skills and access to career training.

The IBC will hold its final Vision to Vitality forum for 2018 in Le Mars. Details about the third event, which will be hosted by Wells Enterprises, Inc., will be released at a later date.

For more information on the IBC and to access its research and data, please visit www.IowaBusinessCouncil.org.