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National 4-H Week
This week is National 4-H Week, which brings together 6 million youth, 3,500 Extension educators, 500,000 volunteers, and 35 million alumni to celebrate the impact of 4-H.
Gabbi Carpenter, the ISU Extension and Outreach Plymouth County Youth Coordinator, says today is “Go Green” Day, where you can wear green to show your 4-H spirit. Thankful Thursday takes place on October 8th, which highlights appreciation for “past and present 4-H leaders, volunteers and anyone who has shaped your 4-H journey”, in the words of Carpenter. “At the end of the day, 4-H would not be what it is without those volunteers that help support us throughout the entire year.”
Local businesses such as Bellissimo Coffeeworks, Habitue, Daily Boost Nutrition, 2K Nutrition, HWY 75 Nutrition and Main Street Nutrition have also released a themed drink to celebrate National 4-H Week.
The 4-H website also features a “Go Green Map” listing locations that will be lighting up green in support of National 4-H Week. While Siouxland doesn’t have one of these designated locations, Carpenter says that any location can be turned into a 4-H landmark by using #4HBeyondReady and #National4HWeek on social media.
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Northwest Iowa Community College shares in $10.8 million grant to expand workforce training
Northwest Iowa Community College will receive $385,427 as part of the $10.8 million statewide Iowa STRONG grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor. NCC’s portion of the statewide award will support the development and expansion of short-term workforce training tailored to industry needs in Northwest Iowa, focusing on industrial maintenance, manufacturing design and related technical skills.
The funding will support industry-relevant training equipment that gives students hands-on experience with the systems and technology used in today’s workplaces. Training will focus on electrical systems, motor controls, industrial automation and manufacturing design, including skills used to create technical drawings and models for products and equipment. These skills support careers in industrial maintenance, automation, electrical controls and manufacturing design. The grant will also fund a full-time project coordinator for four years to help develop and implement these training opportunities.
NCC plans to develop these short-term credentials specifically around the workforce needs of employers in Northwest Iowa, with college credit that applies toward related degree programs such as Industrial Instrumentation & Control.
