Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg announce two new registered apprenticeship programs in Iowa.
Wells Fargo and Tyson Foods signed registered apprenticeship standards Tuesday. Governor Reynolds says the new registered apprenticeship opportunities will help train Iowans for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
?Today, two well-known companies, with large footprints in Iowa, will be signing their registered apprenticeship standards,? Reynolds said. ?They are industry leaders in the financial services, as well as advanced manufacturing sectors.?
Wells Fargo signed national standards, and their registered apprenticeship program is now offered in all 50 states. Four occupations are being offered in Iowa: bank branch manager, operations management, project management and risk consultations.
Tyson Foods signed standards to offer a registered apprenticeship in mechatronics technician. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering.
Lonny Jepson serves as Human Resources Director for Tyson Foods? pork operation. Jepson says the registered apprenticeship program will help Tyson Foods? pork operation obtain maintenance workers.
?As with many companies, we feel the shortage when filling critical roles that allow our plants to perform optimally. We recognized early on that we needed to create a pipeline to grow highly skilled technicians. We also recognized the need for more skill-based training and career opportunities. The registered apprenticeship program was the right option for that model,? Jepson said.
Iowa is a national leader in offering registered apprenticeship opportunities. Iowa had 846 active registered apprenticeship programs and 8,720 active registered apprentices, as of November 2.
