Increasing the skill level of Iowa’s work force is an important step in improving the state’s economy, according to Larry Grubisich, executive director of Des Moines Area Community College Business Resources.

Both blue-and white-collar workers must adapt to changing technologies and industry needs, he said, which will benefit both the employee and the employer. And that is the goal of the Iowa Job Training Program

The Iowa Job Training Program has been around for 25 years, Grubisich said, and is administered by Iowa’s 15 community colleges. The program has an annual budget of $4 million. Of that, $1 million is dedicated to apprenticeship programs throughout the state and $3 million is divided among the community colleges. DMACC receives around $380,000 a year, which it uses to assist in the training of around 800 workers a year.

“We give a loan to a company to use in training their employees,” he said. “If the company does train the number of people they said they were going to train, that 6 percent interest loan turns into a forgivable grant.”

Grubisich said the major areas where businesses focus on retraining are computer skills, management skills and quality implementation. With the grant money, the company can utilize courses at DMACC, conferences, seminars, consultants or whatever it feels would best improve its employees skills.

“There are really no limits as to what you can do,” said Ryan Parlee, president of Flying Hippo Web Creations, a grant recipient this year. “They let the company decide what will work best for them instead of dictating the way we must use the money. We can find the training that fits best for us.”

Grubisich said the biggest need in Iowa is to increase the skill level of the work force. It not only increases the salaries of those workers, he said, but it also makes them more marketable if they have to switch employers.

“This is one of the best job training programs in the country,” Grubisich said. “It has been a huge success for Iowa companies and Iowa workers.”

He points to the more than 12,000 workers who have been retrained since the program began as an indicator of its success.

Grubisich said the community colleges are requesting the that the state put more money into the program during the 2007 legislative session.

“There is a huge need right now for this type of program,” he said. “In fact, we’re already writing contracts for 2008. So at the current funding levels, there is a long wait for companies who are interested in participating.”

Parlee said it took nine months for his company to receive word that it had been approved for a grant.

“This is a program that invests all the money paid into it back to the taxpayers,” Grubisich said. “It pays for itself.”

He said administrators of the program try to spread the wealth to new companies every year, but the demand is increasing.

“We do 20 to 25 contracts a year,” he said. “But the demand is huge. Companies that want to keep up with competition need to make sure their workers have the skills they need.”

Grubisich said that during the 11 years he has been involved with the program, DMACC has given grants to huge corporations and a company with three employees.

“Just about anyone can apply and be involved,” he said. “It would be easier to tell you who doesn’t qualify.”

Those that don’t qualify include retail, health care and professional industries, such as architects and attorneys.

The seven companies participating in the new round of retraining are Windsor Window Co. of West Des Moines, WoodMarc Enterprises of Winterset, Holmes Murphy & Associates of West Des Moines, Boone County Hospital, Van Gorp Corp. of Pella Heritage Lace of Pella and Flying Hippo of Urbandale.