On Monday, local and state officials gathered in Forest City to break ground on the new John V. Hanson Career Center. Thanks to a combination of bond revenue, generous donations by the Hanson Family Foundation and the City of Forest City, and a $1 million grant from the IA Department of Education, the John V. Hanson Career Center is planned to open in time for the 2021 fall semester. The project is a partnership between North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) and the Community School Districts of Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Lake Mills, and North Iowa.

The programming selected for this Career Center was driven by the business sectors with the most job openings in the area. The new Career Center will house four academies:

The Advanced Manufacturing Academy will expose students to a wide variety of skills necessary to be successful in today’s manufacturing workforce.  Students will gain drafting, print reading, and welding skills as well as be given the opportunity to put design into practice with hands-on projects.

The Construction Trades Academy will prepare students for work in residential and commercial construction. Students will be exposed to extensive hands on learning by building homes, as well as learning about safety, blueprint reading, and computer aided design. 

The Information Technology Academy will introduce students to computer programming, networking components, and computer operating systems.  Upon successful completion of the Information Technology Academy, students are eligible for a Foundations of Technology Certificate. 

Finally, the Health Careers Academy will be a great fit for any student interested in pursuing a career in the health field and will prepare students to enter one of the Health Programs at NIACC.  For students that are not sure which career in healthcare they want to study, an exploring careers class will be offered that will allow students to earn college credit while observing health occupations firsthand. 

Each of the Career Academies will prepare students to enter a corresponding career program at NIACC or directly enter the workforce with the skills necessary to be successful in their chosen field.

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