NIACC’s commitment to expanding career and technical training in North Iowa is taking a big step forward.
On Tuesday, a $3 million federal grant was awarded to NIACC to build a Career Center in Hampton to expand workforce training in key industries.
In 1987 North Iowa Area Community College first launched a community education program in Hampton.
A coordinator’s office and a classroom were established in Center 1, which was leased and opened on September 1, 1987, and dedicated on October 19 of that year.
Over the last 37 years classes have been offered at various locations including the high school, other school buildings, Franklin General Hospital, and the National Guard Armory.
This new center will be an expansion of the NIACC services offered in Franklin County.
The EDA grant will strengthen the regional workforce in the healthcare, construction, and manufacturing industries. This investment will be matched with $753,296 in local funds and is expected to create or retain 105 jobs and generate $12 million in private investment, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“To out-build, out-compete, and out-innovate the rest of the world, we need a strong, resilient workforce. That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in our workforce a cornerstone of the Investing in America Agenda,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
This career center will be the third of its kind in North Central Iowa. Classes began at the new NIACC Career Center—Charles City on Monday. The John V. Hanson Career Center in Forest City opened in 2021.
“Mason City and Cerro Gordo County leaders, along with Iowans who’ve attended my county meetings across our state, have told me about the workforce challenges they’re up against,” said U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley “This award will strengthen the regional workforce by providing Iowans additional resources to master new skills. I’m glad to see federal funds be put to good use in our local communities.”
