Opportunity Dubuque no-cost childcare expands to more in-demand career training programs.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
The short-term training programs offer tuition assistance for qualifying students, in addition to child care assistance during training and up to a year after full-time eligible employment.
DUBUQUE—Northeast Iowa Community College is expanding its Opportunity Dubuque new child care initiative to include 19 in-demand career training programs at NICC.
The short-term training programs offer tuition assistance for qualifying students, in addition to child care assistance during training and up to a year after full-time eligible employment. Child care services are also available for student-parents while they are in class.
The training programs may be completed in four months or less and award a career pathway certificate to graduates.
The programs include:
- Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), and Semi-Truck Driving (CDL)
- Certified Production Technician / Introduction to Manufacturing
- Welding
- Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operator
- Industrial Maintenance
- Child Care
- Industrial Sewing
- Building Construction
- Construction Equipment Operator
- Restoration
- Web Application Boot Camp
- Business Analytics
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Health Support Professional
- Introduction to Automotive Mechanics
- Pharmacy Technician
- Customer Service
- Executive Administrative Assistant
The list of programs is not an all-inclusive list and subject to change based on business demand.
The child care assistance program is funded through a partnership of Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, City of Dubuque, Dubuque County and Greater Dubuque Development’s Dubuque Works initiative, a workforce collaborative funded by the City, the County and Dubuque Racing Association/Q Casino.
The group expanded its workforce development efforts to include more training programs to address employers’ need for skilled workers and to remove significant financial and child care barriers for students, according to Wendy Mihm-Herold, Ph.D., NICC vice president of business and community solutions.
“The major benefits of this new child care service our partnership developed are two-fold. We are increasing the capacity of licensed child care in the Dubuque area, and we’re removing a significant barrier for individuals who want to train for high-demand careers, yet cannot secure affordable child care services as they learn and train,” Mihm-Herold explained. “There is no other community organization and higher education partnership offering this assistance program in the state of Iowa right now.”
Starting this fall, NICC will host information sessions for several of the above programs. At the sessions, prospective students can learn about the training program, employers hiring certificate graduates, the earning potential of each career area and whether they qualify for free training. A list of information sessions scheduled this fall is available at www.nicc.edu/cpc.
Interested students must meet with an NICC success coach to begin the enrollment and funding process, and should contact Jordan O’Connell, success model coordinator, at (563) 557.8271, ext. 137, or oconnellj@nicc.edu.