A catalyst for business growth: 260E new jobs training program helps local business expand
Friday, October 23, 2020
The company has worked with NICC on these 260E projects since they began hiring for its New Hampton campus in 2015.
NEW HAMPTON, Iowa—To meet the needs of its customers and keep pace with demand, Milkhouse Creamery needed more skilled employees for its workforce.
That's how Northeast Iowa Community College's coordination of the 260E Iowa New Jobs Training Program helped the New Hampton manufacturer grow and expand. Janet Sparrow, co-founder and VP of people for Milkhouse, knows the state-funded program supports job creation in the local community.
“Our team creates amazing products. Because of this, demand has increased tremendously requiring us to expand to three shifts,” Sparrow explained.
The College is currently working with Milkhouse on a 2019 project for 20 new production associate, HR and industrial maintenance positions and another 260E agreement this year to add 33 new production, HR and industrial maintenance jobs. “The agreements helped create 53 new positions. We've been fortunate to add some incredible people to our team on all levels, from production associate to a new plant manager,” she said.
The company has worked with NICC on these 260E projects since they began hiring for its New Hampton campus in 2015. Using the 260E state funds has allowed Milkhouse to train their staff in multiple areas including maintenance training, First Aid/CPR, leadership and communication.
NICC Vice President of Business and Community Solutions, Wendy Mihm-Herold, Ph.D., believes that the availability of 260E funds and partnerships between companies and community colleges function as a strong catalyst for economic growth.
“People and businesses of all sizes in northeast Iowa may not realize that this state of Iowa funding resource exists to support the training of new employees. Businesses are seeing a substantial return on their investment by working with the College on their training needs. By supporting our local companies’ expansion, hiring and training for new employees, we are contributing to their productivity and profitability,” Mihm-Herold said.
Through its partnership with NICC, Sparrow has seen the state funding offset training expense, especially for small companies in the region.
“The College uses high level trainers and we always feel that the trainings are well worth the time. It's been very beneficial having these funds to train our staff appropriately, especially with the rate of growth that we've experienced,” Sparrow added.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted nearly every company’s ability to secure raw materials for their products, which creates additional economic stress, she said.
“Right now, acquiring the raw materials that we need to produce the amount of candles that consumers are demanding has been challenging. We are experiencing issues with raw materials from companies across the US and internationally. There is not a single country or business not affected by COVID-19,” she said.
Northeast Iowa Community College has participated in the 260E Iowa New Jobs Training Program since the state legislation’s passage. From 1984 through FY2020, the College and local businesses have partnered on 330 training projects that led to the creation of 17,119 jobs for a combined training value of $98,245,469. For more information, visit www.nicc.edu/customized-solutions.