Mission: Employable

Latest Episodes:

Episode 211 - Iowa Office of Apprenticeship One Year Anniversary Jul 01, 2025

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Iowa has always been a major supporter of Registered Apprenticeships, but that commitment grew even further when the state took over apprenticeship oversight from the U.S. Department of Labor in June of 2024. Iowa Office of Apprenticeship Program Director Dane Sulentic joins the podcast to talk about what the IOA has accomplished in the last year, lessons learned, and what Iowan's can expect from the IOA in the next 365 days.

Episode 210 – Iowa Lab Saves Wild Money With Earn & Learn Jun 17, 2025

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This episode of the Mission: Employable podcast dives into an Earn and Learn program that's saving one Iowa organization money while reinvesting in its workforce, Goldfinch Laboratory plays an important role in Iowa's medical industry, testing samples and biopsies sent over by other healthcare providers. However, the lab felt they were spending too much money on temporary hires. The solution? Find and train their own staff with an Earn and Learn program. Stephanie Allen, Director of Laboratory Operations, and Nancy Leiva, Shift Lead, joins us to share how they made the decision to start this program from the ground up. Find out how the program is not only solving their staffing problem but saving them a ton of money in the process.

Episode 209 - Iowa's Future EMTs Part 2 Jun 03, 2025

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Mission: Employable is back in Le Mars to find out more about how the Le Mars Fire Department is using work-based learning to get students interested in becoming EMTs. Le Mars Battalion Chief John MacGregor joins the show and shares an emotional story about why he cares so much for teaching the next generation, including his son, who also joins the podcast.

Mission: Employable - Ep. 208: Iowa's Future EMTs May 20, 2025

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Join hosts of the Mission: Employable podcast Ben Oldach and Kathy Leggett as they take a trip to Le Mars, IA. On their visit, they met with the local fire department to find out more about a Work-based Learning program that skills up high schoolers and gets them real world experience in the world of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Dr. Mark Iverson, Principal of Le Mars Community High School, joins the show and shares how his school got the program up and running, why it's near and dear to his heart, and the benefits of taking learning outside the classroom.

Mission: Employable Podcast - Ep. 207 – Grow With Registered Apprenticeship May 07, 2025

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The Mission: Employable podcast heads to Sioux Center, Iowa, to speak with Kent Heronimus, Technical Training Manager at Interstates. This episode is dedicated to telling the story of how they've grown from one to several Registered Apprenticeship programs. Find out how the company has navigated building programs across several industries and how they're working to retain their apprentices when hiring them after their Registered Apprenticeship has been completed.

Ep. 206: Thompson Solutions Goes "Heavy Metal" Apr 22, 2025

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Hosts Ben Oldach and Kathy Leggett are still on the road in Sioux City as they continue to tell stories throughout Iowa. This episode is dedicated to a summer camp for 15-to-18-year-olds who are ready to rock a future career in the trades. Jennifer Stanwick-Klimek, Manager of Learning and Development at Thompson Solutions, returns to the show to talk about the Heavy Metal Summer Experience. While there might be a lack of amps and guitars, there's no shortage of knowledge and hands-on experience for students who are looking for a way to jumpstart their career.

Episode 205: On the Road in Sioux City Part 1 – Thompson Solutions Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

This week, the hosts of the Mission: Employable podcast hit the road for more conversations about Iowa's workforce! Ben Oldach and Kathy Leggett head out for a multi part series highlighting different employers and programs in Sioux City, IA! The first episode features Jennifer Stanwick-Klimek, Manager of Learning and Development at Thompson Solutions. With more openings than employees to fill them, Stanwick-Klimek shares how their internship program is helping fill electrical and mechanical contractor roles. The company is all in, seeing this not just as a solution for the short term, but a tool to help them build their future roster of employees.

Spring Cleaning Mar 18, 2025

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Ben is here with a quick update about some changes to the podcast schedule in March and April.

Episode 204 – Disability Employment with the Harkin Institute Mar 11, 2025

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The Harkin Institute, a non-partisan think tank established at Drake University, is a leader in developing disability workforce policy. Daniel Van Sant, Director of Disability Policy, joins the podcast to talk about an international summit the institute held in Washington D.C. and how some of the topics of discussion coming from that summit can help Iowa businesses lead the way on hiring Iowans with disabilities.

Episode 203 – Ironworker Apprenticeship Builds More Than Just Buildings Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

Des Moines' Ironworkers Union is hard at work across the metro building the structures that will eventually turn into the buildings where we live, work, and hang out. However, they're also using an apprenticeship program to build lifelong careers from the ground up. Ironworkers local 67 Apprenticeship and Training Coordinator Ed Bleimehl drops by the podcast to talk about how his apprentices develop throughout the program, and how some of their experiences can help other industries that might just be starting an apprenticeship program of their own.

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