Home City Government Community Business Calendar Contact
Oval Web Buttons by Vista-Buttons.com v5.0.0

Economic development
Workforce Advantage

A key ingredient to the growth of our businesses is LeMars' highly-motivated workforce. We have an available, well educated workforce and reliable workforce and we can prove it!

Skills Ready Models

To show the availability of workers and wages in our two target sectors (Manufacturing and Logistics), online computer Models have been developed for each of the six counties in Northwest Iowa. The labor market for each county is determined by commuting patterns and employment. You can enter the number of workers needed by occupation for an expansion or relocation project and immediately receive back a report that shows the number of workers employed in that occupation in a county’s labor market and the median wage for each occupation.

Get Started...

Workforce Development, Education and Training

Workforce education and training programs are available through Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) and Buena Vista College. Both colleges have learning centers in LeMars.

WITCC's Corporate College was formed in 1995 to provide workforce education and training solutions for the business community in the Siouxland region which includes LeMars. Some of the Corporate College program areas include:

  • Customer Service
  • Employee Development
  • Industrial Maintenance Management Training
  • Microsoft Training and Certification
  • Safety/OSHA Management Training
  • Project Management
  • Sales Development
  • Strategic Planning
  • Environmental Training
  • Entrepreneurship Training

To meet employers' needs for top-notch skills in digitally-driven, high-tech manufacturing and electronics, WITCC recently launched two new programs: Industrial Automation Systems and Manufacturing and Engineering.

WITCC works in partnership with businesses to develop customized training programs.

  • If a company's training goals are uncertain, WITCC will perform a needs assessment to ensure that they match the training with actual needs.
  • Based on the training goals or needs assessment, WITCC will develop a training program customized to the company's unique circumstances.
  • The customized training can be delivered at the company's site or on the WITCC campus at times that are convenient for the company and its employees.
  • WITCC will also provide an evaluation of the training and its outcomes.

The Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program (260E) provides businesses, which are expanding their Iowa workforce, with new employee training.  Available via Iowa's 15 community colleges, the program is financed through bonds sold by the colleges.  Depending on wages paid, the business then diverts 1.5 or 3 percent of the Iowa state withholding taxes generated by the new positions to the community college to retire the bonds.  Because of this structure, the training is available at what is essentially no cost since the bonds are retired with dollars that otherwise would have been paid to the state as withholding taxes.  In addition to increasing worker productivity and company profitability, businesses participating in the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program may also be eligible for reimbursement up to 50 percent of the annual gross payroll costs expended for on-the-job training, as well as a corporate tax credit if Iowa employment is increased by at least 10 percent. 

Iowa Jobs Training Program (260F) provides job training services to current employees of eligible businesses that are located in Iowa.  Eligible businesses can work with their local Iowa community college, which will assess training needs, determine funds availability and provide training.  For participating businesses, the advantages include valuable employee training at a reduced-or no-cost. 

For more information on WITCC's workforce solutions for business and industry, visit WITCC online or call 712.274.6400 or 800.352.4649.

Buena Vista University is consistently recognized in national publications for the high-quality education students receive for their investment. U.S. News and World Report ranked BVU a "Best Value" and "Top College" in 1999. BVU's Le Mars Learning Center offers degrees in six programs and educational endorsements in four areas. Students can take individual courses, or work toward completing BVU's majors. For more information, visit the Buena Vista University Graduate & Prof. Studies or call Kaylyn Pick, Director, 712.546.9459 or 888.546.9459.