Iowa Central Hosts Town Hall Meeting with U.S. Senator Charles Grassley

Public Information Office
7/18/2024

U.S. Senator Charles Grassley made a stop at Iowa Central Community College’s Storm Lake campus on Thursday. Dr. Jesse Ulrich, President of Iowa Central Community College visited with the Senator about supporting a federal funding stream for college students interested in short-term programs such as Emergency Services, truck driving and more. “One of the first barriers we need to clear for students who are interested in learning a skill in a short amount of time and entering the workforce in a year or less, is eliminating financial burdens,” noted Dr. Ulrich. 

Senator Grassley agreed with the idea and noted that the philosophy of needing a four-year education to have a successful career is outdated. A solution to the problem would be the new Workforce Pell Grant which would be eligible for short term programs, offered over at least 8 weeks. Under that legislation, students would qualify for and receive grants under the same rules that apply to “normal” Pell Grants.

Attendees that filled the classroom at the Iowa Central Storm Lake Center represented area businesses that would benefit from being able to hire skilled workers. According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the pending legislation would modernize the Pell Grant program by helping “non-traditional” college students upgrade their skills and get a better job and enable younger students to begin their path to educational attainment. AACC notes that community colleges offer many short-term programs in fields such as nursing and medical assistance, information technology, and commercial truck driving, where opportunities for employment are plentiful.

The AACC also points out that quality short-term job training programs are designed both to respond to immediate employer demand and to create new pathways or career ladders to foster upward mobility. Three bills have been introduced in the 118th Congress to provide Pell Grant eligibility to students in short-term workforce education programs: the JOBS Act (H.R. 793, S. 161), the Promoting Employment and Lifelong Learning (PELL) Act (H.R. 496, S. 2442) and the Jobs to Compete Act (H.R. 1655). 

Following the town hall meeting, Senator Grassley toured the Iowa Central Industrial Training Center.  The Storm Lake center opened up four years ago and provides space for students to learn trade skills such as welding and industrial mechanics. The classroom space is used for adult literacy and night classes.