NIACC Awarded $1 Million to Expand Career Academy Opportunities

MASON CITY, Iowa — North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) has been awarded $1 million through Iowa’s Career Academy Incentive Fund to expand career academy opportunities for high school students across the region.

The funding is part of nearly $4 million in competitive grants awarded to four Iowa community colleges to strengthen career-connected learning and create more pathways for students to gain college credit and workforce experience while still in high school.

NIACC President Joel Pedersen said the investment will expand opportunities for students throughout North Iowa.

“This investment is a powerful step forward for NIACC and the communities we serve,” Pedersen said. “Expanding our career academies means more high school students will have the opportunity to earn college credit, explore high demand careers, and gain hands-on experience while still in school. We’re grateful for the state’s support as we strengthen partnerships with local school districts and employers to build a skilled workforce and create even more pathways for students to find their future right here in North Iowa.”

The Career Academy Incentive Fund supports partnerships between community colleges, school districts, local businesses and community stakeholders to create hands-on career pathways for students.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said the program helps connect students with high-demand careers and valuable workplace experience.

“The Career Academy Incentive Fund is an innovative program tailored to regional workforce needs, providing high school students with opportunities to gain valuable experience, connect with local employers and earn industry credentials and college credit,” Reynolds said. “I commend this year’s awardees for their dedication and leadership in expanding opportunities so more Iowa students have the opportunity to prepare for high-demand careers.”

Career academies provide students access to career and technical education programs that often require specialized equipment or facilities. These programs support career exploration, work-based learning and professional training.

According to the Iowa Department of Education, work-based learning participation among Iowa high school students continues to grow. About 45% of Iowa high school seniors in the Class of 2025 completed at least one work-based learning experience while in high school, up from 31.7% in 2024 and 25.5% in 2023.

Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said career-connected learning is helping strengthen communities and the state’s workforce.

“Across Iowa, career-connected learning is changing lives, empowering communities and strengthening economies,” Snow said. “Through the hard work of our students, educators and employers, more learners are attaining work-based learning experiences and college credit while in high school than ever before.”

At NIACC, the funding will support the creation of a regional center on its Mason City campus serving students from six school districts. Plans include constructing a dedicated building for a dental hygiene career academy, renovating existing space for an electrical technology academy and updating the college’s agriculture and machinist career academies.

Three other Iowa community colleges also received grants through the program. Northwest Iowa Community College in Rock Rapids and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges in Clinton each received $1 million, while Des Moines Area Community College in Ames received $776,655.

The Career Academy Incentive Fund was established in 2019 and is supported through Iowa’s Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) fund, a statewide one-cent sales tax used for school infrastructure projects. The Iowa Department of Education may award up to $5 million in competitive grants each year through the program.