| Title | Iowa Cool Careers Recruitment Program |
| ShortDescription | This resource describes the Iowa Department of Transportation's experience developing alliances with educational institutions in order to train, identify, and recruit entry level employees for technical positions. |
| LongDescription | Faced with not being able to identify and recruit entry level employees for technical positions, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) developed an intensive training program to develop needed skills. Building awareness of the program was achieved by a marketing campaign targeting high schools, technical schools, and college freshmen classes around the state via word of mouth within the DOT, and by utilizing professional organizations. The program was developed by Iowa DOT staff and staff from the Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa State University. DOT technical staff was identified to deliver specific technical modules of the program. The campaign attracted 500 applicants. The DOT project team evaluated each resume and contacted 247 applicants regarding interviews for jobs in highway and bridge design, highway construction inspection, materials testing, and surveying. The curriculum combined classroom instruction, self-study, computer laboratory work, and field demonstrations. Field assignments included inspecting construction, grading, and culvert projects, performing tests on concrete, rock, and soil, operating transits, levels, and rods or chains on a survey crew, obtaining and conducting soil samples, and performing general engineering tasks. The program also included an extensive orientation to the DOT. This intensive training program was only offered once, but led to a collaboration with community colleges in creating a two-year highway technician training program. |
| SourceAuthor | Beverly J. Abels, Iowa DOT; Duane E. Smith, Iowa State University |
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| Organization | Iowa DOT; Iowa State University; Des Moines Area Community College Civil Engineering Technology Program |
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| ContactEmail | Beverly.abels@dot.state.ia.us; desmith@iastate.edu |
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| Website |
http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/transworkforce/IP_IA.PDF
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