This bill seeks to enhance educational and internship opportunities in skilled trades within Iowa by modifying existing workforce development programs. It introduces new provisions that require the integration of skilled trades curricula, such as welding, carpentry, and automotive mechanics, into educational programs. The Iowa youth summer corps program will now include service-learning approaches that utilize these curricula, while the internship program will be expanded to help students in skilled trades secure positions with local employers. Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts and charter schools incorporate skilled trades into their curricula and establishes initiatives to recruit teachers for these programs.

Furthermore, the legislation aims to bolster career and technical education for students in grades seven and eight by expanding the STEM collaborative initiative to include the recruitment of skilled trades teachers. It modifies the national guard service scholarship program to provide educational incentives for skilled trades and updates the teach Iowa scholar program to include applicants preparing to teach in these fields. The bill also mandates data collection on female and minority enrollment in skilled trades programs and directs the STEM advisory council to promote these trades within its educational initiatives, ensuring their integration into the broader STEM education framework.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 15H.5, 84A.21, 256.11, 256.111, 256.211, 256.210, 261E.3