Click the image to view in your browser.
Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), in partnership with the Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC), will host an Iowa Employer Listening Session on Monday, September 14, bringing together local business owners, managers, human resources professionals and industry leaders to discuss the region’s workforce challenges and opportunities.
The session will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Revelton Distilling, 1400 W. Clay St. in Osceola.
The goal of the listening session is straightforward: to hear directly from employers about what they need to build a stronger workforce and a stronger business environment in South-Central Iowa.
IWD leadership is seeking input from employers on the challenges they are facing today and what solutions will be needed to prepare the region’s workforce for the future. Discussion topics will include business and workforce needs, hiring and recruitment challenges, skills gaps, employee retention, emerging workforce trends and opportunities to improve education and training.
“This is an opportunity for employers to have a direct conversation with Iowa Workforce Development about what they are seeing on the ground,” said Andrew Clark, Executive Director of CCDC. “We know businesses are dealing with a variety of workforce challenges, but the solutions are not necessarily going to look the same in every community or industry. We want to make sure the people developing workforce programs are hearing directly from the businesses that will ultimately use them.”
The listening session also complements a broader workforce development effort currently underway through CCDC, Southwestern Community College and the Clarke County Industrial Technology Advisory Board. That initiative is surveying employers throughout the region to identify immediate workforce challenges and longer-term priorities for continuing education, technical training, leadership development and other employer-focused programs.
“Both efforts are really about listening first,” Clark said. “Whether the answer is new training opportunities, better recruitment strategies, stronger retention efforts or something we haven’t identified yet, we need employers at the table to help define what comes next.”
The information gathered during the September 14 session will help IWD better understand the workforce needs of South-Central Iowa and inform future workforce development initiatives and resources.
Local employers are encouraged to participate, particularly business owners, senior managers, human resources professionals and industry leaders who can provide insight into current and future workforce needs.
Registration is encouraged. Participants may register using the QR code included on the event flyer (click on the graphic above).
EVENT DETAILS:
South Central Iowa Employer Listening Session
Monday, September 14, 2026
10:00–11:30 a.m.
Revelton Distilling
1400 W. Clay St.
Osceola, Iowa
The event is hosted by Clarke County Development Corporation and Iowa Workforce Development.
If you have questions, please reach out to Andrew Clark at the Clarke County Development Corporation at 115 E Washington Street, Osceola, IA 50213, phone: 641-342-2944, or email info@clarkecountyiowa.com
