Strategic Partnerships

Northeast Iowa Community College: Community Collaboration Supporting Workforce Excellence

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) and Dubuque, IA, stakeholders have created a synergistic relationship supporting sustainable living for the entire community. Community, business, and higher education stakeholders have collaborated to create a replicable model for sustainable living. As a key partner in the community discussions, NICC is a leader in offering green programming that supports expanding green industries and increases community awareness.


NICC partners with local businesses through advisory boards, business round tables, surveys, and one-on-one business visits to actively engage partners in the development of green sector programming. As a result of ongoing conversations with the business community about gaps in workforce capabilities, NICC formed a business consortium that allows local businesses to pay an annual membership fee and send employees to designated training throughout the year.

In 2011, the Dubuque City Council passed an ordinance requiring all area solar thermal installation projects to be performed by licensed and trained individuals. The city ordinance requires that before a solar project begins “diagrams and drawings, proof of solar rating and certification equipment, and a solar thermal licensed and trained” contractor are provided. An active participant in this policy process, NICC formed the region’s first solar thermal course that satisfies the licensing requirements and leads to a NABCEP certification. The new standards ensure workers receive a set of marketable skills and support the emergence of a new sub market.

As a result of a deep understanding of labor market data, NICC provides unemployed and incumbent workers with skills training in energy auditing, wind turbine maintenance, and green residential and commercial construction:

• Energy Auditing training leading to RESNET certification
• Wind Turbine Repair Technician Programs (AAS and Diploma)
• Carpentry and construction technology programs are infusing green technology into residential home and commercial building courses.

NICC collaborates with community stakeholders, such as the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC), to hold workshops for local contractors, subcontractors, planners, architects, appraisers, city officials, and communities to share the current best practices in green building construction.

The Aspen Institute recently recognized NICC as one of the top 10 community colleges in the country. NICC “listens to what the labor market is saying, and adjusts accordingly. NICC works really hard to offer job-relevant degrees, and does it better than almost anyone else.” (Josh Wyner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program).

NICC Alumnus Find Great Career Success in Wind Energy Field

Ben Weiss, one of the college’s first graduating class members of the Wind Turbine Repair Technician program, has found a rewarding position in his field of study at a time when advocacy for renewable energy solutions in the Midwest is growing. His new career in wind energy serves as a solid example of how the college’s faculty and curriculum prepared him for a rewarding career in an emerging field.

“I think the best part about NICC is that you get to be taught by people who not only know how to teach the necessary material, but have done the job that we are being trained to do," said Weiss. Weiss also said that the comprehensiveness of the NICC curriculum added substance to his resume as a young job seeker and improved his marketability.
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For additional information:

Dubuque, Iowa: Creating a National Model for Sustainability

Kyra Bellrichard
Continuing Education Program Manager
bellrichardk@nicc.edu

- Northeast Iowa Community College Homepage
- NICC - Green Career Training
- Outdoor Learning Lab
- Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence