Nearly $1.4 million in grants have been handed out by Iowa Workforce Development mostly to businesses in Waterloo and Cedar Falls to help them train their employees, according to KWWL. The grants are part of the Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Development Iowa program and aim to create a more skilled and competitive workforce in the advanced manufacturing industry. The recipients will design their own training programs focused on production, machine maintenance, and other critical skill gaps in their labor force. Among those receiving grants are Blackhawk Engineering in Cedar Falls, ConAgra Brands in Waterloo, Power Engineering and Manufacturing in Waterloo, and Quality Plus Manufacturing in Oelwein. Companies in Independence, Robins, Cedar Rapids, and Winthrop also received grants. The grant process will remain open until all remaining funds have been awarded. Applications can be submitted at iowagrants.gov.
