Iowa Workforce Development Leadership On Hand to Make Announcement
(Marengo, Iowa) State officials announced today that Iowa County has received designation as the state’s 90th Home Base Iowa Community.
Ryan West, Division Administrator with Iowa Workforce Development, was on hand to recognize and celebrate the accomplishment along with Home Base Iowa Program Manager Jason Kemp. Local businesses, community leaders and veterans hosted the event.
"Our appreciation for veterans and their families, along with historically low unemployment and strengthened partnerships, is a big reason for the continued growth of our Home Base Iowa program,” said Kemp.
Home Base Iowa continues to expand with growing support from additional cities and counties across Iowa. The one-of-a-kind program assists veterans and transitioning service members by helping to connect them with over 2,100 Iowa businesses statewide that have pledged to hire over 10,000 veterans.
The Home Base Iowa website also provides an automated process to put veteran resumes directly into the hands of Iowa businesses with matching criteria. Information is also sent to Home Base Iowa communities that match the veteran’s selected locations. In addition, IowaWORKS workforce advisors contact veterans to offer resume, interviewing and local job placement assistance.
Iowa has much to offer veterans and transitioning service members. These benefits include no state taxes on military pensions, in-state tuition, and down payment assistance and closing costs toward a qualifying home purchase. Iowa also offers a cost of living below the national average and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked Iowa the number one state in the nation based on 77 metrics across eight categories.
Home Base Iowa designates qualified communities as centers of opportunity for military veterans based on four standards:
- Within a designated community, 10 percent of the businesses must become Home Base Iowa businesses,
- Community develops its own incentive package for veterans,
- Community prominently displays Home Base Iowa Community designation, and
- Community must obtain a resolution of support from the appropriate local governing body
Iowa County has met or exceeded these requirements. To learn more about Home Base Iowa, visit HomeBaseIowa.gov.
For more information contact:
Jason Kemp
515.725.1057 or 515.822.8951
Home Base Iowa Program Manager