Previously published on 12 October, 2021
Iowa’s top education official visited Sioux City looking into how our local schools are offering career-focused education to students.
Dr. Ann Lebo toured the Sioux City Career Academy ahead of a discussion on how the state can help strengthen connections between districts and local employers to prepare students to enter the workforce after graduation.
“We are going to continue our conversation with Dr. Lebo about our trades program and the way in which we would like to grow that. We are going to take some feedback from her as well as she may have some ideas about how we can do some new partnerships,” said Dr. Paul Gausman, Sioux City Community Schools Superintendent.
Two students in the career academy say they’re grateful for the opportunities the program is offering them.
“My mother growing up, she didn’t have these types of opportunities and I think us right now with this program that’s happening I think it’s amazing,” said Senior Gissel Zamora.
“I feel like this is an opportunity that very few have and I’d like to make good use of it,” said Sioux City East Junior, Destiny Adams.
Lebo says work-based learning is more important now than ever as Iowa’s economy looks to recover from the pandemic.
See the full coverage by Siouxland News Channel’s Nathan Hoogland here.