College Career Day

The Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation was among 164 companies participating at the University of Northern Iowa Career Fair on September 20th. This event allows students the opportunity to connect with companies that offer full-time jobs as well as internship opportunities.

Adrianne Magill, Chair of the Career Sub Committee said, “KCEDC’s Ag Committee expressed early on that a major role of this committee is to initiate a program to encourage businesses in the area to utilize interns to meet short-term needs and possibly satisfy long-term growth goals for our future workforce pool.”

Executive Director for Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation, Maureen Elbert, said, “The availability for skilled workforce is very limited. Our Ag Committee, along with the Board of Director’s feel that our office needs to be a facilitator for encouraging both the businesses and young college students. We want to encourage them to experience an internship within Kossuth County, which could lead to future employment.”

There were many businesses throughout Kossuth County that utilized intern’s talents and skills, either for a semester or for the summer months. Elbert said, “ This summer we had three very creative, skilled, and enthusiastic college students, Jamie Roethler, Amanda Berg and Heather Fickbohm.

The Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation hosted a variety of functions during the summer months for the area interns. The Career/Intern Committee distributes packets that include information on local banks, recreation, churches, shopping and housing. “We want to make these young students feel welcomed and realize there is a great deal to offer them here within Kossuth County and the State of Iowa,” Elbert said. “We are the only county that is marketing to our Iowa youth at these college career days. Because of that, we received the ISU Community Vitality Grant to show what KCEDC has developed and now has in place.”

This year, more than 1200 students attended the event and KCEDC had over100 attendees register and submit resumes at the KCEDC booth. “We are thrilled at the response from these students. Students who presently attend UNI, and are from our area, said they’d like to come back home to live if there were jobs available.” Elbert said. “It’s taken the development stages of this program to see the success stories that are presently starting to flourish.”

Maureen Elbert confirmed, “That is where the businesses and our office need to work hand in hand and identify what we have and keep this concept of marketing our county in the right direction.”

The Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation’s Career/Intern Committee includes: Adrianne Magill, Jan Capesius, Scott Thilges, Marilyn Deal, Carol Heesch, Sarah Zimmerman, Ivy Kitzinger, Bob Jennings, Meladee Angus, Ryan Ludwig and Kay Harms. This committee has worked very hard in developing and sponsoring the different functions for our Summer Intern Programs.

KCEDC will be burning all student resumes onto a CD. Interested businesses that would like to review the available students who want internships or full-time employment, may contact the KCEDC Office at (515) 295-7979.