Iowa Workforce Development announced Tuesday that it will conduct more than 25 workforce roundtables across the state this fall in an effort to partner with businesses to address the state’s workforce shortage. The events are being held at no cost to the attendees.

The roundtables, beginning later this month and running through November, will take place at IowaWORKS field offices and local community colleges throughout the state, including an Oct. 21 roundtable at Des Moines Area Community College In Ankeny. All attendees at the roundtables will be provided information regarding existing workforce strategies they can adopt to help meet their needs.

“Roundtables will be fast-paced, brief and early in the morning to best meet employer schedules and provide key information about how employers can use existing state programs to grow their workforce,” said IWD Director Beth Townsend.

In conjunction with the roundtables, IWD will lead a support team to conduct workforce needs assessments for interested local employers on-site. Participating employers will then be provided a tailored set of information about relevant state programs along with dedicated points of contact.

Registration is now available at www.FutureReadyIowa.gov/registration. Employers interested in hosting a workforce assessment can send an email to iwdassessments@iwd.iowa.gov.