An initiative that began in 2004 to help smaller colleges and universities in Greater Des Moines connect with employers still hosts regular meetings every other month with an aim toward addressing a perennial Iowa challenge: keeping new graduates in the state. 

This past fall, the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce took over administration of the program, which is known as Keeping Educated Youth (KEY) in Des Moines. 

The participating colleges take turns hosting meetings on their campuses as a mechanism to make businesses aware of their presence and learn about the colleges and hiring opportunities such as career fairs. Among the seven colleges that partnered in the initiative in 2004, the ones most involved now are Kaplan University, Des Moines Area Community College, Simpson College, Grand View University and Drake University. 

“It’s been really rewarding,” said Lori Gelhaar, who coordinated the initiative while she was Kaplan’s director of career services and has kept it going since moving to Palmer Group in 2015. Administering the program on a volunteer basis became too big of a task, however. “I’m glad to see it continuing in good hands,” she said. 

In addition to coordinating the on-campus networking events, the Urbandale Chamber pushes out job postings from Greater Des Moines employers to the participating colleges, said Tiffany Menke, the chamber’s executive director. Employers do not need to be Urbandale Chamber members to post openings or to attend KEY in Des Moines events, she said.

Menke said one of the chamber’s goals this year is to enhance the program’s branding and build a more robust online site. The next event is scheduled March 21; Sherri Nielsen, president and CEO of Easter Seals of Iowa, will speak on hiring individuals with disabilities. More information is on the chamber’s calendar of events.