Two Iowa senior living communities managed by Des Moines-based LCS Corp. are using a state grant to fund registered apprenticeship programs for training health care and culinary workers. The program is one of 46 across the state that in November received a Coronavirus Relief Earn and Learn Grant, designed to create job training opportunities for Iowans affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids and Green Hills in Ames are working with TalentGro, the workforce division of Tennessee-based employment firm Hamilton-Ryker. The program provides on-the-job training and curriculum for related technical instruction. TalentGro, as the program sponsor and intermediary, will provide administration support to these programs and ensure the sustainability of program activities. “Providing a career ladder in health care and culinary services will enable many people to rejoin the workforce after layoffs from COVID-19,” said Donna Boetger, director of human resources for LCS. “For many people, obtaining an education is a way out of poverty. Participation in a Registered Apprenticeship Program will provide for a full-time income, education, and a pathway toward the future.”