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Lessons from Iowa: What States Can Learn About Collaboration from Workforce Development Professionals

By Abeer Sikder, JD, and David Barch, CWDP

When the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) honored Miranda Swafford as a Workforce Hero in 2023, it was not just a recognition of her work as a workforce development professional but also a celebration of the power of collaboration to transform lives. For NAWDP, forging partnerships and collaborations among industry organizations is central to success.

Swafford has dedicated her career to building connections and fostering inclusion and now serves as executive director of the Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board (MVWDB) in West Burlington, Iowa. Like Swafford, workforce development professionals across the country function as community partners who unite government, industry, educators, job seekers, and others to create opportunities and improve regional economies.

During Workforce Development Month in September, The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth is spotlighting Swafford and the innovations of workforce development professionals. State policymakers looking to enhance youth service delivery and workforce systems may glean lessons from these professionals in connecting diverse partners to boost employment for future generations, including youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YAD).

A multicolored graphic titled “Workforce Collaboration in Iowa’s Mississippi Valley” in large text. At the top, there is a dark yellow box titled, “Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board (MVWDB),” with the following in dark blue text: “The MVWDB collaborates with Iowa Workforce Development (a state agency) through regular partnership meetings, ongoing staff training in disability awareness, and resource sharing. As part of the American Job Centers (AJC) network, the local IowaWORKS offices located throughout the state serve job seekers and businesses with workforce needs. Under this sentence in a connected lite yellow section of the box, it says the following in dark blue text: “The U.S. Department of Labor coordinates 2,300 AJCs nationwide to provide a full range of assistance to job seekers, employees, and employers.” Below the large yellow box are three blue boxes connected by arrows in a triangle formation. In each blue box there is dark blue text against a light blue background. The top box is titled “Iowa Workforce Development” in white text. It says, “Iowa Workforce Development incudes a Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services division that helps Iowans with disabilities find successful employment.” The bottom left box is titled “Accelerate Iowa” in white text. It says, “One of the MVWDB’s most successful initiatives is Accelerate Iowa, a program that helps young and young adults (16-24) prepare for success in their chosen career.” The bottom right box is titled “Transition Alliance Program (TAP),” in white text. It says, “VR partners with schools to maintain the TAP, which provides year round services to youth and young adults with disabilities.” In the middle of the triangle (formed by the three blue boxes) is a blue star with yellow text titled “GOAL” Under the title in large yellow text, it says, “Youth Successful Transition to the Workforce.”

Becoming a Workforce Hero

Swafford’s personal and professional experiences profoundly shaped her career.

“I encountered obstacles and discrimination that individuals with disabilities often face in accessing equitable opportunities,” says Swafford, who has been blind since birth.

Swafford has worked as an instructor, direct support professional, and chapter president of the National Federation for the Blind of Iowa. These experiences inspired her to support marginalized communities through workforce development.

Now, at the MVWDB, she collaborates with local, state, and federal policymakers to implement programs that empower all members of her community—including Y&YAD—to achieve their full potential. For example, the MVWDB coordinates with Iowa Workforce Development and American Job Centers (AJC), with regular partnership meetings, ongoing staff training in disability awareness, and resource sharing.

“We prioritize accessibility across all our services through our comprehensive accessibility plan, offering a ‘no wrong door’ approach,” Swafford says.

The MVWDB accessibility plan includes:

    • Regular training on reasonable accommodations.

    • Updated resource guides on assistive technology.

    • Corrective action plans for accessibility concerns.

Promoting Disability Access

The Iowa State Workforce Development Board created a State Disability Access Committee to promote competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities and to continuously improve Iowa’s one-stop delivery system of services for job seekers. Iowa also requires local workforce development boards to maintain their own Local Disability Access Committees.

The MVWDB’s Disability Access Committee board includes members like Swafford, AJC staff, and members of community-based organizations. The committee prioritizes:

    • Connecting employers with training and resources for workplace accommodations and inclusive hiring.

    • Conducting outreach to engage individuals with disabilities in the workforce system.

    • Educating employers about the benefits of hiring Y&YAD.

The committee also promotes financial incentives for inclusive hiring, such as:

    • The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which offers a federal income tax credit to encourage employers to hire individuals from underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities and youth ages 16–17.

Accelerating Transitions for Youth

Swafford’s work with vocational rehabilitation (VR) and schools to advance workforce development includes outreach geared toward Y&YAD that encourages co-enrollment with VR. This collaboration between school districts and VR cultivates various initiatives, such as the Transition Alliance Program (TAP), which provides year-round services to Y&YAD by:

    • Working with educators, employers, and policymakers to help participants develop job-seeking and job-keeping skills.

    • Supporting participants with housing, transportation, and medical matters.

    • Teaching participants independent living skills.

Swafford says the MVWDB collaborates closely with VR to deliver tailored services to schools. The MVWDB presents services in dedicated classes for students with disabilities, participates in transition fairs for graduating students, and conducts informational sessions on Accelerate Iowa, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

Broadly speaking, Accelerate Iowa supports marginalized youth ages 16–24 years old by:

    • Helping them identify desired career pathways.

    • Offering education and training for career success.

    • Assigning career navigators who build one-on-one relationships with both in-school and out-of-school youth to explore opportunities.

Accelerate Iowa also includes work-based learning (WBL), such as job shadowing and internships with local employers. WBL designed specifically for Y&YAD spans many industries, including manufacturing, construction, technology, transportation, and welding. WBL participants are employed—they earn wages and are eligible for workers’ compensation and liability insurance. Accelerate Iowa reimburses employers 50–75 percent of wages for up to 1,040 work hours during training and can pay youth for completing on-the-job training.

To further empower Y&YAD, Accelerate Iowa’s workplace readiness and life skills programs provide training in financial literacy and leadership development. Participants also have opportunities for mock interviews, resume reviews, labor market education, and virtual reality training.

In March 2024, the MVWDB hosted an event at Mount Pleasant High School in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, spotlighting careers in health care and skilled trades. Students were able to explore these career paths using virtual reality headsets.

“To ensure inclusivity, we collaborated closely with the TAP coordinator to prioritize slots for students with disabilities,” says Swafford. “Additionally, we distributed information … detailing career pathways, potential salaries, training options, and local opportunities.”

Conclusion and Best Practices

Swafford’s achievements in Iowa highlight the vast potential of inclusive and partner-driven workforce development practices. She offers the following guidance for policymakers in other states seeking to foster meaningful collaboration:

    1. Embody effective leadership to “generate positive change and cultivate a more equitable and prosperous future for our communities.”
    2. Execute a “vision of a workforce system that values the contributions of every individual, irrespective of their background or disability status.” 
    3. Establish diverse partnerships to meet the needs of business, industry, and job seekers, making sure marginalized communities are included.

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