Iowa’s Readiness Goal
The Future Ready Iowa’s mission is to have 70 percent of Iowans with education and training beyond high school by 2025.
Through innovative grant programs, scholarship and education opportunities, and accelerated career pathways, we are building a Future Ready Iowa across the state. View the state’s progress and more resources below.
By the Numbers (2022 Laborshed Survey)
-
61.6: Percentage of Iowans who have completed certificates of education or training beyond high school
-
71.8: Overall percentage of Iowans who received a certificate and adults who have received some postsecondary education/training that added value to their career path
Future Ready Iowa recognizes that education goals for many Iowans were greatly impacted by the pandemic, with some workers having opted to accept interim career advancement instead of completing their credentials in a turbulent time. Likewise, several employers have been shifting away from degree requirements in favor of an accelerated skills-based hiring approach – making them more likely to promote skilled workers with a partial education.
The stated goal of Future Ready Iowa goal is to prepare Iowa’s workforce for the needs of future jobs, and we believe the numbers above capture the current readiness of that workforce given the foundational changes that have taken place since COVID-19. Future Ready Iowa has responded to shifts since the pandemic and must work continuously to be responsive to the needs of today’s workforce, the needs of Iowans, and their careers and education goals.
View the most recent years of readiness figures below.
