Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board launches new program

Henry County- The Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board is excited to announce the launch of the “SkillUp® Mississippi Valley” program, aimed at enriching the area's workforce skills and equipping residents with tools for new job opportunities. This initiative offers free access to a diverse library of over 7,000 online courses to all residents across the Board's eight-county area, encompassing Jackson, Clinton, Scott, Muscatine, Henry, Lee, Louisa, and Des Moines counties in Iowa.

SkillUp® Mississippi Valley offers a wide array of flexible, self-paced learning opportunities accessible from anywhere with a high-speed internet connection, 24/7. Miranda Swafford, the Board’s Executive Director said “All residents can take advantage of this program to explore career pathways, prepare for various industry-recognized certifications, and enhance their job skills — all from the comfort of their homes.” Through an online portal, the program delivers free access to Skillsoft’s nationally recognized training resources, which cover essential workplace, business, technical, and IT skills.

Residents can start with a self-assessment to identify skill gaps and receive personalized course recommendations to address those gaps. Jobseekers can improve essential workplace skills and prepare for job interviews. The program also offers thorough training for industry certifications, including CompTIA, Microsoft Office, Project Management, Six Sigma, AWS, and more. As an added benefit, there are over 1000 courses offered in Spanish.

The platform can be used by anyone including youth, adults, seniors, and even businesses looking to upskill employees, who reside in the eight-county area.

To enroll in the SkillUp® Mississippi Valley program, residents can visit https://mississippivalley.skillupamerica.org/.

For those requiring assistance or seeking additional career services, please visit one of the local Iowa WORKS centers or our website at www.mississippivalleyworkforce.org.

For mobile device users, 85% of Metrix Learning courses are mobile-friendly. Metrix does use a pop-up screen to launch the course. Additionally, the 1Huddle app offers shorter, gamified courses accessible from smartphones to make it fun to learn. To sign up for 1Huddle, please reach out to Mandy@mississippivalleyworkforce.org or contact customersupport@metrixlearning.com.

The Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board is committed to supporting the community by providing valuable educational resources to foster career growth and development.