LAURENS, IA (Northwestiowanow) — Iowa Central Community College has closed the Northwest Career Academy in Laurens following contract decisions with participating school districts.

The joint effort between Iowa Central Community College and Pocahontas County Economic Development was designed to provide workforce training for high school students and connect them with manufacturing careers across Pocahontas County.

MaryJo Litwiller, executive director of Pocahontas County Economic Development and marketing lead for the Northwest Career Academy, says the program began in response to a clear demand for hands-on training in skilled trades.

 

 

In its first year, the academy enrolled 20 students and served multiple school districts, including Sioux Central, Pocahontas Area, Newell-Fonda, and Storm Lake schools. The program also offered second-year internships designed to place students directly with local manufacturers.

In later years, enrollment declined. Litwiller says school districts acknowledged the program was not promoted as strongly as it should have been, and Iowa Central later began offering the same first-year program at its Storm Lake campus, reducing enrollment in Laurens.

Despite those challenges, Litwiller says the academy produced strong workforce outcomes.

 

 

Last fall, Litwiller says meetings with school counselors, administrators, and local businesses confirmed there was still a need for the academy. Counselors had identified enough student interest to hold a class this fall, and businesses expressed interest in helping financially support the program.

Iowa Central later required school districts to sign five-year participation contracts. While some districts agreed to the terms, the majority of districts chose to pursue different approaches to career training, leading Iowa Central to close the Laurens facility.

 

 

Although the Laurens site is now closed, Litwiller says career and technical education efforts will continue in other forms.

Some districts plan to send students to programs in Storm Lake, while Pocahontas Area is developing a work-based learning model that partners directly with county businesses across multiple industries.

Litwiller says she remains focused on workforce development in Pocahontas County and emphasized that local manufacturers continue to be strong supporters of career training opportunities for students.