Accelerated Career Education (ACE) Program

The Accelerated Career Education (ACE) program is designed to provide businesses with an enhanced skilled workforce. This innovative program assists Iowa’s community colleges to either establish or expand programs that train individuals in the occupations most needed by Iowa businesses.

Business Benefits

As community colleges expand current programs or establish new ones, area businesses get a larger pool of individuals with the skills they are in need of most.

How does my business participate?

  • Enter into an agreement with a community college to sponsor a portion or all of the positions created by the establishment or expansion of a current education program.

  • Sponsor open positions in a program and agree to consider students for employment after completing their training program.

  • Assist with program design and provide 20 percent match of the program costs, pro-rated by the percentage of positions sponsored.

Eligibility Requirements

Must be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing or assembling products, construction, conducting research and development, or providing services.

The program consists of two parts:

  • Accelerated Career Education dollars to fund the necessary infrastructure construction/rehabilitation needed to increase student capacity in new or expanded classes.

  • Program job credits to help fund the additional program costs associated with establishing a new or expanding a current program.

How does the program work?

Program costs are offset through tax benefits by entering into an agreement with an Iowa community college. Tax benefits depend upon the number of program job credits accrued and are awarded based on the number of seats sponsored in a program. Credits can be up to 10 percent of the hiring wage you would pay to an individual that completes the programs’ requirements. Job credits utilize your current state of Iowa personal income withholding tax and are paid to the community college over the life of the agreement.

How do I get started?

Hawkeye Corporate and Business Solutions staff will help you with your application and determine a training program to suit your needs.

Contact Information

Corporate & Business Solutions

Buchanan Hall 122
319-296-4223
Email Corporate and Business Solutions

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