CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Oct. 1, 2026)–Kirkwood Community College prepares students from across its seven-county service area with the skills they need for today’s workforce, and many take those skills back home to build careers and strengthen the communities where they live.
From healthcare and advanced manufacturing to agriculture, business, information technology and the skilled trades, Kirkwood graduates are filling important roles with employers throughout Eastern Iowa. Their success highlights the importance of providing students with hands-on learning experiences, modern classrooms, labs and technology that reflect what they will encounter in the workplace.
Kirkwood works closely with area employers to understand changing workforce needs and prepare graduates with the knowledge and skills businesses need. The college’s proposed $88 million bond would support that work by improving instructional spaces, laboratories, technology and facilities serving many of Kirkwood’s high-demand programs.
For rural communities, the impact can be especially meaningful. Students often leave their hometowns to attend Kirkwood’s main campus, gain new skills and experiences, and then return home prepared to work, start businesses and provide services their communities depend on.
Fletcher Maser is one example.
A North English native, Maser attended Kirkwood from 2022-24 and studied construction management. He now lives outside North English and owns and operates Cat-Eye Construction LLC, providing construction, remodeling, handyman and property maintenance services. He also recently launched 319 Junk, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout Eastern and Southeast Iowa.
“I knew there was a need in my community for the skills I could offer, and Kirkwood helped give me the knowledge and confidence to build a career here,” Maser said. “The hands-on experience was important, but I also learned what happens behind the scenes to successfully manage a job and run a business. Having instructors with years of real-world experience made what we were learning feel relevant to the work I wanted to do.”
Stories like Maser’s demonstrate how investments in education can reach far beyond a college campus. Modern learning environments help prepare students for the careers of today, while the skills they develop help employers and communities throughout the region meet their workforce needs.
The proposed bond is designed to continue that cycle by investing in the people who will become Eastern Iowa’s next generation of healthcare professionals, manufacturers, agricultural professionals, business professionals, IT specialists and skilled tradespeople–many of whom will take those skills back home and put them to work in the communities that helped raise them.
For more information about the Nov. 3 bond measure, go to www.kirkwood.edu/bond2026.