The IowaWORKS Davenport office has received national recognition for its work in helping veterans make the transition from the military into new civilian careers.
The local office, an American Job Center, was presented with the prestigious Mark Sanders Award at the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ (NASWA) 11th Annual Veterans Conference in Washington, D.C.
IowaWORKS was one of the year’s NASWA award recipients. It received the honor in the category of Exceptional Veteran Service on Wednesday, Aug. 7. That was the three-day conference’s opening day. It was accepted by Shane Sawyer, the veteran career planner at the Davenport IowaWORKS center.
“This award is a reflection of all the men and women who work in the IowaWORKS American Job Center in Davenport, who truly put priority of service at the forefront of their daily activities,” Mr. Sawyer said. “Our focus is to help all veterans unlock their true potential.”
It was nominated by its parent organization Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). The Davenport IowaWORKS center is engaged in several efforts to boost veterans services. They include hosting Transition Assistance Program (TAP) classes for service members. Classes connect service members with available resources during their transition to civilian careers. Veteran guest speakers share their stories and local employers present employment information in the Quad Cities region.
In 2023, the Davenport center, located at 1801A E. Kimberly Road, successfully provided 93 transitioning veterans and their families with services and referrals.
“The numerous veteran-centered programs and events put on each year by the IowaWORKS Davenport office is a testament to their hard work and dedication in assisting local veterans and military spouses,” NASWA President and CEO Scott B. Sanders said in a news release announcing the award.
Service ‘exemplary’
“I want to congratulate them on being a recipient of the 2024 Mark Sanders Award for the exemplary service they provide to local Veterans and their families,” he added.
The release credited the local IowaWORKS staff with routinely going above and beyond providing exceptional customer service to veterans. It does that through personalized plans and fostering local connections to meet the needs of each family. One example is its Veteran Networking (Vet Nets) events. They have enabled transitioning service members, veterans and spouses to access essential resources, secure employment, connect with educational opportunities and engage with local government representatives.
“We are dedicated to helping those who served our country,” said Rick Ernst. He’s IowaWORKS operations manager and a veteran himself. “Our career planners are here to support our veterans in finding successful careers after their military service. We are truly honored for this special recognition that reflects our dedication to our veterans.”
For the past seven years, the Davenport IowaWORKS job center has hosted a Quad Cities Success Fair. It has grown into the Quad Cities area’s largest veteran-centered job fair. At its last event, IowaWORKS recruited 100 employers. They met with jobseekers, and received widespread media coverage.
Office helps vets thrive
“I’m incredibly proud of the efforts at the Davenport IowaWORKS office that not only support Veterans and their families, but do so in a way that helps them thrive in a new career after service,” Beth Townsend, IWD’s executive director, said in the release. “As a state, we’ve made hiring veterans a priority and will continue to champion these leading examples that support the continued success of our country’s brave men and women.”
The Mark Sanders Award is given out annually at the NASWA Veterans Conference. It recognizes a one-stop career center whose efforts to serve vets go above and beyond the scope of mandatory service provision. They also have a special emphasis on serving veterans with significant barriers to employment.
It is named in honor of Mark Sanders who was with the California Employment Development Department and in NASWA leadership roles. He was untiring in his efforts to promote excellence in services to disabled Veterans.
