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WLC Career Discovery Tours Introduce Students to Area Businesses

This month, WLC coordinated our annual Career Discovery Tours for middle and high school students. Twenty-eight area businesses and organizations across Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington counties opened their doors to students as part of the event. More than 875 students participated in the tours. Students heard directly from employers, saw the operations and innovation happening up close, and learned about the great career opportunities available and the type of education needed to get hired.

We are excited this year to have seven new businesses and organizations participating in the Career Discovery Tours: African American Museum of Iowa, The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Magna Manufacturing, Nordex, Polo Custom Products, UnityPoint Health, and the University of Iowa Driving Safety Research Institute.

“I’m excited to see Career Discovery Tours continue to grow each year,” said WLC Program Coordinator Shalane Brinkman. “We want to continue adding new career paths each year so we can introduce students to a wider variety of opportunities and expose them to how many different career possibilities are out there. It’s especially exciting to welcome middle school students back this year after focusing on high school students last year. I’m so appreciative of the schools that take advantage of this opportunity for their students, because I know how much work goes into coordinating a field trip.

“I’m also incredibly grateful to the businesses and organizations that take the time to plan these experiences and step away from their day-to-day work to spend time with students,” Brinkman continued. “Their willingness to open their doors and share what they do makes these experiences possible for students!”

An important goal of Career Discovery Tours is to make students aware of the amazing, innovative companies and careers available right here in our region.

“Whether it is here at our factory or any place of work, seeing the work firsthand really gives the students insight into what a career involves,” said Mike Westphal, assistant general manager at Magna Manufacturing. “It lets the students see if that career is really what they thought it was and gives them insight into careers that they never knew existed and that might interest them. In our industry specifically, working in a manufacturing plant can be seen as low-skilled, dirty, hard physical work. It is not like that anymore. We have cutting-edge technologies like robotics, lasers, autonomous vehicles, and vision systems with high-definition cameras. To keep this high-tech equipment functioning, we need highly skilled people. Manufacturing has changed a lot in the last 10 years, and we are excited to show that to students.”

These generous companies opened their doors to talk with students: African American Museum of Iowa, Blu Track, Boomerang, Capri College, Coralville Fire Department, University of Iowa Driving Safety Research Institute, Eldon C. Stutsman Inc., Engineered Building Design, Englert Theatre, ESCO Group, FREUND Inc., IFP Motion Solutions, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, In Tolerance Contract Manufacturing, Kirkwood Hospitality Management, Ledford Engineering, Magna – Williamsburg Manufacturing, Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative, Metal Design Systems Inc., Modern Company, New Leader Manufacturing, Nordex, Polo Custom Products, Skyworks Solutions, Inc., TSF Structures, UnityPoint Health, and the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.

Introducing New WLC Team Member Kelsey Portwine

Kelsey Portwine is the new Johnson County internship coordinator, replacing Rochelle Sowers. Portwine will work out of the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa.

Where did you work prior to WLC?

Prior to this position, I worked at Clear Creek Amana as the Transition Alliance Program coordinator, where I supported students in reaching their educational and employment goals.

What careers were you interested in when you were in high school?

When I was in high school, I was interested in pursuing either cosmetology or social work. At the time, the one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted a career where I could work with people and make a difference.

From your perspective, why is career exploration such a pivotal part of a student’s educational journey?

I believe career exploration plays a huge role in helping students discover what they want to do in the future. Every job shadow is an opportunity to learn more about what interests you or to discover something that may not be the right fit. Both outcomes are valuable in different ways.

Hands-on experiences, such as internships, can have a significant impact and even shift the direction of a student’s entire career/educational journey. I believe every decision we make can be a domino effect, shaping where we end up in the future. Each experience, opportunity, and decision is an important part of that journey!

What are you looking forward to in your new role?

I look forward to connecting with students and helping to provide meaningful experiences that can shape their future decisions. My goal is to help students gain confidence, explore their interests, and feel more confident about their future path.

From the Classroom to the Lab: A Partnership That’s Working By Christine Knapp, Former Water Plant Operations Manager, City of Cedar Rapids

When Cedar Rapids Utilities welcomed a Kirkwood WLC intern through its doors in 2025, the internship was a 32-hour commitment — a brief window to introduce a high school senior to the world of water and wastewater career paths. During that time, Prairie High School student Ian Betts gained exposure not only to day-to-day utility operations but also to the engineering principles that keep infrastructure running, the laboratory science behind water quality, and the environmental stewardship responsibilities that define the work of a public utility. What happened next is exactly the kind of story that makes workforce development worth doing.

The WLC program pairs local employers with high school students seeking hands-on career exploration before graduation. For Cedar Rapids Utilities, participation in the program reflects a broader commitment: investing in the next generation of water professionals before the workforce pipeline runs dry. Betts did not just complete his internship and move on; he went to college, kept his sights set on a career in the field, and this summer returned to the utility as a laboratory temporary analyst.

The 2025 internship gave Betts a ground-level look at utility operations. He got a glimpse of the processes, the people, and the purpose behind the work of delivering safe, clean water to the Cedar Rapids community. He also gained perspective on the responsibility utilities carry in the treatment of wastewater and the regulatory framework that guides the teams in protecting public health and the environment. Thirty-two hours is not long, but it is enough to spark something. Clearly, it did.

Now a sophomore in college, Betts returned for the summer to fill a vital need. In his role as laboratory temporary analyst, he gained direct experience in water quality testing, sampling protocols, and the analytical work that underpins regulatory compliance and operational decision-making every single day.

For the Utilities team, Betts’ return is a point of genuine pride. It validates the time invested in hosting students and signals that the work being done is compelling enough to bring people back.

Why This Matters

The water industry is facing a well-documented generational turnover. Experienced operators and laboratory professionals are retiring, and the pipeline of trained replacements has not kept pace. Programs like Kirkwood’s Workplace Learning Connection help bridge that gap, but only when employers show up, open their facilities, and make the experience meaningful.

Cedar Rapids Utilities has done exactly that, and the results speak for themselves. A student who might never have considered a career in water treatment sat in on operations, watched laboratory analysis in action, and left with a direction. A year later, he’s putting in the work to build that career, and he’s doing it with the same utility that first hosted him.

Cedar Rapids Utilities looks forward to continuing its relationship with WLC and encourages other departments and divisions to consider hosting future interns. Every student who walks through the door is a potential future colleague. Sometimes, they come back sooner than you’d expect.