Workforce Solutions Breakfast Highlights Workforce Data and Talent Strategies

On Thursday, May 14, 2026, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation hosted its latest Workforce Solutions Breakfast at the Diamond Jo Casino, bringing together employers, educators, workforce partners, elected officials, and community leaders for a morning focused on the region’s workforce landscape and the importance of strengthening the under-40 talent pipeline.

The breakfast featured updates from Greater Dubuque Development’s Workforce Solutions team, including current workforce resources, regional data insights from the 2025 Skills Gap Analysis, and collaborative initiatives designed to support talent attraction, retention, and recruitment across the Greater Dubuque region.

Jason White, President & CEO of Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, opened the event by welcoming attendees and thanking community partners including the City of Dubuque, Dubuque County, the Dubuque Racing Association (DRA), TH Media, Diamond Jo Casino, and the many workforce and education collaborators supporting regional workforce initiatives. He also highlighted the continued importance of partnerships in addressing workforce challenges and advancing long-term regional growth.

Mandi Dolson, Director of Workforce Recruitment & Retention, provided an overview of Workforce Solutions programs designed to help employers attract and retain talent while helping newcomers, students, and young professionals build meaningful connections within the Greater Dubuque region.

Her presentation emphasized the importance of creating a sense of belonging and engagement as a workforce strategy, highlighting programs such as the HR Professionals Cohort, Distinctively Dubuque, Talent Dubuque, the YOU can be great here Community of Colleges series, and the Welcome Students Campaign. Together, these efforts help connect interns, college students, newcomers, and employers to the people, resources, and experiences that encourage long-term retention and community engagement.

Attendees also viewed videos highlighting the impact of Distinctively Dubuque and the framing behind the Welcome Students Campaign, showcasing how relationship-building, networking opportunities, and community experiences help new residents feel welcomed and connected in the region.

Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming, presented findings from the 2025 Skills Gap Analysis, an annual report produced in partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) that examines projected workforce demand, educational completions, and regional labor force trends.

The presentation highlighted several key findings, including projected growth in the region’s top eight industries, demographic trends that continue to impact workforce availability across the seven-county Greater Dubuque region, and the top 20 skills gaps identified in 2025. Hockenberry emphasized the growing importance of attracting, retaining, and developing younger workers, defined as individuals 40 and under, as the region experiences an aging workforce and increasing labor demand.

The breakfast also explored strategies that should be deployed through coordinated partnerships to address workforce challenges, including career exposure programs for K–12 students, transportation initiatives, talent attraction efforts, newcomer engagement, college student retention efforts, and employer-connected training pathways.

The breakfast concluded with a spotlight on Opportunity Dubuque, a collaborative workforce training initiative led by NICC and supported through Dubuque Works partnerships. Erin Powers Daley, Executive Director of Workforce & Programming Initiatives at NICC, shared how the program connects individuals with tuition-supported, industry-aligned training opportunities that lead directly to in-demand careers in healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, skilled trades, and other sectors.

Since launching in 2011, Opportunity Dubuque has served more than 4,700 students through 29 career pathways developed in collaboration with regional employers. Daley also emphasized the importance of student success coaching and employer partnerships in helping participants complete training and transition into employment or continued education opportunities.

Attendees also viewed a video highlighting the impact of the program’s CDL pathway and heard renewed encouragement for employers to engage with Opportunity Dubuque through sponsorships, hiring partnerships, internships, advisory participation, and other workforce collaborations.

Jason White concluded the breakfast with a call for continued collaboration and employer engagement around workforce development strategies across the region. Attendees were also encouraged to consider one final question: “As we look toward the year ahead, what is one bold action or program that could positively impact talent strategies across the Greater Dubuque region?” The prompt reinforced the event’s focus on partnership, innovation, and collective action in strengthening the region’s workforce pipeline.

To access the 2025 Skills Gap Analysis or learn more about Workforce Solutions initiatives, visit Greater Dubuque Development Corporation online, or contact our Workforce Solutions team of Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming at nicolash@greaterdubuque.org or Mandi Dolson, Director of Workforce Recruitment & Retention at mandid@greaterdubuque.org.