In a Sunday op-ed for the Des Moines Register, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) President Rob Denson made the case for how true partnership and the right innovation can solve the most pressing workforce development challenges.

Denson touted the role community colleges play in offering an economically beneficial alternative to four-year universities for students who can graduate into high-paying jobs debt-free. He also outlined how these colleges can partner with companies like Index to get skilled workers fully prepared for their jobs more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

Today’s community college story is “one of high quality, lower costs, smaller class sizes and a focus on preparing students for immediate entry into the workforce,” wrote Denson.

Denson went on to highlight the Electric Utility Technology program that DMACC launched in partnership with Index and Berkshire Hathaway utility MidAmerican Energy. The digital curriculum created by Index was described as a “key enabler” in the program, one with broad application to other industries.

The interactive training eBooks and augmented reality apps from Index helps reduce both the time and cost of training, and employers like MidAmerican – by participating in the development of the curriculum – raise the standardization of what apprentices will learn.

“America’s community colleges, together with partners like MidAmerican Energy and Index AR Solutions, can provide a one-year bridge between students and meaningful career,” Denson wrote.

Read the full op-ed on the Des Moines Register website.