DES MOINES — The Iowa Job Honor Awards is accepting nominations until April 15 for its annual awards event, to be conducted in June in Sioux City. The awards celebrate Iowans who have overcome significant barriers to employment and the employers who hire them.
Launched in Iowa in 2014, America’s Job Honor Awards is expanding nationally under the lead sponsorship of ManpowerGroup. Previous honorees have overcome physical and mental disabilities, criminal convictions and limited English skills in their struggle for employment.
“Our society celebrates lottery winners, movie stars and professional athletes,” said founder Kyle Horn. “We rarely hear inspiring stories of individuals whose lives are transformed through the hard work and perseverance that leads to meaningful employment. It’s time for a new kind of hero.”
The third annual Iowa Job Honor Awards will be presented during the Iowa Association of Business (ABI) and Industry’s annual Taking Care of Business Conference on June 14-16 in Sioux City, before an audience of several hundred Iowa business leaders.
“Iowa employers are seeking creative solutions to our labor shortage and ABI is proud to sponsor the Iowa Job Honor Awards,” ABI President Mike Ralston said. “By shining a spotlight on success stories, the awards will help us engage our state’s untapped workforce.”
Top employee honorees will bring home $500 each, and winners in both the employee and employer categories will receive engraved awards. Biographical videos will be presented for all honorees.
“Expect some deeply moving personal stories,” said Horn.
Nominations are invited through the organization's website, www.JobHonor.org before the April 15 deadline. Videos of previous honorees can be viewed at the website.
ABI has been the voice of Iowa business since 1903. Its mission is to provide a strong, unified voice to business and industry on issues affecting Iowa employers. ABI is comprised of 1,500 member companies of all types and sizes in all 99 counties employing more than 310,000 Iowans. For more information, visit www.iowaabi.org.