Grow Quad Cities presents ‘Top 100’ jobs report and workforce tools to Bettendorf council

Grow Quad Cities delivered a workforce and economic development update to the Bettendorf City Council on Monday, outlining a Top 100 high‑priority jobs report, a web platform to connect students to work‑based learning, and employer‑led training initiatives.

The council heard the presentation from Julie Forsyth, chief economic development officer of Grow Quad Cities, and Chris Caves, vice president of business retention, expansion and workforce. Caves described the Top 100 report as a“data‑driven alignment” tool and said “all of the jobs in this chart, all 100, will pay above the livable wage threshold.”

The report, developed by Grow Quad Cities’ economist using Lightcast software, filters occupations across eight industry categories and requires criteria such as a minimum number of annual openings and an entry‑level wage threshold. Caves said the Top 100 list produced roughly 3,300 average annual openings across the region and a condensed top‑40 list with about 600 annual openings. He told the council that 21 of the top 40 occupations typically require an associate or bachelor’s degree and 16 require on‑the‑job training or apprenticeship.

Nut graf: The presentation frames the report as an actionable roadmap to align regional education and training with employer demand — a priority Grow Quad Cities officials said is essential to retain and attract investment across manufacturing, health care, engineering and emerging targets such as riverfront and mixed‑use development.

Key initiatives described - CareerLink QC: a web‑based repository Grow Quad Cities is developing to connect students and schools to job shadows, internships, apprenticeships and other work‑based learning opportunities across Illinois and Iowa. - FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education): Grow Quad Cities helped mobilize a regional employer consortium and is forming what Caves said will be the first FAME chapter in Iowa, focused on maintenance mechanic training. - Regional marketing and sector targeting: Grow Quad Cities is expanding outreach beyond traditional industrial targets into riverfront, entertainment/mixed‑use, sports marketing and aerospace/defense.

Council discussion and clarifications Councilmembers asked whether the region lacks people with the right skills to attract new industry. Caves replied that manufacturing remains a regional strength with a high location quotient for trades such as welders and machinists, but he said other sectors — notably health care and advanced professional roles — face shortages and an inability to source graduates within a 45‑mile radius for certain occupations (he cited physician assistant programs as an example). On turnover data, Caves said the report does not disaggregate retirements versus job switching; industry partners’ exit interviews would be needed for that level of detail.

Caves also reviewed technical columns in the report — median and entry wages, employment concentration (location quotient), an automation index that estimates exposure to automation and AI, and post‑secondary completions within 45 and 90 mile radii — and highlighted a regional gap in civil engineering completions compared with projected demand.

What’s next Grow Quad Cities officials encouraged local partners to host work‑based learning activities, support apprenticeship pathways and engage in sector boards. Caves said the organization will refresh the report annually to track whether regional education and training pipelines move the needle.

Ending: Councilmembers thanked Grow Quad Cities for the presentation and discussed follow‑up with local higher‑education institutions and workforce boards to better track graduate placement and retention.