For Gabe Bender, working at Carver Pump isn’t just about the job—it’s also about the future. “Job security is really important to me,” he said. “I wanted to be with a company that takes care of its people and helps them grow. That’s what I’ve found here.” 

Thanks to Carver Pump’s partnership with Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) and the support of the Iowa Jobs Training Program (260F), Bender completed classroom and on-the-job training to become a precision machinist. The Muscatine company covered the cost of his CNC associate’s degree and developed a skilled employee who is loyal, engaged, and eager to contribute.  

“This has been a great opportunity,” Bender said.  

A Path to Training 

In high school Bender took two manual machining classes through EICC as a concurrent student. He listed those on his resume when he applied for a career exploration grant, which led him to spend a week at Carver Pump.  

The company noticed the two machining classes. “They asked if I was interested in running a CNC machine,” Bender said. “I said I’d love to learn.” They offered him a job and a free college education.  

Just two days after graduating high school in 2019, Bender started his first day at Carver Pump. Shortly after, he began taking CNC courses at EICC’s Blong Technology Center. 

In the classroom and machining lab, he studied the building blocks and fundamental skills of his trade. Then, working second shift at Carver Pump, he put those lessons to immediate use.  

“It is good to learn both ways,” Bender said. “EICC gave me the base knowledge and then Carver Pump would reinforce that and build on it, too.” His co-workers showed him other ways he could approach a task, different set-ups, ways to be more efficient. “Working with all these different people and having all these resources, you become a better employee.”  

By the time Bender graduated from EICC in 2021, he was running a high-precision machine. By the end of 2024, he was also training new machinists. 

A Culture of Growth 

“Carver Pump wants you to learn all you can and then if you come up with a good idea on how to make something better, they want you to share it,” Bender said. Encouraging innovation benefits the company and promotes growth in its workforce, too. 

Now 23, Bender has a high-skill career, one that allowed him to buy his first home and set even bigger goals for the future, including landing a promotion. This spring he’s returning to EICC to earn a degree in CNC Programming and the company is covering his tuition. 

Skilled employees are in high demand, and Carver Pump’s commitment to investing in its workforce ensures the company’s success while transforming lives - just like it has for Bender.  

“When you take people and educate them, you are giving them purpose,” he said.