Director's Corner
We hope everyone is having a warm and pleasant summer! In
this issue you’ll meet Cameron Macht, who takes over Rachel Vilsack’s LMI
column for us. Rachel recently received a promotion to oversee performance for
the entire agency – since she is an “alum” of this unit, we are proud
colleagues and know she will continue to do amazing work for you as partners,
and Minnesotans in general! We’re also thrilled to see Cameron continue the
tradition she started of terrific information for the field – welcome, Cameron!
In just over a month, the all-new Workforce One will launch.
If you use Workforce One and have not been to any of the
trainings that have happened, or have not “played” in the sandbox that
has been available for months, or have not taken any of the other
opportunities to learn about what’s coming…I strongly advise you to invest the
time necessary to learn this system! Our program staff and monitors will expect
all counselors and other users of Workforce One to be reasonably proficient in
its use, very quickly after launch. This agency and its partners have invested
significant resources in the agile development, continuous feedback, and
excellent training that has characterized this rewrite. It is now up to you,
as Workforce One users, to ensure you have what you need to succeed with this
system.
Annie Tietema is the Product Owner of Workforce One and
serves as this division’s key liaison to the Information Technology team that
has developed this terrific rewrite. You can reach her at Annie.Tietema@state.mn.us if you need to catch up. She has the thanks of
the member programs in Workforce One, as does the entire MNIT Workforce One
rewrite team led by Brian Allie, Cathy Russell, Britta Holland, Shari Olson,
and Dave Schueck…and many others too numerous to list! They’re a remarkable
team, and we’re proud to be public servants alongside them…as we are proud to
serve alongside you!
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Corner On The Market:
Shifting Economic Winds are Lifting the Sales
With Cameron Macht
As the
economy has recovered from the doldrums of the recession, a rising tide of
sales has started lifting many boats. Policymakers, news organizations, and
economists all closely track retail sales and consumer spending reports,
searching for signs of consumer confidence and economic growth. Positive sales
numbers quickly gain the spotlight.
Most
salespeople don’t mind the added attention – because this is their time to
shine. According to the occupational description, sales representatives have
social interests and “consider achievement important. They like to see the
results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a
feeling of accomplishment from their work.” Many sales workers are basking in
the demand right now.
In
fact, employers in Central Minnesota reported the largest number of
sales-related job vacancies in the second quarter of 2013, with more than
double the number of vacancies reported during the recession. In the fourth quarter
of 2013, sales and related occupations had the seventh highest number of job
vacancies in Central Minnesota, behind construction, healthcare support, office
and administrative support, food prep, transportation, and health care.
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 Judging by the high
number of openings currently posted on www.MinnesotaWorks.net, there is
plenty of work to accomplish for skilled salespeople as businesses focus on
increasing sales numbers. Through the second quarter of 2014, about 15 percent
of the jobs listed on MinnesotaWorks in the West Central area were in sales or
related occupations.
Sales jobs range from cashiers and retail salespeople
(occupations that typically rely on short-term, on-the-job training) to sales
engineers who sell business goods or services (occupations that may require a
technical background equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in engineering), and
everything in between. Many sales occupations offer on-the-job training, but
others require related work experience or post-secondary education.
All sales jobs require
some math and communication skills, including speaking, reading and writing, as
well as social perceptiveness and critical thinking skills. Sales is ultimately
a people-centered job, requiring the ability to influence decision making, resolve
conflicts and negotiate for the benefit of all parties involved. For manufacturing
and technical sales jobs, knowledge of production, processing or design might
also be necessary.
For people with the right mix of skills and attitude,
education and training, and assertiveness and achievement, sales careers can
offer great employment opportunities in current economic times and into the
future.
National Emergency Grant Updates
On July 1st, DEED was awarded the Job-Driven (JD) NEG. The JD NEG will serve 132 long-term
unemployed job seekers in central Minnesota and Washington County with
opportunities for OJTs and apprenticeships in skilled manufacturing with
additional training opportunities in health care, energy production,
information technology, engineers and truck/transportation in Central
Minnesota, and manufacturing, health care and financial careers in Washington
County.
The next NEG quarterly reports for the period ending June 30, 2014 are
due to DOL on August 14, 2014. We’ve sent reminder emails to program staff to
complete Workforce One data entry by July 11th. Gao will send participant
numbers to be confirmed by Wednesday, July 23rd at the latest. Please look for her email, and confirm your
participant numbers by Friday, August 1st.
Thank you for your work and your partnership.
For questions about NEGs, email our NEG team at DEED.NEG@state.mn.us, or
contact the program staff directly.
Provider Updates
We would like to
welcome and announce that RESOURCE, Inc. is the new Displaced Homemakers
Program (DHP) provider for the Metro area. RESOURCE is located at 1900 Chicago Avenue,
Minneapolis, MN 55404. As many of you
know, Employment Action Center (a division of RESOURCE Inc.) is also a
certified Dislocated Worker provider.
RESOURCE’s employment services
and training teams will provide eligible displaced homemakers pre-employment
services, transitional services and vocational preparation to equip
participants to enter or re-enter the labor market after having been out of the
workforce for at least two years. Services are offered at several RESOURCE metro
locations. The Metro Area Counties to be served are Anoka, Carver, Dakota,
Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington.
Referring
organizations, and individuals interested in enrolling, may contact Meghan Kofoed
at (612) 572-8118 (Minneapolis and surrounding communities) or Tiffany Chue at (612)
752-8876 (St. Paul and surrounding communities). Or visit the RESOURCE’s website
at: http://www.resource-mn.org/displaced-homemakers-program/.
Also visit DEED’s website for
further information on the Displaced Homemaker Program: http://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/find-a-job/targeted-services/homemakers.jsp
Policy Updates
DEED staff have recently updated the
Dislocated Worker program eligibility policy and the Adult/DW Performance
Standards policy. Please contact program staff in the event you have questions.
Performance Updates
Year-end cleaning
Every year, prior to submitting our WIA
annual report to USDOL, we “freeze” our program year data. While you can update
your data in WF1 at any time, any updates you make after this freeze date will not be reflected in our official
performance for that year. This year, August 1 is our freeze date.
Please take the month of July to
review your rosters (the list of
individuals appearing in your official performance), to determine whether your
performance is reflected correctly. You might also want to review your CSWIR report to find participants
you’ve exited who are showing no wages in wage detail—these are good candidates
for supplemental wage information. Reach out to Chrys Zaglifa (Chrys.Zaglifa@state.mn.us) or Amy
Carlson (Amy.Carlson@state.mn.us)
if you have questions about any of these resources.
Success Story
Tracy
Robinson
Rural
Minnesota CEP, Inc.
I worked as a
painter for over 20 years before I found myself unemployed due to company
cutbacks. Unfortunately, the company was never able to call me back to
work. I collected unemployment insurance
for 6 months while searching for employment.
I visited the
Minnesota WorkForce Center in Brainerd where through the WIA Dislocated Worker
program, I received career counseling, career planning and resources to assist
with my job search. I decided a change
of pace was needed, including a new career.
My career choice was to become an over-the-road truck driver.
Staff assisted me
in exploring educational institutions and financial aid packages in obtaining
my CDL training and licensure. Rural
Minnesota CEP, Inc. (RMCEP) approved Workforce Investment Act funding
assistance for my schooling. I
successfully completed my schooling at St. Cloud Technical and Community
College, passed my CDL exam that same day and joined the world of
transportation professionals.
Two days after I
received my CDL licensure, I interviewed for an over-the-road (OTR) truck
driver position with South Bay Transport out of Mankato, Minnesota. An employment offer was made and I
accepted. I log miles from coast to
coast and feel optimistic about my future with South Bay Transport. The company has treated me very well and I am
enjoying my new career.
I achieved a
Silver level of the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). I thank RMCEP, the WorkForce Center and the
St. Cloud Technical & Community College for helping me achieve my career
goal.
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