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Northland Vet Paying It Forward After Difficult Transition
WDIO-10/7/14
"Military experience is very valuable. It just needs to be understood," Ben Vanderscheuren said. Five days a week, translating those skills for employers is his job. As a DEED veterans employment representative, he helps veterans write resumes and prep for job interviews at the WorkForce Center in Duluth.
How a New State Website is Helping Students Make College Pay
MinnPost-10/7/14
Minnesota high school students now have the ability to expand their power base. When they are agonizing over technical school and college choices, they can now look at marketplace data that show which academic programs have high placement rates and what recent graduates are being paid.
New Program Offers Sales Tax Refund for Small Businesses
KTTC-TV-10/12/14
Small businesses in southeastern Minnesota could receive sales tax refunds of up to $2 million per year, thanks to a new initiative launched by DEED.
Next week is Minnesota Manufacturers Week, an annual event that celebrates the important role that manufacturing plays in the state economy. Manufacturing accounts for more than 316,000 jobs in Minnesota, making it the second-biggest employer in the state. Details about tours and other activities during the week are available here.
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State Launches Initiatives to Encourage Small Business Growth
DEED has launched three new initiatives that offer assistance to help small businesses expand or improve their operations: the Greater Minnesota Job Expansion Program, Innovation Voucher Pilot Program and Job Training Incentive Pilot Program.
Job Vacancies Reach 13-Year High
Job vacancies in the state climbed to their highest level in 13 years in the second quarter, with employers reporting nearly 84,700 openings, according to DEED figures. The study found that 47,100 vacancies -- 55.6 percent of the total -- were in the Twin Cities metro. The remaining 37,600 vacancies were in Greater Minnesota. Health care and social assistance had the most vacancies.
 The interview process is critically important when making a hiring decision. If you are interviewing a job candidate who is blind, visually impaired, or DeafBlind, two simple tips will help ensure that you will fairly assess the applicant’s skills and experience: always ask and be flexible. If you are not sure how parts of the job could be done by a job candidate with vision loss, ask the candidate directly. Many companies use tests and assessment tools to assess an applicant’s skills and knowledge. There are many ways for a person who is blind or visually impaired to complete such work. Ask the candidate what would work best for them. Usually there is an easy fix that you may not have considered. State Services for the Blind has more information for employers here. And here are tips to help blind, visually impaired and DeafBlind job seekers ace the interview. |
