As we look toward summer, we are excited to share a few news items with you, particularly around the workforce needs of our youth and young adults. This month, you will find information about a healthcare training program for high school students, the launch of a webpage with resources for young people, details on an upcoming youth hiring event, and a Workforce Innovation Board (WIB) member spotlight on the Chair of the WIB's Youth Committee. There's also a great article on why supporting Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian employees is a vital part of employee retention.

Thank you for your partnership and continued interest in the priorities of the WIB.

Supported by a Youth Skills Training grant from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Ramsey County Workforce Solutions is currently providing nursing assistant training and healthcare career exploration camps to students from Saint Paul Public Schools, City Academy and Guadalupe Alternative High School. In partnership with Heart Cert, 15 students ages 16-21 have received training to become certified nursing assistants, an entry level position for many entering the healthcare field. Additionally, 24 students are currently participating in a customized healthcare career exploration camp at Saint Paul College. In this camp, students receive exposure to many different jobs in healthcare, from mental health to nursing, surgical tech to health unit coordinator. They also receive Mental Health First Aid, CPR and First Aid certifications. Thank you to our school partners for their support of students throughout these opportunities!

Paul Nikstad

Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corp Center

WIB Youth Committee Chair

"Participating with the WIB was influential in my day-to-day work from the beginning. Before I was oriented to the group, my views of Job Corps and the community was isolated to our program. Learning about the other organizations that provide services in Ramsey County helped me better understand Job Corps’ role as well as what we could do to better contribute. I was able to bring back resources and benefits to students that we hadn’t previously utilized. We met partners that send us students and found business that wanted to engage with graduates. We’ve invited leaders from the WIB to join our Workforce Council to ensure our training is sound. We’ve improved relationships with government partners. Overall, we have made many small changes to our program as a result of participating, but those many small changes represent a large shift to refine our services and outcomes".   

Join us for the Teen Job Fair on May 25, 2-5pm!

Ramsey County along with other metro area workforce development areas, including the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin/Carver, Dakota/Scott, Washington, and Anoka Counties, are partnering together on regular metro area regional job fairs hosted on a new interactive virtual platform.

Employers and job seekers can register for the fair by logging on to www.elevatefutures.com and creating an account. Youth should use TEENJOBS as the registration code. 

Increasing Employee Retention by Healing Cultural Trauma

Article contributed by De’Vonna L. Pittman, Director of Inclusive Growth, Center for Economic Inclusion

The retention of diverse talent is critical to a strong, growing, and profitable organization. Organizations can support employees who are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian by providing an outlet for healing after or during traumatic incidents or when they express that they are dealing with situations that affect their mental health. In the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Month, we submit this article and ways employers can foster inclusion, equity and belonging by being attentive to the mental health and wellness needs of all employees.