In this month's newsletter, the Workforce Innovation Board (WIB) is excited to uplift apprenticeships and the value they contribute to building a strong local economy, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved populations. I hope you will take a minute to read the feature story about a local manufacturing company that is realizing the benefits of implementing a robust apprenticeship program and that you will consider attending some of the events happening throughout the month. I am grateful for your partnership and our shared work to ensure that Ramsey County is a great place to live, work and do business.  

November 14-20 is Apprenticeship Week! This is a great opportunity for the apprenticeship community to tell their stories and share with businesses, industry, labor, education, career-seekers, community-based organizations, students and workers the advantages of developing careers through adoption of the apprenticeship model.

Throughout the week the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry will host and share information about events and feature apprentices, community-based organizations and apprenticeship program sponsors.

Find more information about Apprenticeship Week here and in the Upcoming Events section of this newsletter.

Innovize is a specialized medical device manufacturer in operation in Vadnais Heights for more than 60 years. It focuses on medical device contract manufacturing for the largest medical device companies in the world and is ISO 13485 Certified, GMP-Compliant and ISO9001 Certified. At first glance, such an established company should have a considerable pool of skilled individuals seeking to work in their manufacturing facility. Yet, Innovize found hiring operators to be an increasingly difficult proposition.

“As our products and processes grew, we struggled to find individuals with the training or experience necessary to run our unique processes,” said Rick Pratt, Innovize’s Senior Manufacturing Manager. “We had to find a way to train individuals for our specific positions.”

Read the full story. 

On October 18, members of the WIB joined Workforce Solutions and Saint Paul Right Track staff at the Saint Paul RiverCentre for Career Connect Day, hosted by the Saint Paul Area Chamber. The event welcomed 1,600 local 10th graders who had the opportunity to meet with over 90 Minnesota businesses in six different industry tracks to explore a wide range of career pathways. The WIB was proud to provide funds for bussing so that every Ramsey County high school had their transportation costs covered. 

Construction Connect provides construction related employment and training information to job seekers, workforce professionals and construction employers in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Construction Connect assists the construction industry by increasing the diversity of the workforce through its community, business and government networks and its over 12 years of presence on websites and social media platforms.

Visit Construction Connect to learn more! 

Don Mullin

Saint Paul Building Trades Council 

Executive Secretary and WIB Member since 2015

Share about the work of the Saint Paul Building Trades Council.

There are many aspects to the Saint Paul Building Trades Council. The one I am most proud of is building communities with housing and meeting the workforce needs.

Where do you see the most opportunities for individuals looking to start a career in the trades?  All the crafts have great opportunity! It’s a great time to get into construction and start to build a career and shape a community.   

Read more about Don and his work at Saint Paul Building Trades Council.

Immigrant and Refugee Job and Career Fair - November 3, 1-4 p.m.

CareerForce Saint Paul is hosting an Immigrant and Refugee Job and Career Fair for new Americans on Thursday, November 3 from 1-4 p.m. Make solid connections with employers and learn about community resources! Translation services will be available. Also enter a drawing for a 42" TV!

Art From the Inside IDENTIFY Exhibit and Reception 

Join Art from the Inside, an organization that gives incarcerated artists the opportunity to express themselves through art, November 9 - December 3 at the gallery in Creators Space for their ground-breaking exhibition, IDENTITY, featuring original works created by artists incarcerated at Minnesota correctional facilities in Stillwater and Faribault.

They are hosting a Grand Opening and Community Reception on Saturday, November 12 at 5 p.m. Register for an evening of art, music, and conversation. Space is limited so register today!

Learn more about Art from the Inside and register for the reception. 

Youth Apprenticeship in Action - November 14, 3-4 p.m.

This online webinar will highlight Youth Apprenticeship programs in Minnesota schools. Presenters will share information about what their programs look like within their school districts, how they partner with employers to ensure students are safe, and where they see opportunities for growing their programs.

Register here to attend. Password: Y6WnkWyuC98

Fostering Independence Grant Program Info Session - November 28, 6-7 p.m.

Workforce Solutions is organizing an in-person information session on the Fostering Independence Grant (FIG) Program. All interested parties are invited to attend, but the session’s primary audience are Minnesota students who lived in foster care at or after the age of 13 – even if only for one day. Individuals meeting this criterion are likely eligible to complete a 2- or 4-year undergraduate degree program at no cost under this program, and should attend the upcoming information session to learn more about how to apply.

The information session will take place on November 28, 6-7 p.m. at the Rondo Community Library, 461 N. Dale St. in Saint Paul.

Register here for the FIG Program Info Session.

Good Jobs Framework and Re-examining Meaningful Employee Benefits

By Priscilla A. Stallings, Racial Equity Consultant, Center for Economic Inclusion

With an ever-changing economy, now more than ever employers are beginning to examine how they can stand out as desirable places of employment. This shift is allowing for workplaces to reevaluate business as usual to elevate the work experiences of employees and be proclaimed a good employer. Employers can prioritize improving the quality of jobs disproportionately held by Black, Indigenous, Asian and Latino workers - particularly frontline and hourly wage jobs - through adopting the Good Jobs Framework.

Read the full article.