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July 2023
Greeting partners!
Summer is in full swing and so is the work of the Workforce Innovation Board (WIB). This month's newsletter highlights several news and events taking place within the local workforce ecosystem this month. We also continue the statewide Caring Careers campaign, focusing on health care employment that makes a real difference in the lives of other.
On behalf of the WIB, thank you for your partnership and commitment to ensuring Ramsey County is a place where all people are valued and thrive.
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Kulas reflects on his time as the WIB chair and confidence in the future for Ramsey County
When I agreed to become Chair-elect of the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County (WIB) in the summer of 2018, little did I know what would happen over the next five years. We saw a global pandemic force many employees to work at home, while many others lost their jobs. We saw civil unrest and a greater call for social justice. And this was all just in a few months in 2020.
But the WIB and Ramsey County were well-positioned to adapt and help those who needed support the most. As I look back at my time as Chair, I fondly remember how we identified the need for unemployed residents to get laptops and internet access through our TechPaks program. After hearing from so many employers the difficulty in finding workers, I was happy to see an in-person job fair at Allianz Field in the summer of 2021, an event which has now been repeated twice and similar events extended to other parts of the county.
Read more of Chad Kulas' reflections.
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 Ramsey County's Youth Works! program was recently awarded a 2023 Achievement Award by the National Association of Counties. Ramsey County is home to a wide network of high-quality organizations seeking to provide employment and educational opportunities to young people, ages 14-24. With nearly 50% of residents between the ages of 14 and 34, and persistent racial economic disparities, the work of community organizations is critical. but has at times lacked coordination and supports from the wider workforce ecosystem.
The WIB and Ramsey County Workforce Solutions have leveraged the role of convener to accelerate the efforts to build a coordination hub while recognizing the unique strengths of individual programs and organizations providing work deep in our communities in a decentralized model. Youth Works! serves as a collaboration hub which brings together these organizations and partners to align and improve the employment and training opportunities for young people in the community ensuring more access, reducing duplication and increasing collective impact. By serving as a backbone organization to this initiative, Ramsey County has begun offering a number of supports, programs and engagements for community organizations to take advantage of to allow them to focus on various points along the continuum of support while helping youth embark on a career pathway.
Learn more about Youth Works! including how to subscribe to the Youth Works! newsletter.
Ramsey County and the city of Saint Paul announce new young adult workforce development program
Ramsey County and the city of Saint Paul announced a multi-million-dollar investment into Learn and Earn, a new young adult workforce development initiative. A total of $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars will fund the initiative, which will provide career preparation opportunities in fields including construction, green energy, entrepreneurship, healthcare, human services and information technology, through 13 local community-based organizations.
“Learn and Earn providers are anticipating on serving 700 young residents,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Rena Moran. “Investing in Learn and Earn programs was one of the critical recommendations in the plan that currently serves as our Economic Development Framework.”
Read the full article.
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Workforce Solutions welcomes Right Track intern
Workforce Solutions is excited to host Zaire Mays, a summer intern through the city of Saint Paul's Right Track program! Zaire graduated from high school in 2022 and is interested in pursuing a career in social work. Some other areas of interest for her are volleyball, basketball, and playing Roblox. Zaire says she is very thankful for the opportunity to be working at Workforce Solutions this summer.
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By Oriane Casale, Assistant Director of the Labor Market Information Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
Teen employment levels have increased, unemployment rates are at records lows, wages and hours worked are at record highs, and teens fill a higher share of jobs than in the years leading up to the pandemic. This is good news for employers who have summer positions to fill and for teens who want to gain work experience and earn money for expenses or college. This article includes tips for teens who are looking for work and for employers who are looking to hire teen workers.
Teen Employment Trends
The pandemic recession hit employed youth hard in 2020 because youth are most likely to work in customer facing service sector jobs, exactly the jobs that disappeared during the COVID-19 Recession. As a result, youth unemployment (age 16 to 19 year olds) rose to 13.8% in January 2021 in Minnesota on a 12-month moving average basis. However, Minnesota's youth unemployment rate stayed high for only a few months, and then dropped quickly as hiring picked up. By December 2021 the youth unemployment rate was 5.4%, the lowest on record going back to 2001, tied with a few months in 2018.
Read the full article.
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This year, 12 businesses in Ramsey County are participating in the Inclusive Workplaces Cohort, a 9-month peer learning program to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in their organizations. One of the participating organizations will be spotlighted each month on social media and in the WIB newsletter. This month's featured organization is Star House.
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James McClean
Director of Government Relations, HealthPartners
WIB Member since 2013
Where do you see the most opportunities for individuals looking to start a career in healthcare?
The shortage of healthcare professionals creates a greater emphasis on training and development within the industry. Many healthcare organizations now offer scholarships, tuition reimbursement, and other forms of support for individuals pursuing healthcare-related degrees or certifications. We are witnessing an increase in pathways to advancement within the industry, with a focus on lifelong learning and career growth.
The healthcare industry provides a wide range of job opportunities, spanning from highly specialized roles like doctors and nurses, which require extensive training, to various entry-level positions that require less initial training but still offer good wages, job security, and room for advancement. There are numerous roles available that cater to different skill sets and interests. These include Medical Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, Radiology Technicians, Physical Therapy Assistants, Phlebotomists, and those in Food Service, just to name a few. Each of these roles plays a vital part on the healthcare team. These positions require minimal initial training, making them accessible entry points into this rewarding field. Moreover, these jobs can serve as steppingstones to more advanced positions in healthcare. Many healthcare organizations now provide on-the-job training, mentorship programs, and career development resources. An excellent example is Ramsey County's Learn and Earn Program, where we partner with Minnesota Training Partners to offer a free 8 to 12 week program that pays you to learn to be a clinic assistant!
Additionally, we are witnessing an encouraging increase in diversity within the healthcare workforce. This is a positive trend, as a diverse workforce is better equipped to serve our diverse community. I am proud to share that HealthPartners is a leader in this area. In 2022, we welcomed over 6,500 new colleagues to the organization, with 36.9% of them being people of color. Colleagues of color made up 21.7% of all promotions at HealthPartners in 2022.
Learn more about James and his work at Regions Hospital.
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Employer of the Day
Every Tuesday
10 a.m.–noon
Looking for a new job? Every Tuesday, a different employer will visit the Ramsey County Library in Roseville to talk about job opportunities in their organization. Bring your resumé and your best first impression to get hired. All are welcome.
This month's featured employers:
If your business is interested in being an Employer of the Day, please contact employerservices@ramseycounty.us.
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Lunch & Learn
July 12
Noon–12:45 p.m.
Are you hungry to connect? Join Ramsey County's One-Stop partners on Wednesday, June 14 for a virtual Lunch & Learn event to get information about partner program services and build your referral network.
The next Lunch and Learn features the following workforce partners:
FATHER Project - James Johnson, Workforce Development Supervisor & Yvonne Brazelton-Singleton, Father Advocate & Case Manager
Avivo – Career Education and Employment Services - Brett Sietsma – Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator
Ramsey County One-Stop partners are committed to increasing knowledge of available programs and services, and increasing partner referrals. This event is ideal for service delivery staff and supervisors in workforce, education and community services.
Join the event! No registration is required.
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 Job fairs and other events related to home-, community-, and facility-based care employment are taking place across the state this summer. For a complete list of events, please visit the Caring Careers events page on the CareerForce website.
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  Mental health, character and responsibility: building a bridge to reentry
A positive community environment is vital to justice-impacted individuals seeking reentry into society. While there is much a local employer can do to increase their awareness of the possibilities these persons provide, the justice-impacted individual also needs a lot of mental strength and courage to overcome any fear or doubt they have to make that transition.
Aldrick Woodruff is one example of an individual who has exhibited and cultivated the mental tenacity necessary to restore his place in the local community. This month, the U.S. Air Force veteran will complete a thirty-year sentence in the Minnesota correctional system for taking another person’s life. With no criminal record before that crime and as a former U.S. Air Force sergeant, Woodruff already had a good work ethic and level of discipline.
“Committing that crime shook me to my core because that was not what I was supposed to be,” he said. “Going forward, I made a point to change my environment instead of letting my environment change me.”
Continue to the full article.
This feature is part of a series of Fair Opportunities articles meant to raise awareness of the employment needs of justice-impacted individuals and the benefits to employers willing to give these returning citizens a chance at meaningful employment. Please visit the Fair Opportunities Hiring page on the Ramsey County Means Business website to find more resources and events being supported by the WIB.
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