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 September 2024
Greetings workforce partners!
Welcome to September, recognized locally and across the state as Workforce Development Month! It's the perfect time to celebrate the critical contributions of workforce development programs that empower job seekers, strengthen businesses, and fuel local, regional and statewide economic growth.
The Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County (WIB) recognizes the importance of investing in people and strengthening connections between employers, job seekers, and community-based organizations to build a skilled and adaptable workforce. This month's newsletter features stories, data, events and resources to support our collective efforts to increase economic opportunities for all. I hope you will take a few minutes to read on.
- Elisa Rasmussen, WIB Chair
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 Follow CareerForce and Ramsey County on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram! Throughout Workforce Development Month, we will be showcasing workforce leaders and staff, as well as drawing attention to the resources available for individuals looking for work and employers who need workers now.
We invite you to learn more about these resources and the hard work of our staff and partners to connect people with jobs and help employers reach often-overlooked talent pools.
Ramsey County staff had the pleasure of joining the city of Saint Paul’s Right Track end of summer celebration for interns to gather and celebrate their hard work. As partners in youth workforce development, the WIB and Workforce Solutions proudly provided resources and next steps for graduating interns and congratulated the Right Track interns who interned in various Ramsey County departments over the summer. Special thanks to Mayor Melvin Carter for inspiring the interns with his presence and words.
Ramsey County, in partnership with Saint Paul and Youth Lens 360, is excited to announce that the new Youth Works! Career Pathways Portal is now live! On July 11, the site premiered at an event co-hosted with the Youth Lens 360. This portal provides young residents with video stories of local leaders and their career journeys, and resources to support them on their own journey. This pathways portal was developed and supported by the E3L Cohort.
This group of young people, supported by the team at Youth Lens 360, participated in a six-month paid learning experience, where they have been able to select, interview and produce videos of local leaders. We look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting more young people throughout the next two years.
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by Tim O'Neill, Regional Labor Market Analyst, DEED
Last month, we investigated the Twin Cities Metro Area's labor force trends. To recap, the region's labor force size and makeup is shifting dramatically. With changing labor force trends, resulting in increasingly tight labor market conditions, the case for analyzing all demographic shifts has become ever more important. How quickly are populations of color growing in the region? Is the labor force still aging? How is labor force participation trending for teenagers? How about for young adults? Are those with disabilities witnessing improved employment opportunities? Are employers hiring those who have criminal backgrounds and are looking for a chance to get back to work and make a new living? How are job requirements changing in relation to educational attainment and skill sets?
And these questions are just scratching the surface of those related to how the labor market is doing, and how workforce development is shaped to assist all of those living and working in Minnesota in general and the Twin Cities Metro Area in particular.
Read the full article.
Inclusive Employer Toolkit offers free resources to employers
Workforce Solutions and the WIB are leading efforts to support employers to address discrimination and unconscious bias within their organizations. One of these efforts is to provide an Inclusive Employer Toolkit. The toolkit aims to help employers provide a more welcoming and inclusive workplace for all by offering practices to build diversity, equity, and inclusion in the areas of employee recruitment, hiring, onboarding and retention.
“The Ramsey County Inclusive Employer Toolkit has been an invaluable resource in designing our employee hiring and retention strategy. By adopting many of the hiring strategies, we no longer struggle to find essential employees for our mission-critical positions. We are grateful for the toolkit and how it helped us to pivot our HR strategy,” said Donna Zingsheim Rapacz, Director of Business Operations at Merrick Inc.
New resources on the topics of skills based hiring and creative employee benefits packages were recently added to the Toolkit. You can view the Toolkit online or it can also be downloaded.
View the toolkit.
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Visit Ramsey County's Workforce Training Dashboard to learn more about how the county is connecting residents to the training programs needed to get people started or advancing in a career.
Providers of free or low cost workforce training programs can submit their program information for inclusion on the training dashboard through an easy to use self-submission form. The training dashboard includes more than 100 training programs in and near Ramsey County across a wide range of in-demand industry sectors.
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 In 2024, 11 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 Ampact.
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Sara Garbe
Workforce Development Supervisor
MN Department of Employment and Economic Development
Member since 2024
What are some of the resources available through CareerForce to help job seekers start or advance in their careers?
CareerForce is often a “best kept secret”, though we don’t want it to be! We can assist new job seekers and experienced workers alike. There are many self-service resources available on MinnesotaWorks.net and CareerForceMN.com that can connect job seekers to job openings, free workshops on the job search process, resume writing, interviewing skills, and career exploration, along with access to local hiring events. There are also staff-assisted services where CareerForce staff provide career counseling and job search assistance (interview preparation, resume writing/reviewing) and career exploration services.
Learn more about Sara.
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Employer of the Day
Tuesdays, 3–5 p.m., at the Maplewood Library
Looking for a new job? Every Tuesday, employers will visit the Ramsey County Library in Maplewood to talk about job opportunities in their organization. Bring your resumé and your best first impression to get hired.
Featured employers:
If your business is interested in being an Employer of the Day, please contact employerservices@ramseycounty.us.
Trainer of the Day
Thursdays, 3–5 p.m., at the Maplewood Library
Meet community based, no-cost skill training programs that are recruiting participants for upcoming classes. Participating in a community based training program is a way to build an up- to-date skill set. When training is complete, get introduced to employers looking for certified trainees and start a new and rewarding career. Courses range from Automotive to IT to Healthcare and much more. See list of possible training courses here.
Featured trainers:
All are welcome!
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Employer of the Day
Thursdays, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at CareerForce in Saint Paul
Take advantage of this opportunity to come in and speak face-to-face with a representative from local businesses about their open positions.
Register here.
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 Workforce Wednesday - What does your strategy say about you: engaging, attracting, & retaining your workforce
Sept. 4, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Recruiting and retaining workforce talent has become a challenge now more than ever. In this market, employers must generate or modify ways of engaging professionals both in and outside of their organizations. What is the message you are sending through your recruiting and retention strategies? Should recruiting and retention be considered separate, or does it run concurrently? At what point does a candidate begin to develop their impression of a company? Could your methods of engaging talent be your greatest barrier?
Join a discussion on the importance of messaging and what employers can do to attract and retain candidate interest.
To register.
 MN Skills-Based Hiring Accelerator Workshops
Sept. 10, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Blaine Human Services Center, 1201 89th Ave NE.
Sept. 24, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., CareerForce Woodbury, 2150 Radio Dr.
The Twin Cities Metro Workforce Development Boards are establishing a new partnership with Goodwill Easter Seals, the Urban League, the Saint Paul Area Chamber and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber for the MN Skills-Based Hiring Accelerator program. Employers can participate in a half-day in-person workshop to receive in-depth learning on:
- Rebuilding an employers’ hiring process with a skills and competency-based approach by focusing on candidates’ capabilities rather than credentials.
- Improving retention by rebuilding job descriptions, interview processes, onboarding and more.
- Increasing diversity among your workforce using data-driven tools that lead to more equitable hiring processes.
- Providing networking with talent-sourcing organizations.
Following participation in a workshop, employers have access to monthly Community of Practice calls where they can dive into questions about the skills-based hiring process and receive one-on-one coaching from facilitators.
Learn more about MN Skills-Based Hiring Accelerator.
 2024 Minnesota Workforce Summit
Sept. 12, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, 350 Harbor Dr., Duluth MN 55802
The 2024 Minnesota Workforce Summit will bring together stakeholders from across our state’s workforce development landscape to focus on key factors in Minnesota’s equitable economic growth: growing the labor force to meet the needs of Minnesota employers and connecting Minnesotans with family-sustaining employment.
Registration fee: $25
For more information and to register.
 Twin Cities Startup Week
Sept. 13-20
Twin Cities Startup Week is a multidisciplinary festival celebrating Minnesota's expansive startup ecosystem. Events hosted over seven days build relationships and drive collaboration to support and develop the state's most innovative businesses.
Events include:
Get your tickets now. Don't miss out on the amazing content, anchor events, community gatherings, parties, and more.
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Economic uncertainties, talent shortages, workforce misalignments, and rapidly evolving technology have greatly influenced the workplace in recent years. These factors have made it increasingly challenging to accurately predict labor market needs and supply. However, several significant shifts have emerged, especially regarding hybrid work, where workforce shortages across numerous industry sectors have emphasized the need for flexible work models. Erin Olson, Senior Director of Strategic Research at RealTime Talent, provided insights in her presentation titled "Top 10 Trends to Watch in Ramsey County’s Workforce Landscape”. According to Olson, "the hybrid work model is not just a trend but a necessary evolution in how we approach work for locations like Ramsey County that face significant challenges on many fronts.”
Continue to the full article.
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