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Inside Industry, a career development and job fair event, took
place on October 22nd at the Minneapolis Central Library. The
event featured job fairs for health care and STEM (Science, Engineering,
Technology and Math) careers, industry speakers and panels, and workshop sessions.
MnSCU students, job seekers from area Workforce Centers and
the general public networked with thirty exhibiting companies and ten MnSCU
colleges. All exhibitors provided information on entering, transitioning and
advancing in health care and STEM professions.
Two interactive workshops, “Hire Me Again” and “Create Your
Personal Brand,” supplied job seekers with actionable steps they can take to
build networks and relevant experience in these rapidly-growing industries.
Attendance at the event was diverse; an overwhelming
majority of attendees were women and people of color. Feedback was positive,
with many job seekers reporting they secured job leads, job offers, or scheduled
interviews with hiring managers.
Inside Industry was a collaborative effort among
metropolitan area MNSCU college career advisors and City of Minneapolis Employment and
Training. Funding for the event was provided by Hennepin County and City of
Minneapolis.
In response to the rapid growth in tech jobs in the
Minneapolis region, the City of Minneapolis, PRIME Digital Academy, IT Futures
Foundation – IT Ready, Concordia University – Software Guild, and 60
regional employers came together to train and place nontraditional, diverse IT
workers into software engineering and support roles. Minneapolis TechHire continues
to grow as more tech partners, nonprofit providers, and employers join the
movement.
In the first six months of its pilot year, Minneapolis
TechHire has achieved the following:
- 117 trainees have completed accelerated programs
- 54 graduates have been placed in full-time positions, with
salaries averaging $46,489
- Employers range widely across industry and sectors
including: C.H. Robinson, the City of Minneapolis, Wells Fargo, Target, the
Nerdery, G5 Solutions, Allina Health, Ceridian, Analysts International Corp
(AIC), SIRVA, and many more.
Keep up to date on Tech Hire here.
Governor Mark Dayton announced that he will
create a new Office of Career and Business Opportunity to be housed at the
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The Office will
provide leadership to help workers and businesses of color find career paths
and business opportunities in Minnesota.
“This is a first and important step in
addressing the troubling economic disparities facing people of color in
Minnesota,” Dayton said in an October 11th press release.
To ensure that the mission of the Office is
a high priority for DEED and the Dayton Administration, it will be led by a
director and overseen by a senior level staff member who will be a member
Commissioner’s senior leadership team.
Governor Dayton’s announcement follows a
U.S. Census Bureau report that highlighted economic disparities facing
Minnesotans of color. Minnesota currently ranks 45th in the nation in median
African American household income and nearly 40 percent of African American
children in Minnesota live in poverty.
See the Governors'
press release.
Greater MSP, the economic development organization charged
with attracting employers to the region, is turning its attention to bringing
employees here, too.
It's launched a new campaign, called Make It MSP, designed to attract and retain talent in the
16-county metro area and to improve the experience of workers who are
transplanted to the Twin Cities.
"The region
has one of the world's most vibrant economies and is one of the best places in
the world to live - the goal of this initiative is to tell that story", said Michael Langley, CEO of Greater MSP.
The MakeItMSP website includes maps,
virtual tours, photos and videos of the region, and a customized job-search
portal with open positions. Job recruiters can also find rankings on the
website that tout the Twin Cities as a place to live, work or raise a family. There's
also a two minute video published on YouTube, promoting the
region.
Article excerpted from the Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal.
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