Minneapolis Workforce Council News

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December, 2015

Minneapolis Workforce Council Meetings

Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 am

Location: Lutheran Social Services, 2400 Park Ave., Minneapolis

 

Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 am

Location: TBD

 

Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 am

Location: TBD

 

November 2015 Unemployment Rate for Minneapolis

The November 2015 unemployment rate dropped .3% from October 2015 to 2.7%, resulting in 6,099 residents unemployed and actively seeking employment, a drop of just over 600 unemployed from October to November. The 2.7% unemployment is the lowest rate since December 2000.

 

The federal government’s estimate of the Minneapolis labor force rose in November to 229,372, ending a four month decline in labor force participation in Minneapolis.

 

The year-over-year trend for November shows both increased labor force participation and lower unemployment from one year ago.

 

November’s 2.7% unemployment rate in Minneapolis is .3% lower than the State of Minnesota, the same as the seven county metro area, and 2.1% lower than the national average.

 

 

Minnesota Adds 7,200 Jobs in November

Minnesota employers added 7,200 jobs in November, according to figures from DEED. The unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent, the lowest level in nearly 15 years.

  

Find more information here.


Minnesota Only State with Employment Rate Above Pre-Recession Levels 

The U.S. employment rate for adults of prime working age has been rising, and the number of states with lower employment rates than before the recession has been shrinking.


See a state-by-state breakdown here.

Minneapolis Invests in Tech Training for Minorities, Women

In 2016, Minneapolis will put $350,000 into expanding TechHire, the public-private partnership that is part of a White House campaign to diversify the tech sector – one of the fastest-growing corners of the U.S. economy.

 

TechHire provides accelerated training programs plus job-placement help to groups historically shut out of high-paying tech positions. It aligns with Mayor Betsy Hodges’ push to reduce income disparities between Minneapolis’ white and nonwhite residents. 

  

According to Deb Bahr-Helgen, Director of City of Minneapolis Employment and Training, $250,000 of the allocation will go toward financial aid for students who qualify. The remaining $100,000 will support an employment and training agency to provide wrap-around services to participants and for marketing/outreach.

  

Build Leaders Program Coming to CPED

Minneapolis Employment and Training was funded $360,000 through the City's budget process to administer BUILD Leaders, a proven youth violence prevention model developed in Chicago and adapted for Minneapolis.

 

Build Leaders is an equity focused, community oriented intervention program for disenfranchised 18-24 year old youth with systemic barriers to educational and economic opportunities (lack of diploma, criminal records etc.). Youth will receive paid training in facilitation, leadership, and job skills, and will deliver the BUILD curriculum for younger youth, 9-12 years old.

 

BUILD Leaders will serve two cohorts of youth. One of these cohorts will serve youth from the Native American community and one will serve the North Minneapolis community.

 

Minneapolis Employment and Training will issue an RFP to select community-based agencies that will also leverage WIOA Federal funding. 

 

Applications Now Accepted for STEP-UP Interns and Employers

STEP-UP, the City of Minneapolis jobs program for Minneapolis youth is accepting applications for 2016 summer internship placements. The application closes on February 5th, 2016. Interested eligible Minneapolis youth can view and complete the application online here.

 

To be eligible, youth must

  • live in Minneapolis
  • be 14-21 years old on June 1, 2016
  • not be currently enrolled in college (PSEO is okay). Current college students may consider the Urban Scholars Program.
  • meet income guidelines or have a substantial barrier to employment including students with disabilities, IEPs, English language learners, or pregnant and parenting teens. If you are unsure if you qualify, please apply.
  • applicants must be eligible to work in the US by June 1, 2016 and have proper documentation

STEP-UP is also seeking businesses, public agencies and nonprofits to employ interns in 2016. Find more information and apply here. Employers can also learn more about the program at STEP-UP At A Glance. 

 

Matthew Courtney Joins Minneapolis Employment and Training Staff

In November, Matthew Courtney joined Minneapolis Employment and Training as an Administrative Analyst II.  His duties include new grant development, reporting and analytics for existing programs, and providing staff support to the Minneapolis Workforce Council.  

 

Previously, Matthew worked in the City of Minneapolis' Intergovernmental Relations Department, where he supported grant development throughout the enterprise. In 2015, he served on the City’s task force that won a federal Promise Zone designation to implement comprehensive revitalization strategies in North Minneapolis.  

 

Before joining the City, Matthew worked as Grants Director for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a federally-recognized Native American tribe.

 

Why Workforce Diversity Is a Smart Business Move

In 2010, when the economy was starting to recover from the Great Recession, the Twin Cities seemed to be faring better than many metropolitan areas. But a study published by the Economic Policy Institute told a different story: The jobless rate for African-Americans was more than three times higher than that of whites.

 

Many organizations throughout the metro have identified employment equity and disparity reduction as a key mission of their work, according to Deb Bahr-Helgen, Director of City of Minneapolis Employment and Training. An example of a collaborative effort to bring employment equity is Everybody In, a regional effort to eliminate the disparity gap by connecting the dots for positive change in our region.

 

Everybody In’s Executive Director Sam Grant said his organization brings together the people and programs who are already doing good work with employers and others who want to take the next step but aren’t sure how.

 

In the end, satisfied customers are everyone’s goal, Bahr-Helgen said, “The demographics of our communities are changing and so the face of the workplace is changing, as well. As big workforce shortages loom ahead for us as baby boomers retire, intense competition for talent will require employers to shift their hiring and retention practices in order to attract and retain talent. “

 

Read more of the story.