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January 2016
Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in State Government
Admin was pleased to be a top, platinum-level sponsor of the state's 2016 Martin Luther King (MLK) Day observances. At the event, Admin's own Colleen Wieck, Executive Director of the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, was honored as a Distinguished Service Honoree for her 35-year service on public policy issues, including the de-institutionalization, supported employment, self-determination, and education of persons with disabilities.
Diversity and Inclusion in Construction
 By collaborating with state agencies and contract partners, our construction services team works to ensure that the workforce on state projects reflects the diversity of our state. Minority workers accounted for 32 percent of the work hours, and women 6 percent, on the recently completed Senate Office Building. With about half of the project completed, the Minnesota State Capitol Restoration, has reached 35 percent minority workforce hours.
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Equity in Procurement
 Our new Office of Equity in Procurement (OEP) (pictured at left) is picking up speed. The
new team of six is helping small businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans,
and people with disabilities get certified to do business with the state. Since the formation of the team, there has been an 18 percent increase in certifications for these targeted group businesses.
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This month, the OEP team rolled out a new publication, the Weekly Opportunities Report, to connect small businesses with state contracting opportunities. Businesses can subscribe to the report to cut down on valuable time spent seeking opportunities; for agencies, it's a new way to advertise your solicitations and ensure a strong pool of candidates. Your agency's procurement professionals are essential to successful outcomes. It's easy to partner in the effort, just email our team at procurement.equity@state.mn.us to share purchasing and contracting opportunities from your agency that align with the capabilities of the state's certified businesses.
Save the Date – Know Your Performance Data
On Monday, March 7, 2016, Admin will host its first ever contracting Opportunity Fair in partnership with minority, women, and veteran-owned business associations and other state agencies. In the coming weeks, we will be working with partner agencies to better communicate and understand the level of diverse spend, and how Admin can assist to help meet the state's Diversity and Inclusion mission. As we know from years of demographic data, economic and other disparities have existed across Minnesota; as Dr. King once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
First Accommodation Fund Deadline is January 31
Apply for Reimbursement Today
Last month, we encouraged agencies to submit their applications to Minnesota's Accommodation Fund, which reimburses agency spending on reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants. The first deadline for applications is about a week away.
As a reminder, this initial period applies to eligible accommodation spending from the first half of fiscal year 2016 (July 1 to December 31, 2015).
Don't miss your chance to provide a productive work environment for all employees!
Admin Partners with MCTC for Innovative Job Training Program
Admin is excited to be a partner organization in a job training program with Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) and the Project for Pride in Living (PPL) Learning Center. The Building Operations Technician Training Program provides free hands-on training and job-shadowing opportunities for people interested in jobs in the building operations and facilities engineering fields.
 For Admin, it's a great opportunity to build a more diverse and robust talent pipeline for our building management unit – where a number of our current building operations professionals are rapidly approaching retirement. Because a special license is needed to perform these jobs, it can be difficult to find and recruit candidates. The program also equips participants to compete their license exam.
With the impacts of an aging workforce looming large for state government, partnerships like this are essential to our future workforce planning efforts.
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Governor's Office and Admin Celebrate Continuous Improvement
Congratulations to the winners of the 2015 Governor's Continuous Improvement (CI) Awards! Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith announced the winners last week at an event honoring CI projects. Recognized were improved Department of Transportation bridge inspections, the quality and availability of certain Department of Health records, and more. You can read about all of the winners on the Governor's website.
Admin's Office of Continuous Improvement has coordinated these awards in partnership with the Governor's Office for over six years, as a way to recognize agency achievements that are improving the quality, value, and efficiency of state government services.
Keep tabs on the great improvement work happening around your agency. The 2016 awards will be here before you know it!
Improve Fuel Efficiency with Green Fleet
In our last issue, we highlighted Admin's accreditation as a Sustainable Fleet by the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA). Within the next few weeks, Admin will be contacting agencies to talk about annual purchasing of new vehicles. You can help us keep the momentum going and maximize the sustainability of your agency's fleet.
Admin is eager to help agencies purchase more fuel efficient vehicles and replace older, more inefficient vehicles. Last year, Admin helped the Pollution Control Agency purchase new vehicles that improved the overall fuel efficiency of its fleet by over 7 miles per gallon. The Department of Health improved by over 5 miles per gallon. By focusing on life-cycle costs, our Green Fleet program helps agencies meet business needs and save money.
Contact our new director of Fleet Services, Holly Gustner at 651-201-2514 to get a jump start on your vehicle purchasing and drive toward similar results.
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