Director’s Corner
Happy New Year
everyone!
I am pleased to
announce that our team has brought Chelsea Georgesen on as our new Grants and
Policy Coordinator. Chelsea provides a brief bio below – please take a look.
I’m sure that you will each have the opportunity to meet and get to know her in
the coming months.
As you know, our
Legislature has convened – and we are preparing for a busy session. The
Dislocated Worker program will likely be the subject of many conversations at
the Capitol this session. In addition to working on our mandated annual report,
we are working on revamping and clarifying the ways in which we communicate our program's
benefit to so many individuals and employers. All in the name of overall program
and continuous improvement!
Third and finally
– now that our Grants and Policy team is finally getting back to where it
should be – we will be reaching out soon regarding the Sector Partnership
National Dislocated Worker grant. I know I’ve said this before, but we are
ready to delve in to this work in earnest. Please be ready to help us plan
ahead on this.
Aside from that,
I would just like to wish you all a very happy new year.
Annie
PERFORMANCE/POLICY
National
Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG)
Quarter report data will be calculated on January 20, 2017. Please
have all your DWG data up-to-date in Workforce One by the end of the day
January 19, 2017.
If you have questions or concerns related to performance or data
entry, contact Amy Carlson at amy.carlson@state.mn.us
POLICY/GRANTS
Happy New Year!
As the new Policy & Grants Coordinator for the Dislocated Worker Program I
am looking forward to our collaboration and partnership in 2017 and beyond. I
come to DW from DEED’s Government Affairs team, where I was the Government
Affairs Coordinator for 2 years. Before that, I worked as a project coordinator
for the Health Economics Program at the Minnesota Department of Health after
completing my Masters of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration. I
am excited to bring my experience in public policy and commitment to serving
Minnesotans to our work, and hope for the chance to get to know your
organizations better in the coming months. Best wishes for the New Year!
Chelsea Georgesen
CORNER ON THE MARKET: WITH CAMERON MACHT
Regional Analysis & Outreach Manager Minnesota Dept. of Employment & Economic Development cameron.macht@state.mn.us 320-441-6596
New Jobs for the New
Year!
Recent data shows that the state of Minnesota added 32,000
new jobs to the economy over the past year, a solid 1.1 percent increase. “Minnesota’s economy
remains fundamentally strong, with steady job growth and rising wages,” said
DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “Those trends are likely to continue through
2017.”
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These new jobs have been added in a wide range of
industries, with the largest amount added in health care and social assistance.
This included huge expansions in ambulatory health care services such as
offices of physicians, outpatient care centers, and home health care services;
as well as rapid gains in social assistance and nursing care facilities.
The
state also welcomed loads of new jobs in construction, transportation, retail
trade, real estate, utilities, insurance carriers, food manufacturing, and professional
and business services. Data shows that new opportunities abound for workers
across the state.
Jobseekers
that are interested in something new can use DEED’s data tools to explore careers that are in demand in
Minnesota. Occupations in Demand presents a list of
jobs that are in high demand in each region of the state, based on local labor
market information. The top 15 list statewide includes health care occupations
like registered nurses, personal care aides, nursing assistants, and licensed
practical nurses; transportation jobs like truck drivers, laborers and material
movers, and stock clerks; and retail and food service jobs like retail
salespersons, food prep and serving workers, cashiers, waiters and waitresses,
and cooks. Occupations in Demand shows that there are job opportunities for
people at every education level, from less than a high school diploma to a
professional degree.
In addition to current demand, DEED’s 2014-2024
Employment Projections provide a better understanding of future employment
prospects. But even occupations that aren’t adding new jobs will have demand in
the future, due to a large number of replacement openings created from existing
workers retiring, leaving the workforce for other reasons, or changing careers.
Some of the same occupations – including retail salespersons
and cashiers; waitresses and cooks; and registered nurses and nursing
assistants – are projected to have the most total openings in the state over
the next decade. Many of the fastest growing occupations are expected to be
found in health care, retail trade, construction, and professional and business
services.
As the economy continues to improve and the labor market
continues to tighten, jobseekers that are looking for something new can use
these data tools to make
informed career decisions.
SUCCESS STORY: Sharon
North Mankato - WIOA Adult Program
Sharon’s career journey began in fall 2013 when she
completed her GED and then enrolled in the South Central Minnesota FastTRAC
Pathways to Healthcare Program and Workforce Investment and Opportunities Adult
Program. Sharon dropped out of school in 9th grade while
living in Texas. She is currently married with two boys and living in South
Central Minnesota. Sharon has a limited paid work history and has
only had a few entry level jobs in cleaning, retail and fast food. She has been
a homemaker most of her working career, raising both her sons and handling the
medical needs of her youngest. Her son's medical needs have prevented her from
pursuing her education and employment dreams until recently.
After completing her GED and FastTRAC Pathways to Healthcare
Careers exploration class, Sharon's confidence started rising. She
learned about different healthcare careers in the class and earned her National
Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). Sharon started her career path by
taking the Nursing Assistant and Medical terminology course at South Central
College through the FastTRAC program where she received additional educational
and navigational support in the college course.
Sharon enrolled into the Certified Medical Assistant
program and pursued her Associates Degree in science with the help of the
WIA/WIOA Adult program. Sharon has since
graduated with high honors as a Medical Assistant in May 2016. She just
completed her summer internship and is currently interviewing for Medical
Assistant positions. Sharon is excited to start working in her new career
and help her family financially. Sharon
stated, “After being out of school for so long, I couldn’t have done it without
the program help.” Sharon has also given
back to the WIOA program by speaking to the WIOA youth groups about pursing
your dreams and being successful.
Sharon now has a lifelong skill in a field she loves and is thankful for
the help from the WIOA Adult and FastTRAC programs.
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