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May 2017 |
Welcome to the first edition of "Our State, Our Workforce", a regular communication of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. I am also pleased to announce the launching of the GWDB’s new web site, http://mn.gov/deed/gwdb/. I encourage you to visit the site and provide feedback on its contents. These new tools are designed to inform and align with workforce professionals, business leaders, educators, state agencies, and community-based organizations.
The GWDB is required by state statute to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature every two years, according to the state’s biennium budget cycle. The 2017 Minnesota Momentum report offers recommendations on strategies and actions to confront socio-economic challenges, business concerns, and the tightening of funding at the state and federal level.
GWDB Chair Laura Beeth and I attended the Winter Meeting of the National Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The gathering brings together the nation’s governors, state board chairs and executive directors to share best practices and address challenging issues such as early childhood education and health care.
Chair Beeth also presented at the Apprenticeship Forward Conference in Washington, D.C. The national meeting brought together industry associations and employers, unions, community-based organizations, community colleges, high schools and workforce boards to address challenges in increasing industry engagement in apprenticeships, addressing equity issues, and implementing new public policies.
GWDB members and staff were well represented at the Advancing Career Pathways Summit sponsored by Sen. Al Franken in St. Paul. The highlight of the day was hearing from high school students who are being introduced to work through career and technical courses. Senator Franken announced plans to introduce the “Advancing Career Pathways Innovation Act” in Congress to fund career pathways for students in the K-12 system.
An action item on the agenda of the March 8, 2017 meeting of the Board was a resolution to change the Racial Equity in Education, Training and Employment Task Force to a Standing Committee. The resolution passed unanimously after thoughtful discussion. The passing of this resolution highlights the importance of the Board’s equity and inclusion work and ensures that it will be an ongoing part of its structure going forward.
I had the pleasure of serving on a cross-sector committee that recently commissioned a report on Immigrants and Minnesota’s Workforce, http://www.research.umn.edu/business/immigrants.html.
The report highlights demographic trends that “paint a troubling picture for the growth of Minnesota’s economy,” and it notes that “a focus on attracting more immigrants is an imperative for Minnesota in order to address the challenges linked to the slowing growth of the state’s population and labor force.”
Thank you for being a valued partner with us in our work!
Sincerely,
Connie Ireland
Executive Director
About our Members
Congratulations to GWDB members Mayor Rita Albrecht of Bemidji and Mayor Elizabeth Kautz of Burnsville, who won re-election to their third and seventh terms, respectively. We thank these public servants for their dedication to workforce development in their communities and beyond.
The Minnesota Department of Education’s Deputy Commissioner Charlene Briner was a recent guest on Almanac, a weekly news and public affairs program produced by Twin Cities Public Television and seen statewide. She serves as a member of the GWDB Operations Committee and was interviewed on Almanac to provide an education perspective on the 2017 legislative session.
The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), the membership organization and advocate for more than 550 workforce development boards (WDBs) nationwide and their network of American Job Centers, has announced the 2017 winners of its annual leadership awards. Wyoming Machine, Inc., in Stacy, MN, is the 2017 winner of the W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award for a small business. Wyoming Machine, Inc., makes metal components for the defense, computer and electrical equipment, and aerospace industries. GWDB member Traci Tapani and her sister Lori are co-presidents of Wyoming Machine. As a woman-owned business, the company has partnered with community organizations to raise awareness of opportunities in manufacturing for youth and women, and has worked to bring global insight into the challenges of women in non-traditional jobs.
Traci has also been working with Senator Franken and Sen. Amy Klobuchar to elevate the innovative, collaborative skills strategies being used by her company, and to reinforce how policy can support these strategies.
GWDB member Mary Russell, director of organizational effectiveness at HealthPartners, was recently interviewed by the Pioneer Press about a partnership with several Minnesota State institutions to pilot apprenticeships that give prospective employees on-the-job experiences and existing workers clearer pathways to advance their careers. “It’s a different way of thinking about things, and that is good for all of us,” Mary said.
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About the Board
One feature of our new web site is an interactive Upcoming Meetings calendar, which lists committee meetings and quarterly Board meetings. The next meeting of the Full Board will be Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at Union Depot in St. Paul, MN. All meetings of the Board and its committees are open to the public. Meeting materials can be viewed online at http://mn.gov/deed/gwdb/about/gwdb/
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Open Positions Available on the Board
There are a number of reappointments and appointments that will be made by Governor Dayton to the GWDB in 2017. Openings are currently posted on the Secretary of State’s Office web site: http://www.sos.state.mn.us/boards-commissions/. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions about the responsibilities of Board membership or the application process.
Workforce News
The South Central Workforce Council will partner with the Minnesota Valley Action Council, the South Central Service Cooperative, South Central College, local school districts and employers to launch three industry pathways under the Greater Twin Cities Career Academies program, with support from the Bush Foundation. The academies will focus on Information Technology (IT), Healthcare, and Manufacturing and will serve 150 students on an annual basis.
About our Partners
State Agency Partners:
Workforce Partners:
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