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August 2023
Greeting partners!
Thank you for taking time during these busy summer days to check out this month's Workforce Innovation Board (WIB) newsletter. In it you will find news, program and event information and the latest article in our Fair Opportunities employment series. We also wrap up the three-month statewide Caring Careers campaign focusing on health care employment opportunities that make an impact on the lives of others.
On behalf of the WIB, thank you for your partnership and commitment to ensuring that Ramsey County is a great place for everyone to live, work and do business.
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The WIB welcomes a new chair, new and returning members
At its August meeting, the WIB will welcome new board chair Elisa Rasmussen, as well as two newly appointed board members and 15 reappointed members.
Rasmussen, Senior Manager of Community Relations at Xcel Energy, was first appointed to the WIB in 2020. She has served as chair-elect since 2022 and will now preside as chair for the next two years. Rasmussen is taking over for outgoing WIB Chair, Chad Kulas, Executive Director of the Midway Chamber of Commerce.
“As the incoming WIB Chair, I am excited about continuing to lead the innovation and collaboration of the dynamic board members, community, county and businesses, ensuring our region continues to thrive. Three years ago, I began serving on the WIB. I had no idea how the following years would impact our community. We were able to mobilize and serve residents during the pandemic while also ensuring those that needed support received it, from launching the first Inclusive Workplaces Cohort to hosting many career fairs including the Fair Opportunities Welcome Home Party and Hiring Event. I look forward to continuing to work with the incredible team at Ramsey County and explore how we can ensure everyone can secure meaningful employment.”
Learn more about the WIB appointments.
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Ramsey County launches Get S.E.T - Successful Employer Training
Ramsey County is partnering with World Youth Connect, a local youth-led organization, to help bridge generational and cultural gaps between Ramsey County employers and the region’s young workforce. As Minnesota’s most diverse county, Ramsey County is excited to support employers to be more inclusive youth and young adult friendly workplaces. This opportunity is offered every third Friday, 11 a.m.-noon and is complimentary for any Ramey County employer.
The Successful Employer Training (S.E.T.) is an opportunity for both new and existing youth supervisors and employers to learn essential youth and young adult onboarding, retention, and communication skills and strategies to ensure a positive work environment for all. Ensure your supervisors are well-prepared to adapt and succeed alongside the next generation of workers!
Register.
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Saint Paul youth summit focuses on STEM and wealth creation
Last Friday, Mayor Carter and the city of Saint Paul’s Right Track program, in partnership with the National League of Cities, hosted a STEM & Wealth Building Summit, taking steps towards addressing racial disparities in STEM careers.
The event included a presentation on STEM Justice/STEM Identity from the Science Museum, a career panel moderated by Mayor Carter and an Opportunity Fair highlighting internships, apprenticeships, gateway occupations and educational opportunities. The WIB was proud to sponsor lunch and also provided several door prizes for the over 200 attendees who ranged in age from 14-21 years old.
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 This year, 12 businesses in Ramsey County are participating in the Inclusive Workplaces Cohort, a 9-month peer learning program to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in their organizations. One of the participating organizations will be spotlighted each month on social media and in the WIB newsletter. This month's featured organization is the Metropolitan Council.
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 Welcome new WIB members Jonathan Banks and Carly Voshell
Members of the WIB are key decision makers within their organizations and experts in the workforce arena appointed by either the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners or the City of Saint Paul Mayor.
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Jonathan Banks
President of NCXT
Jonathan was recently appointed to serve as a Business member of the WIB by the city of Saint Paul. He sees the benefits of filling local talent gaps with local talent and will use his expertise and relationship to improve workforce innovation.
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Carly Voshell
Workforce and Technology Specialist at Harmony Learning Center
Carly is rejoining the WIB after previously serving in 2021-2023. She is excited to represent Adult Basic Education on the board and expand employment initiatives in the community.
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Welcome, Jonathan and Carly! Your knowledge and expertise will be instrumental in advancing the WIB's mission and goals.
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Employer of the Day
Every Tuesday
10 a.m.–noon
Looking for a new job? Every Tuesday, a different employer will visit the Ramsey County Library in Roseville to talk about job opportunities in their organization. Bring your resumé and your best first impression to get hired. All are welcome.
This month's featured employers:
- August 8 - Chick-fil-A
- August 15 - Always Best Care
- August 22 - First Student
- August 29 - Eids Cleaning
If your business is interested in being an Employer of the Day, please contact employerservices@ramseycounty.us.
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Lunch & Learn
August 9
Noon–12:45 p.m.
Are you hungry to connect? Join Ramsey County's One-Stop partners on Wednesday, August 9 for a virtual Lunch & Learn event to get information about partner program services and build your referral network. This is the last session for 2023.
This Lunch and Learn session will feature:
New City-County Funded Earn and Learn Programs
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Ling Becker, Workforce Solutions Director.
- A variety of Earn and Learn providers.
Ramsey County One-Stop partners are committed to increasing knowledge of available programs and services, and increasing partner referrals. This event is ideal for service delivery staff and supervisors in workforce, education and community services.
Join the event! No registration is required.
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 Job fairs and other events related to home-, community-, and facility-based care employment are taking place across the state this summer. For a complete list of events, please visit the Caring Careers events page on the CareerForce website.
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  Intentional hiring for justice-impacted individuals
The inability of employers to find quality workers has become the status quo in the U.S. While the number of job openings in the country “dropped” to 9.8 million in the second quarter of 2023, large corporations and small businesses struggle to find employees to meet their needs.
At the same time, between 70 and 100 million Americans face difficulty finding acceptable employment because they have some form of criminal record.
Connecting these two points can help justice-impacted individuals and businesses achieve their goals together. But there are numerous hurdles to overcome to make this occur. It will require businesses to be intentional about “second-chance hiring” to provide workforce shortage relief while helping these persons step back into their communities.
“We can no longer overlook this candidate pool. We need each individual fully contributing to our economy for it to work for everyone. Employers should proactively take a deep dive into their long-standing hiring practices for justice-impacted candidates,” said Karyn Berg, Ramsey County Planning and Evaluation Analyst. “Community organizations and the county are invested in helping employers be successful in making significant changes for inclusion.”
Continue to the full article.
This feature is part of a series of Fair Opportunities articles meant to raise awareness of the employment needs of justice-impacted individuals and the benefits to employers willing to give these returning citizens a chance at meaningful employment. Please visit the Fair Opportunities Hiring page on the Ramsey County Means Business website to find more resources and events being supported by the WIB.
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