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 February 2026
As we step into February, the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County (WIB) is centered on three key priorities: justice transformation, employer engagement, and digital equity. Aligned with Ramsey County's strategic goals, these focus areas reflect the board's commitment to expanding opportunity for justice-impacted residents, strengthening connections with employers, and deepening collaboration across systems to better serve Ramsey County’s workforce and businesses.
February is also Black History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the lasting contributions of Black leaders, innovators, and workers whose talent and perseverance have strengthened our communities and economy. It also calls us to remain intentional in addressing disparities and creating systems where all people have access to meaningful career pathways.
This month’s newsletter highlights how this work is coming to life. From the Workforce Innovation Summit and Inclusive Workplaces Cohort to Right Track internships, Learn & Earn programs and new MFIP vendor partnerships, each initiative reflects the WIB's shared commitment to building pathways to employment and economic mobility. February is also Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, a time to recognize the educators, trainers, and employers who equip learners with the skills needed for in-demand careers and lifelong success.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we build a more inclusive, responsive and opportunity-driven workforce system in 2026.
- Catrice O'Neal, WIB Executive Director
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 Join us on Feb. 5, 9:30-11:30 a.m., for a presentation by Deborah Saari from NAMI Minnesota, on “Wellness in the Workplace: Belonging, Why It Matters!”. This session will explore the critical role belonging plays in overall well-being and organizational success. Attendees will learn:
- Why belonging matters and its impact on physical and mental health.
- How to foster a culture of belonging in your workplace.
- Mental health and other business resources to support employees and leaders.
This event is designed for supervisors, organizational leaders, owners, board members and HR professionals across the Twin Cities metro area. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical strategies for creating a healthier, more inclusive workplace!
The Summit is being offered compliments of the Metro Area Workforce Development Boards.
Register today!
 Ramsey County businesses are invited to apply for the Inclusive Workplaces Cohort, an executive leadership learning program designed to help organizations take meaningful steps toward creating more welcoming workplaces.
Why participate?
- Connect with other business leaders committed to building positive work environments.
- Position your organization as a leader in fostering an inclusive culture.
- Gain practical strategies to strengthen inclusion in your workplace.
Want to learn more about the program and get your questions answered? Attend an information session on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 3–4 p.m.
Register for the info session.
There is no cost for participating businesses.
Application deadline: Close of business Friday, March 6.
Visit the Inclusive Workplaces Cohort webpage for additional details and to apply.
Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond to support and empower Ramsey County’s youth and young adults through personal, academic, or career development? We invite you to nominate them for the Youth Workforce Champion Awards.
Each year, the Workforce Innovation Board’s Youth Committee recognizes two outstanding champions:
- Legacy Award – Honoring a dedicated professional whose long-standing leadership and contributions have made a lasting impact on youth and young adults.
- Rising Star Award – Celebrating an emerging leader whose passion, promise, and early contributions are inspiring change.
Eligible nominees may include (but are not limited to) educators, youth-serving professionals, community-based organization staff, juvenile justice partners, volunteers, elected officials or youth themselves. The Youth Committee particularly considers achievements that demonstrate excellence and innovation in services to youth, positive impact on quality of life, community engagement, youth empowerment, leadership and preparation for work.
Nominations are open now through February 20, 2026.
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Looking for fresh ideas and energy to move your business forward? Consider hosting an intern through the city of Saint Paul’s Right Track program and help cultivate the workforce of tomorrow. Since 2014, Right Track has connected talented, diverse youth with hundreds of local businesses through paid internships and professional development opportunities. Why participate?
- Access motivated young talent with unique perspectives.
- Build your future workforce while making a positive impact in the community.
- Right Track covers wages and provides training support.
Internships typically run 10 weeks, 32 hours/week through two programs:
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Youth Jobs Two (YJ2): Career-focused internships for ages 16–21
(Deadline: Feb. 28).
Be part of this transformative program and help shape our next generation of leaders.
Learn more and apply to host a Right Track intern.
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In 2025, Ramsey County Workforce Solutions released a Request for Proposals to engage community proviers in delivering Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) employment services, an essential program that helps families with children meet basic needs and achieve stability through meaningful work.
We are excited to announce that American Indian Family Center, Avivo, Goodwill-Easter Seals, Hired, Hmong American Partnership and Merrick Community Services have been selected as our providers of employment services. These organizations bring deep expertise and commitment to supporting families on their journey toward economic independence.
We are also glad to partner with The Network for the Development of Children of African Descent, American Indian Family Center and Hired to offer specialized support through whole-family approaches and individualized placement services.
We are grateful for these partnerships, which strengthen our collective ability to serve Ramsey County families with compassion, innovation, and impact. Together, we are building pathways to stability and opportunity for every family in our community.
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Inclusive Employer Toolkit: Strategies for improving employee recruitment
Workforce Solutions and the WIB are leading efforts to support employers to create a sense of welcoming for all employees within their organizations. One of these efforts is to provide an Inclusive Employer Toolkit. The toolkit aims to help employers provide a more welcoming environment for all by offering practices to build inclusion in the areas of employee recruitment, hiring, onboarding and retention.
The Recruitment section of the Toolkit outlines how to craft and share job postings that use inclusive, plain, and gender-neutral language, while providing clear wage information and innovative benefits to attract a broad range of candidates. It also emphasizes expanding recruitment channels and collecting demographic data to refine hiring practices, ensuring that job requirements and screening processes are truly accessible to all individuals.
Link to the full toolkit.
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 Several of Ramsey County's Learn & Earn providers are currently recruiting for their final program cohorts. Please spread the word about these opportunities by sharing this information with the young people in your networks.
These programs provide a unique opportunity for young people to earn while they learn, with hands-on training and real-world experience in high-demand fields. Spaces are limited so don’t wait!
Apply today
As we enter the new year, let's quickly revisit recent labor force trends in the Metro Area from 2025. We can grab and analyze this data from the Department of Employment and Economic Development's (DEED) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) data tool. Among DEED's most popular tools, LAUS data reveals labor force statistics for the state of Minnesota, its regions, counties and even some of the state's larger cities. This data is released monthly and is based off of a number of surveys including the Current Population Survey (CPS) and Current Employment Statistics (CES). Let's see why this data is so popular.
According to the most recent LAUS data, the Seven-County Metro Area had an estimated labor force size of 1,776,490 people. Right away, using this data, we can see just how large the region's labor force is. While the Metro Area accounts for just seven out of 87 counties in Minnesota, it accounts for well over half (56.3%) of the state's total labor force. Included in the labor force are two main populations: employed and unemployed, who are not employed but are actively looking for employment opportunities. In November of 2025, the total number of employed persons in the Metro Area was just over 1,710,100. The total number of unemployed persons was just over 66,300. Against the total labor force size, this number of unemployed persons was equivalent to an unemployment rate of 3.7%.
Continue reading the article by Tim O'Neill, DEED Regional Analyst.
Visit Ramsey County's Workforce Training Dashboard to learn more about how the county is connecting residents to the training programs needed to get people started or advancing in a career.
Providers of free or low cost workforce training programs can submit their program information for inclusion on the training dashboard through an easy to use self-submission form. The training dashboard includes nearly 100 training programs in and near Ramsey County across a wide range of in-demand industry sectors.
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Sharon Blomgren
Saint Paul College
WIB Member since 2025
How does Customized Workforce Training support lifelong learning and career advancement for individuals already in the workforce?
Lifelong learning and career advancement is core to our mission for Saint Paul College Continuing Education and Workforce Training. My team wants to collaborate with our many employment and non-profit partners to help prepare folks to work. The future of work is ever evolving. Every day is a challenge. It is up to those of us who do this work to collaborate well with each other to meet the needs of our community, our job seekers, and our employers. When we do this work well, it strengthens the fabric of our society.
Learn more about Sharon.
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Employer of the Day
Tuesdays, 3–5 p.m., at the Roseville Library
Looking for a new job? Every Tuesday, employers will visit the Ramsey County Library in Maplewood to talk about job opportunities in their organization. Bring your resumé and your best first impression to get hired.
Featured employers:
Trainer of the Day
Thursdays, 3–5 p.m., at the Roseville Library
Meet community based, no-cost skill training programs that are recruiting participants for upcoming classes. Participating in a community based training program is a way to build an up- to-date skill set. When training is complete, get introduced to employers looking for certified trainees and start a new and rewarding career. Courses range from Automotive to IT to Healthcare and much more. See list of possible training courses here.
Featured trainer:
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 Check Your Filters: How Biases Shape Hiring, Feedback, and Leadership
Feb. 4, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
In this webinar, explore how unconscious biases — internal "filters" — can subtly yet powerfully influence critical workplace decisions, particularly in hiring, feedback and leadership development.
Attendees are encouraged to "check their filters" by increasing their awareness of how bias shows up in everyday interactions and decision-making. The session offers practical strategies to help individuals and organizations take concerted steps toward building more equitable and inclusive workplaces at every level.
Discussion topics will include recognizing your own bias "triggers" in real time, structuring interview and feedback systems for fairness, reframing leadership potential with an inclusive lens and creating accountability mechanisms in teams and processes.
To register.
 MN Skills-Based Hiring Accelerator Workshops
Feb. 24, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Xcel Energy High Bridge Plant, 155 Randolph Ave, Saint Paul
The Twin Cities Metro Workforce Development Boards are establishing a new partnership with Goodwill Easter-Seals, the Saint Paul Area Chamber, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber and Twin Cities SHRM for the MN Skills-Based Hiring Accelerator program. Employers can participate in a half-day in-person workshop to receive in-depth learning on:
- Rebuilding an employer's hiring process with a skills and competency-based approach by focusing on candidates’ capabilities rather than credentials.
- Improving retention by rebuilding job descriptions, interview processes, onboarding and more.
- Increasing diversity among your workforce using data-driven tools that lead to more equitable hiring processes.
- Providing networking with talent-sourcing organizations.
Following participation in a workshop, employers have access to monthly Community of Practice calls where they can dive into questions about the skills-based hiring process and receive optional one-on-one coaching from facilitators.
Visit mnskillsbased to register and learn more.
 Build Your 2026 AI Action Plan Webinar
Feb. 25, 8-9:30 a.m.
This interactive 90-minute session is designed to meet participants where they are: whether brand new to AI or already using it regularly in business or office and guide you
toward confident, ethical, and realistic next steps you can apply immediately in your workplace.
Speaker line-up:
- Paula Skoviera: Princess Paula Consulting
- Caroline Holden: Swift Start Go & MN Women in AI
- Shannon Seaver: Create MPLS
- Michelle Kamrath Fields: AI Mentors
This event is hosted by the Dakota-Scott Workforce Board in partnership with the metro area workforce boards.
Learn more and register.
Black History Month Celebration - 100 Years of Black History and Greatness
Feb. 26, 1-4 p.m., Hamline University–Klas Center, 3rd Floor
Join us for this special event to honor a century of Black history and achievement. The celebration will highlight 100 years of resilience, progress, and excellence in the Black community. Mark your calendars and plan to attend for an inspiring afternoon!
Watch the Ramsey County calendar for more details to come soon.
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By Anthony Schaffhauser, Regional Analyst at DEED
Minnesota added 20,246 jobs from 2020 to 2025, climbing 0.7% above pre-pandemic levels. But this aggregate number conceals a dramatic reshaping of who works in Minnesota and how they work.
The pandemic marked a demographic tipping point in Minnesota. Workers of color now drive employment growth as the white workforce ages. Women have surpassed men in employment rates. Teenagers flooded into entry-level positions while seniors delayed or undid their retirement. And young adults increasingly have turned to self-employment.
These aren't temporary pandemic disruptions; they're accelerations of long-term demographic trends colliding with a pandemic-transformed labor market. Understanding these shifts is essential for employers struggling to fill positions, policymakers designing workforce programs, and anyone trying to navigate Minnesota's evolving economy.
Continue reading the article.
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