 August 2026
As we move through the busy summer season, I’m encouraged by the momentum we’re seeing across our workforce initiatives. Each month brings new examples of collaboration, innovation and meaningful impact, whether through expanded training opportunities, employer partnerships, or efforts that open doors to employment, skill‑building and career growth.
This month's newsletter highlights several ways our community is working together to support residents and meet the evolving needs of local employers. Whether you are helping individuals prepare for their next career move, strengthening inclusive hiring practices or developing new pathways into high‑demand fields, your dedication remains central to our shared progress.
On behalf of the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County (WIB), thank you for your continued commitment to building a workforce ecosystem where every resident can thrive and every employer has access to the talent they need. I look forward to continuing this important work together.
Catrice Davis, WIB Executive Director
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The metro area workforce boards, in partnership with Goodwill Easter Seals, are expanding the Minnesota Skills‑Based Accelerator program with new workshops designed to strengthen Minnesota’s growing skills‑based ecosystem.
These sessions now support career counselors, employers, industry partners and other workforce stakeholders in preparing job seekers, improving hiring practices and aligning talent strategies statewide. A skills‑based ecosystem connects counselors, employers, and industries around shared competencies, creating clearer pathways, stronger pipelines and more resilient communities.
New workshops now include three distinct tracks:
- For career counselors: In‑person and virtual sessions that help practitioners guide job seekers in identifying strengths, telling their stories, and navigating both human and AI‑driven hiring systems with confidence.
- For employers: Hands‑on workshops that support hiring managers and HR teams in rebuilding job descriptions, interviews, onboarding, and upskilling strategies using a skills‑first approach.
- Industry Sector: Virtual intensives tailored to healthcare, skilled trades, education, manufacturing, and other sectors, supporting cross‑sector alignment and long‑term workforce readiness.
Visit the Minnesota Skills‑Based Accelerator website to learn more and to register.
On July 23, Fairview Health Services was honored with the Ramsey County Workplace Excellence Award at the 27th Annual St. Paul Area Chamber Foundation Celebration. The organization was recognized for its exceptional commitment to workforce development, talent mobility and employee investment. The award was presented by Catrice Davis, Director of Ramsey County Workforce Solutions, to Fairview leaders Jill Kortenhof and Shawn Vang.
Fairview was selected for its strong partnership with both Ramsey County and the Chamber in advancing workforce and talent initiatives. The organization is an active participant in the Chamber’s Education & Workforce Committee, collaborates on a DEED grant dedicated to retaining and upskilling incumbent workers and has been represented on the WIB for many years. These efforts reflect Fairview’s commitment to not only employing community members but intentionally championing career mobility within its existing workforce and actively serving as a committed leader in shaping local workforce practices.
With a system of 34,000 employees across numerous specialties, hospitals, and clinics, Fairview continues to invest in pathways that help workers grow, advance and remain connected to long‑term career opportunities. Their focus on supporting current and future employees exemplifies the kind of innovation and dedication celebrated by the Workplace Excellence Award.
We applaud Fairview Health Services for serving as a model of employer partnership and workforce excellence in our community.
 Pictured (l-r): Kathleen Murphy, Catrice Davis, Jill Kortenhof, Shawn Vang, Yolanda McIntosh, Karyn Berg and Becky Milbrandt
 Fresh out of collection, and all the processes of quality control and validation thereafter, comes the latest Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data for the first quarter of 2026. This data provides an thorough review of industry employment and wage information at the state, regional, county and city levels across Minnesota. Let's take an in-depth look into what the latest numbers say for the Seven-County Twin Cities Metro Area's industry employment and trends.
According to the most recent QCEW release, the Metro Area had over 92,400 establishments supplying just over 1,734,600 covered payroll jobs. It should be noted that first quarter data is, on average, the lowest for employment levels in the region each year – typically employment peaks in the second and third quarters. Since 2000, for example, there has been an average employment bump of 2.4% between quarter 1 and quarter 2. This is equivalent to an average of 38,600 additional jobs. Much of this increase is due to significant seasonality in industries such as Construction and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation.
Regardless of seasonality, we can dig into this first quarter data and learn how the Metro Area's industry employment is trending over time. Comparing data back to 2000, there's been a lot of ups and downs. After losing about 96,400 jobs during the Great Recession (-6.0%), the region went on a tear gaining over 257,000 jobs (+17.2%) between 2010 and 2020, the longest-running economic expansion on record.
Continue reading this month's Local Look blog.
Workforce Solutions and the WIB continue to support employers in creating welcoming, inclusive workplaces where all employees feel valued. One key resource in this effort is the Inclusive Employer Toolkit, designed to help organizations strengthen inclusion across recruitment, hiring, onboarding and retention. The toolkit offers practical strategies and guidance to help employers build environments where every worker can succeed.
The Hiring section of the toolkit focuses on building inclusive hiring processes that attract diverse talent and remove barriers to employment. It provides strategies on crafting inclusive job descriptions, expanding recruitment efforts to reach underrepresented communities, and implementing fair screening and interviewing practices. By adopting these approaches, employers can create an environment that welcome candidates from all backgrounds, ensuring equal opportunities for everyone to contribute and thrive in the workplace.
Learn more about the Toolkit.
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CareerForce.MN.gov is Minnesota’s official online hub for job seekers and it’s packed with tools and resources to make the employment journey smoother, faster, and more effective. Whether you’re working with job seekers or looking for talent, CareerForce.MN.gov offers a comprehensive, user-friendly platform to help Minnesotans connect with meaningful work.
Visitors can search thousands of job postings from Minnesota employers using the new. Job seekers can tailor searches to their needs, build and store resumes, explore training options and easily register for free job search workshops. The site also features a statewide calendar of job fairs and hiring events, plus up-to-date contact information for more than 50 CareerForce locations, including CareerForce in Saint Paul, where staff are ready to provide personalized support.
Visit CareerForce.MN.gov to learn more.
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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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