September 2016

For Your Calendar

State of Minnesota Career Fair

Date: October 29

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location: MN Senate Bldg., 95 University Ave. W, Saint Paul

Description: Every state agency will be represented at the career fair. Workshops on resumes, interviewing, and how to apply for state jobs will be presented.

See the flyer.

Minneapolis Workforce Council Meeting

Date: November 15, 2016

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Location: 800 West Broadway, Minneapolis 

August 2016 Unemployment Rate for Minneapolis

The August 2016 unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.5%, up .1% from July, resulting in 8,197 residents unemployed and actively seeking employment, an increase of 180 unemployed from July to August.

The federal government’s estimate of the Minneapolis labor force decreased between July to August, losing 2,254 from the labor force, resulting in a total labor force of 234,483.

The year-over-year trend for August shows decreased labor force participation and a slightly higher unemployment rate from one year ago.

August’s 3.5% unemployment rate in Minneapolis is .3% lower than the State of Minnesota, equal to the seven county metro area, and 1.5% lower than the national average.

State Unemployment Rate at 4 Percent

Employment in Minnesota fell by 1,500 jobs in August, according to seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The agency said the state has added 40,629 jobs over the past year, a gain of 1.4 percent. U.S. job growth in the past 12 months was 1.7 percent.

The state’s seasonally adjusted employment rate in August climbed 0.1 percent from the previous month to 4 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.

In the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the following regions gained jobs in the past 12 months: Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 1.8 percent), Rochester MSA (up 3 percent), St. Cloud MSA (up 3 percent), Mankato MSA (up 0.6 percent), and Duluth-Superior MSA (up 0.5 percent). 

Partner Profile: JFCS

Lee Truer, Career Counselor at JFCS, shares her expertise and commitment to her work with every customer she encounters.

For over 10 years JFCS (Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis) has been providing career and training services for Minneapolis Employment and Training participants, including core services like outreach and intake, eligibility determination, skills assessments, evaluations of barriers, individual employment plans, referrals, career counseling, wrap-around services, training plans, job search skills, job placement assistance, and retention services. However, beyond these services JFCS delivers a unique pre-service assessment that goes deeper than establishing eligibility and affords a customized experience for each customer according to their needs. JFCS yearly outcomes, based on high rates of completion, employment, and job retention, demonstrate its success.

In the last year, the agency’s work in the CTA (Career Training Assistance) program served 25 people. CTA’s placement rate was 92% and the credential attainment rate was 88%; both over expected outcomes. Further, their work on TechHIRE awarded scholarships to 22 students to pursue coding boot camps. Currently 15 have completed, while six students are still in training. Of the 15 who completed training, 12 achieved employment at an average wage of $22.55 per hour.

Looking forward and to innovation, JFCS is excited to offer a new tool called Interview Stream that will allow customers to work with employment counselors and specialists to practice interviews in new ways. Interview questions can be customized and a practice interview can be recorded using any device that can be used to access the Internet and has a camera.

More information about the many services and programs offered at JFCS can be found by visiting its website. 

Minneapolis PARTNERS with Youth Conference 2016

Mayor Betsy Hodges poses with Minneapolis BUILD Leaders 

who were attending the conference.

On September 16, 217 metro area youth work professionals and community leaders gathered at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the annual Minneapolis PARTNERS with Youth conference. For the sixth year, the City of Minneapolis has supported the convening of youth workers and provided workshops that speak to the expertise of youth work professionals.

Attendees enjoyed workshops that evoked critical discussion and reflection on the topics of quality afterschool programming, racial equity, youth employment, violence prevention, sex trafficking, social emotional learning, LGBTQA youth, family engagement, and more.

Mayor Hodges gave a welcome presentation that thanked youth work professionals for their outstanding commitment and vision for young people in our community to be safe, engaged, and thriving. 

The PARTNERS with Youth Conference was sponsored by Minneapolis Employment and Training, the Minneapolis Health Department, the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board, Youthprise, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency prevention (OJJDP). 

Coming Soon! 800 West Broadway

The West Broadway Education and Career Center will soon be home to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's (DEED) North Minneapolis WorkForce Center, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), and NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center.  These major partners will work hand-in-hand to better serve north Minneapolis residents with workforce training and resources, secondary and post-secondary education assistance and health services.

MPS will be going into the Center in late September/early October and the North Minneapolis WorkForce Center will begin their move to the new building around November 1st.  NorthPoint will arrive late fall/beginning of the new year.

To learn more, check out the 800 West Broadway website. 

Minnesota Awarded $2.5 Million to Improve Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Minnesota was one of six states selected for federal grants totaling $14.9 million to improve employment opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded Minnesota $2.5 million under the federal Disability Employment Initiative. The grant will be managed by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), which offers programs and services to help people with disabilities find employment and live independently.

Learn more.

Employers Invited to Apply for Minnesota Apprenticeship Initiative (MAI) Grants

The Minnesota Apprenticeship Initiative is seeking employers to expand or create new registered apprenticeship programs in the industries of advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care, information technology, and transportation. Through a new grant, employers may receive up to $5,000 for each new MAI registered apprentice to assist with apprenticeship support costs. 

Learn more about the initiative here.