 Top: Chanda Smith Baker, President and CEO, PUC, accepts 2015 STEP-UP Employer of the Year Award from Mayor Betsy Hodges. Bottom: PUC Culinary Arts Training program student and teacher chef.
Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) works
in partnership with City of Minneapolis Employment and Training to offer results
driven employment services for Minneapolis
Works and Minneapolis
Youth Works. These services include
work readiness, job placement and retention, and include career planning,
resume development, and interviewing practice.
Client services emphasize relationship building by offering one-on-one
job counseling and assistance in community centers with deep roots in the
neighborhoods of North and South Minneapolis.
The agency also offers a successful Culinary Arts Training program where participants receive training in a licensed kitchen under the direction
of qualified chefs. Participants in this track also receive the industry-recognized ServSafe Food Handler’s Certificate.
In 2015, PUC won the Best Community Impact Award from the United Way and
the STEP-UP Employer of the Year Award.
 After graduating from college with a degree in political
science and communication, John Amakye began his career in personal finance. But
after a few years John was ready for a change. He knew his love for problem
solving and computers had the potential to turn into a job, so he began to look
for training and work opportunities in the IT industry.
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During his search for a new career, John, a resident of northeast Minneapolis, discovered the Creating IT Futures IT-Ready program through the Minneapolis Workforce Center. IT-Ready is a program of the City of Minneapolis’ TechHire Initiative designed to help close the skills gap in the IT industry by building a path for diverse workers to access training, support and tech jobs. At first, John thought IT-Ready, a 4-month, full-time program that provides free education, training and career placement, sounded too good to be true. However, he decided to apply and was accepted in 2015, where he learned many in-demand skills including a general overview of IT, an introduction to CompTIA+ certification and soft skills such as team work.
IT-Ready’s career placement program helped connect John to a job at the City of Minneapolis. At the City, John was employed as a Service Desk Agent until fall 2016, when he began a new endeavor into software development. With financial support from the City, John is currently attending PRIME Digital Academy, an 18-week coding bootcamp. John says that, “attending Prime has been an excellent opportunity to learn to become a full stack developer with a great team of students and instructors.”
Learn more about the MSP TechHire Initiative and its associated programs, such as IT-Ready and Prime Digital Academy.
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This
past week, the City of Minneapolis youth employment program STEP-UP began accepting
applications for 2017 summer internship placements. STEP-UP serves Minneapolis
youth who face some of the greatest barriers to employment, including youth
from disadvantaged economic backgrounds, youth of color, youth from recent immigrant
families, and youth with disabilities, providing them with work readiness
training and summer internships at over 230 top Twin Cities companies,
nonprofits and public agencies. |
Since its
launch in 2004, STEP-UP has provided over 24,000 internship opportunities.
Throughout their internship they gain valuable on-the job skills, make strong
professional connections, and become exposed to careers they may have not
otherwise accessed without STEP-UP. STEP-UP alumnus Abdirkhader said, “I gained
a lot of skills and experience. I worked at Children's Minnesota with a lot of
great, professional people who helped me think about my future.”
Eligible
Minneapolis youth ages 14-21 who are interested in participating in the 2017
STEP-UP class have until
February 10, 2017, to complete an application online.
Businesses,
public agencies and nonprofits interested in employing interns in 2017 can find
information on the City of Minneapolis STEP-UP website.
STEP-UP
is a City of Minneapolis program in partnership with AchieveMpls. Other major partners
include Department of Employment and Economic Development
(DEED), Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and Project for Pride in Living.
CPED and Public Works announce a new blog on the historic and new public artworks for Nicollet Mall. As a part of the Mall renovation, the historic artwork is being removed, restored and reinstalled in 2017. Additionally, the city has commissioned new artworks to complement the new design, and represent the diverse range of public artists of today’s generation. Regina Flanagan, local artist, landscape architect, and public art administrator, is the author of the blog and one of four artists chosen for the Mall art project through a nationwide open call and interviews. Her role is to curate and integrate the new public art being created and to coordinate community engagement activities. |
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The current blog post features “The Fascinating Story of
Jack Nelson’s Sculpture Clock.” For more information, visit: http://nicolletmallart.org
and to receive an update when new blogs are posted, send an email to info@nicolletmallart.org.
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City of Minneapolis Employment and Training was awarded $500,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor to develop and implement a program to provide pathways for students into justice and emergency services careers. The program, called PEACE (Pathways to Emergency & Academy Career Experiences), gives students hands-on opportunities to learn about these careers through:
• Mini-academies designed to offer a real-world perspective.
• Mentoring by a professional from the industry.
• Working in paid summer internships in one of the career fields.
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Students will be supported throughout the program by a Minneapolis
Public Schools Check & Connect case manager who will keep them on track
toward graduation and help guide them in their next education or training
steps.
Other partners include the Minneapolis Police, Fire, and City
Attorney’s departments, Hennepin County Medical Center, and several departments
within Hennepin County.
See Flyer for more information.
 Source: Creating IT Futures Foundation - IT Ready
On November 15, over 200 people attended the 2nd annual IT Career and
Training Expo hosted by City of Minneapolis Employment and Training in
partnership with Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development
(DEED) and Hennepin County.
The Expo began with an IT Industry Panel of industry leaders from Xcel
Energy, the State of Minnesota and SciTechsperience sharing insider tips and
answering questions about industry trends, in-demand skills, and how to enter
careers in IT.
Expo attendees entering the tech field had opportunities to meet local
IT training providers to learn about educational opportunities. Employers like the State of Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis, and
private companies attended the Expo to connect with great potential employees. A pre-Expo workshop was held at the Minneapolis South WorkForce Center to
help Expo participants learn about IT careers and to prepare resumes.
Minneapolis-Saint Paul TechHire training partners also participated in the career expo. MSP TechHire is the City of Minneapolis' initiative to close the workforce skills gap in the
high tech economy by building a path for diverse workers to access training,
support and tech jobs.
 800 West Broadway breakout session panelists Naima Bashir (North Point), Leona Martin (DEED), and Leslie Lewandowksi (MPS)
On November 9, Minneapolis Employment and Training
hosted the 2nd annual Minneapolis Services to Adults Conference
targeted to employment and training service providers who work with adults
(including young adults ages 18-24) in the programs funded by Minneapolis
Works, Minneapolis Youth Works, Train-to-Career, Dislocated Worker and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) Adult. Organizations that have applied to become eligible employment and training service providers were also
invited.
Approximately 120 conference participants networked,
learned, shared, and grew as professionals. Minneapolis Workforce Development Board Chair Laura
Beeth welcomed and thanked attendees for the important work they do to help
move Minneapolis job seekers into career pathways that lead to living wage
jobs.
Andre Koen, a local leader in workforce diversity and
cultural inclusion, gave the keynote presentation. Ten breakout sessions covered topics ranging from
working with ex-offenders, labor market information, Career 101s for in-demand
occupations, and more. Exhibitors from 14 sectors, from Apprenticeships to
Vocational Rehab, offered resources that conference participants can share and
use with their clients.
 The North Minneapolis Workforce Center welcomes their first customer; Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Developmnet (DEED)
On Tuesday, December 6th, the North
Minneapolis Workforce Center opened doors for the first time at 800 West
Broadway, the center’s brand new location. The new Workforce Center is open
Monday – Friday from 8 am – 4:30 pm and can be accessed by Bus Routes 14, 30
and 32. Visitors will still find the same help for job seekers including
computer access, office assistance, library access, assistive technology,
workshops, and one-on-one job search support in a larger building.
In addition to career services, the increased space allows
for an innovative partnership with Minneapolis
Public Schools and NorthPoint Health & Wellness. The partnership will provide benefits such as
opportunities for youth and adults to complete their high school diploma and
GED, medical, behavioral health and dental services, and a new retail location.
Find more information about upcoming workshops, hiring
events at the new North Minneapolis Workforce Center here.
Source: The Line
MSP proudly hosts “major product design companies like Target, 3M, Medtronic, General Mills, Cargill,” says Dr. Barry Kudrowitz, McKnight Land-Grant Professor of Product Design at the University of Minnesota. However, he adds, “They’re all hiring their product designers from other states.”
Kudrowitz and the U of M are changing that, as Kudrowitz has helped spearhead the new Product Design major that the college introduced this fall and he’s excited to see how it develops with time.
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