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After adding new population, labor force, and industry employment data, DEED's Regional Analysis and Outreach Unit released updated 2017 Regional Profiles in August. These annual publications outline a variety of demographic, labor market, and economic information and analysis for each planning region and economic development region (EDR) in the state. August blogs highlighted major demographic changes, labor market shifts, and employment trends that stood out over the past year.
Here’s the Twin Cities Metro’s profile:
At the broadest level of analysis, the Twin Cities region can be summed up nicely in one word: growth. The region's population, international immigration, labor force, industry employment, and wages are all growing. Accounting for over half of Minnesota's population and over 60% of total employment, the Twin Cities metro continues to be the driving force for growth in the state; and the region continues to grow despite an aging population and a tight labor market.
See all of the profiles here.
Many employers in Minnesota have something in common:
They’re struggling to find qualified workers, especially skilled workers, to
fill job openings across industries. It’s
why the state has, among other things, poured millions toward career pathway
programs — often created in partnership between private companies, government
agencies and educational institutions — to help people connect to jobs.
For all that, though, workforce experts say there are plenty
of other techniques that business leaders can use to find, train and retain
qualified workers — without support from any public initiatives.
Find out how employers are creating transportation
solutions, making their companies more diverse, and solving other barriers to
attracting qualified workers here.
Minnesota’s Commissioner of Administration Matt Massman and
Commission of Employment and Economic Development Shawntera Hardy took part in
a town hall meeting September 20th geared toward entrepreneurs and
small business owners on Minneapolis’ North Side.
Although the topic was economic development and small
business assistance on the North Side, attention quickly turned to minority
unemployment and how minority- and women-owned businesses can compete for state
contracts.
Small business owners were encouraged to become certified
and registered so they can bid on state contracts.
Read the entire article.
At Wells Fargo, many employees craved additional training
and professional development. Baby boomer workers wanted to update their
leadership skills, while younger professionals were itching to gain the
necessary expertise to move up.
Eight years ago, the bank tested an intergenerational
certificate program with St. Catherine University. Based on the school’s Master
of Arts in organizational leadership, the certificate program at Wells Fargo
allowed the different generations to learn from each other while honing their
skills in communication, ethics, leadership and more. And they wouldn’t even need to leave their
workplace.
The pilot worked so well that Wells Fargo created a formal
partnership with St. Kate’s to regularly offer its certificate program to
employees. So far, 90 Wells Fargo staff have earned the leadership certificate,
says Philomena Morrissey Satre, who served as vice president of the bank’s
diversity and inclusion consulting practice.
Colleges and universities across
Minnesota offer certificate programs to fit many industries or fields. And if there
isn’t one available, many schools will create curriculum to suit. Some
certificates launch young workers into careers in technology, manufacturing or
health care, while others keep current employees up to speed in rapidly
changing areas like digital marketing or data management.
Learn more about the advantages
of certification programs in this article.
Dunwoody
College of Technology will
soon start on a $10 million renovation of its Minneapolis campus to accommodate
more engineering students, which the college says will help bridge the growing
skilled labor gap in the Twin Cities.
Dunwoody's School of Engineering is expected to grow to as
many as 300 students within the next four years, said Dunwoody president
Richard Wagner. Meanwhile, the labor shortage in the Twin Cities is expected to
hit 100,000 by 2020.
General Mills, Tennant,
Proto Labs, 3M Co. and Uponor North America have worked with Dunwoody to
establish a hiring pipeline. Uponor, for example, has donated $5,000 to
Dunwoody College for a manufacturing scholarship that includes a paid,
full-time summer internship with the company.
Learn more.
A new Cedar-Riverside employment organization seeks to slash
unemployment rates in the community.
Pioneer Staffing and Training will be the first employment center in Minneapolis that is a public benefit
corporation — a for-profit business also focused on societal impact.
Company founder Mohamud Noor said he chose the
public benefit corporation model to assist the community. The organization aims
to cut Cedar-Riverside unemployment rates by bridging cultural and language
barriers that often exist between employers and applicants.
Employers frequently have concerns when hiring someone with
minimal skills, Noor said. “They don’t want to take that chance.” Pioneer Staffing and Training will address the concerns by
providing job training and workplace skills education, Noor said.
Read
more.
Even as more and more companies highlight the importance to
diversify their workplace, there's been increasing recognition that unconscious
bias — around issues of race, age and sex — is a widespread issue, especially
in the hiring process.
“We know that people make assumptions based on what
companies people were employed with and where they got their education, so on
and so forth,” said Sandee Joppa, Executive Director of RealTime Talent, a
public-private partnership focused on using data to address workforce issues in
Minnesota.
Now, a joint effort by RealTime and the Minnesota Chamber of
Commerce is hoping to do something about the issue.
Launched earlier this year, the MN
Job Match platform uses a set
of “statistically-validated” questions that draw more information from both
employers and job seekers than they would typically share in job descriptions
and résumés. The goal is not only to improve employee recruitment for the
companies who use it, but also help reduce bias in the hiring process.
Read the whole story here.
With bus and train fares increasing on Sunday, Metro Transit
has developed a new program to help low-income riders stay on board. The
Transit Assistance Program (TAP) will allow qualified commuters to ride anytime
for a discounted rate of $1.
Enrollment begins October 2nd. Find out more and apply here.
Check out this KSTP News story about the Cedar
Riverside Opportunity Center.
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