Minneapolis Workforce Development Board News

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October 2017

For Your Calendar

Minneapolis Workforce Development Board Meeting

Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Location: 800 West Broadway Avenue, 2nd Floor

Minneapolis, MN


Minneapolis Unemployment Rate Dropped in September  

The September 2017 unemployment rate dropped to 3 percent, down .7 percent from August, resulting in 7,202 residents unemployed and actively seeking employment, a decrease of 1,691 unemployed from August to September.

 

The federal government’s estimate of the Minneapolis labor force dropped between August and September with 1,173 residents leaving the labor force, resulting in a total labor force of 240,821. The year-over-year trend for September shows higher labor force participation and a lower unemployment rate from a year ago.

 

September’s 3 percent unemployment rate in Minneapolis is .1 percent higher than the State of Minnesota, .1 percent higher than the seven county metro area, and 1.1 percent lower than the national average.


Why Minnesota Has So Many Non-full-time Jobs

According to DEED data, of the 123,000 job vacancies in Minnesota in the second quarter, 44 percent were for part-time, temporary, and seasonal positions — which might explain one reason companies are having a hard time filling them.

 

Read this MINNPOST article to find out why that’s both good and bad for the economy. 


Trends Magazine Latest Issue

The latest issue of Trends magazine, produced by DEED's Labor Market Information Office, takes an in-depth look at the shortage of mental health workers in Minnesota. Other stories explore the gender wage gap, per capita income in Minnesota and millennials in the workforce. Read this issue on the DEED website.


Find past issues of the Minneapolis Workforce Development Board News here. 


The August Issue of Minnesota Employment Review Is Now Available.

PARTNERS with Youth Conference Engages Youth Workers

mayor
 

Above: Mayor Betsy Hodges poses with Minneapolis BUILD Leaders attending the conference, along with their trainers David Carson (far left) and Connie Rhodes (third from right).

 

On October 19th, 160 metro area youth work professionals and community leaders gathered at the Whittier School & Recreation Center for the annual Minneapolis PARTNERS with Youth conference. For the seventh 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 built around creating pathways to equitable youth engagement that included tracks in Healing, Activating, Sustaining, and Opportunity.

 

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy 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.  National keynote speaker Jason Sole also spoke to attendees while discussing his memoir, From Prison to Ph.D.: A Memoir of Hope, Resilience, and Second Chance.

 

The Partners with Youth Conference was sponsored by Minneapolis Employment and Training, the Minneapolis Health Department, the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board, and Youthprise. Hennepin County Libraries, Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, Community Bridge, and Whittier Schools helped to coordinate the event.


National Apprenticeship Week: November 13 – 19, 2017

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is a national celebration that offers leaders in business, labor, education, and other critical partners a chance to express their support for apprenticeship. NAW also gives apprenticeship sponsors the opportunity to showcase their programs, facilities and apprentices in their community.

 

The following events are happening in the metro area:

 

Apprenticeship Summit

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Employer Panel:  9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

On-Site Hiring Event: 10:00 - 12 noon

Anoka County WorkForce Center - 1201 89th Ave. NE Ste. 235, Blaine, MN

Flyer

 

Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest (FTIUM) Open House

Wednesday, November 15, 2017, 3:00 pm

FTIUM, 3205 Country Drive Suite 150, Little Canada, MN

 

An updated version of the “Twin Cities Metro Area Apprenticeship Programs” information sheet can be found here. 


Minnesota Manufacturers AreTrying to Interest More High School Students in Careers

Hundreds of the nearly 8,000 Minnesota manufacturers opened their doors to high school students thinking about careers making things during Minnesota Manufacturing Week in early October.

 

Minneapolis-based Graco, the global manufacturer of spraying and fluid-handling equipment, played host to about 150 Minneapolis high school students at its Northeast flagship facility that employs about 750. Graco starts high school graduates at $15 an hour for assembly jobs, including training-and-advancement opportunities such as tuition reimbursement for those wishing to pursue two-year degrees at local colleges.

 

The future of the state’s economy is dependent on a ready-to-train, adaptable workforce graduating high school. And it will be increasingly diverse. More than a third of Graco workers at its headquarters campus are minorities, as were most of the students who visited this month.

 

Read the whole StarTribune article. 


State Gains 6,400 Jobs in September

Minnesota employers added 6,400 jobs in September, according to seasonally adjusted figures released by DEED. The state has gained 41,259 jobs over the past year, an increase of 1.4 percent. U.S. job growth in the past 12 months was 1.2 percent.

 

Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell 0.1 percent in September to 3.7 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in September.

 

In the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, all regions gained jobs in the past 12 months: Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 2.1 percent), Duluth-Superior MSA (up 1.3 percent), Rochester MSA (up 0.9 percent), St. Cloud MSA (up 1.3 percent) and Mankato MSA (up 1.2 percent).

 

Learn more.


Best Buy Expanding Teen Tech Centers

Due to the increasing shortage of workers with tech skills, Best Buy is increasing its number of teen tech centers fivefold over the next three years by growing the year-round after-school programs from 11 sites to more than 60 across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

 

First launched in 2012, Best Buy's teen tech centers focus on serving under-served youth. They provide free programming that includes hands-on access to the latest technology in everything from robotics to 3-D printing. Other subject areas include coding, filmmaking, music production and design.

 

The expansion includes four new sites that will be open in the Twin Cities in coming weeks, in addition to its existing location at the Minneapolis Central Library. The new locations are at the Brian Coyle Center and Hope Community in Minneapolis as well as at Keystone Community Services and the YMCA in St. Paul.

 

The company is also launching a new post-high school career readiness program that includes internship opportunities and mentorship. It will serve 2,000 students a year.

 

Best Buy also runs the Geek Squad Academy, summer camps for youth at about 40 locations around the country.

 

Read the whole story.