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Congratulations, Nina Robertson, for being named 2021 - 40 under 40! |
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Congratulations to CPED's Step Up Director, Nina Robertson for being named 2021 40 under 40 in leading the Step Up youth program! In 2020, Step Up served 1,200+ young people through paid summer opportunities. Nina’s leadership was trailblazing in making this happen.
More from the honoree …
Why do you do what you do? I am a passionate youth and family advocate. I've seen and experienced firsthand how systems of oppression plague communities and families. Since I was a teen I have devoted myself to scholarship, service and storytelling. I truly believe these things can offer healing and liberation for all people, but especially my people of heritage, Black Americans.
What's been your biggest professional accomplishment? My biggest professional accomplishment has been transitioning from program manager to director of Step Up. I am a youth worker. I am dedicated to my craft, but along this journey, I knew that I only wanted to serve and make an impact. I didn't necessarily think about leading or elevating in my professional career. I wanted to do the work, and I followed this journey and path where I was allowed to do just that. It was my colleagues, supervisors and mentors who helped me and maybe in some ways forced me to recognize my natural ability to strategize and lead a team. In recent years, I've really leaned into this and now use my skills to develop and build programs where I am advocating for and developing programs around systems change.
Looking back at the challenges and turmoil of the past year, what was a bright spot? Looking back at the challenges over the past year, my bright spot is my family. I feel completely lucky to have my partner, my son, my siblings, and nieces and nephews. My mother and one of my younger brothers died tragically in 2017. Since then, my family has grown closer and tighter. Over this past year, and as things grew challenging for so many in our community, my family was reminded of the power of love and security that family can bring. I purchased a home for my family after my mother died in 2017, and for most of the pandemic everyone has had a safe space to isolate and call home. Having the ability to provide safe space for my family is my pride and joy and forever bright spot.
What was a key takeaway from the year that will guide your perspective and/or actions going forward? A key takeaway from the past year that will forever guide my perspective is that there is so much power in an organized movement. As a person who has experienced police and community violence closely, I know the feeling of becoming hopeless and numb. My entire professional and personal life is centered around advocacy; however, when violence struck my family back-to-back in 2017, I had no idea how to support myself or allow my community to support my family. After this past year, I believe there is a place for everyone in this movement, and that if all are engaged and paying attention and speaking up, we can organize together. We need to organize together. This belief and new understanding of movement building has saved my mental health.
More from the Bizjournal article highlighting Nina: As director of the Step Up Youth Employment Program for the city of Minneapolis, Nina Robertson helps prepare young people ages 14 to 21 for careers by training and placing them in paid internships at more than 200 regional employers. Before being promoted to director of the program, she served as program manager since 2016.
Previously, Robertson served in key management and leadership roles at the Northside Achievement Zone, Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota Kwanzaa Freedom Schools, Plymouth Christian Youth Center, and YMCA Twin Cities.
While earning her bachelor’s degree in family social sciences from the University of Minnesota, Robertson served as vice president and events chairwoman of the University of Minnesota Black Student Union. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
She has served as a board member of the Webber Camden Neighborhood Organization and was a 2018 Fellow of the New Leaders Council, Twin Cities chapter.
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StepUp Work Readiness Training 2021 |
Over 1,600 Minneapolis youth participated in the annual Step Up Work Readiness Training. This year’s training was a virtual experience. All of these young people now have a professional resume, a deeper understanding of their skills and interests, and eligible youth earned academic credit for their learning. Step Up brings together Minneapolis young people with Twin Cities employers through internships and training that build careers and lead to a diverse, skilled, and equitable workforce. In summer 2021, Step Up will offer traditional, remote and hybrid internships, as well as paid online training.
More: https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/employment-training/
 Share the news to youth you know about the Teen Job Fair! This year, the job fair is virtual. On Tuesday, May 25 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Metro Region Interactive Teen Job Fair is open to all. Register using the code TEENJOBS and set up a profile. There will be a broad scope of employers looking to hire.
Curbside Career Fair - May 27
Thursday, May 27, 2021 from 1-3 p.m., at North Minneapolis CareerForce - 800 West Broadway, Minneapolis
Looking for Work? Job Help Available
The City of Minneapolis Employment and Training, in partnership with community-based service providers, assists job seekers with job search, skills training, resume prep and review, and interview coaching to help Minneapolis residents get back to work.
Job demand remains high with many employers looking to hire today. Here are three ways to connect:
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Visit Virtual & Interactive Services for Career Seekers to find virtual job search resources and online events. Find out about Jobs in Demand During COVID-19 and about employers who are hiring right now.
- For in-person services in Minneapolis, please call North Minneapolis CareerForce at 612-299-7200 or South Minneapolis CareerForce at 651-539-4410 (currently limited due to COVID).
- If you have been laid off through no fault of your own, complete an Interest Intake form for services or call: 651-539-4421 or 952-417-2108 to be connected to a career counselor.
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Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) |
 Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) was founded in 1879 to support community and historically marginalized populations. With their system four neighborhood centers located in Minneapolis, they are a trusted and valuable provider of career and employment services in partnership with Minneapolis Employment and Training. Like most partners, PUC had to reimagine the way they served community in 2020. Some of the strategies they employed to service Minneapolis job seekers:
- Offered flexible office hours for job seeker with limited access to technology and those who needed assistance checking their emails, submitting applications, and job search.
- Assisted participants in registering for and attending virtual job fairs.
- Met with people outside their homes or in outdoor locations when the buildings were completely closed to staff and the public.
- Using facetime and text messages to communicate and provide virtual services.
As our community recovers, PUC will continue to adapt and support community to provide needed employment and training services to job seekers looking to stabilize and get back into the workforce.
 Labor Market Information Update: Metro Region
- Information Technology:
- Accommodation & Food Services:
DEED's Data Center:
Minnesota DEED Twitter Feed: https://twitter.com/mndeed
CareerForce Twitter Feed:https://twitter.com/careerforcemn
Minneapolis Workforce Development Board Meeting
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Virtual Meeting
Members and Guests—due to the Covid-19 public health emergency, the meeting will be held remotely. Meeting information is available on the City’s Boards and Commissions calendar via the link below. The public is welcome to listen to the meeting. Guests will be muted. Member attendance and all actions will require a roll call vote. Agenda will be sent to members in advance and available online at least 24 hours before the meeting. https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Calendar/all/monthly
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Find past issues of the Minneapolis Workforce Development Board News >>here
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