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issue 17 - February 2008 |
kathy.sweeney@state.mn.us |
In this Issue:
- Key Strategies for Workforce Development: Local Partnerships and Regionalism; McElroy Thanks WIBs, Partners for Support of New UI System
- Workforce Development: Vision and Strategies for 2008
- DEED Awards FIRST Grants for Improving Regional Economic Competitiveness
- Southeast Minnesota Named Outstanding Rural WIB
- Minnesota Manufacturers Look For High-Performing Workers
- Find High-demand Occupation Data for Your Region
- Four Regional Web Sites Launched
- Support Perkins Career and Technical Education Initiative
- Wildwood Reappointed to MJSP Board
- Byron Zuidema Serves as Administrator for U.S. DOL - ETA
- Other Grant and Training Opportunities
By Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy
I want to thank all of you for your help and patience since the new system for Unemployment Insurance has been implemented. Things are getting much better and will continue to improve. There may be some challenges, but customer service is accessible -- with dramatically shorter call wait times and delays. The average call wait time as of Jan. 28 was under five minutes, and the longest one was less than 10 minutes. There is a software update scheduled on February 10, which includes changes identified by staff and customers to make the system easier to use. These types of changes will be made as we learn more from staff and customers.
Visiting a Minnesota WorkForce Center is a great learning experience for a relatively new commissioner. To show what a big and diverse state Minnesota is, I have visited about 30 of the 47 WorkForce Centers and am committed to visiting the others by the end of 2008. The various WorkForce Centers are diverse. But they have the common features of busy resource areas, active meeting and classrooms, and partners working together to help our customers. Thank you for your time with me, as well as your enthusiasm.
During my travels and in meetings with WIB leaders, I have been asked about DEED’s vision for workforce development in Minnesota. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Unified Plan includes a clear vision for our specific workforce programs. Perhaps even more important is the broader vision expressed in the mission statement that was drafted at the time of the agency merger in 2003: We exist to assist individuals, companies and communities achieve prosperity through growth. We believe that strategies for prosperity need to be regional and involve sustainable collaborations among the partners that work on the related issues of economic development, workforce development, education, housing and community development. As part of our “Minnesota Competes” listening sessions last summer, we learned that key elements of successful strategies need to include:
- An emphasis on local partnerships and regional thinking;
- An emphasis on wealth creation, not only job creation;
- An emphasis by DEED on results, with flexibility as to methods;
- Clear measurements for results;
- Active encouragement of innovation and new ideas; and
- Sensitivity pertaining to the differences between the state’s regions.
Also, as a result of the listening sessions, we have developed the Framework for Integrated Regional Strategies (FIRST) Grant Program to help regional partnerships throughout the state develop plans for economic competitiveness in their communities. In fact, five groups will each receive a $50,000 grant and four groups will each receive a $45,000 grant from DEED under this program. View an article about the FIRST Grants for improving regional economic competitiveness below.
I am looking forward to the opportunities to work with you and our other partners around the state in 2008.
Workforce Development: Vision and Strategies for 2008
By Workforce Development Director Bonnie Elsey, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) - Workforce Development Division’s (WDD) vision for 2007 to 2010 follows:
- Minnesota’s businesses lead the world in innovation and are strong global competitors.
- Minnesota’s workers lead the world in talent, productivity, and economic self-sufficiency.
- Minnesota’s comprehensive education, employment, and economic development systems are aligned to maximize public investment.
The vision is published in the State’s Unified Plan (http://www.deed.state.mn.us/wia/2007/index.htm) and was approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The plan depicts six key strategies:
1. Strengthen regional economies by:
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2. Increase staff capacity in economic competitiveness through:
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3. Integrate workforce and economic development policies through:
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4. Align training and education through:
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5. Adopt uniform assessments including:
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6. Use Lean Practices and build capacity for:
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(For a review of clusters and sectors, read the article “Clusters and Sectors: What’s the Buzz About” at http://mnwfc.org/WIBnews/Nov2007.htm#five.)
As I reflect on our progress in 2007, I offer the following synopsis: DEED’s Workforce Development Division has been moving Minnesota from a transactional to a strategic approach for workforce and economic development. This effort required an investment in training, and resulted in 100-plus state and local staff completing Michael Porter’s Micro Economics of Competitiveness course (taught with assistance from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute). This effort in defining a cluster approach for Minnesota’s economy provides a framework to evaluate the changing dynamics of our state.
Using cluster analysis deepens our understanding of the interrelationships between business competitiveness and workforce needs. This analysis gives workforce professionals the ability to craft workforce solutions tailored to industries within the region and ultimately provides workers with opportunities for higher paying jobs. It also allows regions to better predict how businesses are changing and how workforce professionals can prepare workers.
For cluster strategies to develop in regions, we offered the opportunity for regional organizations to compete for FIRST grants. Five grants were awarded prior to January 1, 2008 and four more grants were awarded in early February 2008.
These grants will provide leaders with resources to study the regional economy and develop joint strategies with economic development, education, and workforce professionals. The purpose is to align resources to strengthen regional economies.
This past year, DEED, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), and Department of Education – Adult Basic Education (ABE) pooled their money to support industry clusters by investing in sector strategies. Sector strategies are distinct from, but complementary to cluster strategies. Cluster strategies focus on business competitiveness and related interdependencies and define industry-relevant services, activities and investments to help the businesses compete; sector strategies help workers prepare for occupations and skills identified by industry. They are both vital to Minnesota’s future.
In spite of the impending rescissions to Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title I, DEED plans to engage businesses, organizations and educational institutions in strengthening regional economies. Strong regional economies will require strong leadership at the local level, sound community infrastructure, globally competitive businesses and skilled workers.
DEED’s emphasis on cluster studies, sector initiatives, and FIRST planning grants are aligned with our first four strategies. This effort requires us to work collaboratively with education, workforce and economic development entities to increase competitiveness in each region. I look forward to implementing and refining our strategies in 2008.
DEED Awards FIRST Grants for Improving Economic Competitiveness
Five groups will each receive a $50,000 grant and four groups will each receive a $45,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to help them develop plans for economic growth in their areas. The grants were awarded under a new program called Framework for Integrated Regional Strategies or FIRST. The goal of FIRST is to bring together regional leaders in economic development, workforce growth and education as part of an all-inclusive strategy to increase the economic competitiveness of each area.
The following entities were awarded $50,000 grants:
- Range Readiness Initiative, representing Koochiching, Itasca, Aitkin, St. Louis, Carlton, Lake and Cook counties in Minnesota and Douglas County in Wisconsin.
- Northwest Minnesota Foundation, representing Kittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Beltrami, Pennington, Red Lake, Polk, Norman, Mahnomen, Clearwater and Hubbard counties, plus western Itasca County, northern Cass County, the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and the cities of Cass Lake and Walker.
- Southeast Minnesota Consortium, including Rice, Goodhue, Wabasha, Steele, Todd, Olmsted, Winona, Freeborn, Mower, Fillmore and Houston counties.
- South Central Regional Economic Collaboration, representing Sibley, Brown, Nicollet, Le Sueur, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Waseca, Martin and Faribault counties.
- Northern Technology Initiative, representing Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec and Pine counties.
The following entities were awarded $45,000 grants:
- Southwest Minnesota Regional Collaborative representing Big Stone, Swift, Chippewa, Yellow Medicine, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Cottonwood, Murray, Pipestone, Rock, Nobles and Jackson counties.
- Twin West Chamber of Commerce representing Hennepin County (including city of Minneapolis).
- West Central Minnesota representing Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin counties.
- Partners for Strategic Growth representing Stearns, Benton, Sherburne and Wright counties.
Local companies, workers, researchers, entrepreneurs and educators will work as partners to develop a long-term strategic plan for their region.
DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy said FIRST was created after a series of Minnesota Competes Forums last summer and fall.
“We found that most areas of the state do not have an integrated strategy for creating regional prosperity and community success,” he said. “Forum participants said they wanted the ability to develop their own regional plans rather than having the state provide a one-size-fits-all model.”
Grant funds will be used for staff support, consulting help, meeting expenses, materials and related costs. The funding will be available for work completed through calendar year 2008.
DEED officials said the grant recipients were selected from 22 proposals and the resubmission of five proposals.
DEED officials announced the five grant recipients of $50,000 earlier this winter, while the other four grant recipients were selected in early February.
Southeast Minnesota Named Outstanding Rural WIB
The National Workforce Association (NWA) has named Workforce Development, Inc. (Workforce Service Area 8) the 2007 Outstanding Rural Workforce Investment Board. Workforce Development, Inc. is the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) serving 10 counties in southeast Minnesota including Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, and Wabasha counties. NWA provides guidance in workforce issues throughout the nation.
National Workforce Association Chief Executive Officer David Bradley presented the award to the southeast Minnesota WIB Chair Dawn Thompson (Good Samaritan Communities of Albert Lea) during the recent WIB employer awards banquet in Rochester (pictured).
Bradley praised the work of the WIB because it is responsive to the needs of local industry in meeting its demands for employee skill development. The WIB has aligned its key industry representatives with the needs of employers and job seekers in the region. Best practices developed in southeast Minnesota include the launch of vocational academies to train healthcare and manufacturing workers, creation of scholarship funds for targeted industries, and efforts to promote retention and training for incumbent workers.
Each year NWA recognizes two WIBs demonstrating outstanding commitment and success in implementing the Workforce Investment Act, federal programs designed to assist people with employment and training services. The WIB based in Houston, Texas has been named as 2007 Outstanding Urban WIB.
Minnesota Manufacturers Look For High-Performing Workers
A “high-performance workforce” is the number one factor for success, say 66 percent of Minnesota manufacturers that responded to a newly released survey of the state’s manufacturing firms, by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
“Boundless opportunities exist for manufacturers in the metro area to build a workforce to sustain their business and the overall industry,” said DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy. “The information gained from this survey will help the State of Minnesota, local governments, the educational system and other service providers align and prioritize services and support to Minnesota manufacturers.”
The survey, “Understanding the Worker Needs of Manufacturers,” was supported by several Minnesota partners, including Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI), Padilla Speer Beardsley, Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association (MPMA), Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) and Minnesota Manufacturers Coalition.
In central Minnesota more
In northeast Minnesota more
In northwest Minnesota more
In southeast Minnesota more
In southwest Minnesota more
In Twin Cities metro area more
For the complete report, see: www.positivelyminnesota.com/facts/mfgworkerneeds.htm.
Find High-demand Occupation Data for Your Region
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has launched a web site that puts high-demand occupation data at your fingertips. It enables members of your WIB to look up current data by economic development region which roughly coincides with Workforce Service Areas, according to Kyle Uphoff who oversees regional analysis at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic development. The data will be updated twice annually, so it’s kept current. Check out the new tool at www.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/tools/oid/default.aspx. The web site is a product of DEED’s Labor Market Information (LMI) Unit, and was first developed as a model by DEED’s Regional Analysis Unit. If you need assistance using the tool, contact the LMI helpdesk at 651-259-7384.
Four Regional Web Sites Launched
Rural Minnesota youth and families will now be better informed about the careers available close to home, thanks to four new career information web sites tailored to Minnesota regions.
The web sites aim to help youth make better-informed career decisions, develop career plans, and acquire the training for the well-paying occupations in demand where they live.
Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation; ISEEK or Minnesota’s Internet System for Education and Employment Knowledge; and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED’s) Analysis and Evaluation Office created the technical infrastructure and collaborative partnerships to provide and update web content.
The four regional web sites are:
Northwest, including East Grand Forks, Crookston, Fosston, Thief River Falls, Roseau, and Warroad. www.iseek.org/northwest
Headwaters, including Baudette, Bagley, Bemidji, Blackduck, Mahnomen, and Park Rapids. www.iseek.org/headwaters
West Central, including Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead, Morris, and Perham. www.iseek.org/westcentral
North Central, including Brainerd, Little Falls, Long Prairie, Staples, Wadena, and Walker. www.iseek/org/northcentral
“The regional career information web sites connect youth services to employers’ needs,” said DEED’s Office of Youth Development Director Kay Tracy. “The web sites support other multi-agency initiatives to make career information more accessible to youth and families.”
Key partners include Duluth Workforce Council, Northeast MN Workforce Council, Northland Works, Northwest Private Industry Council, Rural Minnesota CEP Workforce Council, and Southwest MN Private Industry Council.
For more information on the regional web sites and Shared Youth Vision activities, see: www.deed.state.mn.us/youth/syv/syv.htm.
The value of this information has already been demonstrated by a grass roots effort in northeast Minnesota which generated the Northland Works Project (thenorthlandworks.org), according to Anthony Schaffhauser, executive director of the Center for Research and Innovation, Bemidji State University. Southwest Minnesota also launched a regional website (www.swmncareers.org) based on a local initiative. As a result of this project, these web sites have additional resources for updates, says Schaffhauser. View an article about the Southwest Minnesota regional web site at http://mnwfc.org/WIBnews/August2007.htm#five and the Northland Works Project at http://mnwfc.org/WIBnews/Feb2007.htm#four.
The web sites are funded by a $116,000 federal Shared Youth Vision pilot grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Support Perkins Career and Technical Education Initiative
WIB members have an opportunity to help develop the Minnesota Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Plan. The Minnesota Perkins CTE State Plan will focus on promoting reform, innovation, accountability and continuous improvement in CTE by improving student achievement and preparing students for further learning and entry into high skill, high wage careers. The Minnesota Perkins CTE State Plan calls for a new consortia structure, and it will directly address the education and workforce issues embedded within the triad of high school reform, education, and employment transition, as well as competitiveness. The plan covers the period from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2013.
“Minnesota is the only state using this consortia structure at the state level,” said Pradeep Kotamraju, who directs the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) program on behalf of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU). “Minnesota is ahead of the curve in promoting collaboration around career and technical education to meet the challenges presented by global competitiveness.”
Connecting to Workforce Development
While WIBs cannot be part of the consortia, they can be involved in supporting local consortia being formed in a variety of ways. Workforce development practitioners are already serving on a Minnesota Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Plan Advisory Task Force. The membership of the task force is prescribed in the Perkins Law and must include individuals from the workforce development community. Anne Olson of the Minnesota Workforce Council Association was invited to become a member of the task force. Members on the task force include Tom Becker, Blaine WorkForce Center; Carrie Thomas, JOBS NOW; and Terrance Smith, Teamsters Local 638 (Governor’s Workforce Development Council member).
The task force is now providing input to MnSCU and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) on the draft Minnesota Perkins CTE State Plan document.
One of the five goals that Perkins CTE consortia have is to examine and expand collaborative practices to support career and technical education programming. Each Perkins CTE consortium must develop career pathways/programs of study, which are a set of courses and programs that span at least from grade 11 through the first two years of college. These career pathways/programs of study require the development of strong employer, education and community partnerships, which is a major goal for the implementation by local Perkins CTE consortia.
The consortia will be looking to their local WIBs to provide input into identifying the high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations in their local areas. “We encourage the local WIBs to become involved as part of the local consortia advisory committees that will be forming,” Kotamraju said. Furthermore, MnSCU and Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) will jointly focus on collaborating with Minnesota WorkForce Centers, the WIA Workforce Investment Act programs, and Adult Basic Education programs, and the GWDC, according to Kotamraju. A list of the consortia will be available at www.cte.mnscu.edu by March 15 which identifies the location and contact information for each consortia formed. WIBs will be able to begin work with local consortia after April 1.
Attend a Meeting about the Perkins Planning Process
A series of public meetings about the Perkins Planning Process is set for February in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Mankato and Bemidji. The meeting schedule and locations are posted at www.perkinsplan.project.mnscu.edu/. Presentations on the draft Minnesota Perkins CTE State Plan will take place and attendees will have the opportunity to provide input. WIB members are encouraged to attend a meeting. One will be a satellite broadcast that will originate in St. Paul and reach sites in the Twin Cities metro area (Century College in White Bear Lake), Rochester, Marshall, Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Alexandria and Eveleth. All meetings will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the local MnSCU college. View the meeting schedule and locations at www.perkinsplan.project.mnscu.edu/.
WIB members are also encouraged to provide input and recommendations on the draft Minnesota Perkins CTE State Plan at www.perkinsplan.project.mnscu.edu/. (Click on "General Feedback.")
To read more about the background of Perkins IV and the focus of the Minnesota Perkins CTE State Plan click here.
For more information, contact Pradeep Kotamraju at pradeep.kotamraju@so.mnscu.edu or Dan Smith, MDE at dan.smith@state.mn.us
Wildwood Reappointed to MJSP Board
Governor Tim Pawlenty announced the reappointment of Inez Wildwood to the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Board of Directors. Wildwood, who was originally appointed in 2004, is reappointed to a four-year term that expires on January 2, 2012.
Wildwood, of Duluth, is the employee relations manager with ALLETE, Inc. in Duluth. She has over nine years of human resources experience with ALLETE. Wildwood is a member of the Governor's Workforce Development Council where she chairs the business and community connections committee, is a member and former chair of the Duluth Workforce Council, and serves on the NGA Policy Academy on Workforce Development. Wildwood is reappointed to a position on the Job Skills Partnership Board for a member who is also a business representative on the Governor's Workforce Development Council.
The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board brings together employers with specific training needs with educational or other non-profit institutions which can design programs to meet those needs. The board consists of 13 members, including seven appointed by the Governor.
Byron Zuidema Serves as Administrator for U.S. DOL - ETA
Former Minnesota Department of Economic Security (MDES) Assistant Commissioner Byron Zuidema has been assigned for a rotation to Washington, D.C. as acting administrator of the office of financial and administrative management at The U.S. Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration (U.S. DOL – ETA). He is serving as the agency's top administrative officer (in charge of budget, technology, and more) working under the acting assistant secretary through at least the first quarter of 2008. Nicholas Lammers will be acting as U.S. DOL - ETA’s administrator of Region V. Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Small is filling in for former Assistant Secretary Emily DeRocco who left her position for the private sector. Zuidema is a Minnesota native from Kandiyohi County and worked at MDES from September 1991 to October 1996.
Other Grant and Training Opportunities
U.S. DOL Solicits Grant Applications for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Opportunities
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), has announced the availability of approximately $10 million in grant funds for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Opportunities in the Workforce System Initiative (STEM Initiative). It is anticipated that the number of awards will range from five to seven, with the average award ranging from $1.5 million to $2 million. These grants will be awarded through a two-phased competitive process to primarily expand and align current and new STEM workforce education and training strategies, activities, and resources in One Stop Career Centers. The goal is to promote, attract, and prepare disadvantaged youth and dislocated workers for STEM careers, while simultaneously enhancing the competitive position of local and regional employers. Grants will be awarded to a select number of individual WIBs, representing a regional consortium. Read the complete announcement at http://www.doleta.gov/sga/sga/SGA-DFA-PY-07-03.pdf. The closing date for the grant solicitation is March 11, 2008.
Check out the STEM Summit Schedule
The 2008 Regional STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) Summits, connecting Minnesota’s business and higher education community to students from all over the state are taking place now through February 26. The STEM Summits are a component of the statewide initiative to promote advanced science, technology, engineering and math coursework to Minnesota students.
Minnesota high tech companies know that our state’s success in the global economy relies on a superior technological workforce,” said Kate Rubin, president of the Minnesota High Tech Association. “The innovators of tomorrow are being shaped in the classroom of today. That’s why this initiative is vital to the state’s high tech industries.”
STEM Summits bring business, higher education, local government and communities around the state together to prepare our students for an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Consider being an exhibitor at an upcoming event. Learn more at www.mhta.org or contact Taylor Pettis at the Minnesota High Tech Association, 952-230-4560 or tpettis@mhta.org.
Summits are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon as follows:
Rochester: February 14, 2008, Rochester Community & Technical College
Mankato: February 26, 2008, South Central College, Heritage Hall
Up to $25,000 Each in ETC Grants to be Awarded RFP Now Online
A new “Education and Training (ETC) Collaborative: Preparation Provided by Minnesota’s Workforce and Adult Basic Education Systems” grant program is designed to increase the workforce development system’s capacity to serve Minnesotans who earn low wages or need occupational skill enhancement. The grant program features up to 16 individual grants of up to $25,000 each. A Request for Proposal for ETC grant program is now posted at http://www.deed.state.mn.us/workforce/etc/.
The purpose is to increase employability options of these Minnesotans by:
- Developing and providing pre-certification training with direct linkages to higher education and/or a specific job certification process.
- Offering apprenticeship or internship experiences for adults with limited skills (may include curriculum development).
- Providing on-site basic skills training (Adult Basic Education - ABE, GED – high school equivalency, or English as a Second Language – ESL) for incumbent employees whose skills may keep them from retention, promotion or success on the job.
- Providing or piloting certificates or credentials based on assessment and work-related competencies, such as the National Work Readiness Credential (http://www.workreadiness.com/) or WorkKeys System (http://www.act.org/workkeys/).
The grant program is a result of a collaborative effort of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) – ABE Office.
The following partnerships are required for grant eligibility:
- An Adult Basic Education Consortium and a Workforce Investment Board;
- An ABE Consortium and a WorkForce Center partner; or
- All three entities may apply together.
The deadline for submitting your partnership’s application is March 7, 2008. For more information about this RFP, contact Kathy Sweeney, Kathy.Sweeney@state.mn.us, 651-259-7565 or Anne Marie Leland, Anne.Leland@state.mn.us, 651-582-8479.
Key Program Contacts:
Kathy Sweeney Stephen Larson Connie Ireland Burke Murphy |
Rick Roy Jim Wrobleski Joan Danielson |
Key Publication Contacts:
Kathy Sweeney |
Irene Connors |
We Need Your Feedback
We're trying to make this newsletter as timely and useful as we possibly can and, to accomplish that goal, we need to know what you want to know. We need and welcome any feedback you can offer – especially concerning topics of broad statewide or regional interest to the WIBs and all other partners. To register your questions, comments, complaints and suggestions, simply send an e-mail to Kathy.Sweeney@state.mn.us. We'll do our best to address your concerns directly and use your feedback to help us develop articles for future editions of the newsletter.
Thanks.