WinonaWorkForceCenter

LINKS

April 2007

  Director's Insight A  Bonnie Elsey            March 1, 2007     Volume 1, Issue 3                       Workforce  Development Division from Director                                      

The final development stages of the new Minnesota Job Bank (MJB) are underway, and it's time to get excited about the launch of this powerful new recruiting system.  According to our current projections, testing of the new MJB will began in mid April, and the system will go live in June.

For those of you who use MJB, the new MJB will be a real treat for you.  We absolutely had to improve the match between job seekers and employers, and needed to utilize technology that can do this automatically. Today’s technology allows us to make better matches on multiple criteria at one time.  We also needed to make it easier for employers to post job orders and for job seekers to post resumes. 

DEED had an ambitious list of improvements, and we selected a product called LENS™ to be the "match engine" for the new MJB.  Developed by a California company called Burning Glass, LENS™ is a state-of-the-art tool for matching resumes and job orders.

LENS™ is an "intelligent" search engine that does more than match key words but searches in context with multiple criteria to find the best candidates.  For example, when an employer views a list of matched resumes, LENS™ ranks the resumes in order of most to least qualified.  It also uses its “intelligence” to automatically code job orders and resumes, saving staff time and increasing accuracy while allowing for better labor market information. 

One of the most exciting features of LENS™ is its ability to identify alternative careers for job seekers by "reading" the resume and suggesting other careers!  Rather than looking only at skills, LENS™ analyzes complex behavioral patterns in resumes, and uses those patterns to build predictive models for employment.  LENS can find job openings that require similar skills, job openings that resemble the candidate’s most recent job, and job openings that others with similar career paths have successfully migrated to.  This will be an outstanding tool for our job seeking customers.

In addition to these new features, the new MJB will be easier to use for employers and job seekers.  The system is intuitive, and will offer help at the point of need. The process for entering and editing resumes and job orders has been shortened and simplified.  Job orders and resumes can be easily uploaded into the system so less time is spent on manually entering data.

DEED’s goal is to make MJB the primary recruiting service in Minnesota for employers and government and could increase employee retention by providing better candidates.  Job seekers will be delighted to find job opportunities they may not have considered.

What a premier tool for citizens of Minnesota!

You don’t have to wait much longer! 

New Online Resource Offers 'Just-in-Time' Solutions to Help Start-ups Take Off, Growing Companies to Soar

Biz Info Library is the source for best practice articles and
practical, proven small business/entrepreneur solutions

ST. PAUL, MINN. - February 23, 2007 - Tired of search engines returning millions of results on business terms such as "cash flow" or "marketing?" Small businesses and entrepreneurs now have a solution. A powerful new online resource, the Biz Info Library (www.bizinfolibrary.org), provides immediate access to reliable expert information, ideas and insights on owning, operating, and growing a company.

Launched on Feb. 27 during national EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, the Biz Info Library is an online collection of articles featuring practical, results-focused information. Along with some of the top publishers on small business and entrepreneurial success, content providers include world-renowned authors and leading business experts.

"There's too much information about entrepreneurship out there, so it's difficult and time-consuming to determine what, and who to believe," said venture capitalist and blogger Guy Kawasaki, author of the best-selling "The Art of the Start" and an article contributor to the Biz Info Library. "What's needed is a vertical search engine for entrepreneurs and The Biz Info Library delivers on this need."

Biz Info Library eliminates frustrating online searches that produce thousands and sometimes millions of results. Users can quickly find relevant information by using either a keyword search, an advanced search, or by reviewing all articles in a particular category and subcategory.

Biz Info Library provides specific, just-in-time information that guides problem-solving and decision-making day-to-day and long term. Users can quickly find specific information and practical business solutions related to their current business issues. Users can download articles, and can even save articles online to create a custom library.

"As a small business owner, you're expected to be an expert on everything from your product or service to human resources, marketing and finance," said New York Times #1 best selling business author, world-famous speaker, and Biz Info Library content contributor Harvey Mackay. "The Biz Info Library is the go-to resource for practical solutions and applicable strategies for individuals and organizations seeking to be winners in an ever-changing, always competitive marketplace."

"One of the challenges small businesses face is finding information on topics such as marketing," added Sabrina Parsons, director of marketing at Palo Alto Software, the world's premier business planning software company and a Biz Info Library article contributor. "The Biz Info Library solves that problem and helps people get the information they need to make immediate and valuable improvements in their business."

Biz Info Library's extensive collection of articles and information are not easily accessible or available anywhere else. Each day Biz Info Library's experienced editors add content reviewed by expert advisors at the James J. Hill Reference Library to ensure accuracy and timeliness. The Hill Library is considered the nation's premier source for publicly accessible practical business information, and the Biz Info Library is built on the Hill Library's proprietary content management technology platform.

"In a traditional library, you don't get every book ever written about a specific topic," said Hill Library president Sam Richter. "Rather, you get the best of the best as reviewed and selected by a professional. If you use the Biz Info Library, you'll save a tremendous amount of time, and you'll get only the best business information as written by proven business experts."

Biz Info Library is a collaborative effort of three leading not-for-profit organizations whose missions emphasize support for entrepreneurship and small business: The James J. Hill Reference Library, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Edward Lowe Foundation. Administered by the Hill Library, Biz Info Library is free to all users. Sponsorships and custom-branded versions of the Biz Info Library are available.

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About The James J. Hill Reference Library

Founded in 1921, The James J. Hill Library is a non-profit, private business research organization, located in St. Paul, Minn. It is considered the nation's premier source for publicly accessible practical business information. Through its walk-in service, online products, educational programs and professional services, the Hill Library helps people achieve their business dreams by providing access to the best informational resources and expert reference assistance. For more information, visit www.jjhill.org.

About the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with partners to advance entrepreneurship in America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Kauffman. Information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at www.kauffman.org.

About the Edward Lowe Foundation

Edward and Darlene Lowe created the foundation in 1985 to "champion the entrepreneurial spirit" as a cornerstone of the free enterprise system. As an operating foundation, the Edward Lowe Foundation does not provide grants. Instead, it creates and administers programs that deliver information and educational activities to help second-stage entrepreneurs take their companies to the next level. Among the foundation's programs are CEO PeerSpectivesTM roundtables and leadership retreats. More information is available at www.lowe.org.

Copyright 2007. The James J. Hill Reference Library. All rights reserved.
80 West Fourth Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 | 651.265.5500 | www.jjhill.org

Workforce Developments – New Paradigm for Recruiting

Precision Manufacturing, p 13– Debra Bultnick – DEED Manufacturing Industry Liaison

Workforce Development for precision manufacturers was the topic of the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) Annual Convention held in early February.  Manufacturers from Minnesota and across the country assembled to discuss and discover best practices in recruiting, retaining, educating  and training new and incumbent workers.

Manufacturers from all regions bemoaned the lack of qualified workers, and while I can offer no titanium bullet, I offer the following strategy:  Select, Recruit, Train.

The approach for effectively recruiting workers has changed and the employees you need to find are anywhere---but not everywhere.  The days of running an ad in the paper (read by thousands, responded to by as many as a hundred from which perhaps ten resumes are considered, four interviewed, one hired) are waning as are the number of available workers declines.  The tendency for some employers it to cast a wider net in an attempt to keep the funnel full at the top.  Using hundreds of temp workers to find those that can be a permanent asset is costly.  One manufacturer spent nearly a million dollars with a temp service last year and gained just two permanent employees.  Spending five hundred thousand dollars per hire is not a sustainable model!

The new paradigm for recruiting, retaining, and advancing a workforce requires a targeted approach.  It begins by asking the right questions:

·        How do you identify characteristics and skills needed by job candidates?

·        How do you manage effective career progression for all employees?

·        How do employee education and training contribute to achieving business results goals?

·        How do you organize and manage work and jobs to promote cooperation and ensure knowledge transfer.

·        How do you accomplish effective succession planning for leadership and management positions?

Wrestling with these questions will allow you to target your recruiting efforts and dollars for new hires and incumbent worker advancement.  You’ll know exactly what you need in an employee, and exactly how your work systems function to cultivate that employee.  The new strategy is selective recruitment.

You can see the work ethic, habits and competencies of your potential new hire everywhere you go.  You can observe them at their current job and can make assessments about their fit into your organization.  Is the bagboy at your grocer a sharp kid?  Does the night manager at the corner convenience store consistently deliver customer service?  Who is the most industrious at the detail car wash?  Who at the full service gas station?  Now your recruiting lens is focused on fewer, yet more likely prospects from the broader spectrum of the labor pool.  The same holds true as you evaluate who on your front line can move into higher levels of responsibility and management.

Follow the methodology contained in your responses to the questions posed earlier to determine an internal or external candidate’s employability in your organization.  Where there is a gap in skills and education, provide support and resources.  Target training for immediate needs and plan training for future needs.  Make ongoing training the bedrock of employee recruitment and retention.  Instill in your workforce culture that ongoing training will be supported by you, and that the responsibility lies with each employee to advance and enhance their own career options within your organization.  The smaller your workforce, the larger looms this necessity.  Instead of competing for machinists, you can find people to train as machinists.

Training and development can come from traditional sources such as your community college or state university, from online instruction like that of Tooling U, and from structured on-the-job training and apprenticeships.  Look for training offered by industry associations, community education programs, regional WorkForce Centers and the U of M Extension Services.

Some of  Minnesota’s own solutions for recruiting and training will be showcased at this year’s Grand View, April 18-20.  These best practices include those provided by State-funded programs, in the K-12 education system, and those to address immediate training needs.  Find out how you can put these programs to work as part of your new strategy of select, recruit and train.

New Federal Compliance

Web Site

There is now a single Website that business owners can visit for all their federal compliance information.  The site, www.business.gov , will search for compliance news, information and federal forms from nearly 100 government Web site, and compile government compliance contact information.  The site was officially revamped and relaunched in October.

The site contains keyword, industry and topic-specific compliance searches, includes all federal forms from www.forms.gov and lists compliance contracts from government agencies.  The U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with 21 federal agencies manages the Web site.

States Take on E-Waste Problem
Source: GreenBiz.com

Inventrepreneur Program

Multi-session, hands-on course that puts a realistic perspective on the inventing process not usually addressed in seminars.  The class is designed to help innovators evaluate their new product and business concept before they spend their hard-earned money.   May 9, 16,23 & 30, June 6.

LEARN:  concept analysis, competitive product research; market research; product development; value analysis; sales and distribution; licensing; venturing; protection; the Harvest

5 sessions, 3 hours each, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  The class will be delivered via ITV between the Red Wing and Winona Campuses.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Bill Baker is the Director of the Academy for Innovation, located in Stillwater, MN, and the founder of the Twin Cities Inventors' Network.  He is also a charter member of the Minnesota Board of Invention and a recent board member in the United Inventors Association USA.

Contact Robert Nilsson of MN State College Custom Training:  Phone:  (Winona) 507-453-2740  or  (Red Wing) 651-385-6326 Email: customtraining@southeastmn.edu

Revisions to the EEO-1 Report

Background and Basic Requirements

From http://www.eeoc.gov/eeo1/qanda.html

1.      Q: What is the EEO-1 Report?

A: The EEO-1 Report – formally known as the "Employer Information Report" – is a government form requiring many employers to provide a count of their employees by job category and then by ethnicity, race and gender. The EEO-1 report is submitted to both the EEOC and the Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

2.      Q: Who must file the EEO-1 report?

A: The EEO-1 report must be filed by:

o        Employers with federal government contracts of $50,000 or more and 50 or more employees; and

o        Employers who do not have a federal government contract but have 100 or more employees

3.      Q: When must the EEO-1 report be filed?

A: The EEO-1 report must be filed annually with the EEOC by September 30. It must use employment numbers from any pay period in July through September of that year.

4.      Q: When must employers begin using the revised EEO-1 report?

A: The revised EEO-1 report must be used beginning with the survey due by September 30, 2007. For the surveys due by September 2006, employers should continue to use the EEO-1 report format from previous years. This report is still available on the EEOC’s website at https://apps.eeoc.gov/eeo1/eeo1.jsp

5.      Q: How do employers file EEO-1 reports?

A: We strongly recommend that EEO-1 reports be submitted through the EEO-1 Online Filing System or as an electronically transmitted data file. Paper EEO-1 forms will be generated on request only, and only in extreme cases where Internet access is not available to the employer. Instructions on how to file are available on the EEOC’s website at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeo1survey/howtofile.html.

6.      Q: Is EEO-1 data confidential?

A: Yes. The Commission is required by law to keep individual employer EEO‑1 reports strictly confidential. 42 U.S.C. 2000e-8(e).

7.      Q: Where can employers find more information about the EEO-1?

A: General information about the EEO-1 can be found at the EEOC’s website at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeo1survey/index.html.

Description of the Changes to the New EEO-1 Report

8.      Q: What changes are being made to the ethnic and racial categories on the EEO-1 report?

A: A number of changes are being made to the race and ethnic categories. The revised EEO-1 report:

o        adds a new category titled "Two or more races"

o        divides "Asian or Pacific Islander" into two separate categories: "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander"

o        renames "Black" as "Black or African American"

o        renames "Hispanic" as "Hispanic or Latino"

o        strongly endorses self-identification of race and ethnic categories, as opposed to visual identification by employers

9.      Q: What changes are being made to the job categories on the EEO-1 report?

A: First, the current category of "Officials and Managers" will be divided into two levels based on responsibility and influence within the organization.

These two levels will be:

              1.         Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers (plan, direct and    formulate policy, set strategy and provide overall direction; in larger organizations, within two reporting levels of CEO)

2.      First/Mid-Level Officials and Managers (direct implementation or operations within specific parameters set by Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers; oversee day-to-day operations)

The revised EEO-1 also will move business and financial occupations from the Officials and Managers category to the Professionals category (to improve data for analyzing trends in mobility of minorities and women within Officials and Managers).

10.  Q: What process did the EEOC follow in adopting these revisions to the EEO-1 report?

A: On June 11, 2003, the EEOC published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed revisions to the EEO-1 and asked for comments in 60 days.

0.                  Thirty-two interested parties, including employers, civil rights organizations, human resources and information technology professionals, and other individuals, submitted written comments.

1.      The EEOC held a public hearing at which nine witnesses testified. The record was completed by several written comments submitted subsequent to the hearing.

2.      The EEOC reviewed the comments and made revisions to the EEO-1 report, in coordination with OFCCP.

3.      On November 16, 2005, the Commission voted to approve the revisions to the EEO-1 Report. A final Notice of Submission for Office of Management Budget (OMB) review was published in the Federal Register on November 28, 2005. This notice is available on the Commission's website at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeo1/index.html.

4.      After a 30-day public comment period during which OMB considered all comments submitted, the revised EEO-1 was given final approval.

5.      The final revised EEO-1 report was posted on the Commission's website on January 27, 2006 at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeo1/index.html.

11.  Q: Where is more information about the revisions to the EEO-1?

A: More information about the revised EEO-1 - including the final Notice of Submission for OMB Review which explains the revisions in detail and the Instruction Booklet - is available on the Commission's website at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeo1/index.html . A copy of the final notice can also be found in the November 28, 2005 issue of the Federal Register (70 FR 71294) at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-23359.htm .

Uses of EEO-1 Data

12.  Q: What do the EEOC and OFCCP do with the EEO-1 survey data?

A: Both the EEOC and OFCCP have used the EEO-1 since 1966.

The EEOC uses the data to support civil rights enforcement. The EEOC also uses the data to analyze employment patterns, such as the representation of female and minority workers within companies, industries, or regions.

OFCCP uses EEO-1 data to determine which employer facilities to select for compliance evaluations. OFCCP’s system uses statistical assessment of EEO-1 data to select facilities where the likelihood of systematic discrimination is the greatest.

Next Steps

13.  Q: What happens now that OMB has approved the revised EEO-1 report?

A: The final EEO-1 report has been posted on the Commission's website, with the valid OMB number, at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeo1/index.html, along with the Instruction Booklet. Employers must begin to use the newly approved EEO-1 report beginning with the survey due September 30, 2007. (For the survey due September 30, 2006, employers should continue to use the EEO-1 report from previous years, still available on the Commission's website at https://apps.eeoc.gov/eeo1/eeo1.jsp.)

Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey

4th Quarter 2006                      

 For complete information go to:       http://www.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/publications/jobvacancy/4Q06.htm

• Home
• About the Study
• Acknowledgements
• Historical Statistics
• Methodology
• JVS Archive

 
Comparison to Previous Job Vacancy Surveys
Workforce Supply and Demand Indicators

Summary of Major Findings

Job vacancies declined in the fourth quarter of 2006, down 9 percent from one year ago, to 55,250.  Over the year, increases in the Educational Services, Finance and Insurance, and Transportation and Warehousing industries could not overcome decreases in the Construction, Healthcare, and Public Administration industries.

These 55,250 job vacancies translate into a job vacancy rate of 2.1 percent—or 2.1 job vacancies for every 100 filled positions—in Minnesota.  This was slightly down from the vacancy rate of 2.5 percent one year ago.   During fourth quarter 2006, we estimate that there were 5.0 job vacancies for every 10.0 unemployed people statewide.  One year ago, there were about 5.7 job vacancies for every 10.0 unemployed people in Minnesota.

Almost two-thirds of all job vacancies, 35,580, are located in the Twin Cities seven-county area while the remaining 19,670 are in Greater Minnesota.  Greater Minnesota has a job vacancy rate of 1.9 percent while the Twin Cities job vacancy rate is 2.3 percent.  Compared to one year ago, the number of job vacancies fell in both Greater Minnesota (by 13 percent) and the Twin Cities (by 7 percent).

Higher than average job vacancy rates persist in some occupations.   Four occupational groups show evidence of having the greatest need for workers based on a combination of the number of job vacancies, the job vacancy rate and the hiring demand index (a calculation that controls for turnover in the occupational group).  These are:

• computer and mathematical occupations (including computer programmers and actuaries);
• healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (including registered nurses and technicians);
• healthcare support occupations (including nursing aides and home health aides); and
• sales and related occupations (including retail salespersons and specialized sales agents and sales representatives).

The Healthcare sector continues to have the greatest share of job vacancies although its job vacancy rate has declined from 3.2 percent one year go to 2.8 percent during fourth quarter 2006.  Job vacancies in other industries, especially Retail Trade, Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Service also have a high share of job vacancies statewide. 

 

Firms with fewer than 50 employees account for 40 percent of total job vacancies. Despite this, very small (1 to 4 employess) and small (5 to 49 employees) firms have a slightly higher-than-average job vacancy rate of 2.2 percent and combined have more job vacancies (21,900 openings) than the other firm size classes individually.

This report provides information on characteristics associated with the job vacancies including education and experience requirements, starting wage and benefit offers, and whether job vacancies are temporary or seasonal, and part- or full-time.  Some key characteristics of job vacancies in fourth quarter 2006 are as follows:

• Sixty percent of vacancies are for a full-time job; 40 percent are for part-time opportunities.
• Twelve percent are for temporary or seasonal positions.
• Thirty-five percent of openings require a high school diploma but no education beyond that.  Fourty percent require some level of post-secondary education or training.
• Thirty-nine percent call for experience related to the position.
• The median (50th percentile) wage offer for all job vacancies is $10.00 per hour.  Wage offers are highly correlated with experience and education requirements.
• In terms of benefits associated with the openings, 64 percent of vacancies offer health insurance, 64 percent offer some form of paid time off, and 59 percent offer retirement plans.  Benefits are less common for part-time job vacancies than for full-time job vacancies.

Over-the-Year Change in Job Vacancy Levels

• Office and administrative support occupations gained the most job vacancies over the year, up by 1,280.
• Other occupational groups that also saw over-the-year increases in job vacancies include sales and related and computer and mathematical occupations.
• Occupational groups which experienced a significant decline in job vacancies compared to one year ago include installation, maintenance, and repair; food preparation and serving related; and production.