Amid labor shortage, governor candidates debate ways to boost workers in Minnesota
Tim Walz and Jeff Johnson agreed the state can do much to fix the looming shortage, fueled in part by retiring Baby Boomers, and broadly vowed to make it happen.
Good Jobs
MinnPost’s Good Jobs beat focuses on the role of government, nonprofits, businesses and individuals in creating good jobs in Minnesota — and in exploring how people who don’t have those jobs can get them.
MinnPost’s Good Jobs beat is made possible by a grant from MSPWin, a philanthropic collaborative committed to strengthening the workforce in the Twin Cities metro area. MSPWin plays no role in determining the content of the coverage.
Awood Center emerges as a powerful voice for East African workers
The center is the first-of-its-kind effort, tailored to the plight of East African workers, many of whom don’t understand their workplace rights.
Why the people who serve as interpreters in Minnesota courts are not happy with those who run Minnesota courts
Over the last 20 years, American Sign Language interpreters have seen their pay rise by $31 an hour. Over that same period, spoken language interpreters’ wages have gone up $2 per hour.
In a tight labor market, Minnesota employers look to an under-utilized labor pool: workers with disabilities
Recently, service providers have noticed a drastic change in their interaction with business leaders. Instead of asking employers for job openings, they’re begging for employees.
Yes, the unemployment rate among black Minnesotans is at a record low. But it’s still almost double the state average
“It’s nice that things are trending in a better direction,” said the Urban League’s Shawn Lewis, “but our nation has been way too tolerant about having higher levels of black unemployment.”
Nursing field is attracting more males, both in Minnesota and nationwide
Just eight years ago, the share of male registered nurses in Minnesota was 8 percent; today, it’s 10 percent. The jobs are in-demand, pay well and provide varied experiences.
Amid a tight labor market, this Twin Cities company hires employees before it has a specific job for them
During the training, the employees gain skills before transitioning into actual jobs when someone retires or quits, or if new positions are created.
To combat the looming workforce shortage, Minneapolis looks beyond its boundaries
“We need to do our part as a city to make sure that we … seek talent from all over the place,” said Mark Brinda, who oversees the city’s workforce training initiatives.
How MCTC is trying to help undecided students find, and stick to, a career path
MCTC has moved away from a system that forced undecided students to declare a major upon arriving at the school.
Doing weld: How Twin Cities community and technical colleges are trying to get more women into the trades
Community and technical colleges in Minneapolis and St. Paul have intensified their efforts to recruit and train women for careers in construction, manufacturing and maintenance.
How Minnesota’s community and technical colleges tailor their offerings to the needs of the (future) workforce
The process involves not only creating new programs, but also recognizing when old programs are no longer relevant to the modern economy.
How Minnesota’s manufacturing executives feel about the year ahead
The picture is not entirely rosy. Manufactures also face a challenge that has lingered since the country emerged from the Great Recession: a dearth of workers.
A year in, Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center exceeds expectations for job placement
During its first 10 months of service, the center managed to assist nearly 500 people to find jobs.
Mini MBA program looks to help local minority entrepreneurs grow their businesses
The Metropolitan Economic Development Association’s Mini MBA program is tailored for ethnic minority business owners.
State government makes gains in contracting with minority-owned businesses
While Minnesota state government spending with minority-owned vendors has grown over the last three years, it still represents only 5.4 percent of the $2.5 billion the government spends with vendors each year.
‘We Are All Criminals’ aims to foster empathy and encourage second chances for people with criminal records
Author Emily Baxter points out that while 1 in 4 people in the U.S. has a criminal record, 4 in 4 have a criminal history.
How ‘Ban the Box’ has affected attitudes towards employing ex-offenders in Minnesota
Today, though hard data is hard to come by, those who advocated for its passage say it’s made employers more open to hiring formerly incarcerated candidates.
With more retail sales forecast, Minnesota is expected to see more holiday jobs than previous years
DEED doesn’t have complete data for the holiday season yet. But the state’s retailers added more jobs in September and October than they had in a decade.
Best Buy expands after-school program with teen tech centers in Minneapolis and St. Paul
The company has invested $30 million to grow the Best Buy Teen Tech Centers to provide participants with hands-on, yearlong after-school activities in programming, filmmaking, music production and design.
Minnesota spends millions on workforce training. Here’s how they track whether those programs are actually effective
DEED will spend more than $160 million on workforce training programs in 2018. How does it know what it’s getting for its money?
