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issue 14 - May 2007 |
kathy.sweeney@state.mn.us |
In this Issue:
- Commissioner's Corner
- Minnesota Hopes to Get WIRED
- STEM Activities Present Opportunities for Partnerships
- Southeast Minnesota Engages in Learning Partnership with Oregon WSA
- Best Practices Shared at Health Care Events in Alexandria, Winona
- Building a Workforce Pipeline in Financial Services
- McKinnon serves as Bioscience/Medical Device Rep.
- Resources Available for Workforce Solutions in Long-Term Health Care
- NAWB Meeting Focuses on Vision and Leadership
- Save Sept. 25-27 for Minnesota Development Conference;
See Pompeii As it Stood in 79 A.D. - Important News
Our Work Together: Broad and Complex
By Commissioner Dan McElroy, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
The old bromide was that time passes quickly when you’re having fun. It also passes quickly when the Legislature is in session. Three months have now passed in my new role as commissioner and it has been incredibly interesting and exciting. Having chaired the finance committee in the House of Representatives, with jurisdiction for economic development, and having been commissioner of finance and chief of staff to the governor, I thought I knew quite a bit about the work done at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). I was about half right. The work of the agency and our partners is far broader, more complex and potentially more effective than I had realized. A day hasn’t yet gone by when I haven’t learned more about our work, programs and partnerships.
There are some interesting issues and opportunities that deserve mention. Two very innovative WIRED (Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development) grant proposals were submitted by Governor Pawlenty to the U.S. Department of Labor on April 14. The “Northland Works” application includes seven counties in northeast Minnesota focused on precision manufacturing. The “Minnesota Ag Innovation Triangle” application includes 36 counties in western and southwest Minnesota and is focused on renewable energy and bioscience. Thank you to the many partners who worked on these exciting applications. The documents are available at www.deed.state.mn.us/workforce/wired.
The state’s Unified Plan under the Workforce Investment Act has been submitted. We included language that commits to extensive listening sessions around the issue of redesignation, and that has caused some concerns. A study done on this topic in 2004 by the Governor’s Workforce Development Council recommended that the topic continue to be studied. Our Workforce Service Area boundaries are largely the same today as they have been for about 30 years. With tight resources at both the federal and state levels likely to continue, it is wise to discuss how we can maximize the resources that go to serve workers, employers and communities as effectively as possible. We do not have any preconceived notions about what an ideal outcome would be. We are going to schedule listening sessions around the state to which all of our partners and friends will be invited. We do so with an open mind and a desire to hear everyone’s best ideas, suggestions and alternatives. How do we serve the most people effectively with limited resources?
I said to one DEED employee that being a new commissioner and learning to lead a big agency is like getting a drink of water from a fire hydrant. She offered to bring me a towel! That is the great attitude I am encountering virtually everywhere that I go. I have had the chance to meet some of you and am looking forward to future opportunities to discuss the work we are doing together. Thank you for your warm welcome and for the work you do to advance our collective mission of workforce development and continued economic competitiveness.
By Workforce Development Director Bonnie Elsey, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
Is Minnesota about to get WIRED? I'm not talking about Caribou Coffee adding more franchises across the state. I'm talking about the U.S. Department of Labor's "Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development" grants.
WIRED is a new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) initiative that focuses on the role of talent development in driving regional economic competitiveness. The WIRED framework promotes a closer connection between research and development, entrepreneurship and post-secondary education to train workers for jobs of the future.
WIRED regions are determined by industry clusters rather than state, county, Workforce Service Area (WSA) or municipal boundaries. WIRED can support multiple jurisdictions that cross traditional political boundaries.
Four regions in Minnesota submitted concept papers to DEED to be considered for WIRED grants. Two of them, northeast Minnesota and southwest Minnesota, outlined exciting strategies to transform their regional economies. DEED selected these two proposals to submit to the DOL for funding.
The northeast Minnesota proposal outlines a strategy where new skills will help the timber and iron ore industries transform into producing natural resource-based products for global markets. Their two-part strategy is to retain jobs in the traditional natural resources industries while growing advanced manufacturing jobs. This proposal presents a fantastic analysis of industry clusters and demonstrates how all industries will benefit from an investment in these key areas.
Southwest Minnesota's "Agriculture Triangle" focuses on renewable energy and bioscience as a way to transform 36 counties in southwest, south central and west central Minnesota. The regional strategy positions Minnesota as a world leader in value-added agricultural products and renewable energy through talent development, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
I believe that Minnesota has an excellent chance of receiving a WIRED grant. Both concept papers build on existing partnerships between workforce development, economic development, education, foundations, and private industry.
Even if we are not selected for this round of grants, there is great value in modeling the framework of WIRED proposals. WIRED encourages regional leaders in workforce, economic development, education, and the private sector to align resources to transform their economies to compete globally.
The WIRED proposals are posted at www.deed.state.mn.us/workforce/wired.
STEM Activities Present Opportunities for Partnerships
By Debra Bultnick
Note: A slightly different version of this article was published in the November/December 2006 edition of Precision Manufacturing, the journal of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association (MPMA). Debra Bultnick is DEED’s manufacturing industry liaison.
This past October, I accepted an invitation to participate in a discussion of how to prepare Minnesota high school grads for working in advanced manufacturing. Well, that was my motive—others were there to discuss preparation for college, the Minnesota Plan for High School Redesign to add rigor to curriculum, and to learn about exciting careers right here in Minnesota from a range of manufacturing industry spokespersons.
The event, a STEM education forum, was sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education and coordinated by the Minnesota High Tech Association. A total of 12 STEM forums were offered in Minnesota in October and November; four held in the Twin Cities and eight in Greater Minnesota including: Duluth, Brainerd, Marshall, St. Cloud, Rochester, Mankato, Moorhead and Alexandria.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is the buzz word in middle and high schools and in St. Paul. Minnesota clearly understands the importance of rigorous math training in curriculum. So it’s not surprising that Minnesota is one of the 24 states that require Algebra I to graduate, one of 17 to require geometry, and one of only 10 to require Algebra II.
One of the most fascinating discoveries I made validated what you and I knew (but were afraid to say aloud): the current high school diploma has lost its currency. Many high school graduates lack the skills they need for good jobs in manufacturing. All employers want job seekers to have the basic employability skills (come to work on time, every day, drug free), but most manufacturers also want employees with the ability to work as part of a team, to use math to solve problems, to self manage, and to take responsibility for learning.
In a fact sheet created by Achieve, Inc., an organization created by the nation's governors and business leaders in 1996, the question is "Do all students need a college-prep curriculum?" (View the fact sheet at http://www.achieve.org/files/RequireCollegePrep.pdf.) The American Diploma Project, of which Achieve is a partner, interviewed college professors and employers around the country and found that the skills needed to succeed in freshman-level courses are the same as the skills needed for jobs that provide a living-wage and allow for career advancement, such as those in advanced manufacturing.
We no longer refer to manufacturing jobs as blue-collar work. Many of the gold-collar jobs in manufacturing require years of training and a working knowledge of algebra, geometry, trigonometry and advanced technical reading skills. As more countries compete with us on low-skill production work, Minnesota manufacturers are remaining competitive through innovation, superior quality, automation, and exceeding customer expectations. Manufacturing is not a place for underachievers—or the faint of heart!
The STEM forums laid the foundation for establishing new partnerships and strengthening current partnerships. And STEM forums need volunteer support from the business community. Specific activities might include internships for students or teachers, job shadowing, on-going dialogue with high schools, mentors for students and teachers, student job placement, volunteering as a STEM speaker for classrooms, being a STEM community leader offering advice and guidance to school leaders about programs and ways to involve students in real-life problem solving and innovations (sponsoring or coaching a robotics team, for example). If you are interested in participating in a STEM activity, contact Colleen Riley from the Minnesota High Tech Association at (952) 230-4552 or criley@mhta.org.
Southeast Minnesota Engages in Learning Partnership with Oregon WSA
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Pictured: Front row: Annie Sakaguchi, WIB chairperson; Chuck Forester, Executive Director Lane County Workforce Partnership; Gary Pierpoint, WIB member. Back row: Becky Thofson; Erik Aamoth; Randy Johnson; Dawn Thompson; Kristina Payne, Workforce Investment Manager, Lane Workforce Partnership; Robin Onaclea, Business Services Coordinator, Lane Workforce Partnership. |
A group representing Southeast Minnesota Workforce Service Area 8 (WSA 8) – Workforce Development Inc. visited the Lane Workforce Partnership in Eugene, Oregon, February 21 – 22, as a participant of the National Business Learning Partnership. Under the program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration (ETA), local workforce service areas are matched together to share strategies and best practices for improving workforce development.
“This program provides an excellent opportunity to learn from one another as we pursue new strategies in workforce development,” said Becky Thofson, sector projects manager, Workforce Development, Inc.
WSA 8, represented by Thofson, Randy Johnson, executive director of Workforce Development Inc., Dawn Thompson, Southeast Minnesota WIB chair, and Erik Aamoth, business services director, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, toured the local one-stop center, and observed how businesses are sponsoring some of the specific equipment and technology it offers.
The group’s interests are outlined in a business plan that was approved by the Chicago Regional Office of ETA. It includes:
- Expand career awareness of the health care and manufacturing sectors and consider supporting strategies and tactics;
- Identify career ladders and lattices for health care and manufacturing sectors; and;
- Identify and engage economic development entities such as training consortiums.
The Lane Workforce Partnership has achieved in-depth mapping of the career ladder within its local hospital system and has helped to build a training consortium for the RV industry that is business driven and business funded. Both are considered best practices worthy of further study and possible emulation, said Thofson.
In addition, Southeast Minnesota provided Lane Workforce Partnership with ideas it can develop.
“While Lane County is officially designated as the mentor in the relationship, it is clear that we can share experience on sectoral projects in Southeast Minnesota, which is helpful to the Lane Workforce Partnership,” said Thofson.
She said that representatives from Lane Workforce Partnership will be visiting Minnesota in early June, when they will be updated on projects being developed and provide feedback on processes. Watch for a future update this summer.
Best Practices Shared at Health Care Events in Alexandria, Winona
by Susan Speetzen, health care industry analyst, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
I’ve written before about the workforce shortage in the health care industry across Minnesota, so I won’t go into detail about it now. We all know that we are beginning to see a problem. Employers are having difficulties hiring enough qualified nurses and nursing assistants, as well as other health care professionals in our state. Turnover of nursing assistants in particular has been a problem for some employers. There is a need for solutions so that hospitals and nursing homes have the skilled staff to provide good patient care. The problem is more significant in greater Minnesota, because of the flight of young people to metropolitan areas like the Twin Cities. So it makes sense that many of the solutions and innovative practices will come from places like Alexandria and Winona.
Recently, I attended two health care events organized by business services specialists, who work at the Alexandria and Winona WorkForce Centers. Those in attendance at the meetings included directors of nursing, human resource representatives and administrators representing health care employers.
Three best practices were shared to help us address some of the issues we face in staffing shortages of health care workers, and in particular, nursing assistants:
- At some facilities, developing a mentor program to help newly hired health care workers has been very effective. An experienced health care worker, such as a certified nursing assistant, has to apply to become a mentor. The mentor, once interviewed and accepted, is trained in communications and conflict management skills. The newly trained mentor is then matched with a newly hired worker. (The mentor receives an increase in pay for taking on this additional responsibility.) One of the nursing homes using this program reported its turnover rate fell from 60 percent to 19 percent.
- Some nursing homes are trying a new staffing approach in which they hire and train new employees, called “universal workers” to provide a broader array of services beyond those of a traditional nurse’s aide. In these facilities the worker who performs the nurse’s aide duties also takes care of the laundry and serves the food. Plus workers take part in recreational activities with the residents, enabling the facility to have a more “home-like” and flexible atmosphere. Nursing homes report that universal workers enjoy their work more because they have a variety of responsibilities and have more social interaction with the residents. Residents say they enjoy the interaction as well.
- Valuing and retaining an older, experienced nurses’ aide as a resource person for younger, less experienced staff has worked well in some facilities. An older worker who may have retired in the past because of the heavy physical demands of the job can serve as a key resource for new, less experienced staff who have procedural questions. The resource person allows higher-skilled nurses to spend more time with residents fulfilling more complex patient care needs.
These are just some of the new ideas that will help health care providers recruit and retain staff. I’m pleased to be able to help share the new, practical ideas for health care staffing and training; and I will strive to continue to strengthen partnerships as we work toward achieving our goals.
I’m really impressed by DEED’s business services representatives, Tom Kujawa and Lee Helgenset, who took the initiative to gather representatives from the health care industry to share their common problems and best practices for delivering care and managing staff. They understand the importance of partnerships in achieving solutions. (Tom’s and Lee’s e-mail addresses are: Thomas.Kujawa@state.mn.us and Lee.Helgenset@state.mn.us).
I encourage WIB members to help launch and support similar kinds of collaborative activities locally. Attending meetings like those in Winona and Alexandria, and fostering partnerships with health care providers will help WIBs and the WorkForce Centers to identify the needs of these employers and enable them to provide assistance that is truly demand driven.
Building a Workforce Pipeline in Financial Services
By Jeff Nelson, financial services industry specialist, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
The fifth grade teacher asks his class, “Who wants to be a firefighter?” Eight eager students raise their hands. “And who wants to be an astronaut?” More hands are raised in the air. But no hands are raised when he asks: “Who wants to be a small business loan officer?” “Or an insurance underwriter?” “Or a stock market analyst?”
No hands are raised. It’s a big problem for the financial services industry, which faces a serious future workforce shortage unless it can develop an effective workforce pipeline. Fortunately there are programs in place to encourage high school students to consider the banking, insurance, and securities industries as places to begin a career. Two of those programs are in the Twin Cities area.
Johnson, Arlington, and Como high schools in St. Paul offer the Academy of Finance program. It prepares students for the world of business, including banking, insurance, accounting and finance, through specialized curriculum (e.g., classes in banking and credit, personal financial management, introduction to business), e-mentoring with business professionals, job shadowing, field trips to business establishments, and portfolio development (resume writing, cover letter writing, and more).
The program seeks to place participants in six- to eight-week paid summer internships in the financial services industry. An internship coordinator vets the students seeking internships; also, the students participate in mock interviews and attend internship orientation seminars. In 2006 the program provided 27 internships, and the goal this year is to provide 35. Statistics show positive results. Ninety-five percent of participants graduate from high school compared with a district average of 74 percent. And 95 percent of participants enroll in post-secondary educational programs compared with a district average of 58 percent.
Edison High School in Minneapolis offers the Voyager Program. Students who are enrolled in the School of Business may apply to join the Voyager program, which like the Academy of Finance, offers specialized curriculum, e-mentoring, field trips, resume writing, mock interview experience, and more.
The Voyager program also places its students in summer internships through a partnership with the AchieveMinneapolis STEP-UP program (www.achieveminneapolis.org). The board directing STEP-UP is co-chaired by US Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Davis. With his influence many financial services firms are active participants. Last year the program provided Minneapolis students with about 500 internships across all industries, and this year its goal is to provide 100 more. Statistics for STEP-UP participants show that 77 percent graduated high school compared with the district average of 54 percent.
Recognizing the importance of building a workforce pipeline in financial services, I am supporting these programs in a variety of ways. I serve on the board of the Academy of Finance and have brought my contacts from the Minnesota Bankers Association and the Minnesota Credit Union Network to board meetings to learn more about what these programs do and to encourage them to seek greater involvement by their member financial institutions. I have also collaborated with these associations and networks plus the Minnesota Insurance Federation to send notices to their metro members; together we are recruiting more firms to offer student summer internships. In addition, I’m engaged in the STEP-UP program, attending its 2007 kick-off meetings and participating in mock interviews with the students. Finally, I am speaking to groups of students enrolled in the Academy of Finance and the Voyager programs, sharing with them the importance of the financial services industry in Minnesota and some of the career opportunities available at banks, insurance companies, and securities firms. My goal: To raise more hands in the air, reflecting that more students are interested in working in financial services occupations.
McKinnon serves as Bioscience/Medical Device Rep.
Kevin McKinnon (Pictured) has joined DEED as the industry specialist for biosciences and medical devices companies. As the bioscience/medical device representative, his responsibilities include:
- Coordinating service delivery for existing and relocating companies in the bioscience and medical device sectors;
- Supporting DEED’s partners and focusing on building biosciences and medical device industries in Minnesota;
- Coordinating marketing initiatives for businesses within these sectors.
- Serving on the board of the Biosciences Education-Industry Partnership Council. Its mission is to make Minnesota a world leader in bioscience education and workforce preparedness. The council, organized through the Biobusiness Alliance of Minnesota, consists of approximately 25 members from business, K-12 education, higher education, government, and non-profit organizations.
McKinnon says he intends to work on aligning resources supporting the industry, while fostering growth through further collaboration.
Prior to joining the department, McKinnon managed Progress Plus, a private-public economic development group serving Inver Grove Heights and South St. Paul. McKinnon had also been employed in Colorado Springs, working in economic development project management.
McKinnon’s position is a new one. Before 2006, the medical device and bioscience sectors had been covered by two industry specialists, Patti Neuman and Gene Goddard. Neuman left the agency last year and Goddard has been named metro region business development representative and major projects manager.
Partners who are working extensively with bioscience or medical device companies are invited to send an e-mail to McKinnon summarizing their efforts. Or if you would like his assistance, you are encouraged to contact him at Kevin.mckinnon@state.mn.us.
“I look forward to working with our partners collaboratively as we move forward to further grow the bioscience and medical device sectors in Minnesota,” McKinnon said.
Resources Available for Workforce Solutions in Long-Term Health Care
Resources for workforce solutions for long-term health care are listed in the Federal Register for Friday, February 16. They include:
- “Better Jobs for Better Care” is a four-year $15.5 million research and demonstration program, funded by the “Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Atlantic Philanthropies.” As part of the program, participants seek to achieve changes in long-term care policy and practice that help to reduce high vacancy and turnover rates among direct care staff across the spectrum of long-term care settings and contribute to improved workforce quality.
- The National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce is a national on-line library for people in search of solutions to the direct-care staffing crisis in long-term care.
- The National Direct Service Workforce (DSW) Resource Center, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services, supports the successful implementation of efforts to improve recruitment and retention of direct support professionals who assist people with disabilities and older adults to live independently and with dignity in the community.
The Federal Register, Friday, February 16, (page 7692) has details about “Better Jobs for Better Care,” The National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce, and Direct Service Worker Resource Center.
NAWB Meeting Focuses on Vision and Leadership
By Kathy Sweeney, strategic projects director, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Members and staff of nine workforce boards represented Minnesota at the annual meeting of the National Association of Workforce Boards in Washington, D.C., February 24-27. This year's theme was “Vision for a New Economy: Workforce Leadership Matters.” Selecting which workshops and training sessions to attend was difficult because there were so many good choices.
I attended a pre-conference event called “Funding beyond the WIA (Workforce Investment Act),” presented by Ed Barlow, president of Creating the Future, and Celina Shands, president of Full Capacity Marketing. The theme of the workshop was "How to design a roadmap for creating internal and external organizational shifts to acquire new funding opportunities outside of WIA."
Celina Shands presented methods for designing regional branding strategies with economic development, education and business leaders to create regional identity and to position workforce development for leadership opportunities in the community. More details on her work can be found at www.FullCapacityMarketing.com.
Ed Barlow is well known to many since he has presented in Minnesota several times about topics related to the future of workforce development. He packs a great deal of information into every presentation, and this presentation was no exception. Many ideas and scenarios for dealing effectively with federal funding reductions were reviewed and discussed. For more information about Ed Barlow visit www.creatingthefuture.com.
I would be happy to discuss the material from this valuable workshop with you if you are interested. I can be contacted at Kathy.sweeney@state.mn.us.
Save Sept. 25-27 for Minnesota Development Conference;
See Pompeii As it Stood in 79 A.D.
Would you enjoy private access to the Pompeii exhibit coming to the Science Museum of Minnesota? Did you know that St. Paul is only the fourth U.S. city to host this exhibit?
The 12th Annual Minnesota Development Conference is offering a networking reception on September 25, 2007 from 5 – 9 p.m. in Discovery Hall (just steps away from the Pompeii exhibit) at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.
You can network with your colleagues while enjoying the fascinating world of Pompeii, which was frozen in time after a violent volcano eruption in 79 A.D.
The cost of the Pompeii exhibit is included in your Development Conference registration fee. Guests (21 years and older) are welcome for an additional fee of $15 per person.
The 12th Annual Minnesota Development Conference will take place September 25-27, 2007 at the Northland Inn, Brooklyn Park. Mark your calendar now so you can benefit from one of the year’s most important learning and networking opportunities. Updates will become available soon at positivelyminnesota.com. (Click on the Development Conference icon.)
For more information regarding the Pompeii exhibit, visit www.smm.org/pompeii. For more information about the conference, send an e-mail to Jo.Iverson@state.mn.us.
Apply for a Minnesota Sector Partnership Grant
Does your WIB need resources for a project in your area that is an industry-led regional partnership in workforce development? Minnesota is offering one-year grants and designation as a Minnesota Sector Partnership (MSP) to industry-led regional partnerships that support regional competitiveness. The purpose is to advance demand-driven, sector-based workforce development initiatives around the state.
Sector initiatives are industry-specific regional partnerships that address employers’ needs for skilled workers, and workers’ needs for good jobs. Sector initiatives focus on the workforce needs of a specific industry over a sustained period, often concentrating on specific occupations, and always engaging multiple employers to analyze industry needs and design customized solutions.
Applications for MSP designation and a grant are due by 5 p.m. on May 14, 2007 to the Governors Workforce Development Council. Go to www.gwdc.org for application requirements and submission instructions. For questions about the application process, send an e-mail to Barbara.kaufman@state.mn.us.
The grant has been made possible by a 2006 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Incentive grant based on meeting performance goals in the WIA Adult, WIA Dislocated Worker, WIA Youth, Perks, and Adult Basic Education programs.
Planning for the National Work Readiness Credential (NWRC) pilot is moving forward
Six pilot sites have been selected and two test proctors have been identified for each site - St. Paul, Dakota County North, Mankato, Winona, St. Cloud, and Hibbing. Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in these areas have been notified. A meeting of the pilot sites will be held in the middle of May. The latest information on the NWRC testing and curriculum will be presented, and issues such as local referral mechanisms, marketing to employers, who will be targeted, and how to evaluate progress will be discussed. There is still much to do, but the pilot is moving forward!
Calling All Best Practices in Demand Driven Work for Posting
DEED Workforce Development Director Bonnie Elsey, thanks all of you who are working on these projects and appreciates your interest in improving services to customers. Project materials are being posted athttp://www.deed.state.mn.us/bestpractices/. This web site was created to disseminate "promising practices" in workforce development, starting with the demand-driven projects, so we can learn from each other. Feel free to browse and use these creative strategies in your local areas. If you have a best practice that you would like to submit, send it to deanne.white@state.mn.us.
Key Program Contacts:
Kathy Sweeney Stephen Larson Connie Ireland |
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.