WIB News - March 2011 Issue
Mark Phillips Named DEED Commissioner
On Jan. 19, Gov. Mark Dayton announced the appointment of Mark Phillips, a business development professional, as the commissioner of DEED. The governor called DEED “the anchor of the administration’s job creation efforts.”
“It is an honor to be chosen to lead this agency that’s so important to our state’s economy,” said Commissioner Phillips. “Gov. Dayton has made it clear that jobs are his number one priority, and I am ready to get to work to enhance Minnesota’s economic environment and support the governor in his mission to get Minnesotans working again.”
According to Commissioner Phillips, DEED will focus on creating a business environment that facilitates growth and draws businesses to Minnesota, generating more jobs.
Commissioner Phillips brings over 25 years of leadership in development and finance, including launching new and creative programs for community and economic development, real estate development and business financing.
Prior to becoming DEED commissioner, Phillips was director of business development for Kraus-Anderson Construction. His career bridges public and private industry statewide, having served as director of community and economic development at the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board under Gov. Rudy Perpich, as director of development for Minnesota Power, and as vice president of Northeast Ventures Corp., a community development venture capital fund.
The commissioner said that because of the budget deficit, the department will be examining opportunities to be more efficient, consolidate and move forward with the department’s continuous improvement efforts. In the process, DEED may identify and embark on new initiatives.
The commissioner began his duties on Jan. 31.
Visit MWCA Website for WIA News
The Minnesota Workforce Council Association (MWCA) is providing frequent updates on the quickly moving budget processes for WIA at the state and federal level. Thanks to the MWCA, you can get the latest news about WIA budget cuts by clicking here. The Web page outlines federal and state issues, and includes information about what you can do to lend support for WIA funding.
And you won’t want to miss the latest edition of the MWCA Update. It features stories including a:
- Funding update from USA Works!
- Conference call from Senator Al Franken with Minnesota Workforce Board chairs
- MWCA advocacy regarding proposed cuts to WIA funding
- Youth program advocacy at the Capitol
And much more!
The newsletter is available here.
Youths Learn Job and Career Skills at Camp Rabideau
Youths from the Cass and Beltrami counties succeeded in learning job, career and life skills, thanks to a year-round program at Camp Rabideau in Bemidji. The program, begun in the fall of 2009, was coordinated by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Cass Lake-Bena School District, the U.S. Forest Service and Rural Minnesota CEP.
The youths worked to help restore buildings and maintain grounds at the Rabideau Conservation Academy and Learning Center Inc., a former Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp.
There were 21 participants (ages 14-18) in the program, 50 percent were Native American and had been involved with the juvenile justice system.
As part of the program, the youths built solar heaters that could be incorporated into a greenhouse project on site. The solar heating units were constructed by students using recycled wood, solar blankets and recyclable materials.
In addition, the youths received worksite orientations to learn about worksite rules, employee rights and responsibilities, workplace safety, child labor laws, workplace ethics, and timecard and pay procedures.
Academics were also an important part of the program. The curriculum gave youths instruction that complemented what they were doing for their projects. For example, in math, they worked on general forest management, such as determining areas and volume.
The participants were offered career assessments, career resources with an emphasis on forestry service or conservation, and information about WorkForce Center services.
All 21 of the youths met their goals for work readiness. Two of them received GEDs and several youths gained credits toward a high school diploma. Five youths received basic firefighting training and certification. One youth was offered a job by the U.S. Forest Service.
Like two similar youth programs held at Camp Rabideau in the summers of 2008 and 2009, it has earned praise from both parents and youths. One participant, who was surveyed by the school district in spring 2010, wrote:
“I came into this program not knowing anything and not doing [my] homework. Now I have a lot of knowledge, and I know how to use power tools. I overcame my fear of heights. I learned how to use a tape measure and I’m not so scared of math anymore … This whole program has changed my whole life around and has matured me a lot …”
The program was made possible by statewide discretionary funding under the WIA Youth Recovery Act.
On the FastTRAC: South Central CNA Training
Thanks to FastTRAC, training programs across the state are preparing low-wage and low-skilled adults by providing education for good jobs that are needed by employers.
One example of a current FastTRAC program is the South Central Bridge to Integrated Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training, which has 24 adult learners. It makes sense that pre-CNA instruction has been selected for FastTRAC programming, since health care is one of the region’s two largest industry sectors.
This CNA training has grown to include collaborations among all five Adult Basic Education (ABE) consortia, all WorkForce Center partners, and South Central College, and includes integrated instruction between ABE and South Central College. Adult learners earn credits and a credential.
The training program began in January and is underway in Waseca, Blue Earth, New Ulm and Le Center.
Goal of South Central CNA training
“The goal of the South Central Bridge to Integrated CNA Training is to address the health care industry workforce shortage and skill shortages of low-wage and low-skilled adults by delivering instruction that results in a credential, stackable credits and skilled workers,” said Diane Halvorson, executive director, South Central Workforce Council.
FastTRAC programming now gives adult learners the opportunity to benefit from integration between ABE and the “credit-side” of South Central College. Students completing the training will earn a certification as well as stackable credits that articulate to other health care career pathways in addition to CNA.
Curriculum
The curriculum includes workplace reading, writing, speaking and math based on the students’ needs. Students use a blog computer app to simulate charting – one way in which technology skill-building will be embedded in the curriculum. Industry-specific vocabulary and introduction to basic nursing skills in preparation for post-secondary CNA training is also included. Learners are exposed to CNA careers through partnerships with local employers. In addition, work readiness skills are taught.
Area employers will also be providing resources for the program, by providing sites for the lab and clinical portions of the curriculum.
When students move on
“Individuals successfully completing the pre-CNA course who choose to pursue a career in health care will be linked to our Integrated ABE Certified Nursing Assistant course,” Halvorson said. For those who choose not to pursue a health care career, their newly-attained basic and work readiness skills will be transferrable to any career path.
Students successfully completing CNA training will earn four credits and take the competency test to receive their certification.
Funding
The South Central Bridge to Integrated CNA Training has been funded through a FastTRAC grant of $84,257 awarded in fall 2010.
Borucki Vukelich Selected as 2010-2011 Policy Fellow
Lisa Borucki Vukelich, a workforce development rep at the WorkForce Center (WFC) in Burnsville, was selected to participate in the Policy Fellow program at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs last summer.
Borucki Vukelich, who has a passion for assisting people with disabilities, has been attending the program for about six months. The program offers training in public affairs leadership for emerging leaders seeking new experiences and skills. Each year, 30 to 40 people from across the state are picked for this nine-month program.
Already she says the program has given her more confidence in promoting the continual need to create jobs for people with disabilities.
She says one of her principal passions, helping people with disabilities, can be traced to her daughter, Tasha, who has been diagnosed with Type 1, Juvenile Onset Diabetes.
“Counselors and other professionals supported Tasha and me during an extremely difficult time in our lives,” she said. “I vowed that I would return what I have learned to help others who face barriers in their life.”
Her duties at the WorkForce Center include helping people with disabilities use assistive technology, such as JAWS, which reads aloud what’s on the computer screen) and a UbiDuo, which resembles a Mini PC, and makes it easy for the Deaf and hard of hearing people to converse. In addition, Borucki Vukelich has a vast array of resources about support and advocacy groups for people with disabilities. She also assists other WFC customers with job-hunting and other reemployment services.
In her spare time, Vukelich serves as a program counselor for Thomas Allen Inc., where she helps people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses work on their problem-solving skills.
“People with barriers may need extra time and a lot more patience,” she said. “Finding ground to build a rapport of trust with the customer is important.”
Borucki Vukelich has also completed other programs that have enhanced her leadership skills. She is a recent graduate of Partners in Policymaking, a training program through the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.
She said that the program emphasized advocacy as a key to empowering individuals with disabilities and overcoming barriers to employment. Advocacy can begin with the individual, case manager, counselor or other human services professional, Borucki Vukelich notes.
Her participation in leadership programs has enabled her to share information about WorkForce Centers with prominent people.
Among them are former Vice President Walter Mondale; U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar; Steve Sviggum, University of Minnesota Board of Regents, and former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives; former State Representative Will Morgan; and State Senator John Doll.
“The ability to network with key individuals about the resources in the WorkForce Centers has been an honor,” Borucki Vukelich said.
Pictured: Lisa Borucki Vukelich with former Vice President Walter Mondale at a reception for the policy fellows at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs luncheon on Dec. 14.
Digi-Key Addresses Workforce Shortage
Thief River Falls, Minn. – Come back home. Thief River Falls and northwest Minnesota offers a great environment.
Northwest Minnesota has been very successful in exporting their best and brightest talent, according to Michael Moore, Northwest Private Industry Council member. But according to Moore, the WIB is hoping that the training initiatives and fringes offered by Digi-Key and other employers will induce younger workers to stay and draw employees to the region.
Digi-Key, a distributor of capacitors, resistors, connectors and other computer and electronic components, has experienced phenomenal growth, according to Moore.
As a result, the company is aggressively working to recruit and retain workers, touting its attractive benefits such as an excellent health care plan (Blue Cross Blue Shield Aware Gold® health insurance) and professional development opportunities, enabling employees to move up the corporate ladder.
And of course, together with the WIB, the company markets Thief River Falls as a good place to live and work, citing its clean environment with opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities like camping and fishing. The Northwest Private Industry Council is led by its new director, Amanda Grzadzielewski.
“Digi-Key has developed aggressive ladders of success for employees,” said Moore. The company offers innovative programs to train and retain employees, such as Digi-Key University – a company-funded, credit-based A.S. degree program in electronic technology marketing in partnership with Northland Community & Technical College. And the WorkForce Center in Thief River Falls is gearing its efforts to support the company’s training efforts.
The company is also helping to prepare local high school students with the skills they need for future employment. They’re the corporate sponsor of Lincoln High School’s FIRST Robotics competition team. Digi-Key volunteers technical resources (engineering, electronics, information technology) and underwrites costs.
The sponsorship is also part of the company’s effort to incorporate itself in the community, Moore said.
Digi-Key attracts employees from a 65-70 mile radius and offers $500 in relocation assistance. Last year, the company hired 670 new employees and anticipates hiring 600 additional employees in 2011. The total workforce last year was 2,650 and this year the company is looking at 3,100-3,200, Moore said.
Moore, who’s also the community and economic development director for the city of Thief River Falls, says Digi-Key is not the only local employer looking for workers. Arctic Cat and Sandford Medical Center Thief River Falls are hiring, too.
Let Moore convince you that Northwest Minnesota is a great place to live and work, and click here.
GWDC Promotes 16 Ideas to Strengthen Workforce
The Governor’s Workforce Development Council (GWDC) has published “All Hands on Deck,” its 2011 policy advisory, which outlines 16 ideas for improving Minnesota’s workforce training and education system. The advisory describes and addresses the growing gap between the skills employers need and the skills and competencies of Minnesota’s workers.
“The council chose the theme ‘All Hands on Deck’ because the growing demand for skilled workers requires that we strengthen the skills of all Minnesotans,” said GWDC Executive Director Bryan Lindsley. “It also recognizes the need for collaboration and partnership to close the skills gap.”
The advisory, addressed to Gov. Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature, includes sections about creating work and learning options for aging workers, expanding work opportunities for Minnesotans with disabilities, and ensuring high school graduates are ready for success in college or jobs.
Among the recommendations are:
- Reducing cost barriers to credential attainment for workers.
- Establishing lifelong learning accounts to help older workers finance continuous learning opportunities.
- Continuing efforts to establish the state of Minnesota as a model employer of people with disabilities.
- Increasing opportunities for students to pursue postsecondary credit while in high school.
- Expanding the Minnesota FastTRAC initiative.
- Strengthening assessments and increasing assistance to students who are struggling to help them succeed.
The ideas are both pragmatic and cost-effective, according to Lindsley. They were formulated through a year-long process that engaged hundreds of parties interested in workforce development, including businesses, colleges, non-profit organizations and government agencies.
Other key initiatives underway include:
Return on Investment Initiative
The GWDC is developing a comprehensive return-on-investment system that will help the state achieve more by making smarter investments in workforce training and education.
Primary Health Care Workforce Project
The project is helping to create a 10-year plan to increase the number of full-time primary-care health professionals in Minnesota. HealthForce Minnesota is managing the one-year project, which is funded by a planning grant authorized by the federal Affordable Care Act. The GWDC is collaborating with HealthForce Minnesota, together with employers and other entities interested in the health care workforce.
Minnesota State Energy Sector Partnership
This three-year, $6 million U.S. Department of Labor grant is to provide training, job placement, and related activities in the energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofit industries; the renewable electric power industry; and the bio-fuels industry.
For more information about the GWDC and its activities, click here.
Veterans Career Fair Set for May 3
Pass on the word: Minnesota veterans who are looking for a job, interested in exploring new careers, or want to learn about educational opportunities should plan on attending the 2011 Minnesota Veterans Career Fair.
All employers who are looking for exceptional workers should take this opportunity to recruit from this talented, highly-trained group of individuals.
The event is Tuesday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Earle Brown Heritage Center, 6155 Earle Brown Drive, in Brooklyn Center. For more information, click here.
Key Program Contacts
Key Publication Contacts
Kathy Sweeney
WIB Newsletter Director
651-297-5151
Kathy.Sweeney@state.mn.us
Irene Connors
WIB Newsletter Editor
651-259-7162
irene.connors@state.mn.us
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 email 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.