DEED Developments blog

<results><page>0</page><page>20</page><page>180</page><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>North Freeze Dry manufactures one of the most important essential goods for Minnesotans: premium freeze-dried food for our furry companions. </Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Stories of Impact: North Freeze Dry</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Stories of Impact: North Freeze Dry</Title><title>2025-08-12 SOI North Freeze</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-701643&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-08-12T19:32:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>North Freeze Dry manufactures one of the most important essential goods for Minnesotans: premium freeze-dried food for our furry companions. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED operates more than 50 different economic development programs that support businesses of all sizes across the state. These programs enrich Minnesota&apos;s economy and make our state one of the best states to start a business, put down roots and raise a family. Every month, we highlight the ways these programs support businesses in our communities through our Stories of Impact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/soi-north-freeze-1_tcm1045-701645.png&quot; title=&quot;Seven people stand in a line in front of a North Freeze Dry sign&quot; alt=&quot;Seven people stand in a line in front of a North Freeze Dry sign&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;soi-north-freeze-1&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sonja Lubrecht, second left, (City of Little Falls), Chinwe Ngwu (DEED), Donna Corbo (DEED), Alex Smith (City of Little Falls) and staff of North Freeze Dry. DEED and City of Little Falls staff toured North Freeze Dry to see the impact of the company’s business expansion project catalyzed by the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week our highlight brings us to &lt;a href=&quot;https://northfreezedry.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;North Freeze Dry&lt;/a&gt; in Little Falls. North Freeze Dry manufactures one of the most important essential goods for Minnesotans: premium freeze-dried food for our furry companions. It produces premium freeze-dried pet food for top brands sold internationally. The company&apos;s freeze-drying facility in Little Falls is one of the industry&apos;s largest, most advanced and fully integrated freeze-drying manufacturing sites – meaning the facility covers the entire process from start to finish with the latest technology to ensure food safety requirements are met.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) enabled North Freeze Dry to bolster production with a new spiralizer machine, greatly increasing pet food production. The company recently expanded to a new 80,000-square-foot freeze-drying facility, where they were able to create 97 jobs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/soi-north-freeze-2_tcm1045-701646.png&quot; title=&quot;Two people wearing hardhats stand in front of a conveyor belt attached to a large machine.&quot; alt=&quot;Two people wearing hardhats stand in front of a conveyor belt attached to a large machine.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;soi-north-freeze-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;North Freeze Dry’s new Spiralizer machine.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MIF provides financing to help add new workers and retain high-quality jobs on a statewide basis. The program provides capital to local units of government who in turn provide loans to support expanding businesses in their communities. MIF focuses on industrial, manufacturing and tech industries to increase the local and state tax base and improve economic vitality in meaningful ways for communities across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about MIF and DEED&apos;s business financing programs, visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/ssbci/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;For Business page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>701643</id><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-18T20:03:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Through DEED’s Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF), Lakeshirts was able to purchase new machinery and invest $2 million to expand and renovate a vacant factory for their production facility in Little Falls. </Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Stories of Impact: Lakeshirts LLC</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Stories of Impact: Lakeshirts LLC</Title><title>2025-08-07 Story of Impact Lakeshirts</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-701117&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-08-07T15:36:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Through DEED’s Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF), Lakeshirts was able to purchase new machinery and invest $2 million to expand and renovate a vacant factory for their production facility in Little Falls. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED operates more than 50 different economic development programs that support businesses of all sizes across the state. These programs enrich Minnesota&apos;s economy and make our state one of the best states to start a business, put down roots and raise a family. Every month, we highlight the ways these programs support businesses in our communities through our Stories of Impact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/deed-staff-lakeshirts-llc_tcm1045-701120.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Four women stand around the Lakeshirts LLC logo&quot; alt=&quot;Four women stand around the Lakeshirts LLC logo&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deed-staff-lakeshirts-llc&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sonja Lubrecht (City of Little Falls staff), Chinwe Ngwu (DEED), Alex Smith (City of Little Falls staff) and Donna Corbo (DEED) visited Lakeshirts LLC in the City of Little Falls to see the impact of the expansion catalyzed by the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week, we&apos;re looking at &lt;a href=&quot;https://lakeshirts.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lakeshirts LLC&lt;/a&gt;. Founded in 1984, the two-person business started with a homemade plywood printer in co-founder Mark Fritz&apos;s parents&apos; basement on the shores of Detroit Lakes&apos; mile-long beach. Since their humble beginnings, the company, now based in Little Falls, has grown from two to almost 700 workers and replaced their single plywood printer with 54 automatic screenprint presses, 32 multi-head embroidery machines, six 60-foot laser applique bridges, three sublimation presses, eight pad print presses and 15 sticker cutters. They provide custom decorated apparel in the resort, sports, retail and collegiate market with large business clients like Disney and Amazon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through DEED&apos;s Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF), Lakeshirts was able to purchase new machinery and invest $2 million to expand and renovate a vacant factory for their production facility in Little Falls. With this investment, they created 93 new jobs!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/deed-staff-lakeshirts-llc-2_tcm1045-701121.png&quot; title=&quot;Five people stand beside a large machine as a man describes how it works.&quot; alt=&quot;Five people stand beside a large machine as a man describes how it works.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deed-staff-lakeshirts-llc-2&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;City of Little Falls and DEED staff learn how new equipment financed by the Minnesota Investment Fund helped increase manufacturing capacity in a business expansion project that created 93 new jobs.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MIF provides financing to help add new workers and retain high-quality jobs on a statewide basis. The program provides capital to local units of government, which in turn provide loans to support expanding businesses in their communities. MIF focuses on industrial, manufacturing and tech industries to increase the local and state tax base and improve economic vitality in meaningful ways for communities across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about MIF and DEED&apos;s business financing programs, visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;For Business page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>701117</id><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-11T14:39:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED is looking for state employees and community members to serve as grant reviewers for the competitive Paid Leave Public Outreach Grants program.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Seeks Grant Reviewers for Paid Leave Grants Program</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Seeks Grant Reviewers for Paid Leave Grants Program</Title><title>2025-05-09 Paid Leave Grant Reviewers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-683534&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-09T20:14:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED is looking for state employees and community members to serve as grant reviewers for the competitive Paid Leave Public Outreach Grants program.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is looking for state employees and community members to serve as grant reviewers for the competitive Paid Leave Public Outreach Grants program. &lt;strong&gt;Please consider applying to be a grant reviewer today – or pass this information along to others in your networks!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Grant reviewers contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the improvement of projects and the holistic growth of individuals and communities in Minnesota, which is why seeking to include diverse perspectives and community voices is so crucial to this process. A diverse group of community members and state employee participants will help DEED make stronger, more inclusive grantmaking decisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are seeking grant reviewers with experience in, or expertise working with employees, employers or self-employed individuals in, these areas: &lt;strong&gt;Education and Outreach,&lt;/strong&gt; especially for people earning lower wages, Black, Indigenous, people of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency; &lt;strong&gt;Technical Assistance,&lt;/strong&gt; especially individualized consultation services that eliminate barriers and increase equitable access, participation and/or compliance; and work for a &lt;strong&gt;Community-Based Group&lt;/strong&gt; or in &lt;strong&gt;Grantmaking.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Virtual grant reviewer training sessions will be available on Monday June 9, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. or Tuesday, June 10, from 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Please note that DEED requires all grant reviewers to participate in a short virtual training session, even if you have been a reviewer in previous grant rounds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We ask that grant reviewers be able to dedicate time to read approximately 8-10 grant proposals between June 16-27, 2025. Proposals are generally 12-15 pages long, with additional supporting and budget documents that need to be reviewed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED has previously recruited community reviewers for our employment and training grants including Pathways to Prosperity, Career Pathways, child care development and small business growth. We are excited to again leverage community members&apos; experience and perspectives in the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ready to apply to be a grant reviewer?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjA6mvADBXI9Olmx6-VXvFMhUQzZTMDhONUs0QjFZWVhON0hFREhUWlQ2NS4u&amp;amp;route=shorturl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Apply today&lt;/a&gt;! But act fast! &lt;strong&gt;The application will close on Wednesday, May 21 at 5:00 p.m.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have more questions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us for a virtual Grant Reviewer Information Session:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/da692d83-a92c-42bf-946c-d2ebf1217982@eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Monday, May 12, 2025 – 6:00 p.m.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/58b82bfe-ea54-431c-83b2-48f44e47e63c@eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Friday, May 16, 2025 – 12:00 p.m.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reviewer training sessions&lt;/strong&gt; are slated for early June. Meeting details will be emailed to individuals selected to serve as community reviewers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions, email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:elizabeth.mariani@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;elizabeth.mariani@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Ekta Prakash, Office of Public Engagement Director</Author><id>683534</id><Tag><Description/><Title>paid leave</Title><Id>610575</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:14:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED’s 17 Veterans Employment Services staff members are veterans helping veterans. We can help current and former members of the military and their spouses prepare for and find work.</Description><Audience/><Title>May is Hire a Veteran Month in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May is Hire a Veteran Month in Minnesota</Title><title>2025-05-01 Hire a Veteran Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-682322&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-02T15:00:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED’s 17 Veterans Employment Services staff members are veterans helping veterans. We can help current and former members of the military and their spouses prepare for and find work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Members of the U.S. military returning from deployments or transitioning from active duty to civilian careers can face unique challenges in finding family-sustaining employment. As a U.S. Navy veteran who completed several combat search and rescue deployments to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, I personally know the transition from military to civilian life can be challenging, but it is also an opportunity for growth and new beginnings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s 17 Veterans Employment Services staff members are veterans helping veterans. We represent service across all branches of the U.S. military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. While we all come from different backgrounds, we are united in service to our country and fellow veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We understand what it&apos;s like to serve in the armed forces and can help current and former members of the military and their spouses prepare for and find work. It can be a big culture shift moving from military to civilian life and challenging to translate skills developed during military service to civilian careers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This service to fellow veterans looking for work takes on new importance now, considering the federal government&apos;s ongoing efforts to lay off workers. Roughly one-third of federal employees are veterans or spouses of veterans. The national unemployment rate for veterans stands at 3.8%, up from 3% a year earlier.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many Minnesota employers know the benefits of hiring veterans, who bring unique job-specific skills as well as in-demand soft skills like leadership, teamwork, responsibility and accountability to the workplace. To help raise awareness among more employers about all veterans bring to the workplace, Governor Walz has proclaimed the month of May as &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/05.01.25%20Hire%20a%20Veteran%20Month_tcm1055-682519.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hire a Veteran Month in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the events taking place during Hire a Veteran Month is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://careerforce.mn.gov/VeteransCareerFair2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;19th Annual Veterans Career Fair&lt;/a&gt;, featuring more than 100 employers and service providers offering full-time jobs paying family-sustaining wages with benefits. DEED&apos;s Veterans Career Fair is part of a broader effort to help Minnesota veterans find meaningful, family-sustaining careers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Veterans can find out more about how military experience translates to civilian careers, engage in career exploration and get job search assistance through &lt;a href=&quot;https://careerforce.mn.gov/veterans-resources&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForce Veterans Employment Services&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employers can find out more about the benefits of hiring veterans, how to connect with veterans looking for work and more by contacting their &lt;a href=&quot;https://careerforce.mn.gov/find-your-veterans-employment-representative&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;regional Veterans Employment Representative&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Veterans, their spouses and caregivers and Gold Star families are invited to the 19th Annual Veterans Career Fair on Wednesday, May 21 from 2-6 p.m. at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center. &lt;a href=&quot;https://careerforce.mn.gov/VeteransCareerFair2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View details and a list of participating employers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Ray Douha, Director, DEED’s CareerForce Veterans Employment Services</Author><id>682322</id><Tag><Description/><Title>job fair</Title><Id>230126</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>veterans</Title><Id>230116</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:14:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of DEED publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: March Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: March Issue</Title><title>2025-04-02 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-675912&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-02T18:59:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of DEED publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/mar-2025/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;issue of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt; includes articles that explore the contributions of foreign born workers and estimates of undocumented immigrants in Minnesota&apos;s workforce, look at the surge in self-employed workers since the pandemic, describe our work helping high school students think about post-graduation plans, and introduce two new data tools to help with this, one that helps students choose a major based on a career of interest and the other that helps students be realistic about the cost of college compared to earnings post-graduation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/mar-2025/college-major.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;A User Guide to the College Major to Career Connector Tool&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The College Major to Career Connector tool allows students, counselors and educational planners to search for majors starting from a career of interest and, vice-versa, to explore the full range of careers a specific major can prepare for. Interactive filters allow users to slice the data by 563 majors and connect them to 505 occupations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/mar-2025/college.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How Much is College Worth?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When considering which college to attend and what to major in, it&apos;s important to determine if expected earnings post-graduation are enough to cover both the cost of living and the cost of a standard student loan. The new Graduate Earnings and Cost Calculator tool compares the likely cost of college to the potential earnings in a major, helping users determine the affordability of various school types and program options. The tool calculates the periodic payments owed on a loan, allowing users to input their own loan amount. Interactive filters allow users to slice the data by six Minnesota regions, 567 majors, six types of schools and two age groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/mar-2025/student.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;What Do Students Want?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Career exploration events like the Southwest Minnesota Career Expo and Central Minnesota&apos;s EPIC Student Day engage thousands of high schoolers each year, offering hands-on experiences and labor market insights that help students better understand their career options and educational paths. While many students remain uncertain or focused on a narrow range of interests—especially in Health Sciences—recent data shows a shift toward more realistic post-graduation plans, including increased interest in entering the workforce directly, and a growing openness to diverse work environments and career pathways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/mar-2025/nonemployer.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;A Surge in Self-Employment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Self-employment in Minnesota has surged over the past decade, with nearly 445,000 nonemployer businesses generating over $25 billion in 2022, reflecting a growing shift toward independent work across industries like professional services, transportation and real estate. While some sectors such as construction and personal services saw declines, others—especially transportation and tech-related consulting—grew rapidly, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of solo entrepreneurs in the state&apos;s evolving economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/mar-2025/foreign-born.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Growth and Impact of Minnesota&apos;s Foreign-Born Workforce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s foreign-born population has grown rapidly over the last decade, leading to increasing contributions to the state&apos;s workforce. Foreign-born workers account for almost 11% of Minnesota&apos;s labor force and play even larger roles in specific sectors and occupations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/mar-2025/immigrants.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Role of Undocumented Immigrants in Minnesota&apos;s Workforce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Despite challenges in data accuracy and varying estimates of total numbers, immigrants who are undocumented make up a small but vital part of Minnesota&apos;s population and workforce, contributing significantly to key industries and helping to expand a tight labor market.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>675912</id><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:14:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED welcomes the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority&apos;s newly appointed executive director, Steve Walter.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED announces Steve Walter as MPFA director</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED announces Steve Walter as MPFA director</Title><title>2025-03-10 PFA director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-672044&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-10T19:13:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED welcomes the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority&apos;s newly appointed executive director, Steve Walter.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is my pleasure to introduce the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority&apos;s (MPFA) newly appointed executive director, Steve Walter. Before assuming this role, Steve was the MPFA&apos;s Chief Financial Officer. He has worked with the MPFA since its inception in 1987, starting as an Accounting Officer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve brings with him a wealth of experience in public finance, accounting and administration. A Minnesotan native, he majored in Accounting at the University of Minnesota and has worked with the State since 1984.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve is responsible for an innovative approach MPFA is taking with its most recently added program, Lead Service Line Replacement. This will make this important program more streamlined and effective as MPFA works in strong partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health to meet the state&apos;s goal of replacing all lead service lines by 2033.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I look forward to working closely with Steve as he takes up leadership of the MPFA, where he will spearhead the agency&apos;s outreach and communication with the communities we serve around Minnesota. The MPFA is a multi-agency authority that provides municipal financing expertise and infrastructure financing programs to enhance the environmental and economic vitality of the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve will lead the MPFA in managing the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and other infrastructure financing programs. The authority&apos;s programs give grants and low-interest loans to communities throughout Minnesota to fund high-priority wastewater and safe drinking water systems. It helps finance infrastructure that might otherwise be unaffordable to communities if they had to borrow money for the projects at market rates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Funding from the MPFA is a vital resource for many towns statewide and is an investment with an impact felt long after project completion. Since 1987, the MPFA has financed $6.9 billion in public infrastructure projects, impacting most every community in Minnesota. In the most recent fiscal year, the MPFA awarded over $360 million to 99 wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects across the state.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>DEED Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon</Author><id>672044</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:14:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>It’s good to be back in Minnesota after a successful business development mission to the Netherlands.</Description><Audience/><Title>Recapping our Business Development Mission to the Netherlands</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Recapping our Business Development Mission to the Netherlands</Title><title>2025-02-21 Netherlands Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-670191&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-21T19:38:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>It’s good to be back in Minnesota after a successful business development mission to the Netherlands.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s good to be back in Minnesota after accompanying Governor Walz, Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Andrea Vaubel and our Minnesota Trade Office on a successful business development mission to the Netherlands.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has a strong trade and investment relationship with the Netherlands. Our total trade in goods with the Netherlands was $908 million in 2024, and the country is Minnesota&apos;s 10th largest exports market. Dutch businesses are also a major source of investment in Minnesota: Netherlands-based companies invested $328 million in our state in 2024, and they employ 6,900 Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of our goals for this trip was to promote more in-bound investment with partners in Eindhoven and Amsterdam. A centerpiece event related to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/661697&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;recently announced expansion of Philips Image Guided Therapy in Plymouth&lt;/a&gt;. The Netherlands-based company is investing $31 million in Minnesota and creating 158 new jobs. We were excited to meet with their leadership to celebrate our partnership and learn more about the life-saving medical care that will be facilitated by equipment manufactured in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/netherlands-blog-1_tcm1045-670192.png&quot; title=&quot;Group of five people standing behind large letters that spell Philips&quot; alt=&quot;Group of five people standing behind large letters that spell Philips&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;netherlands-blog-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Commissioner Varilek, center, with Minnesota partners at Philips headquarters.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We met with other major employers while in the Netherlands, including a group of healthtech and advanced manufacturing CEOs Wednesday morning. We also toured Neste Rotterdam, the world&apos;s leading sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producer. The company&apos;s experience and expertise will be instructive as Minnesota continues to implement our leading &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/?id=1055-590738&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SAF Hub initiative&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/netherlands-blog-2_tcm1045-670193.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Walz, center, and officials at the Brainport Industries Campus in Eindhoven.&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Walz, center, and officials at the Brainport Industries Campus in Eindhoven.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;netherlands-blog-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Governor Walz, center, and officials at the Brainport Industries Campus in Eindhoven.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz had two high-profile opportunities to tell Minnesota&apos;s story to important audiences. At the Clingendael Institute in The Hague, he gave a keynote address on the role played by Minnesota and other states in advancing industrial policy to meet international climate goals. At the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam, the governor spoke about how states like ours can engage on areas of global concern, including clean technology and international security.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cleantech, medtech, advanced manufacturing, agriculture -- DEED is focused on elevating Minnesota as a global leader in these particular sectors so we can grow jobs, support new businesses and tackle the pressing problems facing society. This business development mission gave us a unique opportunity to collaborate directly with our international partners as we pursue our mission of empowering the growth of Minnesota&apos;s economy for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On a more somber note, we also took a moment the day we arrived to visit one of Amsterdam&apos;s most sacred places, the &quot;Secret Annex&quot; of a business warehouse where the Jewish teenager Anne Frank and seven other family members and friends lived in hiding to survive two years of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, before she ultimately perished in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Seeing the marks on the wall where Anne&apos;s parents lovingly marked her increasing height over the course of the war -- seeing the pictures of her favorite actors that she had pasted on the walls of her tiny bedroom – these were powerful reminders of a dark time when evil ruled that land, and of the necessity for all of us today to courageously defend the dignity and rights of our fellow humans in the face of new threats as they emerge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After this powerful visit, and the incredibly warm reception we received from all our Dutch hosts, I left the Netherlands highly optimistic about our potential for even deeper collaboration together in the years ahead.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek </Author><id>670191</id><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:14:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Five tips from CareerForce to get you started on a successful job search.</Description><Audience/><Title>CareerForce can help you jump start your job search this January</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>CareerForce can help you jump start your job search this January</Title><title>2025-01-07 CareerForce Job Search</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-663696&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-07T17:06:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Five tips from CareerForce to get you started on a successful job search.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January is great time to recommit to your job search plans. Many employers put hiring on hold during the holidays, so this month can be a fruitful time for applying for positions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CareerForce is the state&apos;s official career exploration and job search resource, with locations throughout the state to serve you. Staff at CareerForce locations are workforce professionals with experience helping people from all backgrounds and levels of work experience find new employment. CareerForce can help you develop the strategy and resources you need to launch a successful job search – and CareerForce services are available at NO COST to anyone looking for work in Minnesota, year-round!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CareerForce can help you with these five tips to get you started on a successful job search:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Develop a plan before you start applying for jobs.&lt;/strong&gt; What kind of employment do you want? CareerForce can help you with interest and skills assessments plus tips on industry and employer research. When you&apos;re ready to start looking you can search thousands of Minnesota jobs, filtering by location, job title, company name and keyword, on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/job-search&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take a good hard look at your resume.&lt;/strong&gt; It probably needs an update. Your resume should be customized for each position you apply for to highlight the skills and experience you have that match that particular job posting. You may also want to make some special tweaks to get your resume past screening software. CareerForce offers &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/events?keyword=resume+writing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;in-person and online workshops&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/events?keyword=appointment&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;personalized appointments&lt;/a&gt; to help you revamp and target your resume.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Network.&lt;/strong&gt; Most jobs are found through networking. Reach out to your network online and in-person to find out about positions that might be a good fit for you and to identify references who might be able to help you get your foot in the door. Consider joining a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/events?keyword=job+club&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;job club&lt;/a&gt; or participating in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/jobfairs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;networking or hiring event&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prepare for a successful job interview.&lt;/strong&gt; What are the questions you should expect? What are the toughest questions you might have to answer? Can you turn a gap in employment into a positive thing? What questions should you ask your interviewers? You guessed it – CareerForce can help with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/interviews&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;interview prep&lt;/a&gt; too!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Follow up and stay positive.&lt;/strong&gt; Landing an interview is a big accomplishment and your opportunity to land the job. Make sure you leverage it! Say you&apos;ll follow up – and do it. And above all be courteous and grateful. For starters, send a thank you note or email to your interviewers. If you don&apos;t get the job, turn it into a learning experience. Ask what the employer was looking for that you didn&apos;t have. This feedback can help you better prepare for future interviews. CareerForce staff can help you analyze where you might have weaknesses and suggest ways to make yourself more marketable. It&apos;s easy to get frustrated but it&apos;s important to stay positive – and that&apos;s easier to do with CareerForce in your corner.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Staff at CareerForce can also help determine if you are eligible for education and training services to help you prepare for new in-demand employment. You may be eligible for tuition assistance and even free training and other valuable support services to help you find work at a family-sustaining wage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let CareerForce help you jump start your job search this January. CareerForce has helped tens of thousands of Minnesotans find employment throughout the state. With more than 50 locations across Minnesota – plus special hours in many public libraries – CareerForce staff have deep knowledge of your local job market and can help you make connections with local employers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are you waiting for?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/locations&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Contact a CareerForce location near you today!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Jeanna Fortney, DEED CareerForce Division Director</Author><id>663696</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:14:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota&apos;s Long-term employment trends, AI and our workforce, more!</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2025-01-03 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-663587&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-03T20:44:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2025</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt; includes articles that explore data to help students and counselors make informed high school course choices, summarize updated poverty rate measures, compare regional industry and occupational employment trends, describe Minnesota&apos;s outdoor recreation industry and analyze employment in the long-term care sector.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2024/cte.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Technical Education in Minnesota High Schools&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To maximize the benefits of participation in Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school courses, students must transition into employment opportunities relevant to their chosen career pathway or combine their initial training with a postsecondary credential. A new tool helps students and counselors make informed course choices by exploring the earnings, leading industries of employment, and postsecondary education paths taken by students with similar course-taking histories. It can also help program planners evaluate the alignment of their programs with business needs in their region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2024/poverty.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Poverty Rates in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Updated American Community Survey data on poverty in 2023 indicate that Minnesota has among the lowest poverty rates in the nation overall and for a number of key groups, including families and children. However, these data also point to areas of concern for the state, specifically poverty rates for Black or African American, American Indian and Hispanic or Latino Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2024/projections.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Regional Long-Term Employment Projections, 2022-2032&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the statewide long-term projections produced every two years, DEED also creates more detailed employment forecasts for the six planning regions in Minnesota. Each region has its own population and labor force trends, unique industry mixes, and past employment trends that impact future employment growth. This article compares regional industry and occupational employment trends, highlighting both shared trajectories as well as areas of divergence. Based on the factors listed above and others, Central Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metro Area are poised for higher-than-average growth. Southeast and Northwest Minnesota are expected to grow slightly below the state average and Northeast and Southwest Minnesota are projected to grow relatively slower over the next decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2024/nursing-home.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Regulations and Demographics Converge to Create a Momentous Long-Term Care Workforce Challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article analyzes the potential impact of federal minimum staffing regulations on Minnesota&apos;s nursing homes. It also projects how Minnesota&apos;s aging population will impact staffing needs into the future. The article highlights the need for direct care workforce initiatives, even without the new regulations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2024/winter.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&apos;Tis the Season – Recreational Employment in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s outdoor recreation economy thrives throughout the year, with winter activities significantly contributing to the state&apos;s success. From snowmobiling and cross-country skiing to ice fishing across the state&apos;s lakes, winter recreation has become an essential part of Minnesota&apos;s outdoor offerings. This four-season approach to outdoor recreation, with substantial winter impacts, helps Minnesota maintain a more consistent year-round tourism economy compared to states that rely primarily on warm-weather activities. Winter recreation serves as a vital economic driver, transforming what could be a seasonal lull into a thriving period of tourism and outdoor activity for residents and visitors.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>663587</id><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:14:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Employer Engagement Team offers Minnesota employers support in recruiting and retaining employees, assistance in fostering sustainable worker pipelines and help connecting with laid off workers.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED’s New Employer Engagement Team Will Connect Employers with Skilled Workers</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED’s New Employer Engagement Team Will Connect Employers with Skilled Workers</Title><title>2024-12-18 Employee Engagement Team</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-661386&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-18T15:35:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Employer Engagement Team offers Minnesota employers support in recruiting and retaining employees, assistance in fostering sustainable worker pipelines and help connecting with laid off workers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>December 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, we are identifying new and innovative approaches to address the workforce needs of employers, like connecting businesses struggling to find workers with overlooked Minnesotans with the right skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many Minnesotans are eligible for training and work experience that can help them develop the skills and experience to meet the needs of employers looking for workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, along with the Minnesota Legislature, have made significant investments in employment and training programs and employer services, like the Drive for 5 Initiative and other workforce programs that prioritize preparing a work-ready and skilled workforce, and establishing employer-centered services that connect businesses with skilled workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the investments is the new DEED Employer Engagement Team that we formed to connect people who successfully complete training with employers in the Drive for 5 fields: the caring professions, education, manufacturing, technology and the trades. The Employer Engagement Team offers Minnesota employers support in recruiting and retaining employees, assistance in fostering sustainable worker pipelines and help connecting with laid off workers who have needed skills and are looking for new employment opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Employer Engagement Team members are strategically based throughout the state: central, northeast, northwest, southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area. They will collaborate with employers, local workforce boards, Drive for 5 grantees and other regional stakeholders, with a focus on connecting job seekers with high-quality jobs in Minnesota&apos;s most in-demand industries. Leveraging their knowledge of the local hiring environment and through close working relationships with local workforce development area staff, Employer Engagement Team members will help ensure efficient and effective services for employers and job seekers alike.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This team will also work closely with DEED&apos;s Rapid Response Team, which serves employers considering or going through staff reductions, to help quickly connect laid off workers with new employment opportunities. In addition, team members will highlight tax incentives available to employers through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program for hiring people with barriers to employment, along with other federal programs available to help employers meet their workforce needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Employer Engagement Team is another way that DEED delivers for Minnesota workers, employers and our overall economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/employer-engagement&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Find out more and connect with your regional Employer Engagement Team member today&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Marc Majors, DEED Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development</Author><id>661386</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs in winter 2024-2025.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Seeks Community Reviewers for Upcoming Grantmaking</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Seeks Community Reviewers for Upcoming Grantmaking</Title><title>2024-12-09 Community Reviewers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-658957&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-09T15:09:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs in winter 2024-2025.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>December 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is looking to &lt;strong&gt;recruit roughly 100 community members&lt;/strong&gt; to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs in winter 2024-2025. &lt;strong&gt;Please consider applying to be a community reviewer today – or pass along this information to others in your networks!&lt;/strong&gt; By maintaining high-quality standards and fostering collaboration, community reviewers contribute to the improvement of projects and the holistic growth of individuals and communities in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;re committed to including more diverse voices and perspectives in our grantmaking process. We believe a more inclusive process can help us make funding decisions that better support our commitment to reducing employment disparities in Minnesota by looking for community reviewers with lived experiences tied to DEED&apos;s competitive grants and who are aware of current challenges that job seekers face.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This approach reduces the potential bias of traditional grant review panels and ensures grant decisions reflect the real needs and priorities of the communities we serve, rather than assumptions made by external evaluators. It heightens the cultural competence of our panels and promotes trust and accountability. Our community reviewers ensure communities aren&apos;t just recipients of funding, but active participants in shaping the strategies and solutions that impact them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are seeking individuals with diverse community backgrounds, subject matter expertise and an interest in community advancement. In addition to having important personal experience, prospective community reviewers should have an interest in workforce development, as well as experience in grantmaking, finance and lending, education and training, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and/or a related area. DEED also requires community reviewers to participate in a short online training session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We ask that community reviewers be able to dedicate 20-40 hours to read grant proposals over the course of two to three weeks. Grant reviewers will read approximately eight to ten proposals in a two-week time period between the months of January and June 2025. Proposals are generally 12-15 pages in length, with additional supporting and budget documents that need to be reviewed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED will provide a small stipend to community reviewers who meet eligibility requirements, complete training and review proposals on time and complete the required process to receive payments. Community reviewers are also invited to complete an online post-review survey to share feedback on the process and improve future processes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ready to apply to be a community reviewer?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/g/30Cg6dMcJE&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Apply today!&lt;/a&gt;. But act fast! &lt;strong&gt;The application will close on Monday December 16 at 4:30 p.m.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have more questions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us for a virtual &lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YWQ5ZmZjNjktMjY5Zi00ODRjLTkxMTktZTc1ZWM3YmFhOWE1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2200bca60e-5cc1-4e8f-966c-7af955ef14c8%22%7d&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Community Reviewer Information Session.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the sessions will be recorded and posted on DEED&apos;s YouTube page if you aren&apos;t able to attend. DATES: &lt;strong&gt;December 13 (virtual) and December 16 (recorded).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community reviewer training sessions&lt;/strong&gt; (all containing the same information) are &lt;strong&gt;slated for mid-January&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions, email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:elizabeth.mariani@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;elizabeth.mariani@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Ekta Prakash, Office of Public Engagement Director</Author><id>658957</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As the holiday shopping season ramps up and festive decorations light up stores across the state, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the small businesses that have taken root in communities across Minnesota and the big impact they have on our economy.</Description><Audience/><Title>&apos;Tis the Season (of Small Business!)  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>&apos;Tis the Season (of Small Business!)  </Title><title>2024-11-26 Small Biz Tour</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-656523&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-26T20:04:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>As the holiday shopping season ramps up, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the small businesses that have taken root in communities across Minnesota and the big impact they have on our economy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/season-of-small-biz-graphic_tcm1045-656566.png&quot; title=&quot;Season of Small Business graphic&quot; alt=&quot;Season of Small Business graphic&quot; style=&quot;width: 35%;&quot; class=&quot;photoLeftNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;season-of-small-biz-graphic&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;As the holiday shopping season ramps up and festive decorations light up stores across the state, we&apos;re taking a moment to celebrate the small businesses that have taken root in communities across Minnesota and the big impact they have on our economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this holiday season, I am especially grateful to work alongside the inspiring entrepreneurs who drive our local economies and community partners across the state that support them. The Season of Small Business is a time to support startups, small businesses and the hardworking individuals behind these ventures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the United States Census Bureau, small businesses make up 99.7% of Minnesota businesses and employ three-fourth of employees. When you spend one dollar at a local business, 67 cents stay in your local community, creating a positive ripple effect. Recognizing the vital role of small businesses, our state is committed to helping businesses start, scale and succeed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Small Business and Innovation at DEED offers a range of resources and programs designed to offer expertise and guidance to entrepreneurs and business owners. Our goal is to create an environment where small businesses can easily connect to the resources they need to thrive in today&apos;s ever-evolving business landscape.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We invite you to join our office and others across the state to amplify and support our incredible small businesses. Here&apos;s how you can get involved:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Share and Repost&lt;/strong&gt;: Spread the word about your favorite small business on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/mndeed&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/mndeed/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://x.com/mndeed&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Twitter/X&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/minnesota_deed/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use hashtag #MNSmallBizBigImpact&lt;/strong&gt; to show your support&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shop Locally:&lt;/strong&gt; Mark your calendar for Small Business Saturday, this Saturday, November 30&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Explore DEED&apos;s small business resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No-cost consulting&lt;/strong&gt; with &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Centers&lt;/a&gt; (SBDCs)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Access to capital&lt;/strong&gt; through &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/joinusmn/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/capital/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;potential funding options&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accelerate startups&lt;/strong&gt; through &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get connected&lt;/strong&gt; with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbao/small-business-call/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Monthly Small Business Call&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/calendar/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Statewide Calendar&lt;/a&gt; for Startups and Small Businesses&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technical assistance&lt;/strong&gt; from &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/support/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Community Partners&lt;/a&gt; across the state&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more info about small business resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Call the Small Business Assistance team at 651-556-8425 or 800-310-8323&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:smallbusiness@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;smallbusiness@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/smallbusiness&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;JoinUsMN Small Business site&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May your holidays be filled with joy and the satisfaction of knowing that your support helps local businesses flourish and our communities prosper. Here&apos;s to a season of success and growth for all!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Small Business &amp; Innovation Executive Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>656523</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>U.S. military veterans receive priority of service in Minnesota – and November is a great time to highlight the people served and who provides that service.</Description><Audience/><Title>Veterans Serving Veterans </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Veterans Serving Veterans </Title><title>2024-11-25 Veterans Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-655178&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-25T16:35:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>U.S. military veterans receive priority of service in Minnesota – and November is a great time to highlight the people served and who provides that service.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;U.S. military veterans receive priority of service in Minnesota – and November is a great time to highlight the people served and who provides that service. DEED provides workforce services to thousands of current and former military members every year – in fact, DEED CareerForce staff served 4,734 current and former U.S. military members across Minnesota during the latest year for which data is available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 4,734 veterans who received services included service members recently returning from deployment, Vietnam-era veterans, individuals who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and National Guard Members who live in communities throughout the state. Some of those veterans include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dominic, a recently separated U.S. Air Force veteran, has successfully secured a role as a training consultant at the Minnesota Department of Transportation;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, overcame a civilian employment gap by effectively utilizing the skills she gained in the military and now excels as a paraprofessional with a local school district;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Robert, who had 24 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, used his experience to take on the position of city manager in a southwest Minnesota community, showcasing his leadership abilities; and  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mike, a resilient disabled Army veteran, is making a significant impact by serving as an Assistant Veterans Preference Officer with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, helping fellow veterans navigate their paths.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of the 4,734 veterans served during the fiscal year ending in June 2024, 536 were veterans experiencing significant barriers to employment – they received individualized, case-managed career services. Of the veterans who received case-managed services, 434 veterans (81%) found employment by June 30, 2024, and their average wage at exit from the case-managed program was $28.73 per hour. That&apos;s over $7 more per hour than the cost of living for a typical Minnesota family.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans with disabilities, service members who have just returned from deployment, and people who recently retired from active duty can face significant barriers to finding employment. What skills and experience earned in the military correlate with civilian employment? How can they find community and support in a civilian work culture and structure that is often very different from that in the military? CareerForce Veterans Employment Services staff can help answer these questions and many others because all CareerForce Veterans Employment Representatives are veterans themselves. They are truly veterans serving veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another group of veterans who face serious barriers to employment are veterans with a criminal record. DEED is partnering with the Minnesota Department of Corrections to provide intensive employment services and counseling for justice-involved veterans nearing their release date from prison. CareerForce Veterans Employment Representatives also work with the Veterans Diversionary Court Program to provide an option for veterans who have had encounters with the criminal justice system and provide an alternative to prison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some more information about the Minnesotans served by CareerForce Veterans Employment Services during the most recent program year: 20% of the veterans served were People of Color and 14% were women. It is important to note that 17% of returning National Guard and Reserve troops in Minnesota are women.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim, the former Marine served by CareerForce Veterans Employment Services, perhaps said it best when she offered this advice to other veterans reentering the civilian workforce: &quot;Don&apos;t be afraid to ask for help.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/veterans&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Find out how CareerForce Veterans Employment Services can help you&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors, CareerForce Veterans Employment Services Director Ray Douha</Author><id>655178</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>veterans</Title><Id>230116</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota&apos;s Long-term employment trends, AI and our workforce, more!</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2024-11-15 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-653177&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-15T14:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota&apos;s Long-term employment trends, AI and our workforce, more!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How likely is your career field to be impacted by Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Should you expect AI to change your job significantly? What should business owners and other employers know about their industry&apos;s exposure to AI? While no one knows exactly how AI will impact workers and businesses over the coming years one thing is clear: almost all of us will experience some work-related changes due to this rapidly advancing technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AI exposure in Minnesota&apos;s economy is just one of the topics explored in the new edition of Minnesota Economic Trends. Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends. Select the article titles below to open the article and find out more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2024/projections.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2022 – 2032 Minnesota Long Term Employment Projections&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Labor Market Information Office issues long-term employment projections for Minnesota every two years. These projections take into account multiple factors, from projected demand shifts to changes in labor force availability due to an aging population to impacts of government investments and technologies like AI. Considering all of these factors, and others, analysts project slower yet continued employment growth in Minnesota over the coming decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2024/green-clean.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Green and Clean Employment in Minnesota: An Occupational Approach&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article, the second in a series, helps define green jobs by both industry and occupation. This information is helpful for policymakers, educators and others who are focused on meeting workforce needs as our state, the nation and the world continue the transition to clean energy and work toward a greener economy over the coming years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2024/picture.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Picture This: Labor Market Dynamics through Business Cycles and Industry Shifts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article uses graphs to illustrate changes in employment and earnings over time in Minnesota industries. These illustrations provide a visual representation of how different industries are impacted by recessions, highlight the unique labor market dynamics of the Pandemic Recession and recovery, and help differentiate between cyclical impacts and longer-term industry evolution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2024/exposure.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Northern Exposure: Measuring Artificial Intelligence in Minnesota&apos;s Economy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that is revolutionizing how work gets done, which creates concern about its impact on jobs and the people who hold them. That&apos;s why it&apos;s important to understand the exposure of Minnesota occupations and industries to AI to plan for strategic workforce development, economic planning and policy interventions, and prepare for future impacts of AI on jobs and our workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can access an archive of past &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles going back to 1993 on the DEED website&lt;/a&gt;. DEED&apos;s LMI Office also publishes the monthly &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/review/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Employment Review&lt;/a&gt;, as well as monthly &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/data/regional-lmi/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;regional labor market information blog posts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>653177</id><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>artificial intelligence</Title><Id>653178</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, when we celebrate and honor the contributions and skills that workers with disabilities bring to Minnesota&apos;s workplaces and economy.</Description><Audience/><Title>National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Access to Good Jobs For All</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Access to Good Jobs For All </Title><title>2024-10-02 NDEAM</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-647879&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-02T19:33:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, when we celebrate and honor the contributions and skills that workers with disabilities bring to Minnesota&apos;s workplaces and economy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), when we celebrate and honor the contributions and skills that workers with disabilities bring to Minnesota&apos;s workplaces and economy. At DEED, we are committed to ensuring Minnesotans with disabilities have access to good jobs all year long.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, we take care of each other. So, it&apos;s no surprise to me that &lt;a href=&quot;https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-people-with-disabilities/7164&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minneapolis and Saint Paul were recently ranked&lt;/a&gt; two of the best cities in the country for people with disabilities. Our state has a strong network of support, and DEED is home to many programs that help Minnesotans with disabilities find and keep employment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our teams at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/ssb/communication-center/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State Services for the Blind (SSB)&lt;/a&gt; provide a full array of services for jobseekers and employers. We provide job counseling and training to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/youth/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;high schoolers&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/ssb/seniors/aging-eyes.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;seniors&lt;/a&gt; alike, we &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/ssb/communication-center/braille/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;translate written materials&lt;/a&gt; to Braille and so much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We never stop pushing ourselves to develop better ways to support Minnesotans with disabilities. A few new initiatives I&apos;m particularly proud of include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The recently launched &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/DisabilityInclusive&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Disability Inclusive Business Partner&lt;/a&gt; program. Through this free virtual training, employers learn about inclusive recruitment, hiring and retention best practices, and the tools needed to create a work environment that supports everyone. After completing the training, employers receive a Disability Inclusive Business Partner certification and ongoing support.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;SSB&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/647218&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;$9.1 million award&lt;/a&gt; to help blind, low vision and deafblind Minnesotans prepare for advanced technology careers and allows DEED to incorporate emerging technologies in how we provide services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DEED&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund,&lt;/a&gt; which helps small to mid-sized Minnesota employers pay for the costs of reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month, we&apos;ll be sharing stories of Minnesotans with disabilities and celebrating employers who are leading the way in modeling disability-inclusive workplaces. Too often, employers don&apos;t realize the value that Minnesotans with disabilities can bring to their workplaces. NDEAM is a great time to learn more about this often-overlooked community, and the immense opportunity employers have in building modern workplaces that activate them.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe</Author><id>647879</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, a time to highlight one of the biggest and most critically important industries in our state&apos;s diverse economy</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Manufacturing Month in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrating Manufacturing Month in Minnesota</Title><title>2024-10-01 Manufacturing Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-647612&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-01T18:36:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, a time to highlight one of the biggest and most critically important industries in our state&apos;s diverse economy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/10.01.24%20Manufacturing%20Month_tcm1055-647589.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;, a time to highlight one of the biggest and most important industries in our state&apos;s diverse economy. At DEED, we recognize the strength, talent, hard work and determination of those in the manufacturing industry, and how crucial their goods and services are to the health and vitality of the state&apos;s economy and workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are so many great things to shine light on when it comes to this industry. Last year, manufacturing contributed $57.2 billion, or 12%, to the state&apos;s economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s a driver of jobs, too: Manufacturing roles constitute 11% of all available jobs in the state and can be found statewide. The average annual manufacturing wage in Minnesota is $79,000 — 10% above the average for all jobs. Going forward, we expect to see more than 93,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions in Minnesota through 2032. Many manufacturing jobs can be started with a high school diploma and employer-provided training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This October, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.statewidetour.mnmfg.org/#find-a-tour&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED has partnered&lt;/a&gt; with Minnesota State to organize in-person and virtual tours of manufacturers for students, parents and the public. Our goal with these tours is to help interested Minnesotans learn more about manufacturing careers, see what manufacturing has to offer and inspire the next generation of manufacturing talent. You can find other manufacturing events this month—hiring events, panels, demonstrations and more—on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/2024-manufacturing-month-events&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForce website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be clear, DEED&apos;s support of manufacturing isn&apos;t just month-long. Throughout the year, our business assistance programs work with state, regional and local partners to offer financial support, job training and opportunities for growth to Minnesotans and businesses across the state. Some of these programs are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/mif/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Investment Fund,&lt;/a&gt; providing financing to help add new workers and retain high-quality jobs, particularly in industrial, manufacturing and technology-related industries.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/mn-jcf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Job Creation Fund,&lt;/a&gt; offering financial incentives to new and expanding businesses engaged in manufacturing, distribution, and other eligible activities to create or retain high-paying jobs and for constructing or renovating facilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/ssbci/automation-loan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Automation Loan Participation Program&lt;/a&gt;, making companion loans to fill gaps in financing needs for businesses purchasing machinery, equipment or software to increase productivity and automation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/adult-career-pathways/grants/drive-for-five/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Drive for Five,&lt;/a&gt; preparing Minnesotans for high-demand jobs in manufacturing, as well as four other occupational categories, by prioritizing training for populations that face obstacles to employment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Job Skills Partnership,&lt;/a&gt; working with businesses, educational institutions and nonprofits to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities and keep high-quality jobs in the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/atipp/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Automation Training Incentive Program,&lt;/a&gt; awarding grants to small businesses in the manufacturing or skilled production industry to train incumbent workers efficiently on new automation technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/jtip/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Job Training Incentive Program,&lt;/a&gt; helping new or expanding businesses in Greater Minnesota train workers quickly and efficiently.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manufacturing is an ever-growing industry that can always look to DEED for guidance and support. For additional manufacturing resources, including fact sheets, events, regional labor market information and more, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/industry/manufacturing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN Manufacturing&lt;/a&gt; website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon</Author><id>647612</id><Tag><Description/><Title>manufacturing</Title><Id>230118</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>manufacturing</Title><Id>230118</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>At this month’s Workforce Wednesday, we spoke with a panel of employers who shared how they help shape their company’s messaging to engage, attract and retrain their workforce. </Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: What Does Your Messaging Strategy Say About You? </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: What Does Your Messaging Strategy Say About You? </Title><title>2024-09-20 WW</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-645495&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-20T14:03:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>At this month’s Workforce Wednesday, we spoke with a panel of employers who shared how they help shape their company’s messaging to engage, attract and retrain their workforce. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recruiting and retaining workforce talent is a constant challenge. In this market, employers must generate or modify ways of engaging professionals both in and outside of their organizations. At this month’s Workforce Wednesday, we spoke with a panel of employers who shared how they help shape their company’s messaging to engage, attract and retrain their workforce. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employer Panelists &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brianne Pringle - Director of Human Resources, Heliene &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Know your market and find out how they receive information. When I first started at Heliene, we didn’t have a Facebook page to promote available job openings. We were using a New York-based marketing firm that didn’t think we needed a presence on Facebook. After four months, I was able to create a Facebook page for our company and we’ve seen great traffic from our Facebook account in helping get the word out about our company.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Metrics matter. If you have the data to back up why you think you should reach a certain audience, senior leadership is more likely to pay attention, because money and data talk when it comes to executives.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Listen to employees and encourage them to give suggestions in an employee suggestion box on how we can better market our company to attract potential employees.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dina Simon - Founder and CEO, Simon Says Lead &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Understand that you have an online presence whether you want to or not. People can leave reviews of your company on Glassdoor, Google and Indeed and it’s important to know what people are saying about your company, positive or negative. Knowing what’s already out there will help in crafting your marketing and messaging going forward.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Good testimonials and good reviews from your employees and clients are a great way to help build up your company’s reputation.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out a recording of this session and other past sessions, find a full slate of downloadable resources mentioned during the session and access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>645495</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>I was honored to be a part of a great gathering of leaders from the Legislature, state agencies, employers, business groups, labor unions, philanthropies, local workforce development areas, educational institutions, community-based organizations and other workforce development stakeholders.</Description><Audience/><Title>Coming Together to Strengthen our workforce at the 2024 Minnesota Workforce Summit</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Coming Together to Strengthen our workforce at the 2024 Minnesota Workforce Summit</Title><title>2024-09-13 Summit recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-644555&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-13T16:45:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>I was honored to be a part of a great gathering of leaders from the Legislature, state agencies, employers, business groups, labor unions, philanthropies, local workforce development areas, educational institutions, community-based organizations and other workforce development stakeholders.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Workforce%20Summit%20Social%20Media_TW_X_tcm1045-644554.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Workforce Summit Logo&quot; alt=&quot;Workforce Summit Logo&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Workforce Summit Logo&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yesterday in Duluth, I was honored to be a part of a great gathering of leaders from the Legislature, state agencies, employers, business groups, labor unions, philanthropies, local workforce development areas, educational institutions, community-based organizations and other workforce development stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2024 Minnesota Workforce Summit brought together more than 300 people from across Minnesota and beyond to learn, share ideas and make connections. Together, we discussed the progress of historic initiatives coming out of the 2023 legislative session, explored ways of collaborating more effectively and learned about trends in employment and demographics that affect us all. Most important, we shared best practices and innovative ways to prepare the state&apos;s workforce to meet the needs of Minnesota businesses and to ensure we are working toward a more inclusive economy, in the spirit of One Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our shared goal: to address the ongoing labor force shortage and to prepare more Minnesotans for family-sustaining employment in a rapidly changing economic landscape.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than 40 thought leaders and practitioners brought great energy and wisdom as they shared their insights and expertise with the audience. Among the speakers were leaders from DEED, the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Education, the Office of Higher Education and the State Demographic Center. Panelists also included Surya Iyer, COO of Polar Semiconductor; Whitney Harvey from the Minnesota Chamber Foundation; Bernie Burnham, President of the Minnesota AFL- CIO; Terri Thao of Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; and President of the Minnesota Senate, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of our panelists, Dr. Bruce Corrie, Professor of Economics at Concordia University - Saint Paul, shared this thought with me about the day, and I think it sums things up nicely: &quot;The summit is an important moment for leaders in Minnesota to network, collaborate and focus on effective strategies to meet Minnesota&apos;s workforce needs especially during this time of major economic and demographic changes.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also at the summit we announced Surya Iyer from Polar Semiconductor as the new Chair of the Governor&apos;s Workforce Development Board (GWDB) and DeLinda Washington from HealthPartners as the GWDB Vice Chair. The GWDB&apos;s mission is to develop and recommend workforce development policies to the governor and state Legislature. The GWDB&apos;s goal is to create a globally competitive workforce for Minnesota by ensuring that the state&apos;s talent, resources and systems are effective.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other highlights of the day included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An advance look at a new workforce dashboard providing details on the need for workers in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/budget/federal-investments/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;more than 1,700 federally-funded climate and infrastructure projects around Minnesota&lt;/a&gt; in the coming years.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The new &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/DisabilityInclusive&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED Vocational Rehabilitation Services Disability Inclusive Business Partner Training&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Information about DEED&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Best practices on serving youth, veterans, justice-involved individuals and women in non-traditional employment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Available resources to help New Americans access employment or start a new business in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/wioa-combined-state-plan-executive-summary-acc_tcm1045-643069.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;executive summary of Minnesota&apos;s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) 2024-2027 State Plan for Workforce Development&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceDevelopmentMonth&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Development Month resources&lt;/a&gt; posted on CareerForceMN.com, Minnesota&apos;s official career exploration and job search resource.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An invitation for employers to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/meet-your-regional-team&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;meet their regional team&lt;/a&gt; for help with workforce strategy, labor market information, assistance hiring people with disabilities and veterans and much more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A newly &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/CreativeJobSearch&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;updated edition of the award-winning Creative Job Search guide&lt;/a&gt; to help connect job seekers with the employers who need them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am really inspired by yesterday&apos;s discussion and look forward to continuing this spirit of collaboration in the coming weeks and months. When we come together, we can strengthen our already outstanding workforce – and build a more equitable economy for all Minnesotans!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors</Author><id>644555</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>I&apos;m thrilled to share that DEED just brought on two talented leaders to head up our legislative team and our work on budget strategy and planning. </Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Makes Two Key Hires Tied to Legislative Efforts</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Makes Two Key Hires Tied to Legislative Efforts</Title><title>2024-09-11 Staffing Announcement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-644239&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-11T17:00:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>I&apos;m thrilled to share that DEED just brought on two talented leaders to head up our legislative team and our work on budget strategy and planning. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, we focus extensively on our legislative efforts year-round. I&apos;m thrilled to share that DEED just brought on two talented leaders — Deven Bowdry and Matt Dobratz — to head up our legislative team and our work on budget strategy and planning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/deven-bowdry_tcm1045-644240.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Professional photo of Government Relations Director Deven Bowdry&quot; alt=&quot;Professional photo of Government Relations Director Deven Bowdry&quot; style=&quot;width: 65%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deven-bowdry&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deven Bowdry, formerly a member of DEED&apos;s Government Relations team, returns from the judicial branch to serve as our Government Relations Director. Deven previously worked at DEED from 2017 to 2023 as a Program Coordinator in the Office of Economic Equity and Opportunity, as well as the Interim Director of the Office of Public Engagement and as Legislative Liaison. During his time advocating for DEED&apos;s legislative priorities, he also earned a law degree at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the law review. He served as a Judicial Law Clerk in Saint Paul since last October.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Matt Dobratz joined DEED in the new position of Legislative Budget Director in the agency&apos;s Administrative and Fiscal Services (AFS) unit. He brings considerable expertise to DEED with tenures at Minnesota Management and Budget and the federal Government Accountability Office. Matt will manage and advise on budget strategy and oversee fiscal policy and planning. He will work closely with the Government Relations team in putting together DEED&apos;s biennial budget request for the 2025 legislative session. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join me in thanking Deven and Matt for bringing their talents to DEED!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>644239</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED seeks community reviewers for upcoming grantmaking</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED seeks community reviewers for upcoming grantmaking</Title><title>2024-09-09 Community Reviewers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-643463&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-09T14:38:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED is looking to &lt;strong&gt;recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers&lt;/strong&gt; for competitive workforce development grant programs – including the &lt;strong&gt;Transformative Career Pathway Competitive Grant and the Child Care Economic Development Grant Program –&lt;/strong&gt; this fall and potentially late winter 2024-25.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;re committed to including more diverse voices and perspectives in our grantmaking process – and including community reviewers is an important way to do this. We value the community reviewer process across the agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We believe a more inclusive process can help us make funding decisions that better support our commitment to reducing employment disparities in Minnesota. We&apos;re looking for community reviewers with lived experiences tied to DEED&apos;s competitive grants. We&apos;re also looking for reviewers who are aware of current challenges that job seekers face – people with this experience bring an important voice to the table in our decision-making.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED has previously recruited community reviewers for our employment and training grants including Pathways to Prosperity, Career Pathways, child care development and small business growth. We&apos;re excited to again leverage community members&apos; experience and perspectives in the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to having important personal experience, prospective community reviewers should have an interest in workforce development, as well as experience in grantmaking, finance and lending, education and training, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and/or a related area. DEED also requires community reviewers to participate in a short online training session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are seeking individuals with diverse community backgrounds, subject matter expertise and an interest in community advancement. We ask that community reviewers be able to dedicate 20-40 hours to read grant proposals over the course of two to three weeks. Grant reviewers will read approximately eight to 10 proposals during October and November. Proposals are generally 12-15 pages in length, with additional supporting and budget documents that need to be reviewed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED will provide a small stipend to community reviewers who meet eligibility requirements, complete training and review proposals on time and complete the required process to receive payments. Community reviewers are also invited to complete an online post-review survey to share feedback on the process and improve future processes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Please consider applying to be a community reviewer today – or pass along this information to others in your networks!&lt;/strong&gt; Having community reviewers from diverse background helps DEED make important grantmaking decisions – it&apos;s a true collaboration. By engaging diverse stakeholders, maintaining high-quality standards and fostering collaboration, community reviewers contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the improvement of projects and the holistic growth of individuals and communities in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ready to apply to be a community reviewer?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fill out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjAk6Osu1hrpBjGX_l1QkwIlUMURFUjQ3R1RaV1BRRlBNNUlaRVRUTldSNC4u&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED Community Reviewer Application&lt;/a&gt;. But act fast! &lt;strong&gt;The application will close on Wednesday, September 25 at 4:30 p.m.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have more questions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us for a virtual &lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDZjNmZjYzctNDUzNS00YWQyLWI4NmEtZDUxNmZmOWRiNDhi%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cb3a3a09-86b5-41ba-8c65-ff975424c089%22%7d&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Community Reviewer Information Session&lt;/a&gt; on September 16 at 1:00 p.m. The session will be recorded and posted on DEED’s YouTube page if you aren&apos;t able to attend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reviewer training sessions&lt;/strong&gt; (all contain the same information) are &lt;strong&gt;slated for October 10 from 1-3pm&lt;/strong&gt; for individuals selected to serve as community reviewers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions, email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:askDEED@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AskDEED@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Public Engagement Director Ekta Prakash</Author><id>643463</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED&apos;s Workforce Strategy Consultant Team provided an overview of resources available to employers to help them do everything from using data to make their job postings more competitive to connecting to underutilized talent pools.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Navigating the Workforce System - An Employer&apos;s Guide </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Navigating the Workforce System - An Employer&apos;s Guide </Title><title>2024-08-14 WW August</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-640967&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-14T18:08:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>An overview of resources available to employers to help them do everything from using data to make their job postings more competitive to connecting to underutilized talent pools.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/august-2024-ww-image_tcm1045-640968.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual workforce wednesday meeting in August&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual workforce wednesday meeting in August&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;august-2024-ww-image&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the current tight labor market, employers may need more assistance in finding the workers they need. The August Workforce Wednesday session hosted by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Workforce Strategy Consultant Team provided an overview of resources available to employers to help them do everything from using data to make their job postings more competitive to connecting to underutilized talent pools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below is a quick overview of workforce system services available to Minnesota employers – and highlights of some of the most popular resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Workforce Strategy Consultants&lt;/strong&gt; develop innovative workforce solutions by aligning resources, facilitating collaboration and leveraging expertise in targeted industry sectors to drive economic equity and growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;James Whirlwind Soldier, Northwest Minnesota Regional Workforce Strategy Consultant&lt;/strong&gt; offers this high-level overview of his team&apos;s work. &quot;We work with you to identify gaps in your workforce strategy to ensure that you are connected with local, regional and state workforce partners that can assist you and we assist you in building out a happy and sustainable workforce.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Labor Market Analysts&lt;/strong&gt; offer the latest labor market intelligence, economic conditions and trends by providing accessible expertise, analysis services, training and presentations on special topics for regions throughout Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to &lt;strong&gt;Carson Gorecki, Northeast Minnesota Regional Labor Market Analyst&lt;/strong&gt;, one of the most frequently requested services asked for by employers is wage data for a specific part of the state. &quot;We provide median wages, average wages but also 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentile wages as well so you can understand wage distribution of other businesses and industries in your area so you can remain competitive and attract workers.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CareerForce Staff and Partners&lt;/strong&gt; help employers connect with people looking for employment through individual connections, hiring events and access to the state&apos;s largest online labor pool. There are more than 50 CareerForce locations throughout Minnesota to help employers connect with local job seekers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lena Balk, CareerForce Help Desk and Employer Services Manager&lt;/strong&gt;, described one way that CareerForce helps employers. &quot;CareerForce locations have employer navigation staff who can assist you in connecting to job seekers through job fairs or other events like employer of the day.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services Staff&lt;/strong&gt; are experts in disability employment and can provide resources and strategic alliances to tap the talent pool of people who have disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Veterans Employment Services Staff&lt;/strong&gt; can help you recruit and hire our nation&apos;s veterans, a highly skilled talent pool who will bring values, leadership and teamwork to the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rapid Response Team Members&lt;/strong&gt; guide you through the difficult process of a major layoff or plant closing. That includes helping you comply with federal regulations that apply to mass layoffs, bring a variety of services for your employees straight to your workplace, and even propose some useful alternatives to layoffs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can view DEED contacts for a range of workforce services in your area and throughout the state on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/meet-your-regional-team&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Meet your Regional Team listing on CareerForceMN&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAOs125Gk2w&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;recording of this session&lt;/a&gt; and other past sessions, plus access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>640967</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2024-06-28 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-628713&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-28T13:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of DEED publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every June, the annual state-of-the-state Minnesota Economic Trends issue provides an overview of Minnesota&apos;s labor market changes and job growth over the past year and takes a closer look at the labor market situation in each of the state&apos;s six regions. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;June 2024 issue&lt;/a&gt; also includes articles that explore green jobs, look at short-term job projections and detail updates to data in the LMI Cost of Living tool. Select a title below to view the full article. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/review.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Year In Review: Minnesota&apos;s Labor Market&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s labor market situation over the past year is in line with the Federal Reserve&apos;s goal to curb inflation with a &quot;soft landing&quot; with continued, albeit slowing, job growth and hiring, and continued low unemployment. This article details long-standing demographic trends as well as other more recent factors to provide an overview of the state of the state&apos;s current labor market situation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/central.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Central Minnesota Holds Steadfast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With employment finally surpassing pre-pandemic levels, most data point to a strong and growing economy in Central Minnesota, although the labor market remains tight. This tight labor market is good news for job seekers, but the hiring and retention challenges for employers remain.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/metro.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Metro Area&apos;s Labor Market in Motion&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Twin Cities Metro Area continues to experience very tight labor market conditions. Throughout 2023 and the beginning months of 2024, unemployment remained low, even as more workers joined the labor force. And while hiring demand dipped between 2022 and 2023, vacancy levels remain high, especially in certain industries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/northeast.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;A New Equilibrium in Northeast?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Northeast Minnesota is one of four regions that has not yet reached pre-pandemic labor force levels and the number of people in the regional labor force actually declined slightly over the past year. However, the decline in the number of job vacancies combined with other factors point toward a potential loosening of the historically tight labor market in Northeast Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/northwest.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Northwest Minnesota Labor Market Is Driven by Long-Term Trends…Again&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With employment now gaining ground – total employment has surpassed its prior high of 2019 both in Northwest Minnesota and in Minnesota statewide – it is natural to think of this as a new era. With that frame of mind, we assess the state of the Northwest Minnesota labor market from the long-term trend perspective.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/southeast.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Southeast Minnesota Job Growth and Vacancy Trends in 2023&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The region saw a gain of nearly 3,500 jobs from 2022 to 2023, indicating a continuing recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. The regional labor force has shown a positive trajectory, with significant growth observed in recent months. Job vacancies have returned to pre-pandemic levels, signaling a normalization of the job market in the area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/southwest.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Back on Track in Southwest Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Economic recovery continued in Southwest Minnesota, as the 23-county region welcomed more than 1,600 additional workers to the labor force over the past year, and nearly 1,200 net new jobs from 2022 to 2023. As with the rest of the state, job growth likely could have been greater, if there were workers to fill the jobs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/green.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Green and Clean Employment in Minnesota: A Starting Point&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Developing a cleaner and more environmentally sustainable economy will generate new jobs, change the skills required of existing jobs and reduce demand for other jobs. This article provides an overview of green and clean employment in Minnesota and defines commonly used terms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/projections.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Short Term Projections – More Measured Growth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment projections produced by the LMI Office estimate a gain of 56,225 jobs over the next two years, equivalent to an average employment growth rate of 0.9% per year, a return to a rate typical of the years prior to the Pandemic Recession. Job growth is projected to vary across industries and occupations and this article details the differences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2024/living.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Cost of Living Update&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each year, the LMI Office updates data in the Cost of Living Tool to help people calculate the cost of meeting basic needs for individuals and various family compositions in different locations across Minnesota. Adjustments in the cost of living calculation were most impacted by changes in expenses for child care, housing, taxes and transportation during 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles going back to 1993 on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>628713</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>From Toronto to Montreal, our business development mission featured meetings and events highlighting the important relationship and business opportunities between Minnesota and Canada.</Description><Audience/><Title>Additional Highlights from Minnesota’s Business Development Mission to Canada</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Additional Highlights from Minnesota’s Business Development Mission to Canada</Title><title>2024-06-13 Canada Blog Two</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-627608&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-13T19:54:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>From Toronto to Montreal, our business development mission featured meetings and events highlighting the important relationship and business opportunities between Minnesota and Canada.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From Toronto to Montreal, our business development mission featured meetings and events highlighting the important relationship and business opportunities between Minnesota and Canada.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One highlight from the Toronto portion of the trip involved a meeting of &lt;strong&gt;Governor Walz, Ontario Premier Ford&lt;/strong&gt; and some of our &lt;strong&gt;respective colleagues and delegation&lt;/strong&gt; members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/canada-day-two-one_tcm1045-627609.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Group photo including Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek, Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon and Commissioner Petersen with Ontario Premier Ford and others.&quot; alt=&quot;Group photo including Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek, Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon and Commissioner Petersen with Ontario Premier Ford and others.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;canada-day-two-one&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/canada-day-two-two_tcm1045-627611.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A photo of Governor Walz with a member of Ontario Premier Ford.&quot; alt=&quot;A photo of Governor Walz with a member of Ontario Premier Ford.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;canada-day-two-two&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also met with &lt;strong&gt;The Honorable Robert P. Sanders, Consul General of United States in Montreal&lt;/strong&gt; to explore opportunities for Canadian businesses in our state. &lt;strong&gt;Consul General Sanders&lt;/strong&gt; then joined us and 60 Canadian business leaders for the &lt;strong&gt;Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) breakfast.&lt;/strong&gt; Our delegation members – from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, GreaterMSP, Medical Alley Association and Destination Medical Center – shared details about Minnesota as the leading U.S. business destination and provided insight into our thriving Minnesota ecosystem including AgTech, CleanTech and MedTech.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/canada-day-two-three_tcm1045-627614.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Commissioner Varilek speaking in front of an audience.&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Commissioner Varilek speaking in front of an audience.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;canada-day-two-three&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next on our agenda was a visit to &lt;strong&gt;Agropur&lt;/strong&gt;, which is Canada&apos;s second largest dairy company and ranked 15th among dairy companies worldwide. We met with Agropur&apos;s leadership to thank them for their FDI support in Minnesota and to encourage further investment in Minnesota&apos;s dairy sector. As a co-op, Agropur&apos;s producers are also owners. We discussed Agropur&apos;s presence across Minnesota: a 251,000-square-foot facility in Le Sueur where 235 employees manufacture cheese and dairy ingredients (this facility also supports 69 local Minnesota dairy producers!); an office facility in Eden Prairie; and a protein research center in St. Paul. And Agropur&apos;s products from Minnesota are sold to 16 different countries!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/canada-day-two-four_tcm1045-627617.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Commissioner Varilek and Commissioner Petersen speaking with a group around a table.&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Commissioner Varilek and Commissioner Petersen speaking with a group around a table.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;canada-day-two-four&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overall, this business development mission fostered even closer ties with our important ally to the north – highlighting and growing our trade ties while reaffirming our friendly relationship with our Canadian neighbors. As I mentioned in my remarks at the two FDI events, those of us from &quot;The State of Hockey&quot; felt right at home from the very first meeting – in which a Canadian business leader used the figure of speech &quot;skating to where the puck is headed!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upon our return, I&apos;m encouraged by Minnesota&apos;s ongoing opportunity to strengthen its leadership in the global economy and am more committed than ever to helping DEED build a Minnesota economy that works, for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>627608</id><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Strategies to recruit and retain workers with a criminal record are becoming more common as the unemployment rate continues to remain historically low.</Description><Audience/><Title>Fair Chance 101: How to Recruit &amp; Retain a Justice-Involved Workforce</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Fair Chance 101: How to Recruit &amp; Retain a Justice-Involved Workforce</Title><title>2024-06-12 WW</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-627242&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-12T19:23:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Strategies to recruit and retain workers with a criminal record are becoming more common as the unemployment rate continues to remain historically low.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strategies to recruit and retain workers with a criminal record are becoming more common as the unemployment rate continues to remain historically low. During June’s Workforce Wednesday discussion, we heard from employers who shared their experience in hiring justice-involved workers. We also highlighted programs available to help businesses navigate this process.
&lt;br /&gt;
Read excerpts from the discussion below:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How does an employer get started in hiring justice-involved employees?
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; I like to use the phrase “you gotta measure twice and cut once” when beginning the process of hiring justice-involved employees. The best thing you can do when hiring somebody who is justice-impacted, is think about how the process looks from the beginning with recruitment and up to the first 90 days for the new hire. You also need to have buy-in from upper management at every step of the way.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-Dara Strickland&lt;/strong&gt; - HR Manager, Repowered
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;What are some of the best ways to support justice-involved employees?&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When hiring people with justice-involved backgrounds, you’ll most likely need to get to know their parole officer (PO) as well. POs need to meet with their parolee and that can happen with very little notice. To accommodate both the PO and the worker, we’ve established places onsite where they can meet so the worker doesn’t need to take time off to travel. By doing this, we lose just 20 minutes of work and not three hours if they were to leave the worksite. It also creates a great amount of trust with that employee because it shows how much we value them.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-Dara Strickland&lt;/strong&gt; - HR Manager, Repowered
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;What are some programs that help navigate the hiring process for employers?&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Our company participated in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasp/evaluation/currentstudies/Partners-Reentry-Opportunities-Workforce-Development-Grants-Evaluation&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development (PROWD) Program&lt;/a&gt;. The program helps provide pre- and post-release individualized career pathways training, employment skills development, employment attainment and sustainability services to individuals currently residing in federal correctional facilities. It also helps support educational training programs that offer certifications for in-demand occupations.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-Ryan Strong&lt;/strong&gt; - Strategic Sourcing Manager and Procurement Specialist, New Flyer
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Find out more about PROWD, tax incentives, federal bonding and ways you can connect with justice-involved job seekers by visiting the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/hiring-people-criminal-record&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hiring People with a Criminal Record page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, plus access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>627242</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>During this three-day trip, our delegation will attend two major economic development and diplomatic gatherings: the U.S.-Canada Summit in Toronto and the Conference of Montreal in Quebec.</Description><Audience/><Title>Kicking Off Minnesota’s Business Development Mission to Canada</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Kicking Off Minnesota’s Business Development Mission to Canada</Title><title>2024-06-11 Canada Blog One</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-627275&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-11T21:21:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>During this three-day trip, our delegation will attend two major economic development and diplomatic gatherings: the U.S.-Canada Summit in Toronto and the Conference of Montreal in Quebec.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello from Canada, where DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office recently kicked off a Business Development Mission with Governor Tim Walz.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This trip provides an opportunity to have many high-level business-to-business and government-to-government meetings between Minnesota and Canada – our largest trading partner – in a short period of time. During this three-day trip, our delegation will attend two major economic development and diplomatic gatherings: the &lt;strong&gt;U.S.-Canada Summit&lt;/strong&gt; in Toronto and the &lt;strong&gt;Conference of Montreal&lt;/strong&gt; in Quebec.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Members of this mission delegation include Destination Medical Center, Medical Alley and Greater MSP – all of whom have been working hard alongside DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office and our Business Development team to deepen our already close ties with Canada.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Canada is Minnesota&apos;s largest trading partner and foreign direct investor. In addition to this economic relationship, Minnesota and Canada have close cultural, educational and governmental relationships. To put it another way, we share a border, a love of hockey, and a commitment to democratic values, among other important characteristics! On this trip, we&apos;re not only highlighting and growing our trade ties, but also reaffirming our friendly relationship with our neighbors to the north.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some highlights from the beginning of our trip in Toronto:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We began the day meeting with &lt;strong&gt;Greenfield Global&lt;/strong&gt;, an agricultural foreign direct investment (FDI) partner whose ethanol production utilizes Minnesota corn. The company shared successes from its investments in Minnesota, provided updates on fostering innovation in biofuel production, and shared excitement around contributing to Minnesota&apos;s leadership in the renewable energy sector. We thanked Greenfield Global for their FDI support in Minnesota and invited further investment in Minnesota&apos;s ethanol sector.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/canada-day-one-one_tcm1045-627277.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A picture of Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek and Deputy Commissioner McKinnon standing with a group from Greenfield Global.&quot; alt=&quot;A picture of Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek and Deputy Commissioner McKinnon standing with a group from Greenfield Global.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;canada-day-one-one&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next on the agenda was a luncheon promoting &lt;strong&gt;in-bound FDI&lt;/strong&gt;. Canada is Minnesota&apos;s largest trading partner and foreign direct investor. Much of our trade with Canada is in intermediate goods – illustrating the close coordination between business in Minnesota and Canada. Total trade in goods between Minnesota and Canada was valued at $21 billion in 2023. More than 60 Canadian companies operate at about 450 business locations in Minnesota, employing 28,400 Minnesotans and investing $13.2 billion in plant, property and equipment. Canada has the highest investment level and employment level in Minnesota of any country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At our luncheon, Gov. Walz, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, and I joined our &lt;strong&gt;delegation partners&lt;/strong&gt; in describing some of Minnesota&apos;s economic strengths to further invite complementary collaboration with Canadian companies and investors. As I shared with the audience, I felt right at home when a participant in one of our first meetings used the phrase &quot;skating to where the puck is headed...!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/canada-day-one-two_tcm1045-627282.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A picture of Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and Deputy Commissioner McKinnon standing with the delegation partners.&quot; alt=&quot;A picture of Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and Deputy Commissioner McKinnon standing with the delegation partners.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;canada-day-one-two&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next was a visit that put a spotlight on provinces and states with &lt;strong&gt;Governor Walz&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Premier Doug Ford&lt;/strong&gt;. The multidimensional nature of the U.S.-Canada relationship plays out across dozens of states and provinces, cities and towns stretched across seven time zones every day. With 119 border crossings and countless airports and harbors spanning the world&apos;s longest international border, there was a great deal to cover in this fireside chat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We then met with &lt;strong&gt;Her Excellency Kirsten Hillman, Ambassador of Canada to the U.S.&lt;/strong&gt; She addressed the opportunities and challenges of U.S.-Canada relations today. Our countries have always found a way to bridge our differences and celebrate our similarities. Ambassador Hillman shared that she frequently visited Minnesota as she grew up in Winnipeg — and even came down for a Prince concert!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/canada-day-one-three_tcm1045-627284.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A picture of Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and Deputy Commissioner McKinnon standing with Her Excellency Kirsten Hillman, Ambassador of Canada to the U.S.&quot; alt=&quot;A picture of Governor Walz, Commissioner Varilek, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and Deputy Commissioner McKinnon standing with Her Excellency Kirsten Hillman, Ambassador of Canada to the U.S.&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;canada-day-one-three&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After those meetings we connected with &lt;strong&gt;His Excellency David L. Cohen, Ambassador of the U.S. in Canada.&lt;/strong&gt; We discussed how deepening our state&apos;s ties with our northern neighbors will help both Minnesota and Canada drive economic growth and create jobs. We were also joined by Consul General Beth Richardson, Canada&apos;s Consul General in the Upper Midwest and a strong ally in expanding and deepening the relationship between Canada and Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, we attended the &lt;strong&gt;U.S.-Canada Summit dinner&lt;/strong&gt; with the EURASIA Group, which included a fireside chat with Minister Francois Philippe Champagne and US Senator Chris Coons. The evening focused on trade, tech innovation, science and industry, with a goal of helping senior decision-makers better understand how to navigate the nuances of the U.S.-Canada relationship.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This trip is a chance to make our pitch for more business investment in Minnesota. As the post-pandemic economic recovery continues, growing our most mutually-beneficial trade relationship with Canada bolsters Minnesota&apos;s ongoing economic growth and innovative advantage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s an honor to join Governor Walz and other leaders to promote Minnesota as a destination for trade and business investment. I look forward to providing more updates on our efforts later in the week.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>627275</id><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED highlights from the 2024 legislative session.</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating DEED’s 2024 Legislative Outcomes</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrating DEED’s 2024 Legislative Outcomes</Title><title>2024-06-03 Legislative Review</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-626202&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-03T14:26:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED highlights from the 2024 legislative session.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the 2024 legislative session, Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and our legislative partners passed policies that provide critical refinements to existing programs at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). These laws will enhance DEED&apos;s commitment to excellence, transparency, equity, and innovation and will impact Minnesotans in every corner of the state. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some DEED highlights from the 2024 legislative session:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improving and expanding the &lt;strong&gt;Dislocated Worker Program&lt;/strong&gt; (Employment &amp;amp; Training Programs). This will allow thousands of Minnesotans to receive skills training and career support to enter careers that provide economic security for themselves and their families.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enhancing flexibility for the &lt;strong&gt;Job Creation Fund (JCF)&lt;/strong&gt; and the &lt;strong&gt;Innovative Business Development Public Infrastructure (IDBPI)&lt;/strong&gt; programs (Economic Development). The changes allow businesses to have greater agency so they can hire employees for both full-time and part-time roles while meeting the requirements of the JCF program; and also allow applications on a rolling basis so the IDBPI program can work for each project&apos;s timeline.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strengthening the &lt;strong&gt;Paid Leave&lt;/strong&gt; program. The changes and clarifications refine the program so employers can efficiently and effectively implement it. Paid Leave will improve the lives of workers of all income levels and their families and will be available to Minnesotans on January 1, 2026. The team at DEED is hard at work getting this program ready.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Empowering the &lt;strong&gt;Office of Broadband Development (OBD) to seek federal funding –&lt;/strong&gt; in order to expand broadband infrastructure projects so every Minnesotan has reliable high-speed internet access – and providing improved flexibility for programs and enhanced worker protections around broadband infrastructure projects.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The outcomes of the 2024 legislative session will provide Minnesotans with greater economic and employment opportunities, enhance worker protections and supports, and provide a better quality of life. This legislative work extends DEED&apos;s efforts to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, &lt;em&gt;for everyone.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>626202</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>During the May Workforce Wednesday, a panel of experts from Minnesota employers shared their insights on what it means to be an authentic leader. </Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Improved Employee Engagement through Authentic Leadership</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Improved Employee Engagement through Authentic Leadership</Title><title>2024-05-08 WW</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-623500&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-08T14:42:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>During the May Workforce Wednesday, a panel of experts from Minnesota employers shared their insights on what it means to be an authentic leader. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve all heard a lot about authentic leadership – and how important it is in fostering employee engagement and in turn promoting successful hiring and retention. But what is authentic leadership and how can you cultivate authentic leadership qualities and skills?  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the May Workforce Wednesday, a panel of experts from Minnesota employers shared their insights on what it means to be an authentic leader. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Qualities of an authentic leader: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Leaders possess transparency, empathy, humility, and integrity. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transparent leaders build trust through openness, honesty and consistency. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Empathetic leaders understand and support employees&apos; needs, through forming real relationships with those on their team. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Humble leaders recognize and credit their team, fostering a positive culture. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Integrity-driven leaders inspire ethical behavior, promoting trust and commitment. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strategies for authentic leadership: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Effective communication is vital; leaders must actively listen and encourage open dialogue. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clear communication of vision and goals guides the team, fostering trust and collaboration. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transparent and empathetic communication creates a positive work environment. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Authentic leaders promote engagement and high performance through communication. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Small meetings, learning who your new team is, touch-bases every week, setting agendas, not forgetting that personal touch – ‘who are you’ ‘what do you do personally,’ ’where do you come from’ …share baby pictures, tell me about a hobby and meeting so you get to know individuals,” said &lt;strong&gt;Kelly Hertling, HR Supervisor, L&amp;amp;M Radiator, Inc.&lt;/strong&gt;, a privately held company that was recently acquired by Wabtec, a larger public company. “There’s no such thing as fully leaving your personal life at the door. We hire people as a whole being, you get to come to work as yourself, as your whole being, and when you recognize that, you hire the right person, you put the right person in the right seat.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leaders stressed the importance of being vulnerable, sharing what is going in their life and proactively engaging with employees about their lives because these relationships are not a one-way street. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“What takes you to that next level with your team is being open and honest about your own vulnerabilities…and that is a really big ask for most leaders…how much of your inner layers do you expose?” said &lt;strong&gt;Tamara Lowney, President, Itasca Economic Development Corporation&lt;/strong&gt;. “That level of vulnerability always leads to deeper relationships, which leads to trust, which leads to open communication in a team.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Understanding challenges faced by employees and empathizing with them – as well as seeking solutions – is very important. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Being authentic also means having hard conversations and they’re hard conversations for a reason…when there are problems you have to work through…you get better with them over time,” said &lt;strong&gt;Claire Peterlin, Program Director, Minnesota North College&lt;/strong&gt;. “These are sometimes opportunities to say ‘I don’t have all the answers…I believe those closest to work have a lot of the answers and I’m here to listen’…modeling humble leadership is a good place to start.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bottom line: by embracing authenticity, organizations spark strong employee engagement, unlock employee potential and drive innovation and productivity. But authentic leadership has to be just that: authentic, not solely a means to an end. You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu2gG67dtIk&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;view the entire discussion from May’s Workforce Wednesday in this recording&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View all the Workforce Wednesday resources on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>623500</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The RFI will be open to the community until June 14, 2024.</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota is accepting public input on programs to support legal cannabis businesses </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>State of Minnesota is accepting public input on programs to support legal cannabis businesses </Title><title>2024-05-06 Cannabis Public Input</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-623001&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-06T15:30:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>The RFI will be open to the community until June 14, 2024.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) are now seeking public input on the development of four new state programs for the legal cannabis industry: CanGrow, CanNavigate, CanStartup and CanTrain.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the Legislature legalized cannabis in 2023, lawmakers recognized the significant, positive economic impact this new industry could have on Minnesota. Lawmakers created four programs to help entrepreneurs enter the sector and launch businesses, and to train a workforce that is ready for jobs in cannabis:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CanGrow:&lt;/strong&gt; A $2 million program to provide technical assistance and financing for farmers to enter Minnesota’s legal cannabis industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CanNavigate:&lt;/strong&gt; A $2 million program to expand technical assistance for businesses in the legal cannabis industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CanStartup:&lt;/strong&gt; A $6 million fund to help finance licensed cannabis microbusinesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CanTrain:&lt;/strong&gt; A $4 million workforce development program aimed at preparing workers for jobs in the legal cannabis industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These four new programs were created to support a social equity-focused cannabis industry that supports small, independent businesses in Minnesota. DEED and OCM want to center community expertise in the design of these programs so they will meet the state&apos;s needs. To accomplish this, DEED and OCM have launched a Request for Information (RFI) to invite input from the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This RFI is for Minnesotans who are interested in using the programs when they launch. Among others, that includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Entrepreneurs interested in starting a legal cannabis business;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nonprofit lenders that would like to lend to licensed cannabis businesses;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experts in cannabis policy and industry; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Those who would like to pursue jobs and careers in the cannabis sector.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The RFI will be open until June 14, 2024, at which point DEED and OCM will produce a public report on aggregate data and findings. Staff will use this report to create CanGrow, CanNavigate, CanStartup and CanTrain programs that will best serve Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://surveys.mn.gov/s/cannabis&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;You can find more information on the RFI, and provide feedback, here&lt;/a&gt;. For questions, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:cannabis.deed@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;cannabis.deed@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>623001</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>She begins her role at DEED on May 8.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Welcomes Emily Lefholz as Chief of Staff </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Welcomes Emily Lefholz as Chief of Staff </Title><title>2024-05-02 Chief of Staff</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-622868&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-02T19:19:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>She begins her role at DEED on May 8.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Emily%20Lefholz%2C%20chief%20of%20staff_tcm1045-622866.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Emily Lefholz&quot; alt=&quot;Emily Lefholz&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: 294px;&quot; class=&quot;photoLeftNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Emily Lefholz&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m excited to share that we’ll welcome &lt;strong&gt;Emily Lefholz&lt;/strong&gt; as DEED’s new Chief of Staff on May 8. In this key role, she’ll be a strong partner to me and our Senior Leadership Team – providing direction and vision as we focus on DEED’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-we-do/objectives-plans/strategic.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;strategic plan and goals&lt;/a&gt;. Emily’s track record as a problem solver, her experiences working across state government, and her understanding of the critical role of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility will help DEED advance its organizational goals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emily previously served as Government Relations Director at the Minnesota Department of Corrections. She is a long-time public servant and brings over 20 years of experience across state and federal government, including roles in the Minnesota House and Senate, at Minnesota Management and Budget and as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we approach her first day at DEED, Emily shared with me that she has a passion for advocating to problem solve for more responsive, equitable and smart government. We’re so fortunate that she’s putting that passion to work at DEED in service to Minnesota’s workers, businesses and communities. Welcome, Emily!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek </Author><id>622868</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In April&apos;s Workforce Wednesday, hear tips from talent acquisition and Human Resources leaders at Minnesota companies known for being among the best places to work.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Making sure your employee benefits help recruit and retain a skilled workforce</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Making sure your employee benefits help recruit and retain a skilled workforce</Title><title>2024-04-09 WW April</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-619738&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-04-09T17:09:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hear tips from talent acquisition and Human Resources leaders at Minnesota companies known for being among the best places to work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/april-ww-screenshot_tcm1045-619739.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;april-ww-screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee benefits have become just as important as pay when trying to recruit or retain the most skilled workforce. In this month&apos;s Workforce Wednesday, hear tips from talent acquisition and Human Resources leaders at Minnesota companies known for being among the best places to work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;One size doesn&apos;t fit all employers or all employees!&lt;/em&gt; Learn how a range of employee benefits are critical in building employees&apos; mental, physical, emotional and financial health and in return, how companies are rewarded with employee engagement, loyalty and retention.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Our culture starts from the moment that anybody first interviews with Marvin and that extends all the way until the day they retire. We try to build in moments to celebrate our employees and teams through all of their milestones and their careers with Marvin, from parties to extra PTO,&quot; said Michelle Grimm, Senior Manager of Human Resources at Marvin, based in Warroad. Marvin was just recognized as one of the top 20 Best Large Employers in America, in a Forbes magazine ranking of the nation&apos;s top places to work. &quot;Our CEO, Paul Marvin, really said it best when he said that it&apos;s essential that our people and culture come first, because that&apos;s how we ended up on that list.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;From a recruiting standpoint, a lot of people will say &apos;you&apos;re on the Star Tribune list of top workplaces. That&apos;s what drew me to take a look at UCare&apos; and at least gets them to your page and then from there it&apos;s up to you to keep them engaged and really get them through the rest of the process,&quot; said Kate Ingber, Talent Acquisition Manager at UCare, based in Minneapolis, about making the Star Tribune Top Workplaces listing for 14 years in a row.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;One size does not fit all when it comes to benefits:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;What I&apos;ve noticed as far as when I&apos;m recruiting, people of different generations ask about different benefits,&quot; said Veronica Powell, Talent Acquisition Executive Recruiter at Caribou Coffee, based in Brooklyn Center. And even within generations, some employees might place more emphasis on health insurance benefits versus retirement plans versus scheduling flexibility. &quot;So really, making sure we have that wide variety to offer people and not just focus on what we think one select group might want, but what the whole group might want, to make sure that we&apos;re catering to each generation and to each individual person as they grow with our company.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;All of our benefits fit into these five different buckets, but they&apos;re different for everybody,&quot; said Grimm from Marvin, describing the five areas. &quot;Engaging in life, feeling happy and healthy, feeling fulfilled at work, thriving financially and growing as a person.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some benefits of note that companies offer or have added:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We&apos;ve always offered tuition reimbursements and we added pet insurance. That was one that was important to people,&quot; said Ingber from UCare, which carries out an annual employee engagement survey which helps surface feedback about benefits, along with other topics. &quot;We&apos;ve increased PTO options too. We added birthday PTO. We&apos;ve also added business volunteer time off and volunteer time off and that is reflective of our culture and values.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We&apos;ve created spaces for our employees to be able to have virtual therapy appointments within the plant so that they don&apos;t have to take that time away from work,&quot; said Grimm from Marvin, which conducts an annual survey to gauge employee interest in benefits and many other topics. &quot;It&apos;s paid time, so it&apos;s a way for them to be able to take care of themselves and continue to work.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Something to remember when adding new benefits or enhancing existing ones – you need to consistently communicate about the changes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;When we launched the mental health online services, we saw a very low engagement rate at first. We&apos;re like &apos;everyone wanted this. What&apos;s going on?&apos;&quot; said Powell about the benefit many employees had requested but weren&apos;t utilizing. &quot;And then we realized nobody knew it was there.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Powell and others at Caribou turned that lack of awareness around with a concerted effort at in-person leadership meetings, in employee communications, on employee backroom posters and in other ways to make sure people were aware of the benefit and knew how to use it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is just a sampling of the wide-ranging discussion on April&apos;s Workforce Wednesday session. You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21d4iwIBPiY&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch a recording of the session&lt;/a&gt; for more. And be sure to check out a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;schedule of upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions, resources from past sessions and more on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>619738</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2024-04-05 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-619507&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-04-05T14:02:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of DEED publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt; includes articles that explore what recent graduates of Minnesota post-secondary institutions earn, what industries hire recent graduates from various instructional programs, how Minnesota business owners are planning for future ownership transition, how Minnesota&apos;s employment by industry has changed over the past 70 years, what Minnesota&apos;s child care workforce looks like now in terms of economic well-being and professional development opportunities, how the Pandemic Recession recovery compares to that of the two previous recessions and how retirements are affecting Minnesota&apos;s labor force. Select a title below to view the full article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/college-major.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;From College Major to Industry of Employment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When choosing a major it&apos;s hard to know what to expect. A new interactive web tool shows which industries hire graduates from 405 different majors and at what wages. It also shows which occupations a specific program might prepare students for.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/education-pay.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How Well Does a College Education Pay?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment and wage outcomes for 2021 Minnesota postsecondary graduates are now available in the Graduate Employment Outcomes (GEO) tool. Learn more about using this tool, which was one of the first of its kind in the nation when it was launched 10 years ago. GEO allows users to disaggregate program outcomes by 252 majors, four award levels and 98 postsecondary schools, both public and private, throughout the state. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/find-jobs.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Where Do Recent Graduates Find Jobs?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One out of five recent graduates of Minnesota postsecondary programs left the region where they earned their degrees to start their careers in other Minnesota regions. This article demonstrates that graduates are responsive to regional differences in economic opportunity for jobs requiring their credentials.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/transition.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;What New University of Minnesota Extension Research Reveals About Business Owners&apos; Plans for the Future Transition of Their Firms&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are an estimated 50,000+ businesses with owners aged 55 years or older in Minnesota. The future of these businesses is a critical economic development topic that will affect communities across the state. Keeping these businesses open when owners or leaders move on is important, especially in rural communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/long-run.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;In the Long Run: Minnesota&apos;s Evolving Economy Over the Last Seven Decades&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like any economy, Minnesota&apos;s economy is continuously changing. Tracking industrial employment trends is essential to understanding how the state&apos;s economy has evolved and for gaining some sense of where it is headed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/early-care.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Early Care and Education Workforce: An Overview&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A summary of a series of reports, commissioned by the Minnesota Departments of Education and Human Services in partnership with the Children&apos;s Cabinet, and conducted by Wilder Research, explores the characteristics of the early care and education workforce, assesses educators&apos; economic well-being and describes their participation in training and professional development opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/recap.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Recapping the Recovery: Comparing the Rebound from the Pandemic Recession to Previous Recoveries&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota, along with the rest of the nation, has experienced three recessions since 2000, with widely varying levels of job loss and recovery. This article compares employment recoveries from the dot-com recession, Great Recession and Pandemic Recession.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/labor-force.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Why Isn&apos;t Minnesota&apos;s Labor Force Growing?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Retirement is the key contributor to Minnesota&apos;s slowing labor force growth. The state&apos;s percentage of the population aged 55-plus increased more than our neighboring states and the U.S. as a whole from 2019 to 2023. That increase, coupled with higher household incomes and greater access to retirement accounts in Minnesota compared to neighboring states, is likely helping a higher share of Minnesota workers retire and suppressing Minnesota&apos;s labor force growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles going back to 1993 on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>619507</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Applications for the first round of funding from the Providing Resources &amp; Opportunity &amp; Maximizing Investments in Striving Entrepreneurs (PROMISE) Act are becoming available.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota PROMISE Act Funding to Support Disadvantaged Small Businesses is Becoming Available</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota PROMISE Act Funding to Support Disadvantaged Small Businesses is Becoming Available</Title><title>2024-03-27 Promise Act Grants</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-615674&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-27T15:59:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Applications for the first round of funding from the PROMISE Act are becoming available.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Applications for the first round of funding from the Providing Resources &amp;amp; Opportunity &amp;amp; Maximizing Investments in Striving Entrepreneurs (PROMISE) Act are becoming available from the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC), the Minnesota Initiative Foundations and the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota PROMISE Act, created by the Minnesota Legislature in 2023, establishes two programs – PROMISE Act Grants and PROMISE Act Loans – that provide financial support for small businesses located in legislatively-designated communities and neighborhoods that have been adversely affected by structural racial discrimination, civil unrest, lack of access to capital, a loss of population or an aging population or a lack of regional economic diversification.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The PROMISE Act Grant program will provide $86.4 million in working capital grants and the PROMISE Act Loan program will provide $28 million in capital improvement loans in designated areas of the Twin Cities and in Greater Minnesota. In the Twin Cities, eligible geographic areas were established by legislation and include areas of North Minneapolis, South Minneapolis, the University/Midway area of St. Paul and the East Side of St. Paul. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnpromiseact.org/eligibility&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Learn more here about eligible Twin Cities communities and neighborhoods&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PROMISE Act Grants can be used for working capital to support payroll expenses, rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, equipment and other similar expenses that occur in the regular course of business. PROMISE Act Loans can be used for site acquisition and preparation, building construction, infrastructure, landscaping and other eligible capital improvement cost.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be eligible for a grant, applicants must be a small business with less than $750,000 in gross revenue based on the 2021 tax year. To be eligible for a loan, applicants must be a small business with less than $1,000,000 in gross revenue based on the 2021 tax year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the Twin Cities area, PROMISE Act Grants are being administered by NDC and PROMISE Act Loans will be administered by MEDA. In Greater Minnesota, PROMISE Act Grants and PROMISE Act Loans will be administered by each of the six &lt;a href=&quot;https://greaterminnesota.net/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Initiative Foundations&lt;/a&gt; in their respective service areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These organization are responsible for developing and implementing programs that will best serve their communities based on legislative requirements and guidelines established by the Department of Employment and Economic Development. These organizations have opened, or will soon open, applications for PROMISE Act funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested applicants should &lt;strong&gt;direct questions and apply directly through the partner organizations.&lt;/strong&gt; Application periods depend on the individual partner organization. For more information on PROMISE Act grants and loans, please contact these organizations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table border=&quot;1&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th&gt;Region&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Partner Organization&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Anticipated Launch Date&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Application Close&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact Information&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Minneapolis and St. Paul&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Grants: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnpromiseact.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;NDC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Loans: MEDA&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Application Coming Soon&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;To Be Announced&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:promiseact@ndc-mn.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;promiseact@ndc-mn.org
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 651-379-8102;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adrian Ruddock
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:aruddock@meda.net&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;aruddock@meda.net&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
612-259-6579&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Central&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ifound.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Initiative Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;March 12&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;April 10&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Haakon Lehn
&lt;br /&gt;
320-632-9255 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For PROMISE Loans:
&lt;br /&gt;
Doug Adams
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dadams@ifound.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;dadams@ifound.org
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 320-631-2063&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Northeast&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.northlandfdn.org/loans/index.php&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Northland Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;March 26&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;To Be Announced&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:grants@northlandfdn.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;grants@northlandfdn.org&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For PROMISE Loans:
&lt;br /&gt;
Amanda Vuicich: 
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Amanda@northlandfdn.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Amanda@northlandfdn.org&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
218-270-8407&lt;/p&gt;
Michael Colclough
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Michael@northlandfdn.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Michael@northlandfdn.org&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
218-740-7305&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Northwest&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://nwmf.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Northwest Minnesota Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;April 1&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;April 30&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Sarah Linda
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sarahl@nwmf.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;sarahl@nwmf.org
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 218-558-5327&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;West Central&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wcif.org/grantseekers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;West Central Initiative Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;May 1&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;May 31&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Greg Wagner
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:greg@wcif.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;greg@wcif.org
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 218-998-1621&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Southwest&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://swifoundation.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Southwest Minnesota Initiative Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;To Be Announced&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;To Be Announced&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Briana Mumme
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:brianam@swifoundation.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;brianam@swifoundation.org
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 320-583-5025 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For PROMISE Loans:
&lt;br /&gt;
Amy Woitalewicz
&lt;br /&gt;
320-583-9203
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:amyw@swifoundation.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;amyw@swifoundation.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Southeast&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://smifoundation.org/grants/for-grant-seekers/promise-act-grants/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;March 27&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;April 24&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Melissa Langer
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:melissal@smifoundation.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;melissal@smifoundation.org&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Brian Conzemius
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:brianc@smifoundation.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;brianc@smifoundation.org
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 507-455-3215&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>615674</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz declared March 20 as Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Day in Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>Wednesday is Small Business Development Center Day in Minnesota </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Wednesday is Small Business Development Center Day in Minnesota</Title><title>2024-03-20 SBDC Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-614844&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-20T18:26:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz declared March 20 as Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Day in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz declared March 20 as Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Day in Minnesota, recognizing the vital support Minnesota&apos;s statewide network of regional SBDC offices provide, alongside more than 1,000 SBDC offices nationally. Minnesota&apos;s SBDC network contains nine regional offices along with 35 satellite locations that are strategically aligned with a variety of host partners that work toward building regional economies. The program is supported by federal, state and local funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s SBDC offices offer professional expertise and guidance for small businesses at all levels, from budding entrepreneurs seeking help to launch, to established small businesses pursuing growth strategies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than 125 SBDC consultants with private sector experience serve Minnesota&apos;s SBDC centers, providing no-cost, confidential counseling to help small businesses address challenges and thrive. Consulting services include business plan development, finance, accounting, marketing, human resources, operations, strategic planning, manufacturing, succession planning and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, SBDC directors and consultants judge and promote a variety of startup competitions, mentor participants and leverage relationships to build communities. They also cultivate student engagement across Minnesota&apos;s university and college systems – bringing in students as advisors, interns and collaborators for real-world experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last year, Minnesota SBDC consultants achieved a 95% client satisfaction rate providing 31,000 hours of professional consulting to almost 4,400 businesses, including 1,044 BIPOC-owned businesses and 2,256 women-owned businesses. These efforts supported the development of 220 new businesses and the creation or retention of 14,600 jobs, helped small businesses access $116.5 million in new capital investments -- including $7 million for BIPOC-owned businesses -- and supported more than $232 million in small business revenue growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year we&apos;re especially proud of our Northeast SBDC at The Northland Foundation in Duluth, named Minnesota&apos;s 2023 Center of Excellence and Innovation award recipient and recognized as an SBA regional awardee. It&apos;s a recognition of the hard work SBDC staff undertake to help our clients every day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small businesses have a big impact on state and local economies and are essential to community vibrancy. They comprise 99.4% of the state&apos;s registered businesses and employ about 75% of the state&apos;s workers. SBDCs are an essential collaboration tool that engages and energizes small businesses to develop their business models in their respective communities – bringing together partners, collaborators and stakeholders to work together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last 10 months as the Minnesota SBDC State Director, I have been able to watch firsthand the efforts and accomplishments of our SBDC regional teams as they work tirelessly daily with entrepreneurs. Their passion and commitment to work side-by-side with all entrepreneurs to realize their dreams and potentials does not go unnoticed and I commend them on all the successes over the last year. From Thief River Falls to Winona, and across Minnesota, our SBDC teams are here to assist with no-cost consulting and professional expertise. This is why we are not only the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but also the state of small business. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about SBDCs, and to find one nearest you, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Small Business Development Centers page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Minnesota Small Business Development Center Director Andy Donahue</Author><id>614844</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Graduate Employment Outcomes online tool has just been updated to display job and earnings outcomes for the class of 2020-21 from 98 institutions of higher education in Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED online tools help students determine which Minnesota postsecondary programs will put them on the path to the career they want</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED online tools help students determine which Minnesota postsecondary programs will put them on the path to the career they want</Title><title>2024-03-18 Graduate Employment Outcomes</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-614379&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-18T15:01:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Graduate Employment Outcomes online tool has just been updated to display job and earnings outcomes for the class of 2020-21 from 98 institutions of higher education in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We all want to know which colleges and training programs are best at helping people land a job in the field they want as well as earn enough to pay back student loans and support a family. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/data/data-tools/graduate-employment-outcomes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Graduate Employment Outcomes online tool&lt;/a&gt; has just been updated to display job and earnings outcomes for the class of 2020-21 from 98 institutions of higher education in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is an example of what you can find by using the tool:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What are the highest and lowest paying fields of study in Minnesota?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are there differences in what students have been able to do with the same degree attained at different schools with comparable characteristics? Users can compare employability, wages and wage growth from two to eight years after graduation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How many graduates at each school found stable, full-time jobs from two to four years after graduation?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are graduates employed in industries related to the fields they trained for? At what wages?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are graduates employed in the same region where they attended school? How many relocated to a different region of the state, and how do wages differ by region?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Comparisons by detailed degree and major at each college often reveal that &lt;em&gt;what&lt;/em&gt; you study is more important than &lt;em&gt;where&lt;/em&gt; you study. Information in the tool can help prospective students decide how much they can afford to borrow and how long it might take to pay off their loans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The tool also represents an essential source of intelligence for postsecondary schools to identify which programs and academic specialties are in highest demand locally and decide how program offerings can be improved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, the new &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/data/data-tools/college-major-tool/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;College Major to Industry of Employment&lt;/a&gt; tool has been launched, showing which industries hired graduates from 405 different postsecondary programs of study in Minnesota. Thanks to this unprecedented level of detail, prospective and current students can examine whether the sectors with highest employability match their career goals and earnings expectations.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both tools help students and their families find the academic program that best matches a student&apos;s career goals, academic strengths and market demand for the skills acquired at school.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The workforce and education data displayed in these tools were collected through the Statewide Longitudinal Educational Data System (&lt;a href=&quot;https://sleds.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SLEDS&lt;/a&gt;), a collaborative effort of DEED and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Wage records, based on employer payroll and tax reporting systems, offer the most accurate measurement of an individual&apos;s total earnings, including overtime and bonus pay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Find out more about these tools in these three articles I authored for the&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;March 2024 edition of Minnesota Economic Trends:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/education-pay.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;How Well Does a College Education Pay?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/college-major.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;From College Major to Industry of Employment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2024/find-jobs.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Where Do Recent Graduates Find Jobs?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Labor Market Information Research Project Manager Alessia Leibert</Author><id>614379</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The March session hosted by Workforce Strategy Consultant Shayla Drake focused on welcoming New Americans to Minnesota and connecting this often under-employed labor pool with good jobs.</Description><Audience/><Title>March Workforce Wednesday: Supporting the New American Workforce</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>March Workforce Wednesday: Supporting the New American Workforce</Title><title>2024-03-13 WW March</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-613766&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-13T13:06:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>The March session hosted by Workforce Strategy Consultant Shayla Drake focused on welcoming New Americans to Minnesota and connecting this often under-employed labor pool with good jobs.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/march-workforce-wednesday_tcm1045-613768.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 85%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;march-workforce-wednesday&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota welcomed nearly 35,000 new arrivals from other countries between 2020 and 2023, the latest year for which census data is available. These new arrivals include immigrants, refugees, additional people from other countries here under humanitarian protection and others. Work authorization varies by group. While the definition is very broad, these new arrivals in Minnesota are often called collectively New Americans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The March Workforce Wednesday session hosted by DEED Workforce Strategy Consultant Shayla Drake focused on welcoming New Americans to Minnesota and connecting this often under-employed labor pool with good jobs. The session started with an overview of services provided to New Americans in Minnesota. Then panelists from a range of organizations that serve New Americans provided a wealth of examples of how their organizations and others doing similar work can help connect New Americans and Minnesota employers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One segment of the discussion was an examination of English language skills as one of the most common barriers to employment for New Americans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Mostly these newcomers are bilingual or trilingual, but English is a barrier that most of them have,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Ahmed (Jaffer) Mohamud, Minnesota Council of Churches, Refugee Services - Mankato Team Co-Coordinator&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;We help them with applications and help them with resumes and workforce training about what does a job look like in the U.S.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Not being able to communicate in English is one of the barriers…it is more of an initial barrier, not a latter barrier when we refer them to [English language classes],&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Liban Nuur, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Metro Program Manager&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;We see that people have talent and skill to do everything that the employer is asking but having that language barrier … we all know that without being able to complete an application you don&apos;t even get an interview to share the skills you have.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Filling out an application is always difficult when someone doesn&apos;t understand the language,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Mohamed Haashi, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Central Minnesota Program Manager&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;Simple applications might help our clients.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;One of the biggest things we see is employers who require a specific level of English like fifth grade English or eighth grade English, what does that look like that? And what is actually needed to complete the job?&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Becca Hovland, CAPI USA, Director of Refugee Services.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists were asked how they help New American clients overcome English language and cultural barriers to match their skills to employment opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hovland provided an example of one way to help clients demonstrate skills: &quot;We&apos;ve taken various clients to a local mechanic shop where they asked our client &apos;just show me what you can do&apos; and then they were able to write a confirmation that &apos;yes this person does have the skills&apos; so that we could take that to other employers when they were applying for jobs.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We do skills assessment where we do intake, we individualize and get to know our clients…and find out what could be transferable skills. Someone may say &apos;I never worked&apos; but there may be cultural [perspective] where a woman does more work than a man, but it&apos;s not considered work, like running a house with ten kids. I can only imagine the skills and time and management,&quot; said Nuur of the often-unrecognized skills a homemaker can bring to an employer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists also discussed ways their organizations can help employers create a good hiring experience.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mohamud provided an example of an employment candidate who didn&apos;t understand the dress code at a prospective employer and was turned away when he arrived for his interview. Mohamud worked with him to prepare for an interview at another employer: &quot;One minor mistake, which we can immediately explain to that applicant, he missed the opportunity with [the first] employer, luckily we filled out an application with another employer and he got that position…and within three months he became the line leader there.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hovland recommended &quot;having all levels of [current] employees on board with cultural sensitivity. While HR might understand trauma and differences in cultural behaviors like eye contact or handshakes that might really look good in an interview from an American perspective but might not be acceptable from a different culture, so knowing that everyone within the employer [organization] is on board with cultural sensitivity [helps].&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ensuring that New Americans have support with other aspects of life in a new country also helps prepare them to find and keep work. Haashi described the full range of services provided to help new arrivals be successful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We work with refugees from many parts of world. We work closely with refugees to secure housing, find employment, enroll in school and connect to medical care,&quot; said Haashi. &quot;Our employment services provide job readiness training, assistance to secure and maintain employment, post-employment support and access to individual employment assistance.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can view a recording of the March Workforce Wednesday discussion, access panelists&apos; contact info and find a full slate of related resources in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday section of CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>613766</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today at DEED we&apos;re celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Office of Broadband Development and the ten grant rounds that followed.</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Ten Years of the Office of Broadband Development </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrating Ten Years of the Office of Broadband Development </Title><title>2024-03-12 Ten Years Broadband</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-613668&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-12T13:06:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today at DEED we&apos;re celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Office of Broadband Development and the ten grant rounds that followed.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today at the Minnesota Department of Employment of and Economic Development (DEED) we&apos;re celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Office of Broadband Development (OBD) and the ten grant rounds that followed. Since OBD&apos;s establishment in 2014, we have been working to provide border-to-border, reliable high-speed internet access for all Minnesotans by providing resources and grants through various successful partnerships and collaborations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since its creation in 2014, OBD&apos;s flagship &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/grant-program/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Border-to-Border Grant Program&lt;/a&gt;, and our Low Population Density Grant Program and Line Extension program have awarded nearly $350 million in grants to expand service to more than 112,000 homes businesses statewide. These programs provide financial resources that encourage new and existing providers to invest in building broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of the state. Our most recent grant round – &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/611916&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;announced last week&lt;/a&gt; – provided $53 million to 24 projects to connect 8,900 Minnesotans to broadband.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last year has seen particularly impressive progress toward our goal of connecting every Minnesotan to the high-speed broadband they deserve. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced Minnesota&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/infrastructure/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)&lt;/a&gt; allocation to be more than $650 million to expand broadband to the most unserved and underserved Minnesotans. We also finalized the state&apos;s draft &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/adoption/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Digital Opportunity Plan&lt;/a&gt;, detailing how Minnesota proposes to reduce gaps in broadband access, digital technology ownership and digital skills using an upcoming grant from the federal government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the same time, state partnerships continued growing. The Minnesota Legislature approved an additional $50 million each year for broadband infrastructure for FY 2024-25, increased the cap on individual border-to-border grants to $10 million, and made the Lower Population Density Program permanent. To help us invest these resources where they&apos;re needed most, the OBD office grew from seven staff to twelve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other notable OBD programs and partnerships include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/extension/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Line Extension Program:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Added to OBD&apos;s portfolio in 2022 to award grants to extend existing broadband infrastructure to unserved locations, this has so far made awards that will connect 840 customers to broadband through partnerships with 20 broadband providers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/telecommuter-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Telecommuter Forward! Community Certification Program:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Launched in 2019, this certification has been awarded to 47 communities that committed to supporting and promoting telecommuting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/connect-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;K-12 Connect Forward Initiative&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; Launched in 2016, this initiative partners multiple innovative Minnesota organizations, agencies and associations that work to ensure that all students and teachers in Minnesota have access to scalable infrastructure, high-speed affordable bandwidth and ubiquitous access for distance learning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/task-force/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Governor&apos;s Task Force on Broadband&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: The goal of the task force is to advise the executive and legislative branches on broadband policy, and how we can achieve the set goals and continue to close the digital inclusion gap.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OBD couldn&apos;t have done this significant work without ten years&apos; worth of partnerships with Minnesota&apos;s Internet Service Providers, digital equity advocates, local governments, non-profits, past and present Governor&apos;s Task Force on Broadband members, and, of course, past and present Office of Broadband Development employees. Access to broadband is better than ever in Minnesota because of these collaborations, and we are excited for what the next ten years have in store.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Broadband Development Director Bree Maki</Author><id>613668</id><Tag><Description/><Title>broadband</Title><Id>443117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>SBA officials will host a webinar for small business owners interested in applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) in response to winter&apos;s lack of precipitation.</Description><Audience/><Title>Small Business Administration to host webinar on assistance for businesses impacted by lack of snow</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Small Business Administration to host webinar on assistance for businesses impacted by lack of snow</Title><title>2024-03-12 SBA Webinar</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-613625&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-12T13:03:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>SBA officials will host a webinar for small business owners interested in applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) in response to winter&apos;s lack of precipitation.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This Friday, March 15, &lt;a href=&quot;https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/98325fbd-f9f2-485a-a6c7-3faad9752b16@3c89fd8a-7f68-4667-aa15-41ebf2208961&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Administration (SBA) officials will host a webinar for small business owners&lt;/a&gt; interested in applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) in response to winter&apos;s lack of precipitation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/612227&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Governor Walz urged Minnesota businesses&lt;/a&gt; hurt by this winter&apos;s historic weather to apply for SBA loans, available because of ongoing federal drought declarations affecting 81 Minnesota counties.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The loans are designed to help businesses get through emergency situations that have impacted their economic well-being. Under the EIDL program, businesses can borrow up to $2 million to cover their actual losses. Businesses pay no interest on the loan for the first year and a maximum rate of 4% for the rest of the loan period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business owners can learn more about eligibility, find an application and learn more about application deadlines for their county at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SBA&apos;s disaster assistance page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SBA&apos;s information session will provide updated information on how to locate the disaster declaration, apply for the assistance and use of loan proceeds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Details&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What:&lt;/strong&gt; Join the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience and the Minnesota District Office for an information session on the recent declaration announced by Governor Walz. This webinar will provide updated information on how to locate the disaster declaration, apply for the assistance and use of loan proceeds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Friday, March 15 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. CDT&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Online event. &lt;a href=&quot;https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/98325fbd-f9f2-485a-a6c7-3faad9752b16@3c89fd8a-7f68-4667-aa15-41ebf2208961&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Register here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more and register at &lt;a href=&quot;https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/98325fbd-f9f2-485a-a6c7-3faad9752b16@3c89fd8a-7f68-4667-aa15-41ebf2208961&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Disaster Declaration - Lack of Precipitation (Drought) Information Session.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>613625</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Walz: &quot;We must reflect on our collective past, reveal its impact on present conditions, and implement equitable solutions for a more just future.&quot;</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Black History Month at DEED</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrating Black History Month at DEED</Title><title>2024-02-28 Black History ARTICLE</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-610929&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-28T17:43:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Walz: &quot;We must reflect on our collective past, reveal its impact on present conditions, and implement equitable solutions for a more just future.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Black History Month is an important occasion for our state not only to uplift and celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans, but also to recommit ourselves to investing in Black Minnesotans and building a state where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Indeed, as Governor Walz noted in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/proclamations/#/list/appId/1/filterType//filterValue//page/2/sort//order/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;proclaiming February as Black History Month&lt;/a&gt;: &quot;We must reflect on our collective past, reveal its impact on present conditions, and implement equitable solutions for a more just future.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, our mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. We take seriously our responsibility to create an equitable, inclusive economy where Black Minnesotans have clear pathways to economic prosperity – whether by starting a business, developing new work-ready skills or entering the workforce and looking for a job.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have an historic opportunity to grow economic prosperity in our Black community, and I&apos;m excited to lead DEED as we continue serving Black Minnesotans in the months and years ahead. This Black History Month, DEED has worked hard to deliver on this goal – as we do every single day of the year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One Minnesota Job Fair and BIPOC Expo&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/akiatu-nima_tcm1045-610932.png&quot; title=&quot;akiatu-nima&quot; alt=&quot;akiatu-nima&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;akiatu-nima&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the first events we joined in 2024 was the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/oeoa/events/gathering-for-service-career-fair.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;One Dream, One Minnesota Career Fair&lt;/a&gt; in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. We were one of 33 state agencies or offices that participated in the job fair, where 1,200 jobseekers stopped by to learn about job opportunities throughout State government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/bipoc-expos_tcm1045-610930.jpg&quot; title=&quot;bipoc-expos&quot; alt=&quot;bipoc-expos&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;bipoc-expos&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED also participated in February&apos;s BIPOC Expo in Minneapolis, where we provided attendees with information on our programs and initiatives. At both events, we were excited to meet with Black Minnesotans and share more information about career opportunities at DEED and services we provide to employers and workers alike.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Black Entrepreneurs Day at the Capitol&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/capitol-black-entrepreneurs-day_tcm1045-610931.jpg&quot; title=&quot;capitol-black-entrepreneurs-day&quot; alt=&quot;capitol-black-entrepreneurs-day&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;capitol-black-entrepreneurs-day&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Feb. 16, we were proud to support the second-annual Black Entrepreneurs Day at the Capitol, organized by Sheletta Brundidge, the founder and CEO of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.shelettamakesmelaugh.com/post/this-is-our-day-hundreds-of-black-small-business-owners-demand-their-seat-at-the-table-at-black-en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ShelettaMakesMeLaugh&lt;/a&gt; podcast and production company. (As I&apos;ve said before, I can vouch for the truth of Sheletta&apos;s podcast name!) At the event, DEED Small Business &amp;amp; Innovation Director Neela Mollgaard facilitated breakout sessions for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It was an opportunity to listen to the needs of businesses and share DEED resources on everything from programming to funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEIAB in Action&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This February, our monthly &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/609877&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday gathering was a conversation&lt;/a&gt; on ways workplaces can double down on their commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIAB). When it comes to ensuring their commitment to workplace diversity, it&apos;s important companies and leaders back up their words with actions. During our Workforce Wednesday conversation, DEED facilitated a discussion on strategies to implement effective, meaningful DEIAB initiatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Grantmaking to Grow Minnesota&apos;s Diverse Workforce&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout February, DEED&apos;s workforce development division has been working hard to implement historic new programs to invest in Minnesota&apos;s Black workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team has been reviewing applications for DEED&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/597799&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Targeted Populations Workforce Programs initiative&lt;/a&gt;, a $50 million effort to provide skills training and support services to populations of workers who have been historically overlooked and often face multiple barriers to employment – particularly people of color. We expect to make grant announcements for this program in the weeks ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We continue to solicit proposals for our new &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/607639&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Clean Economy Equitable Workforce initiative&lt;/a&gt;, a workforce development program focused on preparing workers who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color for good-paying construction-related jobs in the growing clean energy and energy efficiency fields. You can learn more and apply on our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Competitive Grants and RFPs page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Five Racial Equity Commitments&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of DEED&apos;s work is driven by a commitment to racial equity that is built into the foundational infrastructure of our organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;In 2022 DEED established our five racial equity commitments&lt;/a&gt;: drive more funding to historically underserved populations; reform government programs that have left out Black workers and business owners for too long; increase outreach and engagement programs for Black workers and Black-owned businesses; embed equity into the work of every team at DEED; and ensure equity is reflected in our internal teams and processes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are fully engaged in carrying out these priorities. Indeed, one of the three &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-we-do/objectives-plans/strategic.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Objectives and Key Results DEED is pursuing and measuring this year&lt;/a&gt; is to &quot;empower Minnesota to create an economy rooted in equity - across every race, identity and ability.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This Black History Month, I&apos;m inspired by the contributions of Black entrepreneurs and workers to Minnesota&apos;s economy. And I&apos;m resolved to make sure we&apos;re following through on our commitment to current and future generations of Black Minnesotans. I invite you to join us in advancing this mission every day of the year!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>610929</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The February Workforce Wednesday session tackled the tough questions around how employers and stakeholders in this space can go from conversation to action.</Description><Audience/><Title>February 2024 Workforce Wednesday: DEIAB – More Than Just an Acronym </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February 2024 Workforce Wednesday: DEIAB – More Than Just an Acronym </Title><title>2024-02-14 WW February</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-609877&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-14T17:43:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>The February Workforce Wednesday session tackled the tough questions around how employers and stakeholders in this space can go from conversation to action.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce-wednesday-february-screenshot_tcm1045-609878.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the virtual Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-february-screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people in HR or other leadership roles at companies are familiar with the term DEIAB, which stands for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging, and its importance for a successful workplace culture. However, in today&apos;s environment, is DEIAB all talk and no action? The February Workforce Wednesday session tackled the tough questions around how employers and stakeholders in this space can go from conversation to action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adesewa Adesiji, DEED&apos;s Twin Cities Metro Area Workforce Strategy Consultant, opened the discussion with a description of performative steps versus effective allyship. Performative steps that a company can take include taking a DEIAB pledge, posting an equity statement or ensuring diverse employee representation in the media and at events. But to be effective, DEIAB efforts can&apos;t stop at words or optics, there needs to be action. Panelists dug into a great discussion on this point – here are some of the highlights:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I&apos;ve been doing this work for a long time. I think some of the frustration with DEI as of late, some of it is warranted,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;James Houston, DEI Consultant with Xcel Energy and Owner of Houston Resources&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;Having coherent strategies is going to be what keeps it alive and keeps it productive.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I think we still have a long time, long long way to go at implementing DEIAB strategies,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Sonja Simpson, Owner of iONIS Solution&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;I think that it&apos;s very critical to have it and continue to have it because we&apos;re just right around the corner of actually seeing this become real.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It&apos;s a little known fact, you know, when you look at specifically Black Americans around home ownership, when you look at how many of them owned [a home] by a percentage, we had more home ownership for Blacks before the Fair Housing Act than we do now…I think sometimes we forget about that when we talk about DEI,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Jamar Hardy, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Edina Realty&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;We&apos;re still fighting with things like access. This is why this initiative is so important that we keep around, because if we just lose it, that gap widens even more.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where do panelists envision DEIAB efforts going?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The tone of diversity and inclusion is changing now from just training – where you&apos;re checking the box – into more actionable processes…Like what is the action behind that change?&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Simpson&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;What is the action that we&apos;re embedding in DEIAB around our benefits book? What are those actions behind that training… It used to be a check the box, you know. I&apos;m just going to train you on &quot;What is diversity?&quot; &quot;What is inclusion?&quot; &quot;What is belonging?&quot;...But how do we take that deeper dive, that&apos;s the thing I&apos;m feeling in the atmosphere right now.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I&apos;ve heard this analogy all the time. It&apos;s one thing to invite somebody to the party, but are you asking them to dance?&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Hardy&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;So I think it&apos;s again providing more spaces for people to feel supported and then really identifying what your community support looks like.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panelists covered significantly more ground than we were able to include in this blog and examined DEIAB from a variety of other perspectives. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PEyfiQcisQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Access the full recording of this wide-ranging Workforce Wednesday discussion.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out the schedule of upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions and access resources from the February session and other past sessions on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>609877</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>How DEED funding has helped increase access to quality, affordable child care across Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED’s child care funding delivers for working families, employers and communities across Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED’s child care funding delivers for working families, employers and communities across Minnesota</Title><title>2024-02-12 Child Care Success Story</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-609613&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-12T17:41:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>How DEED funding has helped increase access to quality, affordable child care across Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED just announced record funding to expand working families&apos; access to affordable, quality child care in communities across the state: two rounds of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/child-care/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Child Care Economic Development grants&lt;/a&gt; totaling nearly $12.5 million will be issued this year. But did you know that since 2017, DEED has issued more than $6.5 million in Child Care Economic Development grants to 56 local governments and non-profit organizations throughout Minnesota, helping create up to 9,300 child care slots?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few examples of how DEED funding has helped increase access to quality, affordable child care across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adding 263 needed child care slots in West Central Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Forgivable loans and other assistance funded in part by a DEED Child Care Economic Development grant helped eight new in-home child care providers start their business, 26 in-home family child care providers remain in/expand their business and seven child care centers increase the number of children served in Kandiyohi County. The assistance helped to create an estimated 263 child care slots in the area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED provided a $200,000 grant to the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission in 2022 to help address a child care shortage of 935 slots in the area. Kandiyohi County pitched in $150,000, the city of Willmar contributed $100,000, Southwest Initiative Foundation provided $100,000, First Children&apos;s Finance another $30,000 and other municipalities throughout the county also joined the effort, resulting in approximately $600,000, plus providers/centers themselves are investing an additional $500,000 to support the maintenance and expansion of child care availability in the area. Local child care providers received assistance through forgivable loans and fee reimbursements, a technology enhancement program, a mentorship program, an employee assistance program, transportation support and training and language accommodation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A community building hosts child care providers in Southeast Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two new child care providers started serving families in Northfield last summer in the city-owned Northfield Community Resource Center. Both child care businesses were able to get off the ground thanks to a unique partnership between Three Rivers Community Action, Healthy Community Initiative and the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, which received a $200,000 Child Care Economic Development grant in 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The grants helped the partners open family child care in a non-residential space in Northfield. Little Stinkers and Thinkers Child Care LLC and Maddi&apos;s Makoons (Makoons means Bear Cub in Ojibwe) received a rent subsidy to operate in the space.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Providing a subsidized space for providers to operate removes a barrier to more providers offering child care services. Barriers may include would-be providers who rent their home, or do not have the necessary licensing requirements, such as fencing at their home. The two child care providers currently offer 20 child care slots, helping to address the 100-slot child care shortage in the Northfield region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Turning an empty building into an innovative child care center in Southwest Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Child Care Economic Development funds helped the city of Hills in the southwest corner of Minnesota turn an empty building into a renovated space for three independent providers to provide child care services, opening in early 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED provided a $120,000 Child Care Economic Development grant to the City of Hills in 2023,helping the city transform the unused building into a space where local child care providers only need to pay for utilities. This reduces their overhead costs, similar to what was done in Northfield, and eliminates the need for providers to offer services in their own homes to make ends meet. Eventually, when the providers are full to capacity, this unique project will provide a minimum of 30 additional child care slots in the community, which is short roughly 300 child care slots.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Helping address a child care desert&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;in Northeast Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Floodwood, a town, about 40 miles west of Duluth, had only two licensed family child care providers in early 2022, down from five home-based child care businesses prior to the pandemic. When one of the two decided to close, community members rallied to help start a new child care center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the community leaders reached out to the Northland Foundation for help. A DEED Child Care Economic Development grant enabled the Foundation to provide $40,000 to help build the new Polar Cubs Childcare Center, which also received $225,000 in federal American Rescue Plan funding from St. Louis County, a $25,000 grant from the United Way of Northeast Minnesota and financial support from community fundraising efforts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When operating at full capacity, Polar Cubs will provide 69 much-needed child care slots. Floodwood community leaders believe the new center will fulfill current demand for child care in this small rural community of just over 500 residents. Construction is slated to begin this spring and Polar Cubs Childcare Center is taking pre-enrollments from parents and guardians.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Providing start-up costs to family child care providers in Northwest Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new family moved to the Crookston area and wanted to start a family child care service. The home they purchased needed some repairs, including flooring upgrades and a water heater to meet licensing standards. Northwest Minnesota Initiative Fund used $3,000 from a DEED Child Care Economic Development grant and added $2,000 of its own Child Care Program budget to provide $5,000 to address these needed repairs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The work has been completed and the family child care provider is now fully licensed for 12 children. Supporting small projects like these has helped Northwest Minnesota Initiative Foundation build capacity around their rural region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find out more about Child Care Economic Development Grants and the open Request for Proposals for grant funding, as well as all the work overseen by DEED&apos;s new Office of Child Care Community Partnerships on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/child-care/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/608257&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;press release about DEED&apos;s largest-ever round of child care grants and DEED&apos;s new Office of Child Care Community Partnerships&lt;/a&gt; announced last month.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Child Care Community Partnerships Director Tammy Wickstrom</Author><id>609613</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2024-01-31 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-608498&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-31T22:30:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2024</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2023/&quot;&gt;latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt; includes articles that: explore the factors that influence workers&apos; decisions to stay at or leave jobs and identifies industry sectors that have been most and least successful at retaining employees; determine factors associated with health care professionals&apos; choice to practice in rural Minnesota; take a closer look at generations in the workplace; and explore a new tool that paints a clearer picture of day-to-day requirements for hundreds of jobs. Select a title below to view the full article.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2023/job-career.jsp&quot;&gt;Job or Career? Industry and Employer Tenure in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This analysis explores the factors that influence workers&apos; decisions to stay or leave jobs and identifies industry sectors that have been most and least successful at retaining employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2023/stay-go.jsp&quot;&gt;Should I Stay or Should I Go? Factors Associated with Health Care Professionals&apos; Choice to Practice in Rural Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article explores factors associated with health care professionals&apos; choice to practice in rural Minnesota, where the critical shortage of providers can mean life or death for patients – and can impact the health of an entire community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2023/generations.jsp&quot;&gt;Generations in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are now at least five generations at work in Minnesota, ranging from teenagers in Generation Z to senior citizens from the Silent Generation. The relative size of these generations has an impact on Minnesota&apos;s labor force, with many members of the large Baby Boomer generation now retired or retiring soon, and subsequent generations needing to take their place in Minnesota workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2023/occupational.jsp&quot;&gt;Occupational Requirements Survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When exploring career options, people want to know the basics: what kind of education you need, how much money you will likely make and how much demand for an occupation there will be in the future. But what about how much time you are likely to spend standing on the job, how likely it is you will be working outdoors and if remote work is a possibility? Those important factors and more are detailed in the BLS Occupational Requirements Survey results.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles going back to 1993 on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>608498</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:21:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>An engaging December discussion highlighting different strategies employers can use to make an impact in filling workforce needs – even in a tight labor market.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Why Active Workforce Recruiting is Essential</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Why Active Workforce Recruiting is Essential</Title><title>2023-12-18 WW December</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-604394&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-18T18:20:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>An engaging December discussion highlighting different strategies employers can use to make an impact in filling workforce needs – even in a tight labor market.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>December 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ww%20screenshot%20december_tcm1045-604392.PNG&quot; title=&quot;ww-screenshot-december&quot; alt=&quot;ww-screenshot-december&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%; height: 244px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ww-screenshot-december&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s Workforce Strategy Consultant team held an engaging December discussion highlighting different strategies employers can use to make an impact in filling workforce needs – even in a tight labor market. We heard from a panel of employers and subject matter experts who shared why active recruitment is essential for employers in their hiring efforts. Here are some snippets from the panel discussion:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ali Bilden Camps, Strategy and Development Consultant, NORTHFORCE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Casting a wide net and recruiting from populations that are often overlooked and underutilized – like veterans, second chance workers and older workers – is important.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We’re currently working on a toolkit aimed at workers who have left the workforce due to retirement or who are caregivers, and it works as an internship for people looking for a new career path.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jaime Herhusky, SHRM-CP, Senior Human Resources Administrator, Heliene&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You need to know your community to be an effective recruiter in your community. If you don’t know the population you’re targeting it really doesn’t do much good to just post online and expect results.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We have a predominantly elderly population here and we hire a lot of newly retired people and you need to know how to connect with those groups if you want to be successful in hiring.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I don’t get the newspaper, but people up here still read the paper so placing ads can help reach audiences you might not have considered.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Erica Brookshire, Talent Acquisition Manager, Park Industries&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s important to identify talent and know where to find that talent. Sometimes that’s recruiting right here in our community as well as going outside of our community to bring talent here. We also offer remote positions for niche positions if necessary.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One event that’s great here is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://epic-mn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;EPIC career exploration events&lt;/a&gt; to connect with high school students to give them exposure to potential careers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s important to recruit not just for your immediate positions, but also for future positions. You might meet people who are not the right candidate now, but in a year or two they could be qualified and it’s good they remember you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Erica Sward, Market Outreach Talent Acquisition Specialist, Lifespark&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s good to know the type of employee we want to hire before even starting the hiring process. That way you’re not wasting your time with applicants that aren’t a good fit for the role.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do some research to see what other companies are offering for benefits and how other places are posting their job positions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We’ve added our job recruiters’ contact info on our job posts so people can reach out and learn more about what that job looks like.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You also need brand awareness. From using Facebook to placing hiring signs on lawns, people need to know who you are so they can get curious about what your company is all about.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, plus access a schedule for upcoming &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday sessions on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>604394</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>November&apos;s discussion highlighted Minnesota&apos;s Digital Equity Plan and two new request for proposals from Adults Career Pathways. </Description><Audience/><Title>State’s Digital Equity Plan Highlighted during November’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>State’s Digital Equity Plan Highlighted during November’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum</Title><title>2023-12-07-Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-602929&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-07T16:23:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>November&apos;s discussion highlighted Minnesota&apos;s Digital Equity Plan and two new request for proposals from Adults Career Pathways. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>December 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/screenshot_tcm1045-602923.png&quot; title=&quot;screenshot november&quot; alt=&quot;screenshot november&quot; style=&quot;width: 65%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;screenshot november&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Digital Equity Plan Overview&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s Office of Broadband Development (OBD) is facilitating the development of a statewide digital opportunity plan to reduce gaps in access, device ownership, and digital skills. This planning process will help determine how funding under the Digital Equity Act will be distributed to improve digital equity across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How you can get involved now&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure the state&apos;s digital equity plan reflects the experiences of all Minnesotans, Digital Connection Committee are an essential piece of OBD&apos;s planning strategy and process. These self-selected committees serve as key partners as OBD collects information about local digital inclusion strengths, needs, and goals. People from low-income households, people age 60 or older, people learning to speak or read English, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and people living in rural communities are among those groups especially invited to participate in a Digital Connection Committees. OBD communicates directly with Committees throughout the planning process. Contact Hannah Buckland at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:hannah.buckland@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;hannah.buckland@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; for more information on starting a committee and to share your insights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adult Career Pathways Seeks Request for Proposals for Two New Programs&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/adult-career-pathways/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Adult Career Pathways&lt;/a&gt; provides adult employment and training grants to support adults who face multiple barriers to employment, and are in need of enhanced educational services, wrap-around support, and supportive services, to be successful in securing long-term family sustaining wages. The Office of Adult Career Pathway&apos;s goal is to help eliminate racial disparities and large economic gaps in Minnesota and increase Minnesotans’ literacy and access to high-growth and high-wage jobs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How you can get involved now&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New this year, Adult Career Pathways is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to provide services through the Drive for Five Initiative Competitive Grants. Grantees will conduct outreach, provide education and training, and job placement in technology, labor, the caring professions, manufacturing, and educational and professional services. Interested applicants are urged to submit their proposal by December 18 , 2023. The Drive for 5 Request for Proposal can be found on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adult Career Pathways is also seeking providers to submit a proposal for grant funding through the new Targeted Population Workforce Programs initiative. This grant program focuses on skills training and support services to bring populations of workers who have been historically overlooked and often face multiple barriers to employment – particularly people of color – into the workforce at family-sustaining wages. Community-based organizations are asked to submit proposals by Jan. 17, 2024. Targeted Populations Workforce Program Request for Proposals can be found on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, you can watch our discussion on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeX5HTE4HvY&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>602929</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today, we met with U.S. Consul General Kathleen Lively to provide a recap of our trip.</Description><Audience/><Title>Closing Out Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Closing Out Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia </Title><title>2023-11-17 Aus Day 5</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-600405&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-17T21:10:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, we met with U.S. Consul General Kathleen Lively to provide a recap of our trip.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello from Melbourne. Today, we&apos;re headed home after Minnesota&apos;s first-ever trade mission to Australia, full of optimism about the future of the relationship between our companies, workers and communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this trip we had so many unique and productive opportunities to promote Minnesota as a place for Australia to invest, and to make connections between Minnesota companies and potential Australian customers. This mission was about opening doors, making connections and establishing relationships between Minnesota and Australia. After a whirlwind of meetings this week, I&apos;m certain we&apos;re coming home with many leads for trade growth and business development in the months and years ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We had one last day of events on Friday. First, we met with U.S. Consul General Kathleen Lively to provide a recap of our trip. We&apos;re excited to continue working with her team and our partners in Victoria to continue growing trade and investment opportunities for Minnesota in Australia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, we met with Seer Medical, a company that embodies the economic partnership we&apos;ve highlighted throughout this mission. Seer, which researches and manufactures medical diagnostic devices, established its first U.S. office in Rochester, Minn. in 2021 with two employees. Now, half its 17 U.S.-based staff are in Minnesota, and it has plans to expand. Last year, Seer &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/552162&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;won a Governor&apos;s International Trade Award&lt;/a&gt; for excellence in foreign direct investment in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-seer_tcm1045-600410.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Walz stands speaking with a group of people standing in a circle.&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Walz stands speaking with a group of people standing in a circle.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-seer 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We toured Seer&apos;s facility, celebrated its success in Minnesota and offered to help as they expand. Our delegation also heard from Seer leaders about their experience doing business in Minnesota as an Australian business – important insight that will help us support further business expansion in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday evening, we gathered with the delegation of Minnesota leaders who joined us on this trip – officials from Minnesota companies, business development groups and higher education institutions looking to help our state grow and succeed. We shared our takeaways from this mission and committed to working together to make sure we succeed in bringing Minnesota&apos;s MedTech, CleanTech, Agriculture and Higher Education sectors to the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m proud to have represented DEED, the State of Minnesota and all our businesses and workers on this historic trade mission. As we return home, I&apos;m excited to continue the important work of building a Minnesota economy that works, for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-commissioner_tcm1045-600411.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Commissioner Varilek points to two clocks on a wall, one with Melbourne&apos;s current time and one with Rochester&apos;s current time.&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner Varilek points to two clocks on a wall, one with Melbourne&apos;s current time and one with Rochester&apos;s current time.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-commissioner&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>600405</id><Tag><Description/><Title>trade mission</Title><Id>230112</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>When Belo Miguel Cipriani needed to purchase ergonomic workstations as an accommodation for an employee with a disability, he decided to learn more about a new ERAF program launched this fall by DEED.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED&apos;s Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund Helps Minnesota Small Businesses Champion Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED&apos;s Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund Helps Minnesota Small Businesses Champion Accessibility</Title><title>2023-11-17 ERAF blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-600224&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-17T19:04:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>When Belo Miguel Cipriani needed to purchase ergonomic workstations as an accommodation for an employee with a disability, he decided to learn more about a new ERAF program launched this fall by DEED.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/eraf-blog_tcm1045-600231.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Two men stand for a picture, the man on the right is holding the leash for his guide dog&quot; alt=&quot;Two men stand for a picture, the man on the right is holding the leash for his guide dog&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;eraf-blog 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When Belo Miguel Cipriani needed to purchase ergonomic workstations as an accommodation for an employee with a disability, he decided to learn more about a new program launched this fall by DEED. The new, first-of-its-kind &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund&lt;/a&gt; (ERAF) reimburses small and mid-sized Minnesota businesses for the cost of accommodations like wheelchair ramps, assistive tech, ASL interpreting, and yes, standing desks and ergonomic chairs. Cipriani&apos;s was the first application to be processed by the new program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cipriani himself is quite familiar with the work of expanding access for people with disabilities. His company, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.olebmedia.com/about-oleb-media/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Oleb Media&lt;/a&gt;, provides accessibility testing, remediation, and training. Fully 90% of Oleb Media employees, including Cipriani, identify as having a disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Accommodations are a necessary investment,&quot; Cipriani said. &quot;For a small business like ours, every month is different fiscally, and accommodations can be a costly upfront expenditure. I would say that this program takes the fear out of investing in accommodations.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ERAF covers costs for reasonable accommodations for job applicants as well as employees. Businesses fill out a simple form, attach proof of payment and hit submit. ERAF staff review each application, ensure that the fund criteria has been met, and issue the reimbursement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We&apos;re not here with another complicated program with rules that are hard to understand and hoops to jump through,&quot; said Ray McCoy, the fund coordinator. &quot;We want to remove the barriers that can come with the cost of accommodations so that employees with disabilities can do their work with the tools they need, and businesses can keep great employees on their team.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I appreciated that the process was simple and made sense,&quot; Cipriani said. &quot;And, just as important, when I had questions, the ERAF staff got back to me right away. It was a collaborative process and I valued that.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eligible Minnesota businesses must have fewer than 500 employees and less than $5 million in gross annual revenue. The fund covers accommodations above $250 and less than $15,000 for one-time accommodations per employee. The fund also covers ongoing accommodation expenses. A one-time expense might include software or a wheelchair ramp. On-going expenses might include ASL interpreting or a subscription. The cap per year for each business is $30,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Complete details on eligibility and reimbursement limits as well as an extensive list of examples of reasonable accommodations are on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ERAF website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ERAF is a 2-year pilot project passed as part of the historic jobs legislation signed into law by Governor Walz.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We believe that as the word gets out about this program, Minnesotans will see that it really is a smart investment in growing an economy that works for everyone,&quot; McCoy said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In his business, Cipriani has experienced firsthand the strengths that workers with disabilities bring to their jobs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Every day, people with disabilities have to engineer their life,&quot; Cipriani said. &quot;They&apos;re adapting, they&apos;re improvising and they&apos;re problem solving. Having a disability can give you a tenacity to attack problems with creativity and ingenuity.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;When ERAF received that first application from Belo&apos;s company,&quot; McCoy said, &quot;We knew this program was off to a great start. We&apos;re so glad that Minnesota companies like Oleb Media know the value of a strong and diverse workforce that includes the skills of employees with disabilities.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>600224</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Thursday was an important day for four industries we&apos;re highlighting on our trip – MedTech, CleanTech, Agriculture and Higher Ed.</Description><Audience/><Title>Thursday Updates from Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Thursday Updates from Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia</Title><title>2023-11-16 Aus Day 4</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-600290&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-16T22:23:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Thursday was an important day for four industries we&apos;re highlighting on our trip – MedTech, CleanTech, Agriculture and Higher Ed.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we enter the homestretch of our first-ever trade mission to Australia, Thursday was an important day for four industries we&apos;re highlighting on our trip – MedTech, CleanTech, Agriculture and Higher Ed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We started our day at a breakfast meeting with Australian business leaders to promote Minnesota as a place for them to invest as they seek expanded operations and more customers in the United States. Several Australian companies already operate in Minnesota – including MedTech industry leaders with whom we&apos;re meeting during this trip – making them among the 900 business locations from 40 countries that have invested $36.7 billion in Minnesota, generating 171,600 jobs for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz represented Minnesota in separate meetings with Victoria Governor Margaret Gardner and Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, where they discussed ties between Minnesota and Australia and opportunities to deepen collaboration with the State of Victoria, particularly in the MedTech sector and higher education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Later, we visited the Jumar BioIncubator, a public-private project to foster MedTech innovation in Melbourne. Minnesota has a similar initiative underway with Destination Medical Center and DMC&apos;s Discovery Square. Given this shared priority of medical discovery, we discussed the prospect for an international exchange with the BioIncubator to help both of us realize the potential for creating new therapies and making the world a little heathier.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We then spoke at a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia to encourage Australian companies to consider investing in Minnesota because of our shared commitment to developing our MedTech, CleanTech and Agriculture sectors, all driven by our innovative Higher Education institutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-day-3_tcm1045-600292.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Walz stands at a podium and speaks to a large crowd standing in front of him.&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Walz stands at a podium and speaks to a large crowd standing in front of him.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-day-3 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Later, alongside our Department of Agriculture colleagues, we visited the CSIRO Food Innovation Centre to see firsthand how Australia is developing new technology to continue to provide food in a changing climate – and to share how Minnesota farmers are doing the same.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the Governor was at CSIRO, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nutromics_medtech-wearables-diagnostics-activity-7130810763811700736-2ovK/?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=member_ios&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;I visited Nutromics&lt;/a&gt;, a diagnostics wearables company working with the Medical Alley Association to analyze the U.S. market. We were excited to share more information about Minnesota&apos;s MedTech manufacturing and innovation prowess.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The governor then joined St. Cloud State University leaders as they signed an agreement with Victoria University to establish new short-term study-abroad programs and explore new curriculum to establish academic partnerships and student exchange.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We ended our day hosting a reception for over 100 government, business and academic leaders, as well as partner organizations in Melbourne, to share news of Minnesota&apos;s economic and industry strengths and to encourage collaborative trade and investment opportunities between Minnesota and Victoria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have one last day in Australia as we bring this historic trade mission to a close. We&apos;re excited about the closer ties we&apos;ve fostered during this trip and know they&apos;ll pay dividends in the years ahead.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>600290</id><Tag><Description/><Title>trade mission</Title><Id>230112</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As we continue our trade mission to open new doors for Minnesota businesses in Australia, today offered a good reminder about the economic relationship we already share.</Description><Audience/><Title>Wednesday Updates from Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Wednesday Updates from Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia </Title><title>2023-11-15 Aus Day 3</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-600036&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-15T21:14:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>As we continue our trade mission to open new doors for Minnesota businesses in Australia, today offered a good reminder about the economic relationship we already share.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello from Melbourne, where Minnesota&apos;s trade mission to Australia has arrived in our third city.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday was a busy day of intergovernmental meetings to strengthen the political relationship between Minnesota and Australia – all to benefit businesses and workers in the years ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before traveling to Canberra, Governor Walz represented Minnesota in a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, updating her on our mission and the interest of Minnesota companies in exploring Australia as a market. Governor Walz thanked her for the embassy&apos;s support of our mission and her insight into the future of collaboration between Minnesota and Australia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the capital city of Canberra, we held a series of meetings with government leaders and Members of Parliament especially important to the business development goals of our mission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With Australia Secretary of Defense Greg Moriarty and later Luke Gosling, a Member of Parliament and Head of the Parliamentary Friends of AUKUS Group, we discussed the vital Australia-UK-U.S. (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership and ways Minnesota can support that alliance. We talked about U.S. and Australian clean tech strategies and priorities with Chris Bowen, a Member of Parliament and Minister for Climate Change and Energy, and First Secretary Mathew Fox.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-fox_tcm1045-600038.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Commissioner Varilek stands for a picture with a group of four people.&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner Varilek stands for a picture with a group of four people.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-fox&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I talked about opportunities for collaboration on key areas within cybersecurity and critical technologies with Brendan Dowling, Australia&apos;s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-dowling_tcm1045-600039.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Commisioner Varilek stands for a photo with three other men.&quot; alt=&quot;Commisioner Varilek stands for a photo with three other men.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-dowling&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also had the somber opportunity to visit the Australian War Memorial, to pay respect to and appreciation for the sacrifices of Australian servicemen and servicewomen in defense of freedom worldwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-war-memorial_tcm1045-600040.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Walz stands with an older man at a war memorial&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Walz stands with an older man at a war memorial&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-war-memorial&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Late Wednesday we arrived in Melbourne, to meet up with other members of the trade delegation. While we were in Canberra, the MedTech track met with BioMelbourne and toured the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.melbournebiomed.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Parkville Precinct&lt;/a&gt; - an opportunity one of the delegates said justified the entire trip. The CleanTech track was witnessing how innovation is spurring job growth while improving the planet at incredible sites in the suburbs of Melbourne. We will spend the next several days holding meetings with businesses and economic development organizations as we continue our mission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week illustrates the global nature of DEED&apos;s nonstop work to grow Minnesota businesses – because it&apos;s happening simultaneously on three different continents. While we are on this trade mission in Australia, at home we &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/599580&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;announced $7.4 million in funding&lt;/a&gt; for six business expansions, expected to create 430 jobs and leverage more than $270 million in outside investment. And in Germany, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mndeed_medica2023-activity-7130259885660786688-elDa?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED is representing Minnesota at the annual Medica Trade Fair&lt;/a&gt;, telling our story of medical innovation and health care leadership to a global audience of med tech businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m grateful to Minnesota&apos;s business development leaders – within our agency and embedded in the critical industries we serve – who continue to promote our state as one of the best places in the world for companies to launch, grow and flourish.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>600036</id><Tag><Description/><Title>trade mission</Title><Id>230112</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As we continue our trade mission to open new doors for Minnesota businesses in Australia, today offered a good reminder about the economic relationship we already share.</Description><Audience/><Title>Tuesday Updates from Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Tuesday Updates from Minnesota’s Trade Mission to Australia </Title><title>2023-11-14 Aus Day 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-599780&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-14T21:16:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>As we continue our trade mission to open new doors for Minnesota businesses in Australia, today offered a good reminder about the economic relationship we already share.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we continue our trade mission to open new doors for Minnesota businesses in Australia, today offered a good reminder about the economic relationship we &lt;em&gt;already&lt;/em&gt; share&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Tuesday morning, our delegation visited Medtronic&apos;s Sydney offices to celebrate the Fridley-based company&apos;s 50th year operating in Australia. Medtronic has delivered over 40,000 distinct medical devices to patients in Australia and New Zealand and serves over 2 million people in these countries annually. It&apos;s an example of Minnesota exporting our med-tech expertise to the world – and it shows that innovation and discovery are global pursuits that Minnesota and Australia can tackle together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-medtronic_tcm1045-599799.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Commissioner Varilek speaks into a microphone while standing at a podium, Governor Walz observes from the side&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner Varilek speaks into a microphone while standing at a podium, Governor Walz observes from the side&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-medtronic&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Medtronic is one of about 40 Minnesota companies operating businesses at over 700 locations in Australia. Missions like this help DEED forge deeper international connections to lead to even more global expansion for Minnesota businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another trade mission goal is to encourage foreign investment in Minnesota to fuel economic growth and create good-paying jobs. On Tuesday, we hosted a luncheon and networking event with businesses executives and sector leaders from New South Wales to promote Minnesota as a leading U.S. business destination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-reception_tcm1045-599807.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A large group of people stand around talking during a reception.&quot; alt=&quot;A large group of people stand around talking during a reception.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-reception&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the afternoon we visited the Greenhouse Climate Tech Hub with our clean tech and agriculture delegations to engage with Australian startup founders and business leaders and discuss opportunities for international partnership in tackling climate change. This is an area with significant opportunity for collaboration, with both Australia and the U.S. investing in renewable energy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-greenhouse_tcm1045-599814.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Walz stands facing the camera, speaking to a crowd in front of him.&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Walz stands facing the camera, speaking to a crowd in front of him.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-greenhouse&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s manufacturing expertise and its existing export infrastructure make it a natural trading partner as Australia pursues these climate goals. And last month, the federal government announced a Minnesota project would be one of seven nationally to share $7 billion in federal funding to kickstart development and production of hydrogen fuel – a promising climate change solution. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were also excited to join St. Cloud State University leaders as they formally expanded their relationship with Southern Cross University&apos;s Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples. Through this agreement, the institutions will develop new study abroad opportunities for Native American students at SCSU and Indigenous Australian students at Southern Cross University.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-mou_tcm1045-599829.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Walz stands for a picture with a group of people holding a plaque.&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Walz stands for a picture with a group of people holding a plaque.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-mou&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the evening, we hosted a reception with over 100 Australians representing government, business, academic and partner organizations. Here, we spoke about Minnesota&apos;s economic and industry strengths and encouraged more collaborative trade and investment opportunities between Minnesota and New South Wales.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday was a busy and productive day for our delegation – and we&apos;re excited to keep this momentum going the rest of the week.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>599780</id><Tag><Description/><Title>trade mission</Title><Id>230112</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>I&apos;m proud to join Governor Walz, DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office, the Department of Agriculture and dozens of Minnesota business and civic leaders on our state&apos;s first-ever trade mission to Australia.</Description><Audience/><Title>Kicking Off Minnesota’s First-Ever Trade Mission to Australia </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Kicking Off Minnesota’s First-Ever Trade Mission to Australia </Title><title>2023-11-13 Aus Day 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-599593&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-13T21:22:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>I&apos;m proud to join Governor Walz, DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office, the Department of Agriculture and dozens of Minnesota business and civic leaders on our state&apos;s first-ever trade mission to Australia.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello from Sydney, where I&apos;m proud to join Governor Walz, DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office, the Department of Agriculture and dozens of Minnesota business and civic leaders on our state&apos;s first-ever trade mission to Australia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;re here because the Minnesota-Australia relationship presents tremendous opportunities for Minnesota businesses looking for new customers, and Australian companies looking to invest in the North American market. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Australia is already Minnesota&apos;s 13th largest trading partner, with total trade in goods valued at $579 million in 2022 – including exports of $438 million and imports of $141 million. But there is significant room for this economic partnership to grow: thanks to the United States&apos; close social, political and economic ties with Australia; a virtually zero-tariff free trade agreement; and few barriers for businesses, Australia is a natural, receptive and important market for Minnesota goods and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On this trade mission, we are working to establish new economic and political ties with a major U.S. trading partner and facilitate better business-to-business relationships to benefit Minnesota companies and workers alike. I&apos;m excited to update you on our progress throughout this mission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our trip started on Sunday. After landing in Sydney we hosted a welcome reception with our delegation of nearly 30 Minnesotans, representing companies, business development groups and higher education institutions on this mission. Our trip focuses on four industry streams – clean tech, med tech, higher education and agriculture – in which Minnesota and Australia share strengths and offer opportunities for collaboration. One of our mission goals is to open new doors for companies in these four sectors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An early example of that work came Monday, when we joined a roundtable discussion with our clean tech and higher education delegations focused on engaging Australian and U.S. Indigenous communities in the clean energy transformation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-indigenous-roundtable_tcm1045-599594.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Picture of people sitting around a large table, listening to a speaker standing at a podium.&quot; alt=&quot;Picture of people sitting around a large table, listening to a speaker standing at a podium.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-indigenous-roundtable&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We discussed Indigenous economic development in the clean energy space, and ways governments can support clean energy projects with Indigenous peoples in both the U.S. and Australia. The clean energy transition is a generational opportunity for equitable economic growth: both the U.S. and Australia are investing heavily in clean energy, and it&apos;s imperative we make sure all communities share in the economic benefits of this transition.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-elder_tcm1045-599596.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Multiple sit on two sides of a long table, facing each other and speaking.&quot; alt=&quot;Multiple sit on two sides of a long table, facing each other and speaking.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-elder&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today we also had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Consul General Christine Elder and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. The U.S. and Australia share strong diplomatic ties, and meetings like these ensure Minnesota will be top of mind in future political and economic negotiations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/aus-minns_tcm1045-599597.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Walz and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns standing for a photo&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Walz and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns standing for a photo&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aus-minns&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m excited to continue our mission, and share more updates with you, on Tuesday.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>599593</id><Tag><Description/><Title>trade mission</Title><Id>230112</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today we mark Veterans Day, a day to recognize the service of all U.S. military veterans. </Description><Audience/><Title>Veterans Day: Honoring Minnesotans Who Served our Country</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Veterans Day: Honoring Minnesotans Who Served our Country</Title><title>2023-11-09 Veteran&apos;s Day Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-599252&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-10T15:33:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today we mark Veterans Day, a day to recognize the service of all U.S. military veterans. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today we observe Veterans Day, a day to recognize the service of all U.S. military veterans. Tomorrow, I&apos;ll be joining Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Temporary Commissioner Brad Lindsay, and others in honoring veterans at the 2023 State of Minnesota Veterans Day Program at the Inver Grove Heights Veterans Memorial Community Center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I, has been a federal holiday since 1954. It retains its meaning and importance because of what it represents: a time to honor veterans who answered the call, served their country, and made great sacrifices to protect our freedoms, defend our cherished values, and secure democracy. We must all continue to recognize the selfless service and sacrifices made by current and former members of the U.S. military, as well as their families. With more than 294,000 current and former service members calling Minnesota home, chances are you know a veteran. Please take a moment to show your appreciation and thank the veterans you may know. Here at DEED, we are proud to have 83 coworkers who are veterans or have military-connected experience. We&apos;re also honored to be a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Organization for our ongoing efforts to recruit, hire and retain employees who are military veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supporting our community and assisting our veterans with employment opportunities are priorities at DEED. Each year we partner with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to host a career fair that brings together hundreds of local veterans to meet with nearly 100 Minnesota employers. Our team works tirelessly to provide veterans the tools to overcome employment obstacles, educate employers about the benefits of hiring veterans, and combat underemployment by connecting veterans to meaningful careers with family-sustaining wages. More and more Minnesota employers recognize that veterans have the skills, passion, and commitment they need in their workforce — and hiring a veteran is a great decision for their organization&apos;s success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans Employment Representatives are located in CareerForce offices throughout the state where veterans and their spouses receive priority of service. You can find out more about CareerForce Veterans Employment Services at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/veterans&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareeforceMN.com/Veterans&lt;/a&gt;. In addition to serving all veterans through career exploration, job search, and other employment services, Veterans Employment staff provide additional services to National Guard members returning from deployments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CareerForce Veterans Employment Services at DEED was recognized last year by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Minneapolis VA Health Care System as the Community Partner of the Year. This recognition was earned through continued partnership with the Minneapolis VA to help veterans find employment and provide the support they need to be successful on the job.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans served our country, and it is our honor to serve them in finding meaningful employment and reaching their career goals.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>CareerForce Veterans Employment Services Director Ray Douha</Author><id>599252</id><Tag><Description/><Title>veterans</Title><Id>230116</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>November’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted the search for talent on a global scale. </Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Navigating the International Hiring Process </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Navigating the International Hiring Process</Title><title>2023-11-09 ww-recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-599325&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-09T20:19:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>November’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted the search for talent on a global scale. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted the search for talent on a global scale. We heard from a panel of employers and educators on the importance of identifying, attracting, and onboarding talent from around the world. There was a great exchange of ideas – and many resources for Minnesota employers looking to hire New Americans, international students and others were shared.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/november-workforce-wednesday_tcm1045-599326.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A screenshot of the November Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; alt=&quot;A screenshot of the November Workforce Wednesday meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;november-workforce-wednesday&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sandra Feist – Minnesota House of Representatives (House District 39B), Grell Feist PLC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I would like to point out that a lot of time we think there is high-skilled immigration and humanitarian immigration, and we really shouldn&apos;t have those totally separate in our minds because there are many people coming here from Ukraine, from Venezuela, from all over the world, Sudan, Syria from places that are chaotic and they&apos;re coming here for safety, but they are also coming here as pharmacists, engineers, teachers. So, I think that we should remember that people who are coming here for humanitarian reasons have a lot to offer our workforce.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shamika Kung-Chischille – Sr. Talent Acquisition Partner, Trane Technologies&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One of the challenges of thinking of immigration as one is that there are different types of visas and we do not issue enough H1-B visas to keep up with the demands of technology and our country&apos;s infrastructure for those visas. There &lt;a name=&quot;_Int_67JGwnMo&quot;&gt;are&lt;/a&gt; a very limited number of visas and very strict qualifications to have post-secondary education in a technical area. If we had more visas, we could bridge the gap.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alejandra Bejarano – Economic Development Planner, Region 9 (R9) Development Commission&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I know approaching international hiring can be very daunting and intimidating for a lot of employers who have never done it in the past but like any other practice you are bringing on board in your organization you need to learn and educate yourself. There are a lot of resources to help employers navigate this. I would say universities would be a good place to start and chambers of commerce.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mardi Noyes – VP of Human Resources, Microbiologics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I totally agree with what everyone said that having that legal support and guidance throughout the entire process from that first conversation with a potential employee is a critical piece to make it work well for us as an employer and for the individual as a prospective employee because we do not have the expertise to do that well on our own.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jane Sitter, MA – Senior International Career Consultant, University of Minnesota Career Services&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some employers might think there&apos;s a lot of cost and paperwork associated with hiring international students, but in fact there isn&apos;t a cost with hiring student interns and the university does most of the paperwork for the employer during the hiring process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andy Tjomsland – Talent Acquisition Specialist, 3M&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employee assistance programs are something we use to help international employees learn about their new community by giving them resources on schools in their area and hiring opportunities for their spouse so they can get acclimated to their new surroundings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also have several employee resource networks where employees with similar identities and backgrounds can share information to new hires as well anyone else who is interested at 3M.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, plus access a schedule for upcoming &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday sessions on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more detailed information, and guidance on where to apply for Foreign Labor Certification, including H1-B, H2-A and H2-B visas, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/finding-workers/hiring-foreign/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hiring Foreign Workers page on the DEED website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Office of New Americans provides resources and insights on welcoming immigrants and refugees to the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>599325</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>October’s IRA Forum provided some exciting and important updates from the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Human Services (DHS).</Description><Audience/><Title>Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund Highlighted during October’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund Highlighted during October’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum</Title><title>2023-11-01 forum recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-598009&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-01T20:17:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>October’s IRA Forum provided some exciting and important updates from the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Human Services (DHS).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum provided some exciting and important updates from the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Human Services (DHS).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund Overview&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s new &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF)&lt;/a&gt; offers a way for small to mid-sized Minnesota employers to request reimbursement for expenses related to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities. The ERAF&apos;s purpose is to encourage employment of people with disabilities by reducing any perceived or real financial barriers. In addition to processing reimbursements, the ERAF Coordinator is available for technical assistance and consultation regarding accommodations at no cost to employers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For questions, comments, assistance with the application, or requests for technical assistance/consultation, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Eraf.deed@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Eraf.deed@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DHS Seeking Request for Information on Assisting New Americans in the Workforce&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHS is seeking information about specialized services and supports to New Americans to enter the long-term care workforce. DHS, through its Grants, Equity, Access, and Research (GEAR) Division, is reaching out to organizations that work with New Americans. GEAR is interested in understanding various organization’s activities, relationships, and experiences in assisting New Americans. Information is due by November 20, 2023. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/grants-rfps/open-rfps/#/detail/appId/1/id/596073&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Learn more on their website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emerging Farmers Office Update&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Agriculture’s Emerging Farmers Office shared information about the 2023 Emerging Farmers Conference happening Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4. The annual Emerging Farmers Conference serves to advance the success and sustainability of farmers who traditionally face barriers to the education and resources necessary to build profitable agricultural businesses, including immigrant farmers and farmers of color.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Emerging Farmers Conference is free for all farmers and language interpretation is available. Due to overwhelming response, online registration is now closed. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.emergingfarmers.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Find out more about the conference and related resources here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBfJwxCjQSI&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch our discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>598009</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>It&apos;s Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, a time to raise awareness about how important this industry is to our state’s economy.</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Minnesota as a Manufacturing Automation Hub </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrating Minnesota as a Manufacturing Automation Hub </Title><title>2023-10-25 Manufacturing Month ARTICLE</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-597338&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-25T18:08:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>It&apos;s Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, a time to raise awareness about how important this industry is to our state’s economy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, a time to raise awareness about how important this industry is to our state&apos;s economy – and share information about the many employment opportunities in this dynamic field. You may have heard that 13% of the state&apos;s gross domestic product comes from the manufacturing sector and that manufacturing jobs in Minnesota pay on average $76,950 a year, which is 10% higher than the state&apos;s overall average private sector wage. But did you know that Minnesota is a hub for the use of robotics and other automation in manufacturing and that our state&apos;s reputation as a hot spot for automation will likely only grow over the coming years?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the reasons there is such a concentration of manufacturers who utilize robotics and other automation in Minnesota is because we have a very strong and diverse manufacturing industry presence in the state. Nearly half of Minnesota&apos;s Fortune 500 companies are involved in manufacturing, including 3M, CHS, Ecolab, General Mills, Hormel Foods, Land O&apos;Lakes and Polaris.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When many manufacturing entities in an area leverage automation – other manufacturers in the area are more likely to do the same. A working paper published earlier this year by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nber.org/papers/w31062&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Bureau Of Economic Research&lt;/a&gt; (NBER) shows that manufacturing establishments are more likely to utilize robotics if other establishments in the same Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) – Like the Twin Cities Metro area — also report using robotics. As more local manufacturers adopt automation, that critical mass grows – so automation adoption is in some ways self-perpetuating. As other manufacturers see the benefits, they also adopt automation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another reason Minnesota is a hub for automation: We have multiple firms in Minnesota that make and in many cases help other companies integrate automation. It&apos;s common sense – but it&apos;s also documented in that NBER research: the presence of one or more firms that specialize in helping manufacturers install robotics or other automation tools is a key factor in a geographic area becoming an automation hub.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have multiple firms in Minnesota that make and/or help companies integrate automation into production. Some of these many firms include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Beckhoff Automation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Central McGowan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emerson Automation Solutions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Massman Automation Designs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PAR Systems&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rockwell Automation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;SNX Technologies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Many, many others&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED we are working to promote automation adoption through programs that help manufacturers across the state take this step. Last year, DEED staff joined Central McGowan, one of those automation integrators, to announce the rollout of DEED&apos;s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Automation Loan Participation Program – one of the programs DEED&apos;s Economic Development division has launched to help more Minnesota companies embrace automation. The SSBCI Automation Loan Participation Program fills gap financing needs up to $500,000 for eligible Minnesota businesses so they can purchase machinery, other equipment, or software to increase productivity and automation. In addition, DEED and the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) offer training grants to help train incumbent or new workers on new automation technology. One of those programs I&apos;d like to highlight is the Automation Training Incentive Program, which offers $35,000 grants to eligible small manufacturing businesses to help train incumbent workers as quickly and effectively as possible on new automation technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Embracing automation in manufacturing isn&apos;t about replacing people. Instead, automation often reduces the need for entry level positions focused on doing repetitive work – so it helps manufacturers facing a tight labor market fill hard-to-fill positions. And automation creates more highly skilled positions – like programming, operating and maintaining machines that make automation possible. Those are high quality jobs that pay well. Minnesota&apos;s status as a manufacturing automation hub is a win-win: greater productivity for employers; higher quality jobs for workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find out more about DEED&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/ssbci/automation-loan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SSBCI Automation Loan Participation Program&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership&lt;/a&gt; training programs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get info about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/atipp/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Automation Training Incentive Program&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;View &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/industry/manufacturing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources for people considering a career in manufacturing in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon</Author><id>597338</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>It’s the perfect time to highlight a recent employer survey showing the positive results employers have found when hiring people with disabilities and working with DEED’s VRS team.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Employer Survey Shows Positive Results in Hiring People with Disabilities </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Employer Survey Shows Positive Results in Hiring People with Disabilities </Title><title>2023-10-17 ndeam employer survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-596595&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-17T18:08:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>It’s the perfect time to highlight a recent employer survey showing the positive results employers have found when hiring people with disabilities and working with DEED’s VRS team.


</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As DEED celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to highlight a recent employer survey – &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/customer-research/Employment-Opportunities-Study-April-2023.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Enhancing Employment Opportunities for People with Developmental Disabilities&lt;/a&gt; – that shows the positive results employers have found when hiring people with disabilities and working with DEED’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) team. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the highlights from the survey include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Two-thirds (69%) of employers in Minnesota, at locations with 5 or more employees, employ individuals with disabilities.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The employer survey results found employers are equally satisfied with their employees with disabilities as they are with their employees without disabilities, but for different reasons.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employers noted that employees with disabilities are valuable, loyal, bring a lot to the job, and have a good attitude and work ethic. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Just over half of employers (54%) have needed to provide accommodations for their employees with disabilities, and half of the accommodations cost less than $1,000 on average, per employee. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s VRS and State Service for the Blind (SSB) divisions have long focused on connecting workers with disabilities to employment opportunities in Minnesota. In the survey, employers shared their experiences working with DEED’s services, including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Over half of the businesses that employ people with disabilities (57%), were assisted by VRS at DEED and 97% were satisfied with VRS services, while 56% were very satisfied. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For employers that do not currently employ people with disabilities, 72% would be likely to pursue the possibility of hiring a person with a disability, if contacted by DEED or one of its partnering organizations. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor&apos;s Office, DEED and other state agencies and offices and the Minnesota Council on Disability are celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month in various ways. Find out more about what DEED is doing to mark this month in Minnesota on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/NDEAM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN.com/NDEAM&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>596595</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of DEED publishes a slate of research articles that offer insight into important labor market trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2023-10-12 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-596008&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-12T15:31:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of DEED publishes a slate of research articles that offer insight into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2023/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt; includes articles that: provide a statistical snapshot of the labor force experience of Minnesotans with disabilities; measure outcomes for post-secondary instructional programs by median annual wages and net income seven years after graduation; explore whether the post-recession employment recovery improved racial and ethnic wage equity; and more. Select a title below to view the full article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2023/drive-for-5.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Drive For 5 Initiative&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED launched the Drive for 5 Initiative on Wednesday to create sector partnerships across the state and help fill in-demand positions in technology, the trades, caring professions, manufacturing, and education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2023/disability.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Labor Force Experience of Minnesotans with Disabilities&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans with one or more disability are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as those without a disability. October is Disability Employment Awareness Month in Minnesota, a time to raise awareness about employment resources available to people with disabilities and to employers seeking to create inclusive workplaces. This article provides a statistical snapshot of the labor force experience of Minnesotans with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2023/post-recession.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Did the Post-Recession Recovery Improve Racial Wage Equity?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How many Twin Cities area residents laid off during the Pandemic Recession were able to meet or exceed their pre-pandemic wages by the end of 2022, when inflation is taken into account? This article examines that question, with a breakout by age, race/ethnicity and educational attainment, to determine how different groups fared during the recent economic recovery. It also examines the role of occupational segregation as a factor driving racial/ethnic earnings disparities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2023/racial-disparities.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Disparities in Reemployment After the Pandemic Recession Based on Worker Characteristics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did greater formal educational attainment have an impact on how quickly people were able to return to work after being laid off during the Pandemic Recession? This article analyzes the role of formal education, race/ethnicity, place of residence, quality of jobs held and other factors in sheltering people from long periods of unemployment and new job loss after the recession. This information will help workforce development program providers target reemployment services to Minnesotans who need them most.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2023/popular.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Popular or Pragmatic Part 2: The Long View&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article looks at postsecondary instructional program outcomes based on median wage and estimated net income versus expenses, seven years post-graduation. The article describes how students, parents/guardians, educators, career counselors and others can utilize data in an interactive tool developed by DEED&apos;s Labor Market Information office to compare outcomes by instructional program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2023/complexities.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Unveiling the Complexities of Minnesota&apos;s Wage Growth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article examines the pure wage effect and composition effect as contributors to Aggregate Average Hourly Wage growth, quantifies the impact of different determinants on the composition effect, and analyzes their influence before, during, and after the Pandemic Recession, focusing on different categories of workers based on their employment history and attachment status. Understanding these dynamics can help policymakers and analysts seeking to gauge the health of the labor market and devise appropriate strategies for economic recovery and stability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles going back to 1993 on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>596008</id><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In celebration of Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, we’re highlighting the high demand for people to work in manufacturing positions across the state, now and into the future – making it a strong career path choice. </Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Automation and Upskilling Workers</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Automation and Upskilling Workers</Title><title>2023-10-10-ww-october</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-595802&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-10T20:42:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>In celebration of Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, we’re highlighting the high demand for people to work in manufacturing positions across the state, now and into the future – making it a strong career path choice. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/recording%203_tcm1045-595790.PNG&quot; title=&quot;ww-october-screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;ww-october-screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 85%; height: 312px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ww-october-screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In celebration of Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, we’re highlighting the high demand for people to work in manufacturing positions across the state, now and into the future – making it a strong career path choice. Minnesota is expected to have more than 75,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions alone through 2030.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I had the exciting opportunity to moderate October’s Workforce Wednesday discussion with manufacturing employers who shared strategies for growing and expanding their businesses through automation, upskilling workers, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. Here are some of the highlights from our panelists:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andy Wells - Owner of Wells Technology in Bemidji &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We have a lot of people who apply for jobs who aren’t necessarily qualified but have the potential to be good candidates.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We’ve created a training program where we pay new hires $15 an hour to learn on the job and work with a mentor to achieve success in their new career. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Len Bakken - HR Manager at Southern MN Beet Sugar Cooperative (SMBSC) in Renville &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your employees are your best recruiters – you need to work at creating career ladders so people can achieve success and continue to grow at your company. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We’ve translated various signs that were only in English into several different languages and that really made our employees feel valued.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We took it a step further and also added touch screens with videos in different languages, so everyone had the same messaging no matter their language background.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jasmine Sonmor - President/CEO of Aura Fabricators in Dalton &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Community engagement is super important for employee recruitment and retention because your employees and their families are tied to your community. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;During COVID, we ordered lunch at a different local restaurant each week for our employees, and it made a huge difference for these local businesses as well as kept up employee morale. It might not seem like a huge deal, but it really makes a difference.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Valerie Bentdahl - Director of Operations and HR at Jones Metal in Mankato &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We offer incumbent workforce training because technology is always changing, and we need to upskill our workforce if we want to stay relevant.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also have our more experienced operators help teach and build our training programs, so they have a say in how they’re run and that keeps them engaged over time.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lance Louis - President/CEO of Louis Industries in Paynesville &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People still think we’re a dark, dirty, dingy welding shop that’s stuck in the 1940s when in fact we’ve got some of the greatest technology produced in the world hidden away in rural Minnesota.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One way to combat those old stereotypes is using tools like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://k12navigator.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;K-12 Navigator&lt;/a&gt; that connects businesses to educational institutions as well as individual people looking to get into the manufacturing industry.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s about breaking down barriers so people can take tours and see what’s really going on beyond the walls and discover careers they didn’t know existed right in their community.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out a recording of this session and other past sessions, find a full slate of downloadable resources mentioned during the session, and access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And make sure to view all the Manufacturing Month resources at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/industry/manufacturing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN.com/Manufacturing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>595802</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>manufacturing</Title><Id>230118</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>September’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum provided some exciting and important updates from the Department of Vehicle Services, DEED and the Department of Education.  </Description><Audience/><Title>Driver’s License for All Highlighted at September’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Driver’s License for All Highlighted at September’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum </Title><title>2023-09-29-ww-recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-593514&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-29T19:43:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>September’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum provided some exciting and important updates from the Department of Vehicle Services, DEED and the Department of Education.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/road%20test_tcm1045-593513.PNG&quot; title=&quot;ww-road-test&quot; alt=&quot;ww-road-test&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ww-road-test&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;September’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum provided some exciting and important updates from the Department of Vehicle Services, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Department of Education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Driver’s License for All Begins October 1&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beginning in October, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/Pages/drivers-license-for-all.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Driver&apos;s License for All&lt;/a&gt; law will allow Minnesotans to apply for a standard class D instruction permit, driver&apos;s license or a standard identification card without the need to show proof of legal presence in the United States. The driver’s license manual for the written exam has been &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/forms-documents/Pages/default.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;translated into multiple languages, which you can find on their website&lt;/a&gt;, and the written exam will be available in eight languages at Department of Vehicle Services locations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An estimated 81,000 Minnesotans will become eligible for a driver&apos;s license when Driver&apos;s License for All goes into effect October 1. This new law will help make the roads safer for everyone by providing a legal path for more drivers to learn how to operate a vehicle safely and become properly certified to drive. It will also help New Americans who don’t currently have access to a driver’s license be able to legally drive to good employment further away from home, buy car insurance and open a bank account, among other positive changes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of Small Business and Innovation Overview&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s Executive Director of Small Business and Innovation Neela Mollgaard shared how her office connects Minnesota&apos;s small businesses and entrepreneurs to DEED’s available funding resources. Some of the programs she highlighted include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/launch-innovation/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants&lt;/a&gt;: Provide grants to innovative and scalable technology startup businesses in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/exporting/export-financing/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;STEP Grant&lt;/a&gt;: Provides financial and technical assistance to qualifying Minnesota small businesses with an active interest in exporting products or services to foreign markets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/nativeamerican/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Native American Business Loan&lt;/a&gt;: Supports the development of businesses owned and operated by Native Americans in Minnesota and promotes economic opportunities for American Indians people throughout Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/elp/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Emerging Entrepreneur Loan&lt;/a&gt;: Provides loans to businesses that are owned and operated by people of color, low-income persons, women, veterans and/or persons with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/promise-loan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Promise Loan&lt;/a&gt;: Provides loans to businesses, nonprofits and developers that have been adversely affected by structural racial discrimination, civil unrest, lack of access to capital, loss of population or an aging population, or lack of regional economic diversification.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Education Update&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Education has translated their Parent or Guardian Guide to School for Families New to the Country into &lt;a href=&quot;https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/ESEA/t3/imm/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;multiple languages available on their website&lt;/a&gt;. The handbook describes and explains the public school system in Minnesota and the role families can play in their child’s education. It is a practical guide to help parents or guardians understand their student’s rights as well as the opportunities and resources available to the families and students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0wqgjYh4D4&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch our discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>593514</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED and our Leading CareerForce Partner City of Minneapolis Employment and Training hosted the third annual Veterans &amp; Community Job Fair at the CareerForce location at in north Minneapolis.</Description><Audience/><Title>High Energy and Hope at CareerForce Job Fair in Minneapolis</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>High Energy and Hope at CareerForce Job Fair in Minneapolis</Title><title>2023-09-29 CF job fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-593708&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-29T16:33:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED and our Leading CareerForce Partner City of Minneapolis Employment and Training hosted the third annual Veterans &amp; Community Job Fair at the CareerForce location at in north Minneapolis.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/image000000_tcm1045-593700.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;job fair&quot; alt=&quot;job fair&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;job fair&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Earlier this week, DEED and our Leading CareerForce Partner City of Minneapolis Employment and Training hosted the third annual Veterans &amp;amp; Community Job Fair at the CareerForce location at 800 West Broadway in north Minneapolis. The energy in the room – full of employers and job seekers – was truly palpable. Job seekers visited with 40 employers hiring now for positions in Minneapolis and the surrounding community.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unemployment is low in Minnesota and that means employers face a tougher time finding candidates for their open positions. But as we’ve seen over the last six months, more and more Minnesotans are joining the labor force – and many of them are looking for jobs now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One person looking for work at the job fair yesterday was Andrea Lazarich, who met with eight employer recruiters and is looking for a position in accounting or supply chain management. She remarked, “It’s been great. There are so many employers here!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of those employers was Patrick Chavie, field service manager at TSBL Distributing in Anoka and a U.S. Military Veteran. TSBL sells and services soft-serve ice cream machines and other equipment for fast food restaurants throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Chavie set up a soft-serve ice cream machine in his booth to help draw in potential job applicants. It seemed to work well!  Here&apos;s what Chavie said: “It was awesome! We got a lot of leads in a short amount of time. There were a lot of people walking through there looking for employment, lots of traffic. I have a good feeling about it!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the event, job seekers and employers alike seemed buoyed by hope. There were many good-paying employment opportunities available – and employers were able to meet with a steady stream of people looking for work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was honored to help kick off the job fair with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Jonathan Weinhagen, the chair of Minneapolis Workforce Development Board and president &amp;amp; CEO at the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce. DEED CareerForce Minneapolis Manager Leona Martin emceed the event, which came together with strong support from CareerForce Veterans Employment Services Director Ray Douha, Local Veterans Employment Representative Robert Willis and the entire CareerForce team in Minneapolis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/group%20photo%20north%20minneapolis_tcm1045-593702.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;group photo&quot; alt=&quot;group photo&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;group photo&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event helped celebrate Workforce Development Month, a time during which DEED and our workforce development partners highlight efforts to connect Minnesotans to high-growth, high-demand jobs through job training and workforce development programs. Of course, that work continues all year – and thanks to the additional funding DEED secured during the past legislative session, we’ll have even more tools to do that work successfully.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Helping people get prepared for a successful job search with the right skills for in-demand employment is critical. During the last legislative session, DEED secured more than $216.5 million for our Employment and Training Programs over the next two years. This includes three new programs: the Targeted Populations Workforce Grants, $50 million to support workforce development in historically overlooked communities; the Drive for Five program, $20 million to build up Minnesota’s workforce in five fields with in-demand, high-growth jobs; and the $3 million Clean Economy Equitable Workforce grant program to create a pipeline of workers from Black, Indigenous and Communities of Color. We also doubled funding for DEED’s existing youth workforce training programs, projected to serve more than 38,000 young Minnesotans over the next two years.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a critical time – during low unemployment and high worker demand – to help people who may have become discouraged in their job search to reengage with the labor force. In Minnesota, the CareerForce system is made up of DEED and Local Workforce Development Area staff and nonprofit partners. CareerForce serves all Minnesota job seekers at no cost to those looking for work. Anyone can get assistance with their resume, preparing for a job interview and developing a solid job search strategy. CareerForce staff can also help determine if a person is eligible for additional support, like no-cost training programs. I invite Minnesotans to get the career exploration and job search help they need at a CareerForce location near them by visiting &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/locations&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN.com/locations&lt;/a&gt; or by calling 651-259-7500.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>593708</id><Tag><Description/><Title>job fair</Title><Id>230126</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>veterans</Title><Id>230116</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We spent the last full day of our business development mission meeting with several Japanese companies that operate in Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>Thursday Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Thursday Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><title>2023-09-14 Japan Trade Mission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-592021&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-14T13:18:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>We spent the last full day of our business development mission meeting with several Japanese companies that operate in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We spent the last full day of our business development mission meeting with several Japanese companies that operate in Minnesota, making today&apos;s agenda one that underscores the importance of the relationship between our state and this country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First we joined Kanomax, Inc., a manufacturer of precision electrical measurement equipment that operates a subsidiary in White Bear Lake. We thanked the company for their ongoing investment in our state through that subsidiary, Kanomax FMT, which specializes in research and development, sales and manufacturing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/kanomax_tcm1045-592022.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Kanomax Inc Meeting&quot; alt=&quot;Kanomax Inc Meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;kanomax&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our next stop was Yanmar Holdings, a diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer that operates in Grand Rapids. Yanmar recently broke ground on a $10 million, 32,000 square foot expansion, adding production capacity and about 200 new jobs. We congratulated them on their expansion – and their &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/552162&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2022 Governor&apos;s Trade Award&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/yanmar_tcm1045-592024.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Yanmar Holdings Meeting&quot; alt=&quot;Yanmar Holdings Meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;yanmar&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We then visited Nidec Corp., the world&apos;s largest engine manufacturer and owner of Kato Engineering, a North Mankato generator manufacturer. We discussed Nidec&apos;s supply chain for magnets and other raw materials, and possible opportunities for Nidec&apos;s products to support industrial decarbonization in pursuit of Minnesota&apos;s climate goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kanomax, Yanmar and Nidec are three of nearly 50 Japanese companies operating in Minnesota. In total, all these companies have invested nearly $2.1 billion in Minnesota and generate 10,800 jobs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s economic relationship with Japan creates good jobs and spurs investment across the state. I believe this business development mission has fostered even closer ties with this important ally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To that end, one of the final events on our trip was a Minnesota Luncheon with the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In front of a crowd of business leaders, Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan and I shared the good news about Minnesota&apos;s economy – our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/584394&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;nation-leading business climate&lt;/a&gt;, our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/587569&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;skilled and growing workforce&lt;/a&gt; – before being joined by our partners who traveled with us on this mission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leading Minnesota economic development agencies, including Destination Medical Center, the Medical Alley Association, and Greater MSP, discussed the business opportunities Minnesota presents for Japanese companies. Local elected officials, including the mayors of Bloomington, Brooklyn Park and Stillwater, shared their experiences and strategies working directly with Japanese businesses who have operations in their cities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/mayors-luncheon_tcm1045-592023.jpg&quot; title=&quot;mayors-luncheon&quot; alt=&quot;mayors-luncheon&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mayors-luncheon&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This has been a meaningful and productive trip for Minnesota workers, communities and companies looking to do business with our friends in Japan and around the world! As we return home from my first international business development mission as DEED commissioner, I&apos;m reminded of the great opportunity for Minnesota to be a leader in the global economy. And I&apos;m more committed than ever to helping DEED build a Minnesota economy that works, for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>592021</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>September’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted both the obstacles and opportunities that come with hiring second chance workers.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Setting Up Second Chance Workers for Success</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Setting Up Second Chance Workers for Success</Title><title>2023-09-13 WW September Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-591736&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-13T19:40:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>September’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted both the obstacles and opportunities that come with hiring second chance workers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/proud_tcm1045-591816.PNG&quot; title=&quot;prowd program screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;prowd program screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 252px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;prowd program screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;September’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted the opportunities and potential obstacles tied to hiring second chance workers. We heard from a panel of employers and subject matter experts who shared available tools, programs and partnerships that help employers better reach second chance community members. Following is some of their great advice:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Richard Owen - Founder and Executive Director, Fair Chance Employer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A good approach for all organizations is to give every potential new hire a background check, so that every applicant is treated the same.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don’t run background checks on individuals until a job offer has been extended and accepted by the applicant.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jeanette Reuter - Human Resources Manager, Martin-Brower&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When interviewing second chance candidates, make sure they’re treated the same as any other applicant.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide some coaching to new hires during the onboarding process so they have the best chance possible of succeeding in a new work environment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rachael Okerlund - Employer Engagement Specialist/PROWD Program Manager, DEED&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Mark Schultz - Training and Development Lead/PROWD Program Manager, DEED&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rachel and Mark shared information on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/?id=1045-548496&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development (PROWD) program&lt;/a&gt; that helps incarcerated individuals prepare for and find employment in Minnesota after their release from federal correctional facilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They also mentioned the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bonds4jobs.com/about-us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Federal Bonding Program&lt;/a&gt; which provides fidelity bonds to employers for hard-to-place jobseekers to help break down employment barriers to justice-involved individuals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, find a full slate of downloadable resources mentioned during September&apos;s session, and access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>591736</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Hello from Osaka, the latest stop on our business development mission to better connect Minnesota to Japanese companies and customers.</Description><Audience/><Title>Wednesday Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Wednesday Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><title>2023-09-13 Japan Trade Mission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-591803&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-13T13:18:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hello from Osaka, the latest stop on our business development mission to better connect Minnesota to Japanese companies and customers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello from Osaka, the latest stop on our business development mission to better connect Minnesota to Japanese companies and customers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today we went from Tokyo to Kyoto on a bullet train. It is a fascinating way to travel – an exceptionally fast trip that illustrates the incredible economic and societal benefits of investing in future-ready infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before we left Tokyo, we met with a delegation led by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at the Food Style Japan trade show to tour the U.S. Meat Export Federation pavilion, which includes more than 10 companies selling U.S. beef and pork products for the Japanese market. Our colleagues – from the Department of Agriculture, state legislature and the ag sector – are here to promote Minnesota&apos;s agriculture industry and celebrate the history of trade between Japan and Minnesota. Japan represents 8% of Minnesota&apos;s food and agricultural exports, or about $752 million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Kyoto, we visited ARKRAY, Inc., a health and well-being company focused on medical testing systems for hospitals, research institutions, clinics and patients, and functional food materials. Several years ago, ARKRAY moved their United States headquarters from Indiana to Minneapolis to be better-situated with Minnesota&apos;s Medical Alley – another important partner joining us on this business development mission. We thanked ARKRAY for helping make Minnesota a global med-tech hotspot and discussed ways we can grow the industry and further support the company in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/arkray-demonstrating-a1c-testing-device_tcm1045-591904.jpg&quot; title=&quot;arkray-demonstrating-a1c-testing-device&quot; alt=&quot;arkray-demonstrating-a1c-testing-device&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;arkray-demonstrating-a1c-testing-device&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This trip has been very successful. We have held productive and informative meetings with several important Japanese business and political leaders, and Gov. Walz has highlighted &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/591903&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;major new commitments from companies investing in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. We are excited to continue our mission on Thursday before returning home this weekend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/arkray-presentation_tcm1045-591905.jpg&quot; title=&quot;arkray-presentation&quot; alt=&quot;arkray-presentation&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;arkray-presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>591803</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:31:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Our Business Development Mission in Japan is in full-swing, and today we had many opportunities to deepen our mutually beneficial relationships with Japanese companies.</Description><Audience/><Title>Tuesday Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Tuesday Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><title>2023-09-12 Japan Trade Mission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-591738&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-12T13:18:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Our Business Development Mission in Japan is in full-swing, and today we had many opportunities to deepen our mutually beneficial relationships with Japanese companies.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Business Development Mission in Japan is in full-swing, and today we had many opportunities to deepen our mutually beneficial relationships with Japanese companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today our delegation met with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), an important nonprofit, government-related organization that provides business support services to companies expanding to Japan. More than 30 Minnesota companies operate 1,000 business locations in Japan and JETRO&apos;s support is crucial to their success. We discussed how Minnesota is a hub for innovation and skilled workers, and noted we&apos;re ready to partner with Japanese businesses on areas of mutual interest in the years ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We then visited Sumitomo Chemical, which is one of the longest-tenured Japanese companies operating in Minnesota through their ownership stake in MGK Insect Control Solutions. MGK is an export powerhouse, selling to customers in over 60 countries. We look forward to further collaboration on sustainability and the environment with Sumitomo in the years ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/japan-external-trade-organization_tcm1045-591748.jpg&quot; title=&quot;japan-external-trade-organization&quot; alt=&quot;japan-external-trade-organization&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;japan-external-trade-organization&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/sumitomo-chemical_tcm1045-591749.jpg&quot; title=&quot;sumitomo-chemical&quot; alt=&quot;sumitomo-chemical&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;sumitomo-chemical&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan and I had the honor of meeting with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. We discussed our shared commitment to combating climate change, including Tokyo&apos;s goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and Minnesota&apos;s progress toward 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Later, we participated in a roundtable hosted by the Japanese Business Federation Keidanren, alongside Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse, Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston and Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski. We took this opportunity to discuss Minnesota&apos;s strong business climate – we are ranked as the 5th best state for business in the U.S. – and our efforts to grow our highly skilled workforce. These conditions make Minnesota an attractive place for Japanese companies to invest – nearly 50 companies headquartered in Japan operate 120 business locations in Minnesota, employing 10,800 people in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our DEED team next met with leadership from Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), whose American subsidiary operates its head office in Chaska. TEL develops systems that are used in semiconductor and emerging nanotechnology manufacturing – critical high-tech industries that set up both Japan and Minnesota as leaders in creating a next-generation economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/tokyo-electron-limited_tcm1045-591750.jpg&quot; title=&quot;tokyo-electron-limited&quot; alt=&quot;tokyo-electron-limited&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;tokyo-electron-limited&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, we closed the day by hosting business and political leaders at a reception celebrating the deep ties between Minnesota and Japan: the dozens of companies that call both places home, the growing trade market that benefits customers on both sides of the Pacific and the long-established friendship between us. Ours is a historic relationship: did you know the first sister city between a U.S. city and anywhere in Asia was established in 1955 between Nagasaki and Saint Paul?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/japan-minnesota-reception_tcm1045-591751.jpg&quot; title=&quot;japan-minnesota-reception&quot; alt=&quot;japan-minnesota-reception&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;japan-minnesota-reception&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With these ties in mind, we are excited to continue our mission promoting Minnesota in Japan the rest of the week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>591738</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Greetings from Japan, where I am joining DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office in leading a Business Development Mission with Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.</Description><Audience/><Title>Weekend Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Weekend Highlights from Minnesota&apos;s Business Development Mission to Japan</Title><title>2023-09-11 Japan Trade Mission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-591466&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-11T13:18:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Greetings from Japan, where I am joining DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office in leading a Business Development Mission with Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Greetings from Japan, where I am joining DEED&apos;s Minnesota Trade Office in leading a Business Development Mission with Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Japan is an integral trading partner for our state. Nearly 50 companies operating 120 business locations in Minnesota are headquartered in Japan, making it one of the top countries in the world for investment in Minnesota. Japan is our fourth largest export market, with sales worth more than $1.1 billion in 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The strong business, educational, cultural and social ties between Minnesota and Japan make this relationship especially fruitful, and we are excited to find opportunities to deepen our cooperation and friendship during this mission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am pleased to update you on the key developments taking place during this trip, beginning with a series of important meetings over the weekend and on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Sunday, I met with Mr. Jun Yanagi, the new Consul-General of Japan in Chicago, joined by Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski and Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse. We discussed our shared priorities and interests, and I highlighted Minnesota&apos;s vibrant culture of innovation, favorable business environment, strong work on climate change and initiatives for children and families that support a stronger workforce. I encouraged Consul-General Yanagi to visit Minnesota to become familiar with our state and businesses on a deeper level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/mayors-japan-kevin-matt_tcm1045-591467.jpg&quot; title=&quot;mayors-japan-kevin-matt&quot; alt=&quot;mayors-japan-kevin-matt&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mayors-japan-kevin-matt&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the evening, we joined a reception to kick off the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference in Tokyo, where the theme is &quot;Shaping a Sustainable Future Together.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/japan-governor-lt-governor-commissioner_tcm1045-591468.jpg&quot; title=&quot;japan-governor-lt-governor-commissioner&quot; alt=&quot;japan-governor-lt-governor-commissioner&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;japan-governor-lt-governor-commissioner&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, we kicked off the conference by sharing our vision to Build What Matters here in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/iVG9sn7qFIE?feature=shared&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/join-us-mn-japan_tcm1045-591482.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Click to play video&quot; alt=&quot;Click to play video&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;join-us-mn-japan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were then pleased to meet with leadership from Sanken Electrical Corporation, the parent company of Polar Semiconductor, which operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bloomington. We thanked Sanken for their investments in our state and their contributions to making Minnesota a national leader in high-tech manufacturing, and discussed DEED initiatives to grow our manufacturing sector even further.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Later, I joined Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, the Japanese Women&apos;s Leadership Initiative (JWLI) and the Fish Family Foundation for a roundtable to hear perspectives from women leaders in Japan. We are focused on making Minnesota the best place to raise a family and the most attractive place for workers to locate, and supporting women is central to our vision. I shared details about how we&apos;re supporting women in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, we had the opportunity to visit Digital Affairs Minister Taro Kono, who is leading efforts to digitize his country. We highlighted the ways Minnesota has supported Japanese digital transitions before – did you know Minnesotan engineers from Pequot Lakes were key to helping Tokyo transition to digital electric meters starting nearly 10 years ago?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It has been a busy and productive start to our Japan mission. I am honored to represent Minnesota&apos;s businesses and workers here, and to share a little bit of our culture with our Japanese friends. For instance, one of our greatest cultural exports, Charles Schultz&apos;s Snoopy, is a popular character in Japan. So we knew we had to bring some Snoopy swag with us for our mission!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/snoopy_tcm1045-591478.jpg&quot; title=&quot;snoopy name tag - just one flight away!&quot; alt=&quot;snoopy name tag - just one flight away!&quot; style=&quot;width: 65%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;snoopy&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am looking forward to updating you further tomorrow.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Matt Varilek</Author><id>591466</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>I met with accessible technology providers to explore the products they produce and provide. </Description><Audience/><Title>Exploring the World of Accessible Technology</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Exploring the World of Accessible Technology</Title><title>2023-08-24 Accessible Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-589039&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-24T13:18:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>I met with accessible technology providers to explore the products they produce and provide. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This summer, I got to visit with two Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) partners that are revolutionizing accessible technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I started at the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley, one of the top inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation service providers in the state, supporting Minnesotans with disabilities through physical, speech and occupational therapy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathy Woods is Courage Kenny&apos;s Manager of Driver Assessment and Training. Driving is a critical skillset that makes opportunities accessible. Kathy and her team work with clients to see whether they can learn to drive safely, which requires a detailed assessment and support. Kathy&apos;s team then helps the individual secure any needed accommodations to do so successfully.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-1_tcm1045-589040.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Woman stands next to two steering wheels used to test driving capabilities.&quot; alt=&quot;Woman stands next to two steering wheels used to test driving capabilities.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, we checked out the assistive technology. Matt White, an occupational therapist and Courage Kenny&apos;s Assistive Technology Supervisor, showed off many fascinating tools and technologies — from e-ink monitors (which are high-contrast and easier to view for people with vision loss) to a spoon that senses which direction is up and automatically adjusts, making it easier for people with tremors or other physical disabilities to eat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-2_tcm1045-589041.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A high contrast E-ink monitor&quot; alt=&quot;A high contrast E-ink monitor&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-3_tcm1045-589042.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A man holding a spoon that wraps around his hand.&quot; alt=&quot;A man holding a spoon that wraps around his hand.&quot; style=&quot;width: 35%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But one of the most interesting tools I saw is, in many ways, one of the simplest: a little plastic box that holds playing cards. What makes this so interesting isn&apos;t what it is, but how it&apos;s made: with a 3D printer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-4_tcm1045-589043.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A blue piece of plastic holding seven playing cards.&quot; alt=&quot;A blue piece of plastic holding seven playing cards.&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-4&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3D printing has already revolutionized product design, architecture, medicine, aerospace and education by making it faster, easier and cheaper to test prototypes. And today, 3D printing is making it easier to create solutions that meet the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3D printing enables the fabrication of adaptive tools and accessories that enhance accessibility. These tools can be designed to aid individuals with motor impairments, visual impairments or other disabilities. For example, custom grips for utensils or tools, tactile maps, Braille labels and adapted smartphone cases can all be produced using 3D printing. Courage Kenny&apos;s Innovation Lab prints a variety of tools that support their clients.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-5_tcm1045-589050.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A 3D printer&quot; alt=&quot;A 3D printer&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-5 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The open-source nature of 3D printing has led to a strong online community focused on designing and sharing accessible technology solutions. Now, you can go online and collaborate, share designs and improve existing solutions. This collective effort fosters innovation and expands the availability of accessible technology. It&apos;s also fast. Rather than waiting weeks for a product to ship to your door, you can download a pattern, print it and start using it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I also visited the STAR (A System of Technology to Achieve Results) Program hosted by the Department of Administration. STAR serves as a lending library for accessible technology. You can try out a particular item or tool before committing to buy it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-6_tcm1045-589045.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Five people standing together with a service dog on the right.&quot; alt=&quot;Five people standing together with a service dog on the right.&quot; style=&quot;width: 55%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-6&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;From left: Assistant Commissioner Betsy Hayes, Department of Administration; Amy Perron, STAR Program Director; E Walls, Assistive Technology Support Specialist; John Bredehoft, VRS Assistive Technology Lead; John Hess, State Services for the Blind (SSB) Assistive Technology Lead; John’s dog (and honorary SSB employee) Major&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-7_tcm1045-589046.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Amy demonstrates a high-contrast magnifier&quot; alt=&quot;Amy demonstrates a high-contrast magnifier&quot; style=&quot;width: 45%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-7&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Amy demonstrates a high-contrast magnifier, which can be used by people with vision loss to read written materials more easily.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/at-blog-image-8_tcm1045-589047.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A man tries out an adaptive fishing pole that’s designed for one-handed use.&quot; alt=&quot;A man tries out an adaptive fishing pole that’s designed for one-handed use.&quot; style=&quot;width: 45%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-blog-image-8&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;John Hess from DEED’s State Services for the Blind (SSB) team tries out an adaptive fishing pole that’s designed for one-handed use.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John Bredehoft on DEED&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services&lt;/a&gt; (VRS) team joined me for both visits. John is an Accessible Technology specialist, helping clients identify technology solutions that improve their lives. VRS will be working with its partners throughout the state to increase opportunities for clients to use accessible technology, and make it easier to find and keep competitive, integrated employment and live better lives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/ssb/about/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State Services for the Blind&lt;/a&gt; (SSB) and VRS are two incredible DEED programs that offer services to Minnesotans with disabilities to make life and employment more accessible. SSB assists Minnesotans who are blind, DeafBlind, losing vision or who have a disability that makes it difficult to read print by offering tools and training for employment, living independently and accessing print. VRS helps people with disabilities prepare for, find and keep a job, and live as independently as possible by offering services like job training, access to VRS counselors and more.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe</Author><id>589039</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors began a statewide tour to preview upcoming Workforce Development Grant opportunities to focus on new funding opportunities from the 2023 legislative session.</Description><Audience/><Title>Community Engagement Sessions Continue for Upcoming Workforce Grant Opportunities</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Engagement Sessions Continue for Upcoming Workforce Grant Opportunities</Title><title>2023-08-10 Community Engagement Sessions</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-586997&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-10T18:18:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors began a statewide tour to preview upcoming Workforce Development Grant opportunities to focus on new funding opportunities from the 2023 legislative session.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the ways DEED works with partners is through competitive grants, which create opportunities for organizations to access state dollars tied to DEED&apos;s mission. DEED Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development Marc Majors &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/576920&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;began a statewide tour in May to preview upcoming Workforce Development Grant opportunities&lt;/a&gt;, and will now continue the tour to focus on new funding opportunities coming out of the 2023 legislative session, including: &lt;strong&gt;Targeted Populations, Drive for Five, CanTrain (adult-use cannabis) and Clean Energy&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deputy Commissioner Majors will resume the tour on August 15. We invite partners and other workforce development stakeholders to join us at one of the following statewide gatherings as he shares details about upcoming funding opportunities:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/community-engagement-sessions-wfd_tcm1045-587180.png&quot; title=&quot;A list of community engagement sessions&quot; alt=&quot;A list of community engagement sessions&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;community-engagement-sessions-wfd 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>586997</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>August’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted the importance of recognizing employees who are also working caregivers.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Caregiving and the Workplace </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Caregiving and the Workplace </Title><title>2023-08-07 WW August Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-586715&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-08T16:58:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>August’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted the importance of recognizing employees who are also working caregivers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/WW-%20August_tcm1045-586713.PNG&quot; title=&quot;WW- August&quot; alt=&quot;WW- August&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: 278px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;WW- August&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;August’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted the importance of recognizing employees who are also working caregivers. A caregiver can be anyone caring for parents, children, friends, neighbors or loved ones. We heard from a panel of subject matter experts who shared ways employers can better support working caregivers in their organizations. We heard some great advice, which you can read below:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maureen Kenney - Live Well at Home Supervisor, Department of Human Services&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;First recognize that employees might not consider themselves caregivers. They see themselves as a spouse, parent, or neighbor instead of a caregiver. That term might never be something they use for themselves.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Focus on understanding the impact that a person engaged in caregiving can have on the workplace and how as a business, it’s important to listen and learn how you can create a space that is supportive to them.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Knowing and providing the relevant resources for caregiving employees right away is helpful, because then they will be less distracted at work trying to find those resources themselves and they can better focus on their work.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Matt Carlson - Child Care Capacity Building Coordinator, Child Care Aware of MN &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When exploring ways to better support your workers who have childcare needs, it’s best to start small. Start by establishing a partnership with a nearby childcare center and offering subsidized childcare slots for your employees.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For larger organizations with lots of childcare needs, it might be beneficial to create a childcare center onsite at your business as a huge incentive in attracting and retaining talent.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leah Budnik - Child Care Start-up and Retention Navigator, Child Care Aware of MN-NE Region 3&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Childcare is a tough business. The cost of caring for young children is very high and the current business model doesn’t really work so they struggle to stay open.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As an employer, if you’re able to assist a local childcare business financially by splitting administrative or custodial costs with the childcare employer, that support can be huge for childcare providers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, find a full slate of downloadable resources mentioned during August&apos;s session, and access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>586715</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce wednesday</Title><Id>586714</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>I’m excited to share that DEED is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs.</Description><Audience/><Title>Putting out the call for community reviewers</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Putting out the call for community reviewers</Title><title>2023-07-27 Community Reviewers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-585827&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-27T18:20:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>I’m excited to share that DEED is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/call-for-community-reviewers_tcm1045-585830.png&quot; title=&quot;call-for-community-reviewers&quot; alt=&quot;call-for-community-reviewers&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;call-for-community-reviewers&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the new Director of Public Engagement at DEED, I&apos;m excited to put out our agency&apos;s &lt;strong&gt;call for community reviewers&lt;/strong&gt;. I&apos;m passionate about the role of community reviewers as I firmly believe in the transformative power of collective knowledge and the immense value of diverse perspectives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout my 16-year tenure in the nonprofit sector, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact that meaningful conversations and community engagement have on fostering equitable access to funding and creating more inclusive communities. Moreover, community reviewers act as catalysts for collaboration and shared responsibility within the community. This collaborative approach not only drives innovation but strengthens the collective knowledge base – enabling us to tackle our state&apos;s challenges more effectively.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m excited to share that DEED is looking to &lt;strong&gt;recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers&lt;/strong&gt; for competitive workforce development grant programs – for programs such as Pathways to Prosperity (P2P), Career Pathways, Bridge to Career, small business, Launch Minnesota, etc. during fall 2023 and winter 2023-24. We&apos;re committed to including more diverse voices and perspectives in our grantmaking process – and including community reviewers is an important way to do this. We value the community reviewer process across the agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We believe a more inclusive process can help us make funding decisions that better support our commitment to reducing employment disparities in Minnesota. We&apos;re looking for community reviewers with lived experiences tied to DEED&apos;s competitive grants. We&apos;re also looking for reviewers who are aware of current challenges that job seekers face – people with this experience bring an important voice to the table in our decision-making. DEED has recruited community reviewers for our employment and training grants including P2P, Career Pathways, small business, etc. before, and we are excited to again leverage community members&apos; experience and perspectives in the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to having important personal experience, prospective community reviewers should have an interest in workforce development, as well as experience in grantmaking, financial/lending/Community Development Financial Institution (CDFIs), education, training, workforce, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and/or a related area. DEED also requires community reviewers to participate in a short online training session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are seeking individuals with diverse community backgrounds, subject matter expertise and an interest in community advancement. We ask that community reviewers be able to dedicate 20-40 hours to read grant proposals over the course of 2-3 weeks. Grant reviewers will read approximately 6-12 proposals during September and/or October. Proposals are generally 12-15 pages in length, with additional supporting and budget documents that need to be reviewed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED will provide a small stipend to community reviewers who meet eligibility requirements, complete training and review proposals on time, and complete the required process to receive payments. Community reviewers are also invited to complete an online post-review survey to share feedback on the process and improve future processes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Please consider applying to be a community reviewer today – or pass along this information to others in your networks!&lt;/strong&gt; Having community reviewers from diverse background helps DEED make important grantmaking decisions – it&apos;s a true collaboration. By engaging diverse stakeholders, maintaining high-quality standards and fostering collaboration, community reviewers contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the improvement of projects and the holistic growth of individuals and communities in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ready to apply to be a community reviewer?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please complete this short &lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjAk6Osu1hrpBjGX_l1QkwIlUMlA4TzVRM09IT0NJWlVENzQ5SjhQUjA4TC4u&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;online application form&lt;/a&gt; to let us know you&apos;re interested. But act fast! &lt;strong&gt;The application will close on Tuesday, August 15 at 4:30 p.m.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have more questions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us for one of our two optional &lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTg3NzRhNjEtY2Y0OS00OGEyLWE4ZGYtMzk1ZjFiMTVmMzQ3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cb3a3a09-86b5-41ba-8c65-ff975424c089%22%7d&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;community reviewer information sessions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (both sessions are virtual). The sessions will include the same information. One of the sessions will be recorded and posted on our YouTube page if you aren&apos;t able to attend virtually. DATES: &lt;strong&gt;August 7 (virtual) and August 11 (virtual and recorded).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reviewer training sessions&lt;/strong&gt; (all contain the same information) are slated for &lt;strong&gt;August 17&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;August 23, August 31 and October 17&lt;/strong&gt; for individuals selected to serve as community reviewers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share this opportunity with your friends and networks. We need your help finding community members who want to get involved! If you have questions, email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:askDEED@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AskDEED@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Public Engagement Director Ekta Prakash</Author><id>585827</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>July’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted strategies for growing and expanding a business in Minnesota with the help of DEED’s Economic Development team. </Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Business Development Program Overview</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday Recap: Business Development Program Overview</Title><title>2023-07-11-ww-july-recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-584234&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-12T20:11:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>July’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted strategies for growing and expanding a business in Minnesota with the help of DEED’s Economic Development team. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/WW%20July_tcm1045-584222.PNG&quot; title=&quot;ww-july&quot; alt=&quot;ww-july&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ww-july&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;July’s Workforce Wednesday discussion highlighted strategies for growing and expanding a business in Minnesota with the help of DEED’s Economic Development team. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s Office of Business Development Executive Director, Catalina Valencia, gave an overview of how her team can assist Minnesota businesses of any size and at every stage of their lifecycle, as well as the communities where they’re located. Some of the offices mentioned include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Office&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Helps start-ups and small businesses by increasing capital, connectivity, and capacity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/exporting/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Trade Office&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Supports businesses looking to expand globally and foreign-owned businesses seeking to expand or establish a location in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/joinusmn/doing-business-here/location-expansion-assistance/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Business Development Office&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Supports companies seeking to relocate, consolidate or expand in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Business Finance Office&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Provides or administers various business financing programs and grants to help companies and communities retain jobs and create new high-quality jobs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/infrastructure/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Community Finance Office&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Provides financial assistance to communities for infrastructure projects that spur growth. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Broadband Office&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; – Connects stakeholders with each other and the resources they need to improve broadband access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In addition, David Heyer, Foreign Trade Zone and Business Development Manager at DEED, spoke about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/ed/location-expansion/assistance/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;expansion assistance&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Danielle Kressin, Grant Coordinator for Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership at DEED, spoke about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Training grants available with DEED&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employers, Charli Champagne, Workforce Development Manager at NFI Group and Linda Haensel, HR Director at Yanmar also were guest panelists, discussing their interaction with DEED’s grants and programs and the assistance they have received.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a partial recording (only part of the session was recorded due to technical difficulties) of this session and recordings from other past sessions, plus find a full slate of downloadable resources mentioned during July&apos;s session on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/workforce-wednesday-recordings-and-resources-past-sessions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday archive page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>584234</id><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The new grants management system makes finding and applying for grants easier than ever.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Launches Innovative New Grants Management System with $14 Million Pathways to Prosperity RFP</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Launches Innovative New Grants Management System with $14 Million Pathways to Prosperity RFP</Title><title>2023-07-11 IntelliGrants</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-584044&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-11T16:35:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>The new grants management system makes finding and applying for grants easier than ever.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is thrilled to announce the launch of our new online &lt;a href=&quot;https://mndeedgrants.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Grants Management System&lt;/a&gt;. The goal of the new system is to provide grant seekers with information about DEED&apos;s numerous grants and make it easy for them to efficiently manage their grant applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED and stakeholders alike will benefit from the online grants management system. DEED&apos;s Grants Management System supports applicants through the entire grantmaking cycle, from the initial RFP to awarding and contracting to grant closeout and internal reporting. DEED&apos;s Grants Management System will make the grant process easier and more accessible for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first grant applications available through DEED&apos;s Grants Management System are three &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) programs&lt;/a&gt;: On-Ramp to Career Pathways, Bridge to Career Pathways and Individualized Training Pathways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/rfp-on-ramp-career_tcm1045-583880.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;On-Ramp to Career Pathways&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; will reach Minnesotans interested in earning a certificate and/or improving their employment skills.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/rfp-bridge-career_tcm1045-583878.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Bridge to Career Pathways&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; will reach Minnesotans seeking to improve skills or obtain new skills to earn an industry recognized credential in line with the Regional Workforce Development Area (RWDA).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/rfp-individualized-training_tcm1045-583879.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Individualized Training Pathways (P2P ITP)&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; will reach Minnesotans seeking training in four targeted specific industry sectors: Healthcare, Information Technology, Skilled Trades and Advanced Manufacturing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of the three P2P programs seeks to help build career pathways through removing barriers by increasing navigation of career services and career training opportunities. There is $14.3 million in funding available over the next two years to fund all three programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other DEED grant funding opportunities will be added to DEED&apos;s Grants Management System over time, including the Small Business Assistance Partnership program in the next few weeks, employment and training programs early this fall and broadband development grants later this year. To find out if the application submission will be through DEED&apos;s Grants Management System, please refer to the submission instructions in the Request for Proposals (RFP) for each grant funding opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope grant seekers will quickly experience the value in moving our manual grants processes into this new system!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>584044</id><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insight into important labor market trends. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2023-07-05 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-583573&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-05T20:29:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insight into important labor market trends. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends is the LMI Office&apos;s annual state-of-the-state issue, which provides an overview of Minnesota&apos;s labor market and job trends plus takes a closer look at each of the state&apos;s six regions. Other articles in this issue examine direct care workforce challenges, highlight a new tool that visualizes industry concentration in different parts of the state and more, and provide background on the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Select a title below to view the full article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/foreword.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Foreword to June 2023 State of the State Trends Issue&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Angelina Nguyễn, Director of DEED&apos;s LMI Office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/state-state.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Year In Review: Minnesota&apos;s Labor Market&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s extremely tight labor market remains a central feature of the state&apos;s economic landscape. The worker shortage continues to constrain job growth in the state, but more people are slowly joining the labor market, easing tightness. Get details on long-standing demographic trends as well as other more recent developments in this overview of the state of the state&apos;s current labor market situation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/central.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Central Region Shows Resilience&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Minnesota, like all regions of Minnesota and most parts of the country, is facing a tight labor market that is likely constraining job growth across multiple industry sectors. But Central Minnesota is showing resilience, with a strong job rebound from losses during the early days of the pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/northeast.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Labor Force and Unemployment Decline in Northeast Region&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Post-pandemic economic recovery continues in Northeast Minnesota yet remains incomplete. As of 2022, the region had regained less than half of the jobs lost during the early days of the pandemic, likely due in large part to a lack of available workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/northwest.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The State of the Northwest Minnesota Labor Market Is Driven by Demand&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Northwest Minnesota&apos;s supply of labor is constrained by an aging population, this trend has been in play since 2011 when the Baby Boomer generation began reaching the traditional retirement age of 65.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/southeast.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Building a Career in Southeast Minnesota: Exploring Workforce Options, Tech Schools, and Apprenticeships&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With a strong and growing economy, more and more recent high school graduates in Southeast Minnesota are choosing not to pursue a four-year college degree and instead are entering the workforce. The tight labor market is pushing up wages and pushing down educational requirements for some positions, creating a favorable job market for recent graduates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/southwest.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Navigating Changes in Southwest Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Southwest Minnesota&apos;s economy stands at a critical juncture as it navigates an aging population, declining labor force, and changing industry trends. By embracing proactive strategies, the region can overcome these challenges and position itself for long-term success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/metro.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Twin Cities&apos; Labor Market in 2023&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The region&apos;s labor market has steadily recovered over the past several years, recently reaching both historical lows for unemployment and historical highs for job vacancies. This article analyzes regional labor market trends for 2022 and the beginning of 2023, focusing on labor force conditions, industry trends, and hiring demand.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/direct-care.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Direct Care Workforce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The people who provide care to elders and Minnesotans with disabilities do work that is absolutely critical to the health and wellbeing of some of the state&apos;s most vulnerable residents. Unfortunately, many people left positions in home-, community- and facility-based care during the pandemic and there aren&apos;t currently enough workers to replace them. This article describes employment, wages and job openings in direct care and what could be done to address the workforce shortage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/location.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;New Location Quotient Tool Visualizes Relative Concentration of Employment by Industry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find out where employment for an industry is concentrated in Minnesota – and find out which industries are most concentrated in particular parts of the state. Explore this information and more through a new DEED Labor Market Information Office tool detailed in this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/jolts.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Job Openings &amp;amp; Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and the Tightest Labor Markets in the US&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics beginning in late 2021, provides supplemental detail to the monthly employment report. This article provides an overview of what JOLTS tracks, explores JOLTS uses, and identifies the states with the tightest labor markets based on recent data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/comparison.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;A comparison of the Job Vacancy Survey and the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How are Minnesota&apos;s Job Vacancy Survey (JVS) and JOLTS similar – and how do they differ? This article also provides a comparison of Minnesota&apos;s JOLTS job openings estimates and JVS data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles going back to 1993 on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>583573</id><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>June&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on how leadership impacts culture and retention in a job seeker’s market.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Leveraging Leadership as a Retention Tool </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Leveraging Leadership as a Retention Tool </Title><title>2023-06-28 WW June Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-582792&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-28T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>June&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on how leadership impacts culture and retention in a job seeker’s market.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;June&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on how leadership impacts culture and retention in a job seeker&apos;s market. We heard from a panel of employers and subject matter experts who discussed how to make leadership your organization&apos;s secret weapon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To kick off the discussion, Workforce Strategy Consultant James Whirlwind Soldier shared some statistics around leadership and retention. According to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://peregrineglobal.com/factors-affect-employee-retention/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;study by Peregrine Global Services&lt;/a&gt;, 75% of workers who voluntarily leave their jobs, did so because of their bosses and not the position itself. With that statistic, we heard some great advice from our panel which you can read below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Paula Chapulis, Founder of Aiyana Coaching&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Leadership needs to recognize the importance of mental health and wellness for their employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People in leadership roles need to recognize their own mental health first, so they can help address their employees&apos; mental health and wellness needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jenn Aranda, Assistant Professor of Leadership and Civic Engagement at the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Retention is not about just retaining your employees, it&apos;s also about recognizing and growing the talent you have within your company already.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I&apos;ve left jobs I&apos;ve loved because I wasn&apos;t being recognized for my work and I wanted to work somewhere that would appreciate and utilize my talents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seanay Berghuis, Executive Leadership Coach and Director of Learning and Development for Lexington Manufacturing LLC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As an employer, it&apos;s important to support your employees at every stage in their lives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We talk a lot about hiring, but it&apos;s just as important to work with your employees who are nearing retirement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The idea of retiring can be scary for workers, so we like to work with them through the process as much as we can, so they know what to expect and in return we have a plan so that we can transfer that knowledge from them onto incoming workers, so we don&apos;t lose those important skills.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Philomena Satre, Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic Partnerships at Land o&apos; Lakes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It&apos;s the little moments that are so important when engaging with your employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Getting to know your workers and asking questions about their lives and really listening to what they have to say makes all the difference.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, find a full slate of downloadable resources mentioned during June&apos;s session, and access a schedule for upcoming Workforce Wednesday sessions on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>582792</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and other state, regional and local workforce development and other professionals are engaged in the Follow Your Heart to a Caring Career campaign right now to help raise awareness about employment opportunities in direct care. </Description><Audience/><Title>Caring Career Workforce Challenges</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Caring Career Workforce Challenges</Title><title>2023-06-27 Direct Care CC</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-582559&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-27T14:13:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED, the Minnesota DHS, and other state, regional and local workforce development and other professionals are engaged in the Follow Your Heart to a Caring Career campaign</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The number of people working in home-, community- and facility-based care remains well below pre-pandemic levels, while the need for such caregivers continues to rise – and demographics are a big reason for both of these challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s median age continues to inch up – meaning there are fewer people of working age and there is greater need for people to provide care and support as Minnesotans grow older. Minnesota is not alone in this demographic shift: the U.S. Census Bureau released a report this month showing how dramatically U.S. demographics are shifting as more and more Baby Boomers are moving further into their retirement years. The median U.S. age is now 38.9, up from 30 in 1980.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Due to this demographic shift – Minnesota has a higher percentage of its population in the Baby Boomer generation than the nation as a whole – Minnesota&apos;s labor force is not growing quickly enough to meet demand. In fact, without an increase in international or domestic migration, it&apos;s not expected to grow much at all over the next two decades. For this reason, direct care – sometimes called Caring Career – positions will continue to witness high demand. This is due in part due to Baby Boomers needing more services as they age, but also because people will keep retiring from or otherwise moving on from direct care positions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s why DEED, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and other state, regional and local workforce development and other professionals are engaged in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/CaringCareer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Follow Your Heart to a Caring Career&lt;/a&gt; campaign right now to help raise awareness about employment opportunities in direct care. The campaign asks people to consider making a real difference in the lives of others by providing care and support to elders and Minnesotans with disabilities in their homes, in the community and in nursing homes and other facilities. These positions can be a great start on a career path in health care, social services, education or other fields. In most cases, a high school diploma or equivalent is all that is required. Employers pay for initial training in many cases – and they may also pay for future training to help people grow in their career. Many employers welcome employees who are learning English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new article in the current issue of Minnesota Economic Trends highlights how the pandemic exacerbated existing workforce challenges in the direct care or Caring Career workforce. While employment for direct care positions in Minnesota hospitals is back to its immediately pre-pandemic level, employment in the Nursing &amp;amp; Residential Care and Home Health Care Services industries are still well below their level prior to early 2020. Nursing &amp;amp; Residential Care is almost 5,000 jobs below its level in January 2020, or 4.5% lower. Home Health Care Services is 2,000 workers lower, or 7.8%. Direct care occupations are in high demand, totaling 12% of job vacancies statewide. Find out more about the severe direct care workforce shortage, how critically high demand is pushing up wages in some cases and more labor market analysis in the article &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2023/direct-care.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Direct Care Workforce&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; by Assistant Labor Market Information Office Director Oriane Casale.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>582559</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Reflecting on the 100 years of State Services for the Blind.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Marks 100 Years of State Services for the Blind</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Marks 100 Years of State Services for the Blind</Title><title>2023-06-23 SSB 100 Years</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-582263&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-23T15:17:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Reflecting on the 100 years of State Services for the Blind.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/SSBpic1_tcm1045-582272.jpg&quot; title=&quot;a black-and-white photo of a man sitting behind a store counter, with a sign that says &amp;quot;the owner of this stand is blind, be considerate please.&amp;quot;&quot; alt=&quot;a black-and-white photo of a man sitting behind a store counter, with a sign that says &amp;quot;the owner of this stand is blind, be considerate please.&amp;quot;&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%&quot; xlink:title=&quot;SSBpic1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It&apos;s always important to look back and take stock of where we&apos;ve come from,&quot; says State Services for the Blind (SSB) Director Natasha Jerde. &quot;Here at SSB, we&apos;re very focused on using the lessons of the past to shape a better future.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jerde&apos;s reflection comes as DEED&apos;s State Services for the Blind Office marks its 100-year milestone. Indeed, Governor Walz proclaimed June 22 as &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/100-years-state-services-blind_tcm1045-581520.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;One Hundred Years of State Services for the Blind Day&lt;/a&gt;&quot; in Minnesota – highlighting the centennial anniversary of the legislation that established a program to serve blind, DeafBlind, and visually impaired Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 1923, SSB has served thousands of Minnesotans, from injured World War I veterans, to blind, DeafBlind, and visually impaired job seekers, to seniors adjusting to vision loss. Assisting customers in achieving vocational and personal independence has always been a goal of SSB. At first, options were extremely limited. Broom-making, for instance, was a trade open to blind individuals. In the middle of the last century, options were expanded as a federal law, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, gave priority to blind citizens to own and operate newspaper and vending stands on federal property. Now, SSB assists Minnesotans with visual impairments to work in any field that interests them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/SSBpic3_tcm1045-582273.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A black-and-white photo of two men at workstations, making brooms.&quot; alt=&quot;A black-and-white photo of two men at workstations, making brooms.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;SSBpic3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We want to continually evolve so every Minnesotan who is blind, DeafBlind, low vision, or has a print disability knows they can turn to us to jump start their journey to meet the goals they set for themselves,&quot; Jerde noted. &quot;That means access to print in a form that works; getting connected with the training and resources to build independence and confidence; and it means people can find life-sustaining careers with opportunities for growth.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Amy, Joshua and Kat are three SSB customers whose journeys exemplify the opportunities and possibilities opening to blind, DeafBlind, and low vision Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/amy-arias_tcm1045-582290.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Amy &quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Amy &quot; style=&quot;width: 35%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;amy-arias 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;Amy, who just graduated from Osseo High School, is headed to the University of Minnesota - Duluth in the fall. Amy says the things that make her nervous about college are the same things that excite her: &quot;I&apos;m nervous about coursework and about the social aspect. But I&apos;m excited to be challenged, and to be on my own and meeting new people.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Among Amy&apos;s many achievements, she had a leading role as Morticia in Osseo High&apos;s production of The Addams Family. Her accomplishments as a blind actor were highlighted &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fox9.com/news/osseo-high-school-theater-student-with-visual-impairment-letting-star-shine-in-spring-musical&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;in a story&lt;/a&gt; on FOX 9 news recently. Amy says she relished the chance to play a more sinister character. Theater is something she hopes to continue on the sideline even as she pursues a career as an Orientation and Mobility instructor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Joshua-Olukanni_tcm1045-582279.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Joshua&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Joshua&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Joshua-Olukanni&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;Joshua is spending the summer working in Human Resources (HR) for Hennepin County, having been selected as one of the county&apos;s Urban Scholars. Joshua, who is earning his degree in Human Resource Development, uses part of his time as an Urban Scholar to interview supervisory staff who manage various aspects of HR, in order to learn about all aspects of the field. With an interest in organizational psychology, Joshua is pursuing a career in HR because of his passion for wanting to help others succeed. When he&apos;s not working or studying, Joshua can be found at the gym, playing sports, or advocating for the rights of blind people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having just completed her Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders from St. Cloud State, Kat is headed off to a new job as a speech-language pathologist with Rochester Public Schools. Kat has a deep commitment to working with elementary school kids and is thrilled to be starting her career at a Rochester elementary school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/katarina-wilke_tcm1045-582280.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Kat&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Kat&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;katarina-wilke&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&quot;I&apos;m so glad to be fully employed,&quot; Kat says, &quot;It means a lot to have the chance to give back, pay taxes, and contribute to the community. I feel very grateful.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 100 years of SSB&apos;s existence marks a century of progress for blind, DeafBlind, and visually impaired Minnesotans. Today, SSB provides training and resources for employment, offers seniors the tools they need to live well with vision loss, and ensures that any Minnesotan with a print disability has access to the books and materials they need in a format that works for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;SSB is a catalyst for independence and access,&quot; says DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek, &quot;Every day – in schools, on the job, or out in the community – blind, DeafBlind, and low vision Minnesotans are making our state a better place for all of us.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>State Services for the Blind Outreach Coordinator Lisa Larges</Author><id>582263</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>June&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum highlighted the Office of New Americans, Caring Career Opportunities for New Americans, the Department of Public Safety, and HomeHelpMN.</Description><Audience/><Title>June’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Legislative Outcomes, Caring Career Employment Opportunities, Public Safety Language Tool and More </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>June’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Legislative Outcomes, Caring Career Employment Opportunities, Public Safety Language Tool and More </Title><title>2023-06-13 IRA June</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-580810&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-13T14:01:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>June&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum highlighted the Office of New Americans, Caring Career Opportunities for New Americans, the Department of Public Safety, and HomeHelpMN.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;June&apos;s forum began with DEED Legislative Liaison Deven Bowdry providing a high-level summary of historic legislative outcomes – including funding for workforce development and small business support programs, plus the formation of a permanent Office of New Americans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of New Americans, which will be housed at DEED, will foster immigrant and refugee inclusion by improving economic mobility, enhancing civic participation, and supporting receiving communities&apos; openness to immigrants and refugees. This work includes efforts to break down barriers to employment and entrepreneurship for new Americans across the state. I will provide additional details on the work of the Office of New Americans on upcoming forums.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can read &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/579266&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;a very high level overview of DEED&apos;s 2023 legislative outcomes in this blog post from DEED Temporary Commissioner Kevin McKinnon&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Caring Career Opportunities for New Americans&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next up, a panel of Minnesota home-, community- and facility-based care employers provided an insightful overview of employment opportunities in their industries for immigrants, refugees and evacuees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED is teaming up with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, other state agencies and offices and workforce development professionals around the state to help raise awareness about the many employment opportunities in home-, community- and facility based care. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/CaringCareer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Follow Your Heart to a Caring Career&lt;/a&gt; campaign features resources in Amharic, Dari, English, Karen, Oromo, Pashto, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese and outreach in multiple languages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Guest panelists shared how they welcome New Americans at their workplaces. From offering different positions that require low, medium and higher English language skills to engage people where they are at, to culture and language classes led by a New American within their organization, panelists and their workplaces intentionally foster a welcoming environment where all people feel valued and understood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;There is a little bit of English comprehension that is needed. And of course the caregivers have to be understood by their clients. We are not really asking them to be very fluent in English,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Nazneen Khatoon, Administrator,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://bestcaremn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Care Home Health.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Nazneen also explained how positions in home health have varying levels of English language and health care skill requirements, from entry-level positions like homemaker, to more advanced work providing Personal Care Assistant services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;[I want to] really help people understand that the lived experience people come in with is just as valuable [as what a person learns in school], and that it makes all of us better in the support that we provide our residents because we&apos;re not all alike,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Kari Scanlon, Vice President, Human Resources,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://touchstonemh.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Touchstone Mental Health&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, where they&apos;ve broadened their recruiting approach to New Americans and others in recent years, and worked to foster a welcoming work environment where everyone feels valued. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;We&apos;re not all coming from the same background, and it&apos;s the mix of the background and lived experiences that really have helped us grow as an agency and grow in the services and support we provide our residents.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I think that it&apos;s a great opportunity to share their caring heart and their willingness to help people,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Patti LaRue, Human Resources Director,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnmasonichomes.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Masonic Home&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, where they have employees who have moved to Minnesota from countries all around world. She encourages New Americans to seek Caring Career employment – and to not be discouraged by all there is to learn, because their caring heart is the most important thing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It takes time to learn the culture and to learn the complex health care system in the U.S. and the terminology. You&apos;re learning English, and now you&apos;re on a whole, other set of terms. And so, it takes time. Ask lots of questions. Don&apos;t be afraid to ask questions.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I just want to remind people of all of the skills and talents that you have even before coming to us. Yes, maybe you are learning English, and we will work on that together,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Julie Garner-Pringle, Nursing Assistant Training Program Manager, Medical Careers Pathway,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://iimn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;International Institute of Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. The international institute has English language classes along with Nursing Assistant training and other classes of interest to New Americans pursuing a Caring Career. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pringle wanted to stress that the most important qualification for this work is having a caring heart and that there are people who can support immigrants, refugees and evacuees in building the skills they need to work in the field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions or comments about the Follow Your Heart to a Caring Career campaign, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Rita.Beatty@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Rita.Beatty@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Department of Public Safety&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Staff from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&apos;s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division shared information about their multilingual virtual assistant, which utilizes Google artificial intelligence, and will make interacting with DVS better for English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish speaking customers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The virtual assistant provides answers to the most common questions DVS receives on any given day. Users can also update their insurance and obtain individualized records such as their driver&apos;s license status and status of their plates and title. The virtual assistant will direct customers to the appropriate DVS contact person or office if it cannot answer a question.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;DVS is committed to increasing language access for our customers who need our services,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Charles Jaeger, Business Relations Program Director at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&lt;/strong&gt;, adding that the new virtual assistant with accessibility in four of the most-commonly-spoken languages in Minnesota is a key part of that commitment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Currently it is supported in English, Hmong, Spanish, and Somali, and is available 24 hours a day seven days a week. We use that virtual assistant to facilitate self-service via the chat interface in all four of those languages, so it provides information and guidance and certain transactions directly in that chat.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DVS just launched the virtual assistant in March, and they&apos;ve already had 50,000 chat conversations through the end of May.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HomeHelpMN is ending&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HomeHelpMN is a federally funded, temporary emergency program to support homeowners experiencing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program started in May 2022 and is close to having distributed all funds available. Some Minnesota homeowners&apos; applications for assistance have been added to a waitlist. Anyone added to the waitlist will be notified via the online portal. To find out more, &lt;a href=&quot;https://homehelpmn.org/homehelpmn-questions/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;visit the HomeHelpMN website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/hDXzbYP3qjA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View a recording of this month&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Abdiwahab Mohamed</Author><id>580810</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A Social Innovation Grant poised to address health care disparities in Olmsted County</Description><Audience/><Title>Launch Minnesota working with Mayo Clinic to connect with innovators, nonprofits, and small businesses to seek solutions</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Launch Minnesota working with Mayo Clinic to connect with innovators, nonprofits, and small businesses to seek solutions</Title><title>2023-06-08 Mayo Grant</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-580351&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-08T15:02:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>A Social Innovation Grant poised to address health care disparities in Olmsted County</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota and the Office of Small Business Development are thrilled to collaborate with Mayo Clinic to help them seek solutions to improve health, enhance health care delivery and promote greater health equity through a social innovation grant opportunity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Successful grant proposals will impact mental health, substance use and access to care, the three most critical needs identified in the area&apos;s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment. Launch Minnesota will help connect innovators, nonprofits and small businesses to this new opportunity and help Mayo Clinic address these important issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The Social Innovation Grant request for proposals is a new approach to addressing health equity. Our goal with this grant is to build something sustainable and potentially scalable throughout our community,&quot; said &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mayoclinic.org/biographies/shah-vijay-m-d/bio-20054050&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vijay Shah, M.D.&lt;/a&gt;, chair of Mayo Clinic&apos;s Department of Medicine in Rochester. &quot;We want to connect our commitment to caring for our community with our business development expertise through this opportunity.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are pleased Mayo Clinic is leveraging our state&apos;s innovation ecosystem. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/community/network/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Launch Minnesota Network&lt;/a&gt;, a hub and spoke model, brings together public and private organizations to help start and scale new ventures. I am confident that there are innovators and small businesses in Minnesota that will be able to help Mayo with solutions to decrease health disparities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Launch Minnesota shows how our institutions can work together to improve cities, counties and Minnesota as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mayo Clinic has been the number one hospital in the U.S. for the past seven years and is the largest employer in Minnesota with more than 48,200 workers. Small businesses and startups are essential contributors to Minnesota&apos;s economy, and Launch Minnesota is dedicated to supporting the startups that aim to make their community a better and more equitable place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about this grant opportunity and other ways Mayo Clinic is engaged in our startup ecosystem, Launch Minnesota is hosting a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/connect/friday-forums/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Friday Forum&lt;/a&gt; on June 23 at 9:00 a.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please see Mayo Clinic&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-social-innovation-grant-to-address-health-care-disparities-accepting-applications/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;press release&lt;/a&gt; from their &lt;a href=&quot;https://communityengagement.mayoclinic.org/rochester/submit-a-proposal/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;website&lt;/a&gt; for details.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Small Business Development Executive Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>580351</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Launch Minnesota collaborated with regional partners across the state to ensure every region had a pitch competition connected to MN Cup, the state’s largest startup competition.</Description><Audience/><Title>Launch Minnesota Supports Pathways to Business Success Through Regional Startup Competitions </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Launch Minnesota Supports Pathways to Business Success Through Regional Startup Competitions </Title><title>2023-06-02 MN Cup</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-579849&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-02T18:05:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Launch Minnesota collaborated with regional partners across the state to ensure every region had a pitch competition connected to MN Cup, the state’s largest startup competition.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota, a program of the Small Business Development Office at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), collaborated with regional partners across the state to ensure every region had a pitch competition connected to &lt;a href=&quot;https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/mn-cup&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MN Cup&lt;/a&gt;, the state&apos;s largest startup competition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Startup founders in each region applied to participate in their local competition and, if selected, received the opportunity to give a live pitch to judges and community members. Regional winners received cash prizes and automatic entry to the MN Cup semi-final round.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Launch Minnesota Networks organized pitch competitions in every part of the state: Northwest (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nownetworkmn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;NoW Innovators&lt;/a&gt;), Northeast (&lt;a href=&quot;https://innovate-218.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Innovate 218&lt;/a&gt;), Southwest (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnsu.edu/about-the-university/strategic-partnerships/startup-southwest/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Startup SW&lt;/a&gt;), Southeast (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.entrepreneursfirst.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;E1 Collaborative&lt;/a&gt;) and West Central (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.greaterstcloud.com/fastlane94/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fastlane94&lt;/a&gt;). This is the second year that every region in Minnesota has had an MN Cup feeder competition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year&apos;s MN Cup is already setting records. &lt;a href=&quot;https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/mncup/2023MNCupSemis&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Organizers reported&lt;/a&gt; that 3,052 Minnesotans participated in the application process this spring – exceeding MN Cup&apos;s previous application record by 17%. Additionally, 887 applications were submitted from 67 of Minnesota&apos;s 87 counties. Organizers said that roughly 30% of this year&apos;s applicants were from Greater Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Cup has been a strong partner of Launch Minnesota and has helped create pathways of success with entrepreneurs throughout the state. Launch Minnesota&apos;s regional networks have created additional awareness of the competition in more Minnesota communities and ensured that more startups have access to opportunities like this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Cup is a community-led, public-private partnership supporting Minnesota&apos;s entrepreneurs. The annual competition reaches startup founders across the state and connects them with education, mentorship and support to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures. Companies can apply directly to the MN Cup organization; they do not have to participate in the regional startup competitions to be selected for MN Cup.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The competition takes place over several months, is free to participate in and requires no equity for seed funding awarded through the process. Each spring, judges select 90 companies — 10 in each of MN Cup&apos;s nine categories — as semifinalists to advance in MN Cup. Categories include Education &amp;amp; Training, Food/Agriculture/Beverage, General, Impact Ventures, Life Science/Health IT, Youth, Student, Energy/Clean Technology/Water and High Tech.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Cup announced &lt;a href=&quot;https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/mncup/2023MNCupSemis&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;the 89 companies moving forward&lt;/a&gt; in the semifinalist round on May 24. The competition will now continue largely out of the public eye for the rest of the summer. Judges will select finalists in each division in August, and division winners will be announced in late summer. An overall grand prize winner for the competition will be chosen on September 18 during Twin Cities Startup Week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following startups won their regional competitions and will advance to the semifinalist round of MN Cup:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Southeast&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://alv.io/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;QoL Devices:&lt;/a&gt; QoL Devices Inc. is the creator of The Alvio® Respiratory Training System, an all-in-one respiratory muscle trainer, Bluetooth game controller, and symptom tracker that lets you &lt;em&gt;Play Your Way to Better Breathing!&lt;/em&gt;™.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Southwest&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fin&apos;s Finest Labs: Creating technology to diagnose illness in animals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Northeast&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://franciscohockey.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Francisco Hockey:&lt;/a&gt; Offering contact and concussion prevention camps for hockey players of all ages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Northwest&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HEMO Research: An original equipment manufacturer providing electronics modules and development tools that accelerate the design and development of product to allow for faster entry to market.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;West Central&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.talknician.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Talknician:&lt;/a&gt; Creating pathways for more efficient knowledge transfer within the industrial workforce via augmented reality.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Small Business Development Executive Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>579849</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description> The 2023 legislative session is one for the history books.</Description><Audience/><Title>2023 Legislative Session Wrap-up: Historic Funding for DEED programs </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2023 Legislative Session Wrap-up: Historic Funding for DEED programs </Title><title>2023-05-25 Leg Session Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-579266&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-25T20:52:51Z</Date><ShortDescription> The 2023 legislative session is one for the history books.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2023 legislative session is one for the history books. The budget forecast in February included a $17.5 billion surplus, and the Legislature went on to pass historic investments in legislative priorities – some of which have been in the works for years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan have signed into law budget items that will bring more jobs, workers, and opportunity to our state. This funding for DEED&apos;s work – approximately $1.8 billion in total – will bolster small businesses, help Minnesota&apos;s flourishing economy compete globally and strengthen our resilient workforce. This is roughly 10 times more funding than our agency typically receives. We are committed to making information, programs and request for proposals (RFPs) available in a timely manner. We&apos;re in the process of rolling out the new programs and will continue to share details across various DEED channels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On the list for DEED is funding for numerous existing DEED programs that people across the state already depend on. New items include passage of the Drive for Five workforce program; the Minnesota Forward Fund; a state Paid Family and Medical Leave program; the creation of the Office of New Americans; and changes to Unemployment Insurance eligibility during the summer for some education workers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Following are some key DEED items from the 2023 legislative session:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Economic Development Programs&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are numerous historic items in the Jobs bill tied to economic development. The creation of an Office of Child Care Partnerships, support for Small Business Development Centers, additional funding for civil unrest rebuilding efforts, and investments in small business supports are some of the highlights. The bill also makes a significant investment in state matching funds for federal resources to help Minnesota attract and grow companies in high-tech and green industries by creating the Minnesota Forward Fund and investing a record amount to leverage CHIPS Act, IRA and DOD federal funds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment and Training Programs&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Employment and Training Program investments are also historic, with a significant focus on supporting targeted populations with job skills training around in-demand jobs with family-sustaining wages. The bill creates three new programs in the Employment and Training space: the Targeted Populations Workforce Grants, the Drive for Five Initiative and the Clean Economy Equitable Workforce grant program. The bill also creates the Office of New Americans and doubles the state&apos;s funding in youth programs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Legislature made significant investments in programs that support Minnesotans with disabilities – including increased funding for State Services for the Blind and Individual Placement Services – and the creation of a new Reasonable Accommodation Fund, which will help employers make reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Paid Family and Medical Leave&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After many years of significant work, Governor Walz signed a bill establishing Paid Family and Medical Leave into law. DEED is excited to help provide financial stability and peace of mind to new parents starting a family or individuals providing care to sick relatives. This program will create a new division at DEED tasked with the program&apos;s development and initial IT build, program administration and outreach ahead of its launch date in January 2026.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Broadband&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is still a need for state funding for broadband outside of several existing sources of federal funding. The House, Senate and Governor agreed to spend $100 million in state general funds on broadband infrastructure. Of this, it will be $60 million for the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program, and $40 million for the Low Population Density Grant Program. Additionally, the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program maximum award amount will go from $5 million to $10 million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cannabis&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another bill with significant ramifications is the legalization of adult-use cannabis. Most notable to DEED is $6 million in annual funding for three programs that provide financing for workforce development, small business loans and technical assistance related to cannabis businesses and workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tax Bill&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Tax bill funded the Angel Tax Credit at $10 million in FY24-25. This program has already resulted in over $500 million in private investment in Minnesota startups – as well as the Film Tax Credit. The bill also includes two appropriations: one for the city of Windom and the other for the city of Minneapolis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Capital Investment Bill&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Capital Investment bill made many investments in public infrastructure, including funding for three of DEED&apos;s existing programs and a new program tied to child care. This bill also funds more than 100 projects – for local governments and nonprofits – that DEED will administer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a critical time for these investments in economic expansion and to build on the progress we&apos;ve made in creating a durable, inclusive economic future. At DEED, our mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. The DEED items passed in the One Minnesota Budget will have a lasting impact on workers, employers and communities across Minnesota for decades to come.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Acting Commissioner Kevin McKinnon</Author><id>579266</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>April’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum gave an overview of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) One Minnesota budget priorities, which includes creating an Office of New Americans within DEED.</Description><Audience/><Title>One Minnesota Budget Highlighted at April’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Importance of the Office of New Americans and Immigration </Title><title>2023-05-18 IRA May</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-577948&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-18T15:28:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>May’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum highlighted the Office of New Americans and the importance of immigration to Minnesota’s economy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ira-apr-4_tcm1045-577950.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of the May Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum virtual meeting&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the May Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum virtual meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ira-apr-4&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum highlighted the Office of New Americans and the importance of immigration to Minnesota&apos;s economy. We also heard about the Office of Small Business Development from Neela Mollgaard, the Executive Director, and Workforce Development updates from Marc Majors, the Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of New Americans Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of DEED&apos;s items in the One Minnesota Budget is permanently establishing &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/office-new-americans-budget-fact-sheet_tcm1045-574874.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;the Office of New Americans&lt;/a&gt;, which will lead the state&apos;s initiative to provide comprehensive and accessible services for Minnesota&apos;s approximately 500,000 immigrants and refugees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deven Bowdry, a legislative liaison at DEED, provided updates on the Office of New Americans (ONA) bill being reviewed by the Minnesota Legislature. At the time of the forum, May 2, the ONA bill had made it through the House and Senate but had different language and proposed funding from each chamber. Since then, we&apos;re pleased to report that the House and Senate have approved a compromise bill providing $1.5 million to the program over the FY2024-25 biennium with an additional $1.5 million dedicated to the FY2026-27 biennium. Once the governor signs the bill, it will become law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Small Business Development&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Neela Mollgaard, the Executive Director of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Small Business Development&lt;/a&gt;, gave an overview of her team and available programs and resources. The new office brings together four existing groups at DEED:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbao/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Small Business Assistance Office&lt;/a&gt;: First point of contact for individuals and firms with questions about the startup, operation, or expansion of a business in Minnesota. Contact them at 651-556-8425 or 800-310-8323, or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:deed.mnsbao@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;smallbusiness@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/overview/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Centers&lt;/a&gt;: Provides no cost, one-on-one business consulting, group training, and assistance in securing capital. They serve all types and stages of businesses. Over 30 service centers are located across the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/small-business-partnerships/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Partnerships Program&lt;/a&gt;: DEED partners with non-profit organizations to provide high quality free or low-cost professional business development and technical assistance services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;: A collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Neela also went over &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/resources-startups-small-businesses-acc_tcm1045-540535.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources for startups and small businesses&lt;/a&gt; that the office provides, including grants, loans, training, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Importance of Immigration to Minnesota&apos;s Economy&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cameron Macht, DEED&apos;s regional analysis and outreach manager, spoke about the importance of immigration to Minnesota&apos;s economy, and the ways in which immigrants help transform small communities across the state. Cameron discussed Minnesota&apos;s tight labor market — since 2017, there has been less than one job seeker for every job vacancy — and the importance of immigrants contributing to many industries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nearly 500,000 immigrants call Minnesota home as of 2021, and there are still educational attainment, labor force participation, language, and income and poverty gaps for foreign-born residents. We at DEED know that immigration has been and will continue to be a vital source of new workers for our state, and their full participation in Minnesota&apos;s economy will help make our state stronger.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s labor market analysts publish quarterly economic trends articles. Articles of note include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/immigration-levels.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Can Regaining Immigration Levels&lt;/a&gt; Help Resolve Minnesota&apos;s Tight Labor Market?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/hispanic-latino.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hispanic and Latino Minnesotans:&lt;/a&gt; An analysis of employment, educational and other economic trends and disparities related to the labor force&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2022/disparities.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Black Minnesotans:&lt;/a&gt; An analysis of employment, educational and other economic trends and disparities related to the labor force&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/assets/Economic%20Status%20of%20Minnesotans%202023_tcm36-569572.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Economic Status of Minnesotans 2023&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Development Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development Marc Majors spoke about upcoming community engagement sessions focused on meeting with current and prospective grantees and partners around the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal is to provide information on upcoming DEED competitive grant opportunities available in State Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 and to solicit community input and feedback. Competitive grants include Pathways to Prosperity (P2P); the Southeast Asian Economic Relief Competitive Grant Program; Support Services Competitive Grant Program; Women in High-Wage, High-Demand, Nontraditional Jobs Grant Program (WESA); and the African Immigrant Workforce Grant. For more information on the Community Engagement Sessions, visit DEED&apos;s Community Sessions page.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/BxP-JHYvpFc&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;access the discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Abdiwahab Mohamed</Author><id>577948</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Starting on May 12 in Rochester, we will begin a statewide tour – inviting Minnesotans to join us at community gatherings to hear details about DEED’s Workforce Development competitive grant process.</Description><Audience/><Title>Community Engagement Sessions About DEED’s Upcoming Workforce Grant Opportunities</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Engagement Sessions About DEED’s Upcoming Workforce Grant Opportunities</Title><title>2023-05-09 WFD Tour</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-576920&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-09T16:39:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>Starting on May 12 in Rochester, we will begin a statewide tour – inviting Minnesotans to join us at community gatherings to hear details about DEED’s Workforce Development competitive grant process.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The mission of DEED is to grow the economy of Minnesota, for everyone. One of the most important ways we pursue the mission is through partnerships. Minnesota is home to many nonprofit and civic organizations that support Minnesotans in finding meaningful employment across the state. By working with strong partners, we can do so much more for Minnesota&apos;s job seekers and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last few years, we have held many engagement sessions with our partners and other workforce stakeholders. In response to that community feedback, we&apos;ve worked hard to improve how we solicit applications and award grants. This is one of the ways we create opportunities for organizations to access state dollars tied to DEED&apos;s mission. We&apos;ve improved our grantmaking processes to ensure they are &lt;em&gt;transparent, swift,&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;fair&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Starting on May 12 in Rochester, we will begin a statewide tour&lt;/strong&gt; – inviting Minnesotans to join us at community gatherings to hear details about DEED&apos;s Workforce Development competitive grant process. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/events/engagement/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Information about these community gatherings is available, and we invite you to &lt;strong&gt;register for one of the sessions today!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Exactly is a Competitive Grant?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED administers competitive grant processes that award grants to organization across the state. DEED publicizes these opportunities, organizations respond through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, and then DEED evaluates the proposals and awards the grant. These dollars help fund services such as workforce training programs, entrepreneurship programs, small business assistance, childcare services and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The authority for DEED to award these grants must specifically come from state law, and DEED is required to follow the rules and statutes outlined by Minnesota&apos;s Office of Grants Management when awarding these funds to organizations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Development competitive grants include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pathways to Prosperity (P2P)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Southeast Asian Economic Relief Competitive Grant Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support Services Competitive Grant Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Women in High-Wage, High-Demand, Nontraditional Jobs Grant Program (WESA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;African Immigrant Workforce Grant&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our timeline for release of grant RFPs &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;–&lt;/span&gt; for these and any new programs named in legislation for State Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;– &lt;/span&gt;will be determined by the end date of the current legislative session. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increasing Transparency in Our Grantmaking&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At a basic level, being a good partner means ensuring our programs and opportunities are known and available to more people. In the past, DEED has:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Posted grant opportunities for &lt;strong&gt;a minimum of 30 days&lt;/strong&gt; to allow for more potential grantees to have adequate time to prepare thoughtful and thorough proposals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Organized regular planning meetings&lt;/strong&gt; throughout the state and online for potential grant applicants to attend and ask questions. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/events/engagement/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Details about these upcoming meetings are available online.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shared grant opportunities&lt;/strong&gt; in the State Register, on social media, and in culturally-specific or community newspapers and community meetings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Revamped the community review process&lt;/strong&gt; to make it easier for philanthropic foundations, state agencies, and individual community members to participate. Reviewers evaluate the community impact, racial equity and relevancy for the targeted population identified within each grant. Reviewer expectations have been clearly set; and their feedback has been incorporated into the overall evaluation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We now use a &lt;strong&gt;numeric scoring system,&lt;/strong&gt; which was clearly identified in the Request for Proposal (RFP) and includes weighted criteria for verifiable and measurable diversity, equity, and inclusion in outcomes or performance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Both successful and unsuccessful grant applicants &lt;strong&gt;receive their score&lt;/strong&gt; with a letter communicating their funding decisions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improving Speed&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In an effort to improve speed and efficiency in our grantmaking, we will continue to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include our &lt;strong&gt;boilerplate grant agreement language and risk assessment requirements&lt;/strong&gt; in our RFPs. This will allow potential grantees to see what is required of them when they are awarded a state grant. This will ensure a swifter contract execution and better expectation setting throughout the grant process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assign each grantee to one grant coordinator&lt;/strong&gt; who will act as a concierge for each grantee and be the single point of contact throughout the life of their grant.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clearly communicate next steps&lt;/strong&gt; along with award decisions so grantees can assist DEED in meeting these timeline goals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continue to &lt;strong&gt;speed up grant decisions and announcements&lt;/strong&gt;. The amount of time it takes DEED to make a funding decision is one of the most common grantee concerns. Over the last several years, we formalized and enacted a process that addressed this.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With these improvements in place, we anticipate our competitive grant schedule to follow this basic timeline:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May/June –&lt;/strong&gt; hold community outreach opportunities throughout the state and finalize RFPs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;June/July –&lt;/strong&gt; post competitive RFPs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;July/August –&lt;/strong&gt; score and review RFPs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;September/October –&lt;/strong&gt; announce award decisions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improve Grant Management&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Getting a grant agreement finalized is only the beginning of our work. In many cases, grantees need to submit revised or finalized work plans and budgets; as well as information required for organizational financial review. In order to improve customer service and fairness around the management of a grant, DEED has made the following changes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Created a single channel to improve communication&lt;/strong&gt; for grantee questions and requests. DEED continues to strive to respond to all requests &lt;strong&gt;within 48 hours,&lt;/strong&gt; unless we are prohibited by law from responding during a specific time during the RFP process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grant managers &lt;strong&gt;provide training and technical assistance, review performance and financial reports, and conduct regular check-in meetings&lt;/strong&gt; in partnership with grantees to avoid burdensome oversight.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These are just some of the changes we&apos;ve made to our competitive grant process over the last few years. We&apos;d like to hear from you about the effectiveness of these changes – and we also invite your feedback and suggestions for the future as we continue to improve our partnerships and the competitive grant process at DEED. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/events/engagement/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Register for an upcoming community session today!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors</Author><id>576920</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>May’s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies businesses can use to promote retention by building a culture of wellness and supporting health, including mental health, in the workplace.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Building a Culture of Wellness in the Workplace</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Building a Culture of Wellness in the Workplace</Title><title>2023-05-05 WW May Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-576643&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-05T16:32:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>May’s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies businesses can use to promote retention by building a culture of wellness and supporting health, including mental health, in the workplace.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/may-ww_tcm1045-579181.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of the May Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum virtual meeting&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the May Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum virtual meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 85%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;may-ww&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies businesses can use to promote retention by building a culture of wellness and supporting health, including mental health, in the workplace. We heard from a panel of employers and subject matter experts who shared ideas, tools and experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First, Amanda O&apos;Connell from DEED&apos;s Labor Market Information Office, illustrated the connection between workplace wellbeing and organizational outcomes.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Low levels of wellbeing and work life balance can lead to stress and burnout and other negative health outcomes, and there is research to support the relationship between healthy workplace practices and organizational outcomes such as job performance, attendance, absenteeism, turnover, productivity and organizational costs.&quot; &lt;strong&gt;Amanda O&apos;Connell, Southeast &amp;amp; South Central Regional Labor Market Analyst, DEED&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Then experts on the panel outlined workplace wellness strategies and ways to implement them. Julie Brock, of Julie Brock Consulting, spoke about ways to normalize conversations around mental health and to consider identifying employees who could provide mental health first aid.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;So just like many organizations have at least few a few people who are trained for CPR, it&apos;s the same for mental health and wellbeing. Having a few employees that are really trained and are mental health first aid responders is a great place to start to make sure we have people who are ready to respond if a crisis arises.&quot; &lt;strong&gt;Julie Brock, Lead Strategist, Julie Brock Consulting&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maria Serbus, who is a Stress Management Consultant, spoke about steps employers can take to help employees relieve stress in a way that works for each individual.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I like to pose it as a stress management toolkit, I think that can sound a little bit more fun. Like, okay, &quot;What&apos;s in your stress management toolkit?&quot; as we&apos;re coming up with messaging that people can kind of rally around. So that could be anything from grabbing an essential oil, having music, having on-site places at work where people can go to destress and calm.&quot; &lt;strong&gt;Maria Serbus, Stress Management Consultant, Self Empowerment Speaker, CEO, Maria Serbus, LLC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leena Murphy with the City of Rochester shared how the city supports employee-led affinity groups, which can help people find community and belonging at work, as well as a Wellness Committee dedicated specifically to employee wellness.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We also have a Wellness committee. So they sponsor a variety of events like a walking challenge, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle options. Lots of free events that are going on in the community are also promoted through this Wellness Community. So it&apos;s a way to connect with your co-workers to go and attend an event at the Arts Center or attend a free meditation.&quot; &lt;strong&gt;Leena Murphy, Senior HR Consultant, City of Rochester&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Then, several staff from Albert Lea Select Foods joined the discussion to share how that company has worked to establish a healthy workplace culture. Steps they&apos;ve taken include everything from an open door policy for company leadership to fun gatherings with employees and their families. One activity in particular helped employees share a different side of themselves – and more than they usually share at work.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;One of the best things that I can honestly say we ever did was we had an art contest. And for those of you that don&apos;t know what we do here, we cut pork and package pork products…once we started this art contest, it was amazing the talent that came out of it. We had a whole bunch of sculptures, paintings, everything else…it is just amazing to get to know people on a different level other than just an employee.&quot; &lt;strong&gt;Jeff Woodside, Plant Manager, Albert Lea Select Foods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We have invested in the free clinic for the employees...with basic health care for employees from the first day they walk in the door. And it&apos;s been such a blessing to all of our employees to have that clinic because you can go over there and they&apos;ll see you for your blood pressure, run a test your doctor has ordered, give you free prescriptions, do all those things that they need done.&quot; &lt;strong&gt;Charles Newton, HR Manager, Albert Lea Select Foods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, find a full slate of downloadable resources mentioned during the May 3 session, and access a schedule for upcoming &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday sessions on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>576643</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED was proud to join Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota small businesses, and the organizations that support them at Small Business Day at the Capitol on Thursday April 26!</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz, DEED celebrate Small Business Day at the Capitol</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Governor Walz, DEED celebrate Small Business Day at the Capitol</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/deed/assets/walz-small-business_tcm1045-575236.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-05-01 Small Business</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-575230&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-01T18:08:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED was proud to join Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota small businesses, and the organizations that support them at Small Business Day at the Capitol on Thursday April 26!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED was proud to join Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota small businesses, and the organizations that support them at Small Business Day at the Capitol on Thursday, April 26!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event was not only a celebration of Minnesota&apos;s extraordinary small businesses and entrepreneurs, but a chance to reflect on the One Minnesota budget proposals that will make them even stronger.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, one of our core goals is to enhance Minnesota&apos;s economic dynamism by creating an environment ripe for business growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That starts with our small businesses. They are the foundation of Minnesota&apos;s economy – employing three-fourths of workers, enlivening Main Streets and powering economic growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota is a hotbed for small business growth, with our small business economy exploding as entrepreneurs see new opportunity across our state. Our state has seen record-setting small business starts over the last four years, and we have one of the highest five-year business survivability rates in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We need to &lt;strong&gt;double-down on this success and invest more&lt;/strong&gt; in programs to help our small businesses launch, grow and flourish. Some of the important proposals within the One Minnesota budget include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Revitalizing Minnesota Main Streets&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Main Street Economic Revitalization Fund is one of the ways Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan are reinvesting in Minnesota communities that were hit hard by the events of 2020. By partnering with local economic development nonprofits, DEED has provided $80 million since 2021 to catalyze investments in business corridors – neighborhoods and main streets – where they can make a big difference for individual businesses and communities as a whole. DEED is seeking new funding to multiply the positive impacts of this program across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Funding for Small Business Programs&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s small business ecosystem employs three out of every four workers in the state. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend new funding for the Small Business Navigation Program, Small Business Development Centers and the Small Business Partnerships Program. These programs provide the funding, coaching and consulting small businesses deeply need, and target communities facing systemic barriers to growth. All of these programs are proven ways to help Minnesota&apos;s small businesses thrive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Expanding Opportunity for Small Businesses&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small business owners and entrepreneurs are often unable to obtain the loan capital they need to start or expand their businesses – a critical miss for job creation as the state emerges from the pandemic. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend funding for an Expanding Opportunity Fund, which will vastly accelerate capital into small businesses through partnerships with nonprofit lenders. The fund would provide additional capital for nonprofit lenders so the state can maximize its access to federal funds and benefit over 1,000 businesses with access to capital.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Empowering Entrepreneurs at Launch Minnesota&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Launch Minnesota supports innovation and entrepreneurship by increasing access to capital, creating a connected and collaborative culture and expanding entrepreneurial talent and expertise. Investing in Launch Minnesota will connect more start-ups to funding, expand entrepreneurial expertise, jumpstart commercialization and cultivate collaboration with business leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small businesses have a big impact on Minnesota. DEED will continue working with Governor Walz and our legislators to make sure they continue to launch, grow and thrive.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Acting Commissioner Kevin McKinnon, Small Business Development Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>575230</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insight into important labor market trends. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2023-04-21 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-574386&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-21T18:08:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insight into important labor market trends. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insight into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt; features the following articles. Select a title below to view the full article:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/great-resignation.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Great Resignation in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since the end of the Pandemic Recession, employers have been struggling with a historically tight labor market, exacerbated by higher-than-normal quit rates among workers. One big reason workers are quitting is to go to another employer who pays more. But that isn&apos;t the case for all workers, especially older ones. And not all employers have the capacity to pay more to attract more workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/immigration-levels.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Can Regaining Immigration Levels Help Resolve Minnesota&apos;s Tight Labor Market?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New research from DEED shows how increasing international immigration to levels seen prior to 2015 could help offset a significant portion of the labor force decline we&apos;ve witnessed recently.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/hispanic-latino.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hispanic and Latino Minnesotans: An analysis of employment, educational and other economic trends and disparities related to the labor force&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Understanding the demographic trends and scope of disparities is an important tool for crafting stronger solutions for communities. This analysis offers an updated look at some of the major demographic, labor force, economic, and educational trends and disparities in the Hispanic or Latino community in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/reemployment.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Reemployment After COVID-19 Layoffs in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article examines employment outcomes two years later for Minnesotans laid off during the initial months of the pandemic. Who has not yet reentered the workforce? Who reentered and then switched industry? And who suffered the greatest loss of wages?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/work-home.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Working from Home is Working&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;COVID-19 upended many aspects of life and work. Perhaps one of the most notable changes has been the increase in the number of people working from home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/public-sector.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Public Sector Employment Recovery from the Pandemic Recession&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Private sector employment in Minnesota has recovered to its pre-pandemic level, while the public sector employment rebound was still lagging as of January 2023. Sluggish employment rebound in local government jobs, including positions at public schools, is one big factor in the lagging public sector employment recovery. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/leisure.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Challenges and Changes in Minnesota&apos;s Leisure &amp;amp; Hospitality Industry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s important Leisure &amp;amp; Hospitality sector has faced many challenges over the past few years. Find out about the most significant current issues and learn about potential future challenges and opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/gender-math.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Gender Math Gap and its Effects on Earnings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New research shows that the gender math gap in high school likely contributes to the gender wage gap after high school. Find out how standardized math scores and Career and Technical Education course choices can predict future earnings.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>574386</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>April&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies for improving engagement with young people by creating a welcoming, engaging, and supportive work environment. </Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Cultivating a Supportive Workplace Culture for Youth</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Cultivating a Supportive Workplace Culture for Youth</Title><title>2023-04-14 WW April Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-573486&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-14T18:52:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>April&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies for improving engagement with young people by creating a welcoming, engaging, and supportive work environment. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ww-april-blog_tcm1045-573488.png&quot; title=&quot;A screenshot of the Workforce Wednesday virtual meeting &quot; alt=&quot;A screenshot of the Workforce Wednesday virtual meeting &quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ww-april-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;April&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies for improving engagement with young people by creating a welcoming, engaging, and supportive work environment. We heard from a panel of students, educators, employers, and subject matter experts who shared the programs and resources they use to help ease the transition for today&apos;s students and young people into tomorrow&apos;s successful workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As you enter the workforce, what are the qualities that are important to you in a nurturing work environment?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cadence Nunn, Ambassador of Youth Development and Communications with StoryArk&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A workspace that that supports my mental health and doesn&apos;t shame me if I need to take a day off.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Questions should always be welcomed. If there&apos;s an organizational process that&apos;s been in place for a long time, employees should be able to ask why we do things a certain way and suggest improvements if necessary.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shania Youssef, Senior at Stillwater Area Public Schools, Full-time PSEO Student at UMN Twin Cities – Pre Med&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A good work environment should have a balance between teamwork and independence.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having coworkers from diverse backgrounds helps make employees feel more comfortable coming to work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acknowledging the barriers some people face and providing solutions and accommodations to address those barriers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are some inclusive practices, processes, or policies that you&apos;ve integrated into your programs to support the diversity of identities, experiences and needs of youth?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric Anderson, Coordinator of Office of Equity and Integration, Stillwater Area Public Schools&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When students are working with our teachers in doing professional development, we really ground them in the &apos;why&apos; they&apos;re doing the work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We say our over 300 summer success scholars have a &apos;vein of gold&apos; within them and the job of the student leaders is to extract that vein of gold so that the student scholars see that in themselves.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cayce Craig, Recruiter, Federated Insurance – Internship Program&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The variety of opportunities in our internships &lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;&quot;&gt;— &lt;/span&gt;from entry-level custodian positions to customer service, data entry and all the way to working with our I.T. team. There&apos;s something of interest for many different students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There&apos;s also variety of different skill sets and career paths that our student interns will find within our internships.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Misun Bormann, HR Director of Workforce Development, PTEC Program, Mayo Clinic&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As employers we must be intentional. We can&apos;t sit back and wait for students and community partners to knock on our door.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We need to assess what&apos;s already happening in the community and figure out where can I start making some calls and start building those relationships.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stephani Atkins, Executive Director, StoryArk – Emerging Professionals Program&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We as an organization, need to be flexible and adaptable to meet people where they are at and to know and to build a culture where we ask questions, and we listen to what people say so we can adapt accordingly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We trust that staff will tell us what they need if we include them from the start.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Once we have that trust, we can build a healthy, inclusive culture together, so we have a work environment that we all want to be apart of.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of this session and other past sessions, find related downloadable resources and access a schedule for all &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday sessions in 2023 on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>573486</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>April’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum gave an overview of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) One Minnesota budget priorities, which includes creating an Office of New Americans within DEED.</Description><Audience/><Title>One Minnesota Budget Highlighted at April’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>One Minnesota Budget Highlighted at April’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum </Title><title>2023-04-11 IRA April</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-573159&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-11T13:40:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>April’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum gave an overview of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) One Minnesota budget priorities, which includes creating an Office of New Americans within DEED.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ira-april-blog_tcm1045-573160.png&quot; title=&quot;Main Street Economic Revitalization Program&quot; alt=&quot;Main Street Economic Revitalization Program&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ira-april-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;April&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum gave an overview of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/minnesotabudget/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;One Minnesota budget&lt;/a&gt; priorities, which includes creating an Office of New Americans within DEED.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Establishing an Office of New Americans in Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s new Americans create robust businesses, offer extraordinary cultural contributions, and play a critical role in meeting labor needs throughout Minnesota. But there are multiple barriers to getting established in Minnesota. That&apos;s why the Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $1.5 million in each biennium to establish an Office of New Americans focused on supporting immigrant and refugee integration, reducing barriers to employment, and improving connections between employers and job seekers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other important DEED budget priorities that empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone, include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance&lt;/strong&gt; – The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $669.321 million for a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program to ensure more equitable economic opportunities for all Minnesotans. It will also keep more women in the labor force, positively impact the lives of children, and make Minnesota a more attractive state at a time of historic workforce challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Main Street Economic Revitalization Program&lt;/strong&gt; – The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $85 million in new funding for the program to catalyze investments in business corridors, neighborhoods, and main streets where they can make a big difference for individual businesses and communities as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Small Business Partnerships Program&lt;/strong&gt; - The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $7.5 million per year for FY24-25 to meet the high level of demand for business development and technical assistance services throughout the state for up to 27,000 businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Small Business Navigation Program&lt;/strong&gt; - The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $1.250 million in FY24 and FY25 and $1 million each year thereafter to hire, train and deploy community navigators to help small businesses learn about and access DEED&apos;s small business programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Launch Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt; - The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $5 million to significantly expand Launch Minnesota&apos;s work connecting start-ups to capital, expanding entrepreneurial expertise, and cultivating collaboration with business leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New Office of Community Relations and Public Engagement at the Department of Human Services&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the Forum, we also heard from the Department of Human Services (DHS) – this state agency has created a new &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/about-dhs/outreach-and-engagement/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Community Relations and Public Engagement&lt;/a&gt; to build relationships and trust through authentic engagement with communities in Minnesota. This new team will strive to prioritize community solutions by creating a bridge between institutions, community-based organizations, partners, and those who participate in DHS programs. You can get involved by reaching out to their team at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:community.relations.dhs@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community.relations.dhs@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oScdUKPx8ZA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch our discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Abdiwahab Mohamed</Author><id>573159</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Walz spoke about the strategic priorities for Minnesota, how they align with the goals of Norwegian business leaders and the benefits Norwegian companies will find upon establishing operations in Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Joins Governor Walz in Delegation to Norway to Promote Investment in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Joins Governor Walz in Delegation to Norway to Promote Investment in Minnesota</Title><title>2023-03-16 MTO Norway</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-569726&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-16T13:40:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Walz spoke about the strategic priorities for Minnesota, how they align with the goals of Norwegian business leaders and the benefits Norwegian companies will find upon establishing operations in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/mto-norway-1_tcm1045-569727.jpg&quot; title=&quot;People sitting around a table, speaking.&quot; alt=&quot;People sitting around a table, speaking.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mto-norway-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Governor Walz, U.S. Ambassador Nathanson (to the Governor&apos;s right), Interim DEED Commissioner Kevin McKinnon (to the Governor&apos;s left), and Gabrielle Gerbaud (at the end of the table) meet with Masud Gharahkhani (speaking across from the Governor), President of the Storting (Norway&apos;s Parliament) and his team.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and I recently returned from Oslo, Norway, where the Minnesota Trade Office, part of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), organized an investment promotion luncheon and panel discussion headlined by the Governor. Governor Walz spoke about the strategic priorities for Minnesota, how they align with the goals of Norwegian business leaders and the benefits Norwegian companies will find upon establishing operations in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor spoke about Minnesota&apos;s leading position as a medtech hub and how Minnesota is strategically positioned to lead the nation in building cleantech solutions for the toughest carbon-reduction problems facing the U.S. and the world, particularly in the industrial and agricultural sectors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Following the Governor&apos;s remarks, I was joined by the following leaders for an insightful panel discussion:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Britt Ardakani, Norway House&apos;s Business Accelerator Resource Network (BARN), which leads Norway&apos;s efforts to establish business operations in the U.S.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Michael Eimstad, Chief Executive Officer of EpiGuard, a Norwegian company that used BARN to launch in Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vidar Keyn, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy, Oslo, Norway&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over 80 Norwegian business, industry and government leaders attended the luncheon and heard our discussion around best practices for establishing a U.S. presence, lessons learned by companies that BARN has supported, and the full suite of support available to foreign-owned enterprises operating in Minnesota. The audience included leading Norwegian companies in cleantech, manufacturing, medtech and finance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/mto-norway-2_tcm1045-569728.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A picture of a wall that says &amp;quot;Oslo Science Park, co-creating communities since 1989&amp;quot; then lists departments of the Science Park.&quot; alt=&quot;A picture of a wall that says &amp;quot;Oslo Science Park, co-creating communities since 1989&amp;quot; then lists departments of the Science Park.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mto-norway-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Representatives from BARN and the MTO met with Norwegian medtech cluster leaders and company executives in advance of a delegation visit scheduled for May 2023.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following DEED initiatives related to economic development and business attraction are some of Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan&apos;s key priorities in the One Minnesota budget:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attracting Business with the Minnesota Forward Fund&lt;/strong&gt; - $150 million&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Forward Fund will re-shape how Minnesota competes for business retention and expansion on the national and international playing fields. It will refill our economic development toolkit to make grants, loans, and forgivable loans for infrastructure or large-scale economic development projects in existing, new, and emerging industries. Making Minnesota even more attractive to international companies wanting to establish or grow their U.S. operations is part of this important work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Connecting Minnesota to the World through Border-to-Border Broadband&lt;/strong&gt; - $276 million&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program is helping connect every home and business in the Minnesota to high-speed broadband, allowing companies to compete globally wherever they&apos;re headquartered. Since 2014, the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program has provided nearly $230 million to connect 90,000 Minnesota homes and businesses to high-speed internet. $276 million in new funding will supercharge this vital program.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Acting Commissioner Kevin McKinnon </Author><id>569726</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>One of the biggest changes to employment coming out of the pandemic is the huge increase in the percentage of people working from home.</Description><Audience/><Title>Working from Home is Working, Study Reports</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Working from Home is Working, Study Reports</Title><title>2023-03-15 Work from Home ARTICLE</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-569417&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-15T18:52:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>One of the biggest changes to employment coming out of the pandemic is the huge increase in the percentage of people working from home.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the biggest changes to employment coming out of the pandemic is the huge increase in the percentage of people working from home. While not every job is able to be done remotely, the ability to work from home is a major recruitment factor for many positions as people demand more ways they can remain productive while finding work-life balance. Our current tight labor market has made more employers open to remote work – whether a few days a week or 100% time from home. Among midwestern states, Minnesota is at the leading edge of employers allowing remote work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;A really interesting outcome of our research into remote work trends was revealing just how much more Minnesota workers are able to work from home compared to workers in neighboring states,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Regional Analysis &amp;amp; Outreach Manager Cameron Macht&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;This could be due to multiple factors – from industry and occupation mix in Minnesota compared to surrounding states, the tightness of our labor market pushing more employers to offer this option, and other factors.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to U.S. Census Bureau survey results from February of 2023, almost one quarter of Minnesota workers worked from home at least three days each week. At that rate, Minnesota ranked 9th among the 50 states at 23.5%, well ahead of the U.S. average of 20.1%. Minnesota sticks out in the Midwest for the ability to work from home, with more than double the concentration seen in North Dakota (10.2%) and nearly double South Dakota (12.6%), and well ahead of Iowa (14.5%), Nebraska (16.2%), and Wisconsin (16.7%).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The ability to work from home several days a week or every day is really a big attraction point for many people looking for work now,&quot; said &lt;strong&gt;Gina Meixner, a career counselor at DEED&apos;s CareerForce office in Bloomington&lt;/strong&gt;. &quot;Nearly half those who have the opportunity to do so want to remain working from home at least part of their work week. There&apos;s also an increase in interest among others who have not had the opportunity to work remotely, such as people currently working in-person jobs. Many people are willing to change careers to &apos;do anything&apos; just for the chance to work from home. Wanting to avoid a commute, high gas prices and needing to address a lack of childcare are the biggest draws.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find out more about remote work in Minnesota in the article &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023/work-home.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Working from Home is Working&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; by Cameron Macht in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;current edition of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>569417</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota’s SBDCs play an integral role in helping small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Tim Walz Declares March 15 ‘Small Business Development Center Day’</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Governor Tim Walz Declares March 15 ‘Small Business Development Center Day’</Title><title>2023-03-14 SBDC Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-569486&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-14T17:20:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota’s SBDCs play an integral role in helping small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz has declared March 15 as &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/sbdc-proclamation_tcm1045-422583.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Day&lt;/a&gt; in Minnesota, and here at DEED we are excited to commemorate the day alongside more than 1,000 Small Business Development Centers around the country. This commemoration on March 15 helps to highlight the importance of small business contributions and success in our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/find-sbdcs/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Centers (SBDC),&lt;/a&gt; located across the state, provide professional expertise and guidance to business owners – whether the business is just an idea or already established and ready to expand. To help clients overcome the challenges of running a small business, counselors provide confidential, no-cost consulting. They are experienced professionals in the private sector and can be found at the nine statewide regional SBDCs available in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2022, Minnesota SBDC consultants provided 32,000 hours of professional consulting to more than 5,200 businesses. These clients helped the state&apos;s economy flourish by: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developing 152 new businesses&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessing $100.3 million in new capital investment&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating or saving more than 4,500 jobs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Growing revenues by more than $232 million&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Small businesses are the foundation of Minnesota&apos;s economy,&quot; &lt;strong&gt;said Kevin McKinnon, temporary Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development.&lt;/strong&gt; &quot;Our agency recently chose to place a greater focus on small businesses with a new Office of Small Business Development, which brings together four offices across DEED: the Small Business Development Centers, Office of Small Business Partnerships, Small Business Assistance Office, and Launch Minnesota – all of whom work together to better support Minnesota&apos;s entrepreneurs and small businesses.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regional offices across the state will be celebrating tomorrow, here are just a few examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/find-sbdcs/sbdc-southeast.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Southeast&lt;/a&gt; region will host an open house in Rochester from 2-4pm at their office on 221 First Ave SW – 6th Floor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/find-sbdcs/sbdc-wc.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;West Central&lt;/a&gt; office will take &lt;a href=&quot;https://westcentralmnsbdc.com/events&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;a road tour&lt;/a&gt; and host meet-and-greets starting in Moorhead and stopping in communities throughout the region to meet with small business owners. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/find-sbdcs/sbdc-nc.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;North Central&lt;/a&gt; will be having a open house from 10-12pm with refreshments, door prizes and tours of Central Lakes College. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
Due to the importance of small businesses to our communities and economy, the Governor proposed new funding not only for Small Business Development Centers, but also for the Small Business Navigation Program, the Small Business Partnerships Program, expansion for &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;, and additional funding for an Expanding Opportunity Fund, which would vastly accelerate capital into small businesses through partnerships with nonprofit lenders. Learn more about these DEED budget items in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/2023-deed-budget-fact-sheet_tcm1045-563830.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One Minnesota Budget.&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Small Business Development Executive Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>569486</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>March’s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies needed to prepare for expected demographic and market changes with the ongoing mass retirements of Baby Boomers and the growing Millennial and Gen Z presence in the workforce</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Preparing for the New Workforce </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Preparing for the New Workforce </Title><title>2023-03-07 WW March Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-567930&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-06T19:52:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>March’s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies needed to prepare for expected demographic and market changes with the ongoing mass retirements of Baby Boomers and the growing Millennial and Gen Z presence in the workforce</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ww-march-meeting_tcm1045-567931.png&quot; title=&quot;ww-march-meeting&quot; alt=&quot;ww-march-meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ww-march-meeting&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March&apos;s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies needed to prepare for expected demographic and market changes with the ongoing mass retirements of Baby Boomers and the growing Millennial and Gen Z presence in the workforce. We heard from a panel of employers and subject matter experts who talked about what these demographic changes will be, and how employers can leverage them as a strategic advantage in their organizations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nancy Lyons, Founder and CEO - Clockwork Interactive&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There&apos;s this idea that we&apos;re not thrilled with this younger generation, because they&apos;re pushing for all this change that nobody likes, but the truth is, we do like it. It&apos;s empowering for all of us. Everybody wants the same things. We want to be seen, we want to be heard and we want to be valued.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gen Z and Millennials are asking for things at work that we as Boomers and Gen X didn&apos;t have the courage to ask for before.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shawn Herhusky, Manager, Workforce Strategy and Talent Pipeline Development - Essentia Health&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There&apos;s a whole new level of mobility in the workforce. If an organization sells you on their values, but they don&apos;t follow through on those promises, you can leave and find a different company that more closely aligns with your value set.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Companies are realizing that with the changing demographics, you can&apos;t grow your way out of this situation and you need to really focus on the retention of your current employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anna Peterson, Head of People and Culture – DEED&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At DEED, we believe great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere. That&apos;s why we created an Innovation Lab where people can come in and workshop those great ideas with a human-centered design approach.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having the opportunity to speak up and change things is a great way to get employees to stay at an organization.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chocoletta Simpson, MPA, Director, Office of Institutional Equity and Access/CDO - St. Cloud State University&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Since the pandemic, we&apos;ve learned we need to be adaptable for our students. Some young people prefer in-person classes while others prefer virtual learning or a hybrid approach.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employers have also learned to be more flexible in their hiring practices and that&apos;s something that will need to continue in order to attract the Gen Z workforce.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of the March 2, 2023 session and other past sessions, find related downloadable resources and access a schedule for all &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday sessions in 2023 on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>567930</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month we recognized those contributions, look at some of DEED’s efforts to support Black Minnesotans, and reaffirm our work to celebrate, support and amplify Black and African American communities across the state, every day of the year. </Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Black History Month at DEED</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrating Black History Month at DEED</Title><title>2023-02-22 celebrating black history month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-566086&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-23T17:51:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>To celebrate Black History Month, we look at some of DEED’s efforts to support Black Minnesotans, and reaffirm our work to celebrate, support and amplify Black and African American communities across the state, every day of the year. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every February, our country lifts up the extraordinary achievements, contributions and history of the Black community in America. Here in Minnesota, Governor Walz issued a &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1620913615707725824&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;proclamation&lt;/a&gt; that recognizes the efforts and presence of generations of African Americans in Minnesota while recommitting to building a state that lives up to America&apos;s democratic ideals to create a better future for everyone. The spirit of Black History Month is imbued in DEED&apos;s mission to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More and more Black entrepreneurs are making their mark on Minnesota&apos;s economy every year. In fact, during the last decade the number of Black-owned businesses in Minnesota grew by one-third – that&apos;s far faster here than the rest of the country. These businesses employ nearly 28,000 Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Black neighbors, colleagues, and businesses offer talents, experiences and ideas that deeply enrich our community. This month we recognize those contributions, look at some of DEED&apos;s efforts to support Black Minnesotans, and reaffirm our work to celebrate, support and amplify Black and African American communities across the state, every day of the year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/building%20black%20wealth_tcm1045-566077.PNG&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%;&quot; title=&quot;building-black-wealth&quot; alt=&quot;building-black-wealth&quot; xlink:title=&quot;building-black-wealth&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January, DEED was proud to serve as the host agency for the Governor&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/mndeed/posts/pfbid02dLr94iwq8mMa7yhwtoEv3yB3h9idM6cvDpViKDksDRZa1wSer8iHLsrFocjqGGhnl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration&lt;/a&gt;, where the theme was &lt;strong&gt;Building Black Wealth&lt;/strong&gt;. I was inspired by the artistic performances of local Black artists, as well as the keynote address by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, a phenomenally talented economist whose book &lt;a href=&quot;https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250276872/theblackagenda&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&quot;The Black Agenda&quot;&lt;/a&gt; is a powerful read that I&apos;d highly recommend. I found it both moving and inspiring – and very actionable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Black Entrepreneurs Day at the Capitol&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/IMG_0496_tcm1045-566076.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; title=&quot;Sheletta Brundidge&quot; alt=&quot;Sheletta Brundidge&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Sheletta Brundidge&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Earlier this month, we joined &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.shelettamakesmelaugh.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Sheletta Brundidge&lt;/a&gt; and a team of dynamic entrepreneurs for the first annual Black Entrepreneurs Day at the Capitol. It was a great opportunity to &lt;strong&gt;elevate Black entrepreneurs, advocate for legislative action to provide transformational resources, and focus on empowering more Black business owners to launch, grow and succeed in Minnesota.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mind, Body and Soul Convening&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February also saw state commissioners highlight the &lt;strong&gt;Mind, Body and Soul – Convening the Black Community&lt;/strong&gt; series. Beginning in April 2022, these working sessions brought voices of the Black community together to discuss the work being done on behalf of Black communities across the state. Each convening of Mind, Body and Soul provided presentations of research and programs specifically focused on Black residents, including Black business and workforce development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What we heard at DEED through the Mind, Body and Soul series is that specific, targeted programs are important, as is integrating equity into everything DEED does. As such, key components of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan&apos;s One Minnesota Budget focus on growing Black small businesses, investing in talent, and ensuring Black communities receive funding for business development as a strategy to address economic inequalities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s imperative we do everything we can to support Black businesses, and to support members of the Black and African American community in securing jobs with family-sustaining wages. &lt;strong&gt;The Governor and Lieutenant Governor&apos;s budget is full of ways to do just that, including the following highlights in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/2023-deed-budget-fact-sheet_tcm1045-563830.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED priorities included in the One Minnesota budget&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small Business Proposals&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$85 million in funding for the &lt;strong&gt;Main Street Economic Revitalization Fund&lt;/strong&gt; to catalyze investments in business corridors – neighborhoods and main streets – where they can make a big difference for individual businesses and communities as a whole.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$40 million for an Expanding Opportunity Fund to make it easier to get loans and capital to start businesses – especially in communities of color that are often shut out of lending opportunities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More than $17 million to bolster DEED&apos;s small business programs that entrepreneurs use every day for coaching, consultation, and funding – our Small Business Navigation Program, Small Business Development Centers, and Small Business Partnerships.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Development Proposals&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our Drive for 5 Workforce Fund will provide worker training for in-demand fields like technology, caring professions, education, manufacturing, and trades.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We&apos;re expanding our youth training programs to help young people prepare for good jobs – and build a pipeline of talented, ready-to-work employees for years to come.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;And we&apos;re investing $60 million to decrease disparities in our workforce. These worker training and employment services programs will help connect employers to employees who are traditionally overlooked – particularly Black Minnesotans and people of color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan have written a budget that builds on the critical work we&apos;ve done over the past four years to support Minnesota&apos;s Black entrepreneurs, businesses and workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s racial equity commitments&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we celebrate Black History Month, we want to emphasize that DEED&apos;s commitment to Black and African American communities is year-round. We continue our focus on tackling racial disparities in everything we do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last year &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;we established our five racial equity commitments&lt;/a&gt;, which include driving more funding to historically underserved populations; reforming government programs that have left out Black workers and business owners for too long; and launching concerted outreach and engagement programs for Black workers and Black-owned businesses across the state. That commitment remains fully entrenched with the new budget items and other workforce and economic development priorities we have in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our agency believes we need to try different things if we&apos;re going to get different results. Thank you for helping hold us accountable for new approaches and solutions, and for being part of the ongoing work to support, fund and champion workers, founders and businesses in the Black and African American community.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>566086</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Launch Minnesota will add four advisory board members in 2023</Description><Audience/><Title>Launch Minnesota Announces New Board Members</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Launch Minnesota Announces New Board Members</Title><title>2023-02-17 LM Board</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-565665&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-18T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Launch Minnesota will add four new advisory board members in 2023</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota is dedicated to growing Minnesota&apos;s innovation ecosystem, an initiative crucial to keeping our state competitive and a leader in innovation. That&apos;s why I&apos;m excited to announce four new additions to Launch Minnesota&apos;s advisory board. Each new member comes from a different background in technology and entrepreneurship, and we believe their wisdom and guidance will help Launch Minnesota continue to grow our state&apos;s innovation ecosystem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/about/advisoryboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota&apos;s advisory board&lt;/a&gt; makes recommendations on many aspects of the program, such as grant awards and strategic planning. The board consists of 10 members from a broad range of industries, areas of expertise and demographic backgrounds. The four new board members are investors, educators, innovators and entrepreneurs, and they represent both the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A special thanks to the four outgoing members: Christine Beech, Xavier Frigola, David Hengel and Aneela Idnani for their service to Launch Minnesota. Each served on the advisory board since Launch Minnesota&apos;s inception, and during that time made valuable contributions to the program and the innovators we serve. And thank you to the new board members for stepping up. We&apos;re thrilled to have the counsel of this group of leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Members in 2023&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Founder and CEO, Canomiks&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/leena_tcm1045-565661.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Dr. Leena Pradham-Nabzdyk&quot; alt=&quot;Dr. Leena Pradham-Nabzdyk&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leena&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk is the CEO and Co-Founder of Canomiks Inc. based in Rochester, Minnesota. Leena has a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is an accomplished life science professional and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School with extensive experience in industry and academia. Leena co-founded Canomiks with her colleagues from Harvard Medical School to bring their collective expertise in science, health, and wellness to the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries. Canomiks is a proud recipient of two grants from the Launch Minnesota program, as well as an SBIR grant recipient from the National Science Foundation. Leena is looking forward to helping other entrepreneurs, especially women in science, through the Launch Minnesota program. Leena also serves on the community board of trustees of the non-profit organization, Jeremiah Program. Leena currently lives in Rochester with her husband who is a consultant at Mayo Clinic, their 9-year-old son, and their two standard poodles, Carbon and Arthur.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn Wellnitz&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;CEO &amp;amp; President, Entrepreneur Fund&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/shawn_tcm1045-565664.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Shawn Wellnitz&quot; alt=&quot;Shawn Wellnitz&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;shawn&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;Shawn Wellnitz is the CEO and President of the Entrepreneur Fund, an organization offering an array of strategic, flexible financing products and consulting services to support small business growth in rural Minnesota and Wisconsin. After transitioning the Entrepreneur Fund, a social enterprise, from the original founder, Shawn scaled the organization from $8M in assets to $67M in assets, hitting self-sufficiency and building a diverse leadership team along the way. He brings strong leadership and executive management skills, with a passion for working with growth-oriented teams and those who strive for excellence in their field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stefan Madansingh, Ph.D.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Department of Business Development, Mayo Clinic Ventures&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/stefan_tcm1045-565662.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Stefan Madansingh, Ph.D.&quot; alt=&quot;Stefan Madansingh, Ph.D.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stefan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;Stefan Madansingh is a technology development and IP management associate at Mayo Clinic Ventures supporting innovation, seed investment and commercialization efforts across the Mayo Clinic enterprise. Stefan is no stranger to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeast Minnesota, previously leading the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation&apos;s 1 Million Cups program in Rochester as well as Mayo Clinic&apos;s Office of Entrepreneurship, which delivers academic entrepreneurial education through the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Stefan completed his post-doctoral training in Assistive and Restorative Technology development at Mayo Clinic and holds a Ph.D. in biomechanics and neuromotor control from the University of Houston. Stefan serves as the Director of Research and Development for a balance and fall risk assessment startup, Zibrio Inc., based out of the Texas Medical Center Healthcare Accelerator (formerly TMCx).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Sheneeta White&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Associate Dean and Best Buy Chair, Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, University of St Thomas&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/sheneeta_tcm1045-565663.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Dr. Sheeneta White&quot; alt=&quot;Dr. Sheeneta White&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;sheneeta&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;Dr. Sheneeta White serves as the Associate Dean of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St Thomas. Dr. White serves as chief strategy officer for the Schulze School, leading the development of the school&apos;s strategies in the areas of brand-building and national rankings, high school outreach and recruitment of top entrepreneurial talent to St. Thomas, curricular and co-curricular excellence and innovation, and effective community engagement to foster mentoring, internship and career opportunities for students. Prior to her role as associate dean, Dr. White served as Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Student Achievement. In this position, Dr. White oversaw a robust group of departments and programs that support the undergraduate academic experience at University of St Thomas.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>565665</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>I am moving to take on a new opportunity as the CEO of the Star Tribune</Description><Audience/><Title>Building a Stronger DEED for Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Building a Stronger DEED for Minnesota</Title><title>2023-02-15 Commissioner Grove Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-565349&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-16T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>I am moving to take on a new opportunity as the CEO of the Star Tribune.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/steve-grove_tcm1045-364255.jpg&quot; title=&quot;steve-grove&quot; alt=&quot;steve-grove&quot; style=&quot;width: 175px; height: 263px;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;steve-grove&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;As the Governor and Lt. Governor &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/news/?s=09#/detail/appId/1/id/541394&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;announced&lt;/a&gt; yesterday, I am moving to take on a new opportunity as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/star-tribune-names-steve-grove-publisher-minnesota-deed-commissioner-former-google-executive/600251525/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CEO of the Star Tribune&lt;/a&gt;. Leading DEED these last four years has been rewarding and inspirational for me, and I&apos;m grateful for the opportunity I&apos;ve had to serve with so many talented colleagues at the agency. I&apos;m confident our team will continue to serve Minnesota well at an important moment for our state&apos;s future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leadership transitions offer a moment to look back and look ahead, and I wanted to take a moment now to share some thoughts on DEED&apos;s journey over the last four years, and how the agency is positioned to serve Minnesota well into the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED is a unique agency in state government. Minnesota is one of the only states where both workforce and economic development live under the same agency umbrella. Tasked with both creating jobs and connecting people with them, the scope of our work forces us to look holistically at the Minnesota economy and how we can grow it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the Governor asked me to serve in this role a little over four years ago, we were excited to focus on growing Minnesota&apos;s innovation economy and to center our work on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/index.jsp?id=1045-523507&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;equity&lt;/a&gt;. Coming into government from the private sector, I was eager to do the job differently and was happy to meet amazing colleagues who were ready for change, too.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, we&apos;ve tried to make DEED a more transparent and communicative agency that works in authentic partnership with communities and isn&apos;t afraid to try new things. We&apos;ve rooted ourselves in a refreshed set of values and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/who-we-are/purpose.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mission&lt;/a&gt; that ties our broad array of programs and divisions together. And we&apos;ve moved to take a proactive stance and default towards action, setting &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-we-do/objectives-plans/strategic.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;measurable goals&lt;/a&gt; and sharing our progress. That&apos;s important for an agency whose primary purpose is growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Perhaps you&apos;ve felt some of these changes in your experience working with DEED. I hope you have. Any success we&apos;ve had is because we&apos;re listening to feedback from the people and communities we serve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of course, building a stronger DEED for Minnesota took on new urgency when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, followed by the murder of George Floyd and all that&apos;s since followed. By far the most defining events of the Governor&apos;s first term, these crises required DEED to step forward to keep the economy afloat, while working with businesses to keep people safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I learned the true selflessness of public service from my colleagues who worked tirelessly to issue over $15 billion in unemployment insurance payments to Minnesotans and deliver over $300M in emergency aid to small business through over 15 different aid programs. We hope Minnesota saw a glimpse of how committed this agency is to serve our customers and fulfill our mission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What we learned in the most challenging years of the pandemic – how to innovate, how to move fast, how to solve problems without a playbook – are lessons we&apos;ve worked hard to fully incorporate into our culture since then. From the crucible that was COVID-19, DEED has emerged stronger and better-equipped to take on new challenges for the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you&apos;re reading this, you have some connection to DEED or a stake in its future. Your willingness to partner with us and help us make meaningful improvements is critical to our continued growth. DEED can and must be a thoughtful, open, and evolving agency that looks for consistent ways to improve our work to serve you. Thank you for all you have and will continue to do to help us make that happen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As an outsider who came into state government, I&apos;ve been impressed by the people you get to work with in our state agencies. They are talented and dedicated people who do these jobs because they really care. We are lucky in Minnesota to have such thoughtful people answering the call to serve the state. I know DEED will continue to do everything it can to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working for Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan has been a true honor. I believe Minnesota&apos;s economy is in great hands under their strong leadership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The future of Minnesota is bright because there are committed public servants and thoughtful leaders inside and outside of government who are driving the change we need to keep our economy at the cutting edge of growth. I&apos;m excited for what&apos;s next and hope that those we serve continue to push our agency to make DEED the best it can be for Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>565349</id><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>exports</Title><Id>230103</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>unemployment</Title><Id>230114</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>unemployment insurance</Title><Id>230115</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>veterans</Title><Id>230116</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The discussion focused on the important topic of biases, microaggressions and code-switching as they relate to the workforce – and how organizations can recognize and respond to them.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Biases, Microaggressions, and Code-Switching in the Workplace</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Biases, Microaggressions, and Code-Switching in the Workplace</Title><title>2023-02-03 WW February Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-562868&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-04T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>The discussion focused on the important topic of biases, microaggressions and code-switching as they relate to the workforce – and how organizations can recognize and respond to them.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce-wednesday-february_tcm1045-562871.png&quot; title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-february&quot; alt=&quot;workforce-wednesday-february&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-february&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our February Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on the important topic of biases, microaggressions and code-switching as they relate to the workforce – and how organizations can recognize and respond to them. At the beginning of our discussion, DEED Workforce Strategy Consultant Adesewa Adesiji defined the terms of biases, microaggressions and code-switching as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Biases&lt;/strong&gt; - A natural inclination for or against an idea, object, group or individual.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Microaggressions&lt;/strong&gt; - Daily, verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Code-switching&lt;/strong&gt; – A way in which a member of an underrepresented group adjusts their language, syntax, grammatical structure, behavior and appearance to fit into the dominant culture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Afterward, we heard from an expert panel of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) professionals who shared advice on how to acknowledge and address these behaviors in workplace settings. Here are a few key takeaways from the panelists in response to various questions during the discussion:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do biases, microaggressions and code-switching impact today&apos;s workforce?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alex Tittle, Senior Director DEI – Medica&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It&apos;s really about covert versus overt racism or discrimination. We are responsible as leaders and employees to recognize and address them because if they&apos;re not addressed, they can grow like a cancer in our organizations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lauren Hunter, DEI Associate Director - UnitedHealth Group&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employees of certain marginalized groups feel they can&apos;t bring their full authentic selves to work and so that&apos;s why they code-switch.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showing up every day trying to be something they are not over time is exhausting. And with that you see high turnover, because people don&apos;t want to play that game forever.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It also limits creativity in the workplace when people can&apos;t be their true selves and voice their opinions or ideas. That impacts the services you&apos;re providing and the products you&apos;re selling.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Petersen, DEI Specialist - General Mills&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Since coming back to work in this new hybrid world, employees don&apos;t want to come back into the office because they haven&apos;t had to deal with these microaggressions while working from home.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you want your employees to be back in person, you need to create an environment where people don&apos;t have to feel like they&apos;re protecting themselves with things like code-switching.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can employers normalize the discussion around topics like microaggressions, biases and code-switching?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alex Tittle, Senior Director DEI – Medica&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;That&apos;s tough because not every organization has those safe spaces. As DEI professionals, it&apos;s our responsibility to open the door for discussion and pull down those walls so people can begin having those important conversations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Lanise Block, Founder/CEO - Sankore Consulting LLC&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You have to bake it into the culture of your organization by creating policies and frameworks so then you can determine what are the goals and strategies we need to put in place so we can address these things when they occur.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Petersen, DEI Specialist - General Mills&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Storytelling is one way organizations can approach these topics. We had a panel of employees from all different levels and all different background share the microaggressions they&apos;ve experienced at work during a large group discussion.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It became okay to talk about it because we had people admit that these things were happening and so now that it was addressed, we could go about finding ways to fix it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does it mean to be an ally in working toward removing biases, microaggressions and the need to code-switch?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Petersen, DEI Specialist - General Mills&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At General Mills, we use ally as a verb not a noun because it&apos;s all about the acts and what you&apos;re doing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For myself, I had to look inward with some self-reflection on why do I want to be an ally?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I had to admit my own blind spots and biases first before I could really start being an ally.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Putting yourself in potentially uncomfortable places so that you can learn more about people outside of your experiences is really important if you want to be an ally.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Lanise Block, Founder/CEO - Sankore Consulting LLC&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Like at the airport, if you see something say something. If you&apos;re in a meeting and something isn&apos;t right, say something and don&apos;t wait for a BIPOC person to address it first.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the cost for businesses when they ignore microaggressions and biases?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lauren Hunter, DEI Associate Director - UnitedHealth Group&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You create a toxic and non-inclusive culture by ignoring these things in your organization and you&apos;ll continue to lose people if you don&apos;t address it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alex Tittle, Senior Director DEI – Medica&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As DEI professionals, we don&apos;t push anything on anybody, but our main job is to influence others to see things through a different lens.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If we chose not to address it, we create an environment of acceptance that allows these microaggressions to grow.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The demographics of our state are going to change drastically in the next 20 years and if we&apos;re not intentional about transforming our workspaces we bear witness to the same issues that our parents and grandparents went through trying to integrate. We have to decide what side of history we want to be on.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It&apos;s not me trying to come for you, it&apos;s me trying to educate you on what&apos;s important to me and my community so that you can better understand me and all of my different layers as a person.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of the February 1, 2023 session and other past sessions, find related downloadable resources and access a schedule for all Workforce Wednesday sessions in 2023 on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>562868</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We want to hear from Minnesotans most impacted by the digital access and skills gap to ensure our digital equity plan reflects the goals and needs of all Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesotans Urged to Play Role in Digital Equity Plan  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesotans Urged to Play Role in Digital Equity Plan  </Title><title>2023-02-02 Digital Equity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-562705&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-02T17:14:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>We want to hear from Minnesotans most impacted by the digital access and skills gap to ensure our digital equity plan reflects the goals and needs of all Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/digital-equity-blog_tcm1045-562706.png&quot; title=&quot;Older woman sitting at a table working on a laptop.&quot; alt=&quot;Older woman sitting at a table working on a laptop.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;digital-equity-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lack of affordable internet access, lack of an internet-enabled device, and limited digital skills aren&apos;t just an inconvenience. They hold people back from educational and employment opportunities, civic engagement, timely and affordable health care, and staying connected with friends and family.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some communities and individuals may be more likely to lack digital access and may have a greater need for digital skills training, including older Minnesotans, people who live in rural communities, Black Minnesotans, Indigenous people, people of color, and others. Digital access and skills are needed to engage with school and education, find employment, access health care resources and more. That&apos;s why efforts to achieve digital equity are so important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Office of Broadband Development (OBD) is developing a digital equity plan to create improvements in internet affordability, access to internet-enabled devices, and ways to provide digital skills training. We want to hear from Minnesotans most impacted by the digital access and skills gap to ensure our digital equity plan reflects the goals and needs of all Minnesotans. This plan will help us determine how to spend federal funding coming in 2024 aimed at increasing digital access and skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cities, counties, schools, libraries, faith communities, businesses, internet providers, nonprofits, and other organizations are encouraged to form Digital Connection Committees and partner with us to share these critical insights. We&apos;re hoping these committees can gather information about local digital inclusion strengths, needs, and goals, and then share summaries with OBD. Information can be gathered however it works best for a community or organization. It could be a conversation circle, a survey, an asset inventory of existing digital inclusion resources – or some other way. The workload is flexible, and we look forward to working with Digital Connection Committees to bring creative ideas to life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Committees are especially encouraged to include members who are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;60 or older&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Currently or formerly incarcerated&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Current or former members of the U.S. military&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Black, Indigenous, and People of Color&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People with disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Low-income households&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learning to speak or read English&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Living in rural communities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help support the work of Digital Connection Committees, OBD will provide resources, templates, and general guidance. OBD is also offering optional, non-competitive mini-grants to eligible Digital Connection Committees. To receive a mini-grant, committees &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/digital-inclusion-application_tcm1045-561940.docx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;can apply by filling out a short application&lt;/a&gt; by March 3, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, Digital Connection Committees &lt;a href=&quot;https://deedmn.formstack.com/forms/digital_inclusion_planning_team_registration_form&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;need to complete this form to register with our office&lt;/a&gt; by March 15, 2023, and complete their work by June 30 of this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find more details &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/adoption/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;on DEED&apos;s OBD website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Broadband Development Digital Equity Program Lead Hannah Buckland</Author><id>562705</id><Tag><Description/><Title>broadband</Title><Id>443117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>February is Low Vision Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the resources available to those who need to adapt when losing their vision due to age or other reasons.</Description><Audience/><Title>Highlighting Low Vision Awareness Month at DEED </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Highlighting Low Vision Awareness Month at DEED </Title><title>2023-02-01 Low Vision Awareness</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-562473&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-01T17:14:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>February is Low Vision Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the resources available to those who need to adapt when losing their vision due to age or other reasons</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February is Low Vision Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the resources available to those who need to adapt when losing their vision due to age or other reasons. I recently had the chance to spend two hours with Kia Yang and Charlene Guggisberg, two of DEED&apos;s State Services for the Blind (SSB) staffers who provide trainings to Minnesotans who are blind, DeafBlind, or losing vision. Over 92,000 Minnesotans have some sort of visual impairment, and this number is expected to grow in the years ahead. Last year, SSB provided or paid for over 3,800 Minnesotans to receive training in adapting and adjusting to vision loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-1_tcm1045-562494.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Kia and Charlene, two SSB staffers, sit at a table across from each other with Low Vision training tools.&quot; alt=&quot;Kia and Charlene, two SSB staffers, sit at a table across from each other with Low Vision training tools.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kia and Charlene took me through a very abbreviated version of Low Vision training, and shared a few of the skills, tools, and techniques that Minnesotans who are blind or visually impaired use in their daily lives. Kia and Charlene are exceptional teachers who are remarkably patient – even with clumsy Deputy Commissioners!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-2-edited_tcm1045-562505.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Bump dots, which are used by sticking them on frequently used objects for both identification and directional orientation. &quot; alt=&quot;Bump dots, which are used by sticking them on frequently used objects for both identification and directional orientation. &quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-2-edited&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you&apos;re adapting to vision loss, you have to learn how to identify everyday objects. There are a variety of ways to do this, but one of the most popular are bump dots. You can stick these on clothing, appliances, or other frequently used objects for both identification and directional orientation. (For example, you might put one above the &quot;minute plus&quot; button on your microwave so you know which button is which.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-3-edited_tcm1045-562496.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Various coins in a small, pink plastic bin.&quot; alt=&quot;Various coins in a small, pink plastic bin.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-3-edited&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Counting change is another skill to build. For this, I put on a blindfold and sorted the coins above into type. If you&apos;re used to doing this with the aid of your eyes, it takes a while! The trick is that all coins have a unique size and edge combination. Dimes and pennies are about the same size, but dimes have ridged edges and pennies have smooth edges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-4_tcm1045-562499.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A plastic fork and knife used to cut green playdough.&quot; alt=&quot;A plastic fork and knife used to cut green playdough.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-4&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another critical skill: cutting up food with a fork and knife. Kia and Charlene broke out the Play-Doh and plastic cutlery for this one! You use your fork and knife as a guide to push up against the border of the food, and then cut from there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-5-edited_tcm1045-562500.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A plastic water pitcher next to a small plastic cup filled with water.&quot; alt=&quot;A plastic water pitcher next to a small plastic cup filled with water.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-5-edited&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pouring: not easy. And potentially very dangerous if you are working with hot liquids. Here, you have to take your time to learn where the spout is (assuming it isn&apos;t boiling water), and listen to the filling of the cup – the tone changes as the liquid gets to the top of the cup.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-6_tcm1045-562501.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A prescription reader, which uses an RFID tag to audibly read the prescription drug instructions.&quot; alt=&quot;A prescription reader, which uses an RFID tag to audibly read the prescription drug instructions.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-6&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Charlene and Kia showed me some cool technologies, like this prescription reader which uses an RFID tag to audibly read the prescription drug instructions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-7-edited_tcm1045-562502.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A woman&apos;s hand reaching to grab a colorful plastic egg from an egg carton.&quot; alt=&quot;A woman&apos;s hand reaching to grab a colorful plastic egg from an egg carton.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-7-edited&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I also got a very quick introduction to the Braille alphabet using this half of an egg carton and plastic eggs (each Braille character, or &quot;cell,&quot; is made up of six raised dot patterns). Access to information is critically important, of course, and SSB&apos;s Communication Center transcribes textbooks, books, manuals and much else in audio, braille, and e-text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/low-vision-awareness-8_tcm1045-562503.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A children&apos;s sound puzzle featuring animals that need to go in the correct spots.&quot; alt=&quot;A children&apos;s sound puzzle featuring animals that need to go in the correct spots.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;low-vision-awareness-8&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And we closed with this puzzle, which was by far the hardest task for me. If you don&apos;t have the use of your eyes, finding where each shape goes is not easy – even with sound. By the time I completed the puzzle I had come to despise those cute little animals and all their complex shapes. It was a great tool to learn about the challenges – and frustrations – a person often has to overcome to adapt to vision loss. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This was a fun and informative walkthrough of work that is truly life-changing. Charlene, Kia, and the rest of the SSB team serve thousands of Minnesotans each year, helping them live, read, and work more independently. Every person&apos;s experience is different: some are adapting to vision loss as part of aging; others are seeking to learn new skills to help them move into or retain a job. Whatever the circumstance, the SSB team works hard to provide training and support that meets each individual&apos;s needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2023%20Climate%20and%20Economy%20FACT%20SHEET%20230119%20906am_tcm1055-560704.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;One Minnesota Budget&lt;/a&gt; includes $4 million in each biennium (2024-2025 and 2026-2027) for the SSB program. These resources will maximize the program&apos;s federal match and enable the program to keep pace with operational increases due to inflation, as well as expand services to reach more Minnesotans who are blind, visually impaired, DeafBlind, or have a print-related disability.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe</Author><id>562473</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2023-01-27 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-560462&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-27T16:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends features articles that: highlight the benefits of employment programs for people released from correctional facilities; offer a primer on understanding recession indicators; analyze wage distribution and wage inequality in Minnesota; examine inflation and wage growth by industry and across states; and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Select a title below to view the full article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2022/mobility.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;A Job Can Change a Life&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s extremely tight labor market makes it more important than ever to help connect formerly incarcerated individuals with employment. Recent research shows how a program that prepares people for employment helps those released from correctional facilities, employers and Minnesota as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2022/recession.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Understanding Recession Indicators&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A primer on recession indicators and a look at national and Minnesota data. This article utilizes data available as of November 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2022/jobholding.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Multiple Jobholding: A Closer Look at Moonlighting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Roughly 2.1 million people across the country have moved into moonlighting since April 2020. Who is moonlighting and what do we know about what spurs people to take a second job?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2022/wage-distribution1.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Wage Distribution Analysis: Article One&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first article in this series sets the stage by describing the distribution of hourly wages of Minnesota workers in the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. It offers for the first time an illustration of the shape of such a distribution and its properties, including wage inequality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2022/wage-distribution2.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Wage Distribution Analysis: Article Two&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second article in this series analyzes how the Pandemic Recession affected the distribution of hourly wages of Minnesota workers and how the recent rise in inflation is influencing growth in hourly wages of workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2022/post-pandemic.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Post-Pandemic Recession Wage and Inflation Growth: Comparisons across Industries and States&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An analysis of wage and inflation growth in Minnesota and the U.S. with comparisons between industries and across states, where available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;em xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>560462</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Budget items focus on decreasing disparities, paid family and medical leave, supporting small businesses, and more </Description><Audience/><Title>Announcing DEED&apos;s One Minnesota Budget Priorities </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Announcing DEED&apos;s One Minnesota Budget Priorities </Title><title>2023-01-26 One MN Budget Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-561615&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-26T17:14:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Budget items focus on decreasing disparities, paid family and medical leave, supporting small businesses, and more </ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/cmsr-budget-blog_tcm1045-561661.jpg&quot; title=&quot;cmsr-budget-blog&quot; alt=&quot;cmsr-budget-blog&quot; style=&quot;width: 65%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cmsr-budget-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced the totality of their One Minnesota Budget, which includes Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) budget proposals that I&apos;m excited to share with you in more detail today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2023%20Climate%20and%20Economy%20FACT%20SHEET%20230119%20906am_tcm1055-560704.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The One Minnesota Budget&lt;/a&gt; includes a bold set of strategic priorities that will bring more jobs, workers, and opportunity to our state. It is an extraordinary plan that aims to bolster small businesses, help Minnesota&apos;s flourishing economy compete globally, and strengthen our resilient workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s economy is at an unparalleled moment with a historic surplus; there has never been a better time to invest in economic expansion and build on the progress we&apos;ve made in creating a durable, inclusive economic future. At DEED, our mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. The One Minnesota Budget will accelerate that mission more than any budget in state history.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below you can learn more about DEED&apos;s priorities included in Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan&apos;s budget. For more information, check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/minnesotabudget/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;One Minnesota Budget page&lt;/a&gt; on the Governor&apos;s website or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/who-we-are/budget.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s legislative budget page&lt;/a&gt;. All funding amounts listed are for the 2024-2025 biennium and, if applicable, the 2026-2027 biennium.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;d love your help in advancing these priorities across our state, and at the legislature! To follow these ideas, you can track the bill activity in the legislative committees:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2023-2024 Committees with jurisdiction over DEED&apos;s major programs:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;House committees:&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/Committees/Home/93006&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Economic Development Finance &amp;amp; Policy&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, chaired by Rep. Hassan, Republican lead Rep. Koznick&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/Committees/Home/93029&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Workforce Development Finance &amp;amp; Policy&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;,&lt;/em&gt; chaired by Rep. Xiong and Republican lead Rep. Baker&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Senate committees:&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?cmte_id=3127&amp;amp;ls=93&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jobs and Economic Development Committee&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;,&lt;/em&gt; chaired by Senator Champion and Republican lead Senator Draheim&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;House Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.senate.mn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Senate Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We look forward to receiving your feedback on the budget items below – and let your legislators know which ones you support, too! Your voice goes a long way in turning these budget items into a reality – ultimately in support of empowering the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Growing Minnesota&apos;s Workforce&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend $30 million in the FY24-25 biennium for the &lt;em&gt;Drive for 5 Workforce Fund&lt;/em&gt;, which will prepare the workforce to enter five of the most critical occupational categories in the state with high-growth jobs and family-sustaining wages: technology, caring professions, education, manufacturing, and trades.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Decreasing Disparities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend investing $60 million in the FY24-25 biennium and $20 million in the FY26-27 biennium in employment services and training to bring workers who have been overlooked for employment, particularly people of color, into the workforce at family-sustaining wages. This is a critical initiative to bring Minnesotans into the workforce, ensure employers have the staff to help their business thrive, and move Minnesota&apos;s economy forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Establishing an Office of New Americans&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s new Americans create robust businesses, offer extraordinary cultural contributions, and play a critical role in meeting labor needs throughout Minnesota. However, there are multiple barriers to getting established in Minnesota. Governor Walz. And Lieutenant Governor Flanagan propose funding in the amount of $1.5 million in each biennium to establish an office explicitly focused on supporting immigrant and refugee integration, reducing barriers to employment, and improving connections between employers and job seekers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Preparing More Youth to Enter the Workforce&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Expanding Minnesota&apos;s results-driven &lt;em&gt;Youth at Work&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Minnesota Youth Program&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;YouthBuild&lt;/em&gt; programs will prepare more Minnesota young people to enter the workforce focused and work-ready. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend doubling the existing funding to put $20 million in the FY24-25 biennium toward youth workforce development – which would serve over 38,000 young people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Creating Inclusive Workplaces&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend $4 million in the FY24-25 biennium to create a Minnesota Reasonable Accommodation Program, which will reimburse small- to mid-sized Minnesota employers for expenses tied to providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. During this historically tight labor market, the Reasonable Accommodation Program is a critical tool to help Minnesota employers create disability-inclusive workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expanding Opportunities for Retired Minnesotans&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During COVID-19, Minnesota lost approximately 60,000 workers who were 55 years old+, and the loss of older workers impacted both public and private sectors. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $10 million in the FY24-25 biennium to create a new Return-to-Work Program for Minnesotans who have left the workforce due to retirement. The funding will be awarded to nonprofit training partners to serve individuals 55 and older and will include key components that ensure participants have employment prospects during a time of historically low unemployment rates and historically high job vacancies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expanding the Individual Placement and Supports (IPS) Program&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend an increase of $3.890 million in each biennium to allow the program to provide specialized supports to almost 700 people with serious mental illnesses so they can find and maintain steady employment. This proposal will assist more people with serious mental illness to achieve their goals of working in competitive, integrated employment.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Transforming Workforce Digital Services&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The pandemic has shown us digital services for workforce development are more essential than ever before, yet the state&apos;s existing tools are falling behind. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor propose a one-time $10 million investment to modernize the digital tools that support workforce development initiatives across Minnesota, enabling easier use of virtual appointments, more integrated and customer-centric services, and better accountability and administrative management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expanding the State Services for the Blind Service&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $4 million in each biennium for the State Services for the Blind program. These resources will maximize the program&apos;s federal match and enable the program to keep pace with operational increases due to inflation, as well as expand services to reach more individuals who are blind, visually impaired, DeafBlind, or have a print-related disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HELPING WORKING MINNESOTANS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Providing Paid Family and Medical Leave&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Too many Minnesotans, especially those in lower-wage jobs, must make the unfair choice between a paycheck and taking time off to care for a new baby or a family member with a serious illness. This leads to significant economic instability for families during some of their most challenging times. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan&apos;s recommendation for one-time funding of $668.3 million creates a paid family and medical leave insurance program to support businesses, ensures more equitable economic opportunities for all Minnesotans, keeps more women in the labor force, positively impacts the lives of children, and makes Minnesota a more attractive state at a time of historic workforce challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expanding Unemployment Benefits to Hourly School Workers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many hourly workers in our K-12 schools – like bus drivers and support professionals – aren&apos;t eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits during summer break. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend removing this limitation during summer breaks to make these K-12 school workers eligible to collect UI benefits – the amount would be $196.8 million each fiscal year starting in FY 2025. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Competing for New Business Development&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Competition for business development has never been more intense, yet Minnesota&apos;s toolbox to win business expansions to create jobs is severely outdated – current incentive programs do not provide the authority and flexibility necessary to compete with other states on a national and international scale. That&apos;s why the Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend a one-time investment of $150 million for the Minnesota Forward Fund – a revitalized toolbox that would be used to make grants, loans, forgivable loans, or grants for infrastructure or large-scale economic development projects in existing, new, and emerging industries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Empowering Entrepreneurs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota empowers and elevates the innovation ecosystem to make Minnesota the best place to start and scale new ventures – including a series of initiatives focused on growing our innovation economy to keep our state competitive nationally and globally. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor propose $5 million in each biennium to significantly expand Launch Minnesota&apos;s work connecting start ups to capital, expanding entrepreneurial expertise, and cultivating collaboration with business leaders. This proposal includes commercialization funding to help startups take that next step towards viability with much higher success rates, building the pathway to become our state&apos;s next Fortune 500 companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Encouraging Startup Businesses with the Angel Tax Credit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Angel Tax Credit, which has already resulted in over $500 million in private investment in Minnesota startups, will help communities across the state create wealth by incentivizing investment in companies with founders that are women, veterans, people of color, Native people, and those headquartered in Greater Minnesota. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan propose $20 million for this tax credit in each biennium.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Revitalizing Minnesota Main Streets&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Main Street Economic Revitalization Fund is one of the ways the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are reinvesting in Minnesota communities that were hit hard by the events of 2020. By partnering with local economic development nonprofits, DEED has provided $80 million since 2021 to catalyze investments in business corridors – neighborhoods and main streets – where they can make a big difference for individual businesses and &lt;a name=&quot;_Int_tcljxbmU&quot;&gt;communities as a whole&lt;/a&gt;. The One Minnesota Budget includes nearly $85 million in new funding in the FY24-25 biennium to multiply the positive impacts of this program across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Supporting Small Businesses&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s small business ecosystem employs three out of every four workers in the state. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend an initial $18.5 million in funding for the Small Business Navigation Program, Small Business Development Centers, and the Small Business Partnerships Program in FY24-25. These programs provide the funding, coaching, and consulting small businesses deeply need – and they target communities facing systemic barriers to growth. All of these programs are proven ways to help Minnesota&apos;s small businesses thrive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expanding Opportunity for Small Businesses&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small business owners and entrepreneurs are often unable to obtain the loan capital they need to start or expand their businesses – a critical miss for job creation as the state emerges from the pandemic. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend a one-time investment of $40 million for an Expanding Opportunity Fund, which will vastly accelerate capital into small businesses through partnerships with nonprofit lenders. The fund would provide additional capital for nonprofit lenders so the state can maximize its access to federal funds and benefit over 1,000 businesses with access to capital.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Diversifying Transitioning Economies&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As power plants across Minnesota plan for closure, communities surrounding them face economic uncertainty. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $10 million in new funding in the FY24-25 biennium to support impacted areas by providing resources for these communities to diversify their economies and find new opportunities for quality jobs and economic growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increasing Access to Broadband&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program expands broadband service to areas of Minnesota that are unserved or underserved in pursuit of the state&apos;s goal that all homes and businesses have access to broadband by 2026. Since its inception in 2014, the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program has provided nearly $230 million to connect 90,000 Minnesota homes and businesses to high-speed internet. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend $276 million in new funding in the FY24-25 biennium to expand the reach of this vital program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Legalizing Cannabis for Adult Use&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $10.4 million in FY24 and $6.7 million in FY25 for the safe and responsible legalization of cannabis for adults in Minnesota. A new Cannabis Management Office will be responsible for the implementation of the regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis, along with the medical cannabis program, and a program to regulate hemp and hemp-derived products. This recommendation includes funding for grants to assist individuals entering the legal cannabis market and implements taxes on adult-use cannabis. This proposal also seeks to begin to address the inequities the current system of marijuana prohibition has created, beginning with the expungement of nonviolent marijuana offenses and creating a Division of Social Equity at the Office of Cannabis Management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Making Modifications to the Job Creation Fund&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Job Creation Fund (JCF) encourages job creation and capital investment in new or expanding businesses. The program provides job creation awards of up to $500,000 and capital investment rebates of up to $500,000 for qualifying businesses. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend making modifications to the JCF program which will change the way awards are granted to new and expanding businesses – but maintains the same appropriation amount in the base budget and is therefore budget neutral.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CHILD CARE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Responding to Community and Business Needs for Child Care&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend $1 million in funding in each biennium to establish an Office of Child Care and Community Partnerships at the Department of Employment and Economic Development. This would serve as a central office for DEED&apos;s work partnering with the public and private sectors to address child care as an economic and workforce development issue across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increasing Child Care Capacity in Greater Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lack of affordable, quality child care is a major barrier to the participation of women, single parents, low-income parents, and rural parents in the workforce. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend $15 million in the FY24-25 biennium and $3 million in the FY26-27 biennium to support child care economic development in Greater Minnesota, which will assist child care providers, create much-needed new child care slots, and increase the capacity and quality of child care across the state.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>561615</id><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>broadband</Title><Id>443117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>angel tax credit</Title><Id>230096</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Launch Minnesota releases their Year-End Recap, which showcases the many ways our program catalyzed the work of entrepreneurs and promising startups across the state in 2022. </Description><Audience/><Title>Launch Minnesota Shares Achievements in Annual Year-End Recap</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Launch Minnesota Shares Achievements in Annual Year-End Recap</Title><title>2023-01-25 LM EOY</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-557278&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-25T17:14:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Launch Minnesota releases their Year-End Recap, which showcases the many ways our program catalyzed the work of entrepreneurs and promising startups across the state in 2022. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/launch-mn-eoy_tcm1045-561499.jpg&quot; title=&quot;launch-mn-eoy 1&quot; alt=&quot;launch-mn-eoy 1&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;launch-mn-eoy 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Launch Minnesota is incredibly important. I’m not even sure we’d be a company without them.” That’s what we heard from Minnesota entrepreneur Brian Bradley Johnson, founder of Ambient Intelligence, Launch Minnesota grantee and Launch Minnesota Network participant.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brian is not alone in his take on the importance of Launch Minnesota. I hear again and again that Launch Minnesota is making a major difference in fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, we’re releasing our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/assets/launch-minnesota-annual-report-2022-acc_tcm1139-560702.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota Year-End Recap&lt;/a&gt;, which showcases the many ways our program catalyzed the work of entrepreneurs, startups and support organizations across the state in 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota supports innovation and entrepreneurship by increasing access to capital, creating a connected and collaborative culture, and expanding entrepreneurial talent and expertise. I’m excited to share that progress has been made in all these areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some highlights from the 2022 recap:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grantees collectively raised&lt;/strong&gt; $79M in additional funds from other investors, representing a $12.40 return for every Launch Minnesota dollar invested.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Awarded $2.53M to startups&lt;/strong&gt; statewide through 95 Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants - and 100% of Launch Minnesota grantees surveyed said Innovation Grants helped move their business forward.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Distributed $1M in this biennium in grants to entrepreneurial support organizations&lt;/strong&gt; to help cultivate a thriving startup ecosystem and accelerate startup success.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Spotlighted our innovation ecosystem to national and global audiences&lt;/strong&gt; in 78 national and local publications – which had the potential to reach more than 215 million people around the world.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This progress would not have been possible without the support of our state&apos;s innovators, startups and the Launch Minnesota Network – a collective of nine hubs across Minnesota’s six regions comprised of more than 90 program partners. All of these groups are working together to help startups save time accessing needed talent and resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some of the Launch Minnesota Network’s major achievements in 2022:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://innovate-218.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Northeast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: Helped more than 50 regional founders complete virtual 10-week lean classes through ILT Academy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nownetworkmn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Northwest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: Created Headwaters Angel Network to spur investment in regional startups.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.entrepreneursfirst.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Southeast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: Provided individual support to 875 entrepreneurs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnsu.edu/about-the-university/strategic-partnerships/startup-southwest/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Southwest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: Provided support to 250 entrepreneurs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/community/partners/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Statewide:&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI): Provided 187 hours of one-on-one support to food and agriculture entrepreneurs through the Bold Growth Cohort&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn more about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://research.umn.edu/units/techcomm/startups/discovery-launchpad&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;University of Minnesota&apos;s&lt;/a&gt; efforts&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Twin Cities:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.forgenorth.com/msp-region/launch-minnesota-hub&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Forge North:&lt;/a&gt; Supported organizations that connect a diverse group of founders to mentors, potential investors and resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.socialimpactnow.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Social Impact Strategies Group:&lt;/a&gt; Hosted three mini-ConnectUP! Summits to bring mroe connectivity across the ecosystem serving Black-owned businesses across the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.greaterstcloud.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;West Central&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;: Launched three lean startup cohorts that educated 54 founders.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/assets/launch-minnesota-annual-report-2022-acc_tcm1139-560702.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View the full report here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to learn more about regional and statewide efforts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since its inception, Launch Minnesota has awarded $6.7M in grant funding to 187 innovative Minnesota startups. The Launch Minnesota team looks forward to continued collaboration with our startups and stakeholders to continue growing our innovation ecosystem in 2023!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Find out more about Launch Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Launch Minnesota Executive Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>557278</id><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Employers can still make an impact in filling workforce needs – even in our tight labor market – with a focus on reaching Minnesotans underrepresented in the workforce.</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Where Can We Still Make an Impact in Our Current Labor Market? </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Workforce Wednesday: Where Can We Still Make an Impact in Our Current Labor Market? </Title><title>2023-01-06 WW January Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-557968&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-07T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Employers can still make an impact in filling workforce needs – even in our tight labor market – with a focus on reaching Minnesotans underrepresented in the workforce.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2023</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/worforce-wednesday-january-meeting_tcm1045-557972.jpg&quot; title=&quot;worforce-wednesday-january-meeting&quot; alt=&quot;worforce-wednesday-january-meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;worforce-wednesday-january-meeting&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the first Workforce Wednesday of 2023, the DEED Workforce Strategy Consultant team led an engaging virtual discussion about where employers can still make an impact in filling workforce needs – even in our tight labor market – with a focus on reaching Minnesotans underrepresented in the workforce. DEED Labor Market Analyst Carson Gorecki provided an overview of the state of the workforce, which highlights those who face employment barriers and who are experiencing the highest unemployment. Black, Indigenous and People of Color looking for work could help employers fill workforce needs, if employers focus on providing equitable access to opportunities. Panelists discussed how lack of access leads to employment disparities and shared how employers can reach out to Minnesotans underrepresented in the workforce. They also shared recommendations for including and retaining a diverse workforce, which leads to positive business and community outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few key takeaways from the panelists in response to various questions during the discussion:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Carl Crawford, Human Rights Officer, City of Duluth:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What key advice would you give to employers? Where should they start? What are the easy wins, so to speak?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reach out to DEED for data assistance or do a deep dive with IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory). Understand your company. Everybody has a narrative, but data doesn&apos;t lie, the truth will be there.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand the subculture within your business and outside of your business. Who you are in the community makes a big difference and a big impact.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build relationships with underserved communities to build your future workforce. How do you show up to those communities that are underrepresented, when do you show up? All of that has an impact. Are you supporting the little league baseball team in your community? Do they know who you are, and more importantly that you care?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employees today are savvy – if you are not going to be about them, they are not going to be about you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tim Myles, St. Louis County, St. Louis County BIPOC Leadership Team:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What key advice would you give to employers? Where should they start? What are the easy wins, so to speak?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There are a number of areas employers should focus on: leadership, hiring process, retention and budgeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having the opportunity for leadership to understand Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and being able to understand people&apos;s differences and understand it&apos;s okay to have the differences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Then the hiring process – make sure the hiring process doesn&apos;t have biases in it. This also gives those seeking promotions the opportunity to advance without barriers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Retention: try to understand what barriers people who work for you face day to day. Try to understand viewpoints from workers&apos; perspectives. For example, have diverse representation on hiring committees, including those for promotions, so diverse viewpoints are represented.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DEI in the budgeting process: you need to set aside money to recruit and train diverse staff.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;LeAnn Littlewolf, Co-Executive Director, American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO):&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;How should we define the difference between equity and equality in the workforce?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Equity addresses the question of equality. If we don&apos;t have equal access, then equity is the way we address that, we look at the root causes, what are those challenges?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Equity is about problem solving, so how do we help everyone have equal access, understanding that there are different circumstances and scenarios and historical context.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We need to think in a global context, and we also need to think individually about what people are dealing with that prevents them from having equal access.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An example: a local employer who wanted to hire Indigenous community members hired Native trainers, who spoke to people&apos;s experiences and historical trauma.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Catrice O&apos;Neal, Workforce Development Program Director, Brooklyn Park and Brooklynk:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What are employers missing when they miss focusing on equity?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We know that equity is providing people with what they need versus providing all people the same resources; we need to be intentional about investing in those resources that target equity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lost opportunity is lumping equity and inclusion together – showing people that they are valued and included, which is low cost, versus investing in addressing barriers like training, child care, housing, which could help break down barriers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hiring DEI managers but not allocating any budget to their work is another missed opportunity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sonya Prange, VP of HR and Service Operations, Intek Plastics:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Have you noticed any benefit programs that help attract and retain diverse candidates?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What we found through general feedback is that 401(k), paid holidays and opportunities for development and advancement are key for diverse employment candidates.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We have always had a high deductible, high Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution plan so we added another option that reduced the HSA contribution but also reduced the premium to increase options for employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To remove barriers, we have interpretation services and 1:1 orientations to help get questions answered for those who don&apos;t speak English as their first language.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We have benefit program packets translated into languages represented in our plant.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also do English as a Second Language (ESL) training onsite with customized content to go through benefits as well as other terms needed on the manufacturing floor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of the January 4, 2023 session and other past sessions, find related downloadable resources and access a schedule for all Workforce Wednesday sessions in 2023 on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>557968</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:30:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>December’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum shared numerous great programs for community members from Minnesota Housing and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and an overview highlighting DEED&apos;s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. </Description><Audience/><Title>State Programs Highlighted at December’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>State Programs Highlighted at December’s Immigrant &amp; Refugee Affairs Forum</Title><title>2022-12-19 Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-552149&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-20T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>December’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum shared numerous great programs for community members from Minnesota Housing and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and an overview highlighting DEED&apos;s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>December 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/immigrant-refugee-affairs-forum_tcm1045-552360.png&quot; title=&quot;screenshot of immigrant and refugee affairs forum presentation&quot; alt=&quot;screenshot of immigrant and refugee affairs forum presentation&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;immigrant-refugee-affairs-forum&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;December&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum shared numerous great programs for community members from Minnesota Housing and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. We also heard an overview highlighting DEED&apos;s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Housing Program Opportunities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alyssa Wetzel-Moore from Minnesota Housing Finance Agency went over several of the housing resources available to renters, homeowners, and first-time homebuyers. Some of the programs mentioned include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnhousing.gov/sites/Satellite?c=Page&amp;amp;cid=1519058662552&amp;amp;d=Touch&amp;amp;pagename=External%2FPage%2FEXTStandardLayout&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Start Up Program&lt;/a&gt; – For first-time homebuyers. The definition of a first-time homebuyer is someone who has not had an ownership interest in a principal residence for the past three years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnhousing.gov/sites/homebuyers/stepup&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Step Up Program&lt;/a&gt; – For current homeowners looking to sell their current home and buy one that is a step up. Certain first-time homebuyers can apply to this program if their income exceeds the Start Up Program&apos;s limit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnhousing.gov/sites/np/educationcounseling&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Homeownership Capacity Program&lt;/a&gt; – Launched in 2014 in response to Minnesota&apos;s large disparities in homeownership rates between white households and BIPOC households. This program consists of non-profits helping prepare low-income renters and BIPOC households with the goal of becoming sustainable homeowners through financial education and coaching.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnhousing.gov/fixup&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fix Up Loan Program&lt;/a&gt; – Offers affordable, fixed interest rates with loans from $2,000 to $50,000 for home improvement projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://homehelpmn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;HomeHelpMN Program&lt;/a&gt; – Mitigates financial hardships associated with the COVID-19 pandemic by preventing homeowner mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, and displacements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Down Payment Assistance Grant Program&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lillian Otieno from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture shared information on their upcoming Down Payment Assistant Grant to help qualified farmers purchase their first farm. The grant offers dollar-per-dollar matching up to $15,000 for eligible applicants. Applications open at 9 a.m. on January 4, 2023, and funding is available on a first-come, first-served process. The farmland must be within Minnesota&apos;s borders and purchases must close within 90 days after application approval or May 15, whichever is sooner. You can find more &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mda.state.mn.us/down-payment-assistance-grant-program&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;program information on their website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DEED&apos;s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Heather Stein from DEED&apos;s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity gave an overview of their team and their available resources. The ODEO team is responsible for enforcing DEED&apos;s policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment. They also respond to complaints from DEED employees and customers and provide training and consultation. They partner with HR to maintain an inclusive hiring process as well as provide leadership and support to DEED senior leaders in reaching their equity goals. They also assist employees with providing language access to clients and customers and help set up ADA accommodations. You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-guides-us/equal-opportunity/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;find more information about the ODEO office and available resources on DEED&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW8yKEL083s&amp;amp;t=1147s&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch our discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>552149</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:45:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Statewide Services and Support for Minnesota Employers </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Statewide Services and Support for Minnesota Employers </Title><title>2022-12-14 WW December Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-551805&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-15T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>As we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies, it&apos;s critical for employers to use every workforce tool available to be successful in finding workers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>December 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce-wednesday-blog_tcm1045-551807.jpg&quot; title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-blog&quot; alt=&quot;workforce-wednesday-blog&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies, it&apos;s critical for employers to use every workforce tool available to be successful in finding workers. At our latest Workforce Wednesday discussion, we gave an overview of a few of the statewide services that DEED and our partners in CareerForce offer to employers to help attract, train and retain employees. Afterwards, we heard from a panel of our colleagues and workforce partners who shared recent success stories and advice for employers thinking about using our services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can you give us an example of a recent employer success story?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Liz Jennings, Employer Engagement Specialist, DEED CareerForce Division&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We recently worked with Union Pacific Railroad, who reached out to us and asked what more they can do to attract workers. We set up a time for their regional recruiters to come to the Twin Cities to host an all-day information session and hiring event at our CareerForce location in Bloomington. Union Pacific conducted on-site interviews and they were really happy with the turnout of job seekers that attended. We were happy to have the additional people come through our doors to learn about employment opportunities at their company as well as our CareerForce services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jane Kerntz, Veterans Employment Representative, DEED CareerForce Division&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Up here in northern Minnesota, I&apos;ve had a lot of success connecting with HR representatives working for the mining companies by keeping in constant contact with them. They reach out a couple of times a month with their open positions and I pass those opportunities on to our local veterans and those associated with veterans. We see that success comes from casting a wide net to our contacts on a regular basis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What do you say to employers who don&apos;t think their positions would be a good fit for a person with a disability?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Marci Jasper, Business Consultant, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, DEED&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes when people hear the word disability, there can be a stigma around that word and it might seem like only certain people are able to do certain tasks; the first thing we like to do is go out to the business and provide education through a training so everyone is on the same page around what exactly is a disability. When people realize that one in four people have a disability and they likely already have employees with disabilities, it gets people thinking and opens more doors for us to help them once we&apos;ve had that initial conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dacia VanAlstine, Business Services and Employment Program Specialist, State Services for the Blind, DEED&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When employers hear State Services for the Blind, they assume we&apos;re only working with talent who have zero vision and that&apos;s just not true. A lot of people we work with are already employed and they&apos;ve started to see their vision change as they age and simply need an accommodation to continue to be productive. We like to tell employers that it&apos;s actually a lot easier and more cost-effective to give an accommodation to a current employee than it is to have to hire someone new.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why should employers reach out to their regional Minnesota Association of Workforce Board (MAWB) CareerForce partners?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jeanna Fortney, MSW, Director, Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since we work with so many businesses, we can help give employers suggestions based on their specific needs. Whether it&apos;s talent attraction or retention, employers need to be more creative and think outside of the box with this tight labor market. One place we start is with the job description itself and we ask if there&apos;s a more inviting or exciting way for them to attract applicants. We strongly suggest they put salary information on their application, so they aren&apos;t wasting the job seeker&apos;s or their own time during the hiring process if the salary they plan to offer doesn&apos;t meet the job seeker&apos;s expectations. We also ask employers if their applicants really need a four-year degree for the position or are they looking for a certain set of skills that someone might have instead of a degree? Whichever CareerForce partner an employer reaches out to, there is no wrong door, because we all work closely together when helping businesses find talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of December&apos;s session and other past sessions, plus find related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>551805</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:45:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Preparing people who will be released from prison into Minnesota communities is the right thing to do – for individual Minnesotans as well as for our overall economy and public safety.</Description><Audience/><Title>Research Backs up Benefits of Helping Incarcerated People Prepare for Employment After Release</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Research Backs up Benefits of Helping Incarcerated People Prepare for Employment After Release</Title><title>2022-12-07 Employment After Release</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-550979&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-08T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Preparing people who will be released from prison into Minnesota communities is the right thing to do – for individual Minnesotans as well as for our overall economy and public safety.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>December 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/lino-lake-tour_tcm1045-550985.jpg&quot; title=&quot;lino-lake-tour&quot; alt=&quot;lino-lake-tour&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;lino-lake-tour&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;From left, DEED Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors, DEED Commissioner Steve Grove, and Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell hear from a Department of Corrections job skills instructor.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preparing people who will be released from prison into Minnesota communities is the right thing to do – for individual Minnesotans as well as for our overall economy and public safety. Formerly incarcerated people released into our communities deserve a second chance and a fair shot at finding living wage employment. Otherwise, we&apos;re setting them up for failure – and that harms all of us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s extremely tight labor market makes it more important than ever to help connect formerly incarcerated individuals with employment. DOC, DEED and other state and local agencies and organizations are working together to ensure people are prepared for employment when they are released from prison – and that employers are prepared to hire them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DOC has a long-standing program called EMPLOY that helps prepare incarcerated individuals for employment before their release, connect them with employers after their release and provide follow-up services to help make sure they remain employed in work that is a good fit for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two newly announced programs led by DEED, in coordination with DOC and the U.S. Departments of Justice and Labor, will amplify those efforts. The state-funded &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/?id=1045-542812&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pilot Re-Entry Program Competitive Grant program&lt;/a&gt; and the federally-funded &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/index.jsp?id=548496&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development (PROWD) program&lt;/a&gt; are also aimed at preparing formerly incarcerated individuals for employment, connecting them with employers and providing supportive services to help them succeed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know these programs work. For example, recent research shows how successful EMPLOY is at helping formerly incarcerated people find work and reduce recidivism. A DOC evaluation of EMPLOY conducted in 2021 showed that people who participated in the EMPLOY program were nearly three times as likely to find employment and nearly 60% less likely to become reincarcerated within two years after release.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find out more about this research and about the benefits of helping connect formerly incarcerated people with employment – not just for individuals released into Minnesota communities but for Minnesota employers and all of us interested in a fair and just society. Read &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2022/mobility.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A Job Can Change a Life&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in the December edition of Minnesota Economic Trends.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author> Commissioner Steve Grove. Commissioner Paul Schnell, Department of Corrections (DOC)</Author><id>550979</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:45:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Please join us for GEW virtual events throughout the week.</Description><Audience/><Title>Launch Minnesota invites you to participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Launch Minnesota invites you to participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week</Title><title>2022-11-14 Launch MN</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-547784&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-11-15T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please join us for GEW virtual events throughout the week.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/celebrating-entrepreneurial_tcm1045-547785.png&quot; title=&quot;celebrating-entrepreneurial-diversity&quot; alt=&quot;celebrating-entrepreneurial-diversity&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;celebrating-entrepreneurial&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;I am so thrilled that this week Launch Minnesota joins a collective of individuals and organizations throughout the country and around the world to celebrate international innovation during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Please join us for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.genglobal.org/events/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;GEW virtual events throughout the week&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GEW is a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation that is active in 180 countries with roughly nine million participants in 35,000 activities. GEW takes place today through November 20 and is organized by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.genglobal.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Global Entrepreneurship Network&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota is partnering with Ini Augustine to serve as co-state coordinators for this year&apos;s GEW.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You&apos;re invited to a virtual GEW event this week hosted by Launch Minnesota and the Minnesota Trade Office to discuss the challenges and opportunities of expanding your business internationally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Global Entrepreneurship Week: Expanding Startup Globally&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, November 16
&lt;br /&gt;
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/calendar/#event=74798782;instance=20221116130000&amp;amp;popup=1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Find out more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1618090977?pwd=bWZZZUhZbDhTdllCZGFROERnVERCQT09&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Join via Zoom&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two of GEW&apos;s key actions are to connect innovation-focused organizations and other key stakeholders, and expand awareness to encourage engagement by communities not traditionally involved in entrepreneurial activities. Launch Minnesota is honored to aid in this connection and awareness raising.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, we&apos;re really excited to showcase Minnesota entrepreneurs and our state&apos;s strong startup community on a global platform by partnering with the Global Entrepreneurship Network. Several Launch Minnesota partners also have events planned during GEW, November 14-20:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.blackbroadbandsummit.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Black Broadband Summit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://cob.mnsu.edu/gew&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota State University – Mankato&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-business-month-minnesota-2022-rochester-tickets-430422945617&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ConnectUp! Mini-Summit in Rochester&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.greaterfergusfalls.com/events&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Greater Fergus Falls&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Free Coworking Day&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Entrepreneur Mastermind: Navigating Business Law&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddItPfugDAthdatjElyecayiLADyDCCPBYM5MwS6rudlv_Gw/viewform&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Gustavus Adolphus College&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can learn about these events and others on our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/calendar/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;statewide calendar for startups and small businesses&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota is a statewide collaborative effort helping startups by increasing access to capital, creating a collaborative and connected culture, and growing entrepreneurial talent and expertise. Since its inception, Launch Minnesota has awarded $6M in grant funding to 176 innovative Minnesota startups. In invite you to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;find out more about Launch Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Launch Minnesota Executive Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>547784</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:45:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today, we mark Veterans Day to recognize the service of all U.S. military veterans.</Description><Audience/><Title>Veterans Day 2022</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Veterans Day 2022</Title><title>2022-11-10 Veterans Day Blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-547741&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-11-11T04:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, we mark Veterans Day to recognize the service of all U.S. military veterans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/veterans-day-2022_tcm1045-547742.jpg&quot; title=&quot;veterans-day-2022&quot; alt=&quot;veterans-day-2022&quot; style=&quot;width: 65%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;veterans-day-2022&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, we mark Veterans Day to recognize the service of all U.S. military veterans. I&apos;m joining my colleagues in honoring veterans this morning at the 2022 State of Minnesota Veterans Day Program at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I, has been a holiday for a long time. It retains its meaning and importance because of what it represents: a time to honor veterans who answered the call, served their country and made great sacrifices to protect our freedoms, defend our cherished values and secure democracy. It&apos;s important for all of us to recognize the service and sacrifices of current and former members of the U.S. military and their families. Please take a moment to thank veterans in your life. Chances are you know a veteran because there are 304,000 current and former military members who call Minnesota home. At DEED, we are proud to have 84 colleagues who are veterans. We&apos;re also proud that earlier this year, DEED was named a Yellow Ribbon Organization for our ongoing efforts to recruit, hire and retain employees who are military veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, we are particularly focused on providing employment services to veterans. As one example of this work, DEED partners with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to host the annual Veterans Career Fair. Our 17th annual Veterans Career Fair is coming up on May 3, 2023. Over the years we&apos;ve made changes to accommodate veterans who are currently underemployed and seeking a different career path. Another very important pivot we&apos;ve made in recent years is intentionally inviting participation by employers who are hiring for full-time positions and offering family-sustaining wages and benefits. Many Minnesota employers recognize that veterans have the skills, passion, and commitment they need in their workforce — and that hiring a veteran is a great decision for their organization&apos;s success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans Employment Representatives are located in DEED&apos;s CareerForce locations throughout the state where veterans and their spouses receive priority of service. You can find out more about CareerForce Veterans Employment Services at &lt;a href=&quot;http://CareerforceMN.com/Veterans&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerforceMN.com/Veterans&lt;/a&gt;. In addition to serving all veterans through career exploration, job search, and other employment services, Veterans Employment staff also provide services, resources and referrals to National Guard soldiers returning from deployments. CareerForce Veterans Employment Services at DEED was recognized just yesterday by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Minneapolis VA Health Care System as the Community Partner of the Year. We earned this recognition through our continued partnership with the Minneapolis VA over the years in helping veterans find employment and providing the support they need to be successful on the job.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans served our country, and it is our honor to serve them in finding meaningful employment and reaching their career goals. Thank you for your service, veterans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Veterans Employment Services Director Ray Douha</Author><id>547741</id><Tag><Description/><Title>veterans</Title><Id>230116</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:45:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Blog wrapping the end of 2022 Manufacturing Month. Commissioner Steve Grove attended a roundtable and discussed the new Small Business Hub.</Description><Audience/><Title>Manufacturing Month Wrap</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>An inspiring discussion to wrap up Manufacturing Month</Title><title>2022-10-31 Manufacturing Month Wrap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-545911&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-31T21:24:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today DEED wrapped up Manufacturing Month with an inspiring virtual roundtable event featuring manufacturing industry leaders from across the state. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Manufacturing%20Month%20Roundtable_tcm1045-545910.png&quot; title=&quot;Manufacturing Month Roundtable&quot; alt=&quot;Manufacturing Month Roundtable&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Manufacturing Month Roundtable&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today DEED wrapped up Manufacturing Month with an inspiring virtual roundtable event featuring manufacturing industry leaders from across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October as Manufacturing Month because manufacturing is the backbone of Minnesota’s economy:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Manufacturing accounted for $56 billion or 14% of the state’s gross domestic product and provided more than 310,000 jobs or 11.3% of statewide employment in 2021.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Workers took home $23.4 billion in wages from Minnesota manufacturing jobs in 2021, the second-largest total payroll among private sector industries. Average annual wages for workers in manufacturing are $74,630, 10% higher than across all industries in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Demand for manufacturing workers is strong – and competition for workers is intense because of our current historically tight labor market. From September 2021 to September 2022, manufacturing posted 15,937 additional jobs in Minnesota, up 5.1% over the year, compared to 3.7% nationally. Demand for manufacturing workers is projected to remain strong: Minnesota is expected to have more than 75,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions alone through 2030.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today’s virtual event, hosted by DEED Commissioner Steve Grove, highlighted the critical importance of manufacturing to Minnesota’s economy. It was also a great opportunity to hear from manufacturing industry leaders from across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here are some highlights of what those manufacturing leaders shared today.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Traci Tapani, owner of Wyoming Machine in Stacy&lt;/strong&gt; highlighted the need for accessible and affordable housing and child care to help more people move into the workforce and into manufacturing careers. She also stressed that during our extremely tight labor market we need “all hands on deck,” so more needs to be done bring women, young people, people with disabilities, immigrants and formerly incarcerated people into the workforce. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“There are some businesses in our economy where hiring someone who was formerly incarcerated is difficult, but in manufacturing there is no reason someone who has been incarcerated can’t work in production job and be very successful at it,” she said. Tapani went on to say that Wyoming Machine has several formerly incarcerated people on staff and they are great contributors and co-workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark Petersen, operations manager at ITW Heartland in Alexandria and president of the Tri-State Manufacturers Association&lt;/strong&gt;, said one of the biggest hiring challenges manufacturers face is getting parents to support their children in moving into the field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“When we show the parent and the child around the shop, and ask them, ‘is this what you thought it would look like?’ they say, ‘oh no, look, it’s clean and look at this fancy stuff!’” Petersen said. “Getting the kids in front of our senior machinists that know how to program and set up a run and showing them on the computer how they build a program out of a solid model...that’s what gets them excited.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wade Karnes, owner of Zakobe LLC in Bovey and president of the Arrowhead Manufacturers and Fabricators Association&lt;/strong&gt;, remarked that that, “we need better communication between the [career and technical education] system and manufacturers.” Karnes said area manufacturers are excited about the CTE Jamboree coming up on November 17 at St. Michael-Albertville High School that aims to do just that. Reaching kids in high school is critical to connecting with potential future employees in the area, Karnes said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lance Louis, president and CEO of Louis Industries in Paynesville and vice president of the Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association&lt;/strong&gt;, said youth apprenticeship programs have been hugely successful for his company and that two of his key staff came up through the ranks after starting as youth apprentices. But a challenge is keeping more of the workers they train.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“With a lot of these training programs, us as employers are putting a tremendous amount of resources into training people – for the youth apprenticeship, 50 hours of safety training and 700 hours of youth skills programs – then they leave to go down to metro area for better pay,” said Louis, who is also a member of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. “I think we need to take a hard look at, how do we keep these people on the job site with the employers that are spending the time and effort training them.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Les Engel, owner of Engel Metallurgical in Sauk Rapids and president of the Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association&lt;/strong&gt;, said every manufacturer he talks to is facing the same challenges finding workers with the necessary skills. &quot;If we can figure out a way for people to get this basic training then when they show up they have a chance to be hired,” he said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;George Chapple, training manager at Daikin in Owatonna&lt;/strong&gt;, agreed that basic skills training is needed both in high school curricula and in community education opportunities. “We did a needs assessment across the board and we’ve identified what are those skills sets, and we incorporated that into our new hire orientation,” he said. &quot;We call it our common skills modules, and that includes hand and power tools, wiring and schematics, blueprint interpretation and precision measurement...common skills almost everyone on the production floor needs to master.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Steve Kalina, president and CEO at the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association&lt;/strong&gt; in Plymouth, spoke about how automation can be a game changer for even small manufacturers by filling roles where employers can’t find workers and being able to offer higher wages to higher skilled employees they do hire.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Automation is not replacing jobs, it’s replacing open positions that we can’t fill with people,” he said. “It’s automating the set-up, automating the work holding, automating the inspection…so instead of having a machinist sit and inspect or sit and load, the machinist is focusing on the programming or running the automation or problem solving.” Kalina hopes the state can do more to get the word out about training programs that could help more manufacturers upskill staff to expand automation in their shops.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nicole Hiller, HR manager at Dotson Iron Castings in Mankato&lt;/strong&gt;, noted that her company has been participating in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnmfg.org/statewidetour/&quot;&gt;Tour of Manufacturing&lt;/a&gt; for many years,and that this year they had 200 high school students come through their metal casting shop. She also shared how community engagement is so important in being a great place to work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hiller recounted how Dotson had a fire several years ago that shut down production for five weeks and during that time “we worked with community partners sending out team members to work with nonprofits and team members got paid full work weeks and those folks were committed to that and enjoyed the opportunity to get out and give back to the community they live and work in.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DEED is working to help address workforce challenges, meet training needs and more.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are focused on helping &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/&quot;&gt;connect people who need work with the employers who need them&lt;/a&gt;. DEED engaged in intensive outreach around the state through the Summer of Jobs campaign to help showcase the thousands of jobs available throughout Minnesota. DEED also connects eligible job seekers with training they need to help prepare themselves for work in manufacturing through our employment and training programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And DEED helps manufacturing employers upskill new and existing employees through &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/partnership/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Job Skills Partnership&lt;/a&gt; grants, which provide up to $400,000 for training developed and delivered by an accredited Minnesota education institution to meet specific business needs. Plus, DEED provides funding for employee training in automation through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/atipp/&quot;&gt;Automation Training Incentive Program&lt;/a&gt;, which provides grants of up to $35,000 to small businesses in the manufacturing industry to train incumbent workers as quickly and effectively as possible on new automation technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED offers incentives for the creation of good manufacturing jobs through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/mif/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Investment Fund&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/mn-jcf/&quot;&gt;Job Creation Fund&lt;/a&gt;. Coming soon, DEED will be offering gap financing loans through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/ssbci/automation-loan/&quot;&gt;State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Automation Loan Participation Program&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVDAzeTWs2E&quot;&gt;recording of today’s Manufacturing Month roundtable discussion&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/joinusmn/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/&quot;&gt;DEED’s Small Business Hub&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/industry/manufacturing&quot;&gt;Manufacturing Month resources&lt;/a&gt; which will live on after October ends.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>545911</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED is looking to recruit about 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs during the fall of 2022 and winter of 2022-23.</Description><Audience/><Title>Putting out the call for community reviewers</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Putting out the call for community reviewers</Title><title>2022-10-27 Reviewers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-545372&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-27T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED is looking to recruit about 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs during the fall of 2022 and winter of 2022-23.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/call-for-community-reviewers_tcm1045-585830.png&quot; title=&quot;call-for-community-reviewers&quot; alt=&quot;call-for-community-reviewers&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;call-for-community-reviewers&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is looking to recruit about 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs during the fall of 2022 and winter of 2022-23. We&apos;re committed to including more voices and perspectives in our grantmaking process – and including community reviewers is an important way to do this. We value the community reviewer process across the agency. We will involve community reviewers in our grantmaking decisions for other DEED divisions in the near future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We believe a more inclusive process can help us make funding decisions that will better support our commitment to reducing employment disparities in Minnesota. We want community reviewers who are aware of the current challenges that job seekers face. People with this experience bring an important voice to the table in our decision-making. DEED has recruited community reviewers for our employment and training grants before, and we are eager to continue to leverage their experience and perspectives in the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to that very important personal experience, prospective community reviewers should have an interest in workforce development, as well as experience in grantmaking, education, training, workforce, and/or a related area. DEED also requires community reviewers to participate in a short online training session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are seeking individuals who can dedicate 20-40 hours to read grant proposals over the course of 2-3 weeks. Grant reviewers will read approximately 6-12 proposals during November and/or December. Proposals are generally 12-15 pages in length, with additional supporting and budget documents that should also be reviewed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED will provide a small stipend to community reviewers who meet eligibility requirements, complete training and review on time, and complete the required process to receive payments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ready to apply as a community reviewer?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please complete this short &lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjGMbeqZhnlBIsvduEFGl2z1UMThDQVczUjdQNldJRTZKRlkyUDY4M1RTUi4u&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;online application form&lt;/a&gt; to let us know you&apos;re interested in participating. But act fast! &lt;strong&gt;The application will close at 11:45 p.m. on November 10, 2022.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have more questions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us for one of our two optional community reviewer information sessions. Both of these online sessions will contain the same information. Sessions will be recorded and posted on our YouTube page if you aren&apos;t able to attend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;November 1, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Join on your computer, mobile app or room device&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NjIzZjliYjktMGE1ZS00OWM4LWIyNGUtOWRhY2NkNDQ1NjA3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a67a1b63-9e61-4850-b2f7-6e1051a5db3d%22%7d&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Click here to join the meeting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meeting ID:&lt;/strong&gt; 231 722 662 243&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Or call in (audio only)&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;tel:+16513957448,,565162622#&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;+1 651-395-7448,,565162622#&lt;/a&gt; United States, St. Paul
&lt;br /&gt;
Phone Conference ID: 565 162 622#&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;November 7, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Join on your computer, mobile app or room device&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MTRiYzEyNWUtMzE0Zi00MWFkLWFjMjUtNjVkYzdiYWU1ZDE2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a67a1b63-9e61-4850-b2f7-6e1051a5db3d%22%7d&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Click here to join the meeting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meeting ID:&lt;/strong&gt; 216 622 887 848&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Or call in (audio only)&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;tel:+16513957448,,908112827#&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;+1 651-395-7448,,908112827#&lt;/a&gt; United States, St. Paul
&lt;br /&gt;
Phone Conference ID: 908 112 827#&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:officeofeconomicopportunity@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AskDEED@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share this opportunity with your friends and networks. We need your help in finding community members who want to get involved!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Office of Public Engagement Interim Director Deven Bowdry</Author><id>545372</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2022-10-26 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-545144&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-26T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends features articles that: examine Minnesotans&apos; job mobility before and after the pandemic recession; analyze demographic, economic, and educational trends and disparities regarding Minnesota&apos;s Black labor force; take a closer look at Minnesota&apos;s labor force participation changes; and forecast short-term job growth by industry and occupation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Select a title below to view the full article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2022/mobility.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Job mobility in the post-COVID labor market&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This study examines job mobility patterns of Minnesota workers before and after the COVID-19 recession, with a focus on wage impacts. By adjusting wages for inflation, this study examines how job mobility interacts with inflation across different groups of workers and industries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/black-african-american-data-report-acc_tcm1045-539222.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Black Labor Force&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This report provides an analysis of demographic, economic, and educational trends and disparities impacting Black Minnesotans, with comparisons over time and to other states.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2022/projections.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Job Recovery Continues: An updated analysis of projected job growth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s economy is projected to continue to grow over the next year, with our short-term jobs forecast surpassing pre-pandemic February 2020 employment levels by the second quarter of 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2022/labor-force.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Will a Record-Setting Hot Labor Market Bring Labor Force Participation Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This report takes a closer look at the short-term pandemic and long-term demographic impacts on labor force participation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>545144</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>labor market information</Title><Id>544356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The federal government has approved Minnesota for $97.5 million in small business funding through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). </Description><Audience/><Title>Announcing $97 Million in Small Business Financial Support</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Announcing $97 Million in Small Business Financial Support</Title><title>2022-10-25 ssbci-launch</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-545194&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-25T19:13:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>The federal government has approved Minnesota for $97.5 million in small business funding through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). </ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/cmsr-walz-speaker-ssbci_tcm1045-545219.jpg&quot; title=&quot;cmsr-walz-speaker-ssbci&quot; alt=&quot;cmsr-walz-speaker-ssbci&quot; style=&quot;width: 65%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cmsr-walz-speaker-ssbci&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last Friday, Governor Tim Walz and I announced nearly $100 million in new funding to support small businesses through &lt;a href=&quot;https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/small-business-programs/state-small-business-credit-initiative-ssbci&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.flavacafe.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Flava Café&lt;/a&gt; in St. Paul. We were joined by Damon Jenkins, Senior Vice President and Twin Cities Regional Market President of First Independence Bank; Lachelle Cunningham, Board Co-Chair of the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) and Chelles Kitchen owner; Shaunie Grigsby, Founder and CEO of Flava Café; and Myron Frans, University of Minnesota Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, we have heard from hundreds of Minnesota business owners about how to make it easier to start a small business. One hurdle that comes up often is a persistent gap in funding for businesses that are just getting started. We took this feedback and identified six new funding streams to help fill the gaps facing small business owners. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, help is on the way. The federal government has approved Minnesota for $97.5 million in small business funding through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Neighborhood entrepreneurs have great and beneficial ideas, and they want to invest in their communities with their businesses,&quot; Cunningham said at Friday&apos;s event. &quot;In turn, we need to invest in them with access to services and resources such as the Small Business Loan Participation program. NDC is excited to see local entrepreneurs receive a new resource to support their businesses.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Based on research and dozens of listening sessions with stakeholders over the last year, DEED is committed to addressing significant market gaps in financing with this funding. Before the end of 2022, the agency will &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;launch six Treasury-approved programs&lt;/a&gt; under the new initiative to benefit small businesses. In most cases, businesses will access funding through approved lenders or other external financial institutions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I&apos;ve had numerous conversations with business owners across the state and a common theme I&apos;ve heard is, &apos;show me the money, where&apos;s the access to capital.&apos; I&apos;m excited and fortunate to be part of this partnership because this is a reflection that we heard you, we&apos;re listening,&quot; Jenkins said. &quot;We&apos;re part of this ecosystem that will bring resources and capital, to allow the businesses owners to grow, to scale, and put them on the path to success and to be here for the long term. It also provides us additional reach and to be a part of the community solution and make business owners that we serve, better. I&apos;m committed to continuing the conversations with the business owners and inquiring about how we can continue to make this better and ensuring that they have access to the resources.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The other small business funding streams launching in the weeks and months ahead include loans to early stage technologically innovative businesses, automation loans and purchase loan participations. In addition, a partnership with the University of Minnesota will provide opportunities for direct investment venture capital and venture capital fund investments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ssbci-walz-grove_tcm1045-545204.jpg&quot; title=&quot;ssbci-walz-grove&quot; alt=&quot;ssbci-walz-grove&quot; style=&quot;width: 65%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ssbci-walz-grove&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Entrepreneurs, especially women and BIPOC entrepreneurs, need access to capital and resources that are right for them and their businesses. Through community support, the Neighborhood Development Center, and programs such as these, I&apos;ve had the opportunity to start and develop my business into what it is today,&quot; Grigsby said at Friday&apos;s event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Walz-Flanagan Administration is deeply committed to helping small businesses grow and succeed in Minnesota.  That&apos;s why we&apos;re also unveiling our new online &lt;a href=&quot;http://joinusmn.com/smallbusiness&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Small Business Hub&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to help entrepreneurs start and grow their small businesses. The Hub provides details on our upcoming SSBCI programs, as well as resources and expertise for small business owners looking to launch in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new Hub can be found at &lt;a href=&quot;http://joinusmn.com/smallbusiness&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;joinusmn.com/&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;smallbusiness&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small business is who we are as an economy, and these new funding streams are critical to bolstering small businesses and helping our economy thrive and become more equitable for all.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>545194</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies, it&apos;s critical for employers to set up talent pipelines now so they can remain successful in finding workers for the future.</Description><Audience/><Title>Strategies for Connecting with Students to Build Our Future Workforce</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Strategies for Connecting with Students to Build Our Future Workforce</Title><title>2022-10-17 Workforce Wednesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-543819&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-17T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>As we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies, it&apos;s critical for employers to set up talent pipelines now so they can remain successful in finding workers for the future.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce-wednesday_tcm1045-543955.jpg&quot; title=&quot;workforce-wednesday&quot; alt=&quot;workforce-wednesday&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workforce-wednesday&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies, it&apos;s critical for employers to set up talent pipelines now so they can remain successful in finding workers for the future. At our latest Workforce Wednesday discussion, we heard from a panel of workforce partners who shared innovative ways they&apos;re connecting students to career pathways using various methods, including community outreach programs, apprenticeships, and summer exploration experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s how each of the workforce partners answered the question, &quot;Can you explain how your organization or program works with youth to find career opportunities?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Uniquely Abled Academy at South Central College, Jim Hanson – Dean of Business &amp;amp; Industry, Director for Customized Workforce Education at South Central College&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://southcentral.edu/Workforce/uniquely-abled-academy.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) at South Central College (SCC)&lt;/a&gt; is a program designed to provide individuals with autism the hands-on training and high-tech skills needed to prepare for a career as a computer numerical control (CNC) operator. Offered by SCC&apos;s Customized Workforce Education division, Uniquely Abled Academies were developed nationally through The Uniquely Abled Project. This all-encompassing training program offers funding for qualified applicants and successfully places most trainees in their new careers upon graduation. Our first Uniquely Abled Academy was offered this past summer and we&apos;re currently seeking funding to offer more Uniquely Abled Academies next summer to help prepare more young adults with autism for promising, fulfilling careers. While it costs approximately $10,000 per student to fund the program, organizers and supporters agree the benefits that come from it are worth the investment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mankato&apos;s &quot;I am&quot; Program, Caleb Watson – Career &amp;amp; College Readiness Coordinator, Mankato Area Schools&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mankato&apos;s &quot;I am&quot; program is a strategic marketing campaign to help inspire students to see themselves in careers they might not have considered before. We picked some historically underrepresented populations like men in nursing and women in manufacturing and we made posters in the schools with previous students who now work in those fields to show students that these career pathways exist for them. The hardest part was finding students who had graduated into these different industries because once students leave school, it&apos;s hard to keep track of them. Luckily, we were able to reach out to our community partnerships and advisory councils to find these different types of students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association (CMMA) K-12 Navigator Online Business Directory, Tim Zipoy – Business Service Coordinator, Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc. (CMJTS) and CMMA Board member&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our free &lt;a href=&quot;https://k12navigator.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;navigator tool&lt;/a&gt; was created in 2019 to strengthen career pathways for students by connecting educators and businesses with high school career exploration opportunities. It had originally started with a focus just on manufacturing careers, but we&apos;ve relaunched the tool to include additional industries. Employers can use the tool to develop relationships with schools so they can engage and build their company&apos;s future workforce. Students can use the tool to help find businesses that are offering engaging career exploration experiences so they can explore career fields that interest them. Educators can use the tool to search for employers based on location, industry and activity to find the right opportunities for their students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Minnesota&apos;s Operation Exploration, Diana Ristamaki – Youth and Universal Team Manager at Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc. (CMJTS)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cmjts.org/testimonial/operation-exploration/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Operation Exploration&lt;/a&gt; is a two-week hands-on career exploration camp that we hold across our eleven counties. These camps are a unique opportunity for our youth to learn more about exciting and high-paying jobs in their area. We had businesses come in and do presentations about their company and what openings they have and the skills and training needed for the youth to work for them. We went into businesses where they gave tours to show what a typical day is like at their company. Our manufacturing employers taught the kids how to weld and they were able to bring their projects home with them. The automotive companies let the students change oil and rotate tires and show the wiring components found in vehicles. Construction companies had them build a wall and pour cement. The healthcare partners were able to recreate an ambulance scene where the youth could pick different roles to see all the different careers involved at the scene of an accident. These camps let kids try on different career hats and get excited about their potential career pathways as well introduce them to the employers in their area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of October&apos;s session and other past sessions, plus find related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>543819</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>&quot;This is my family business. The future for me is that the business is still standing firm and we are all here working together.&quot;</Description><Audience/><Title>¡Celebrando! Hispanic Heritage Month</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>¡Celebrando! Hispanic Heritage Month</Title><title>2022-10-14 Hispanic Heritage Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-543645&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-14T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;This is my family business. The future for me is that the business is still standing firm and we are all here working together.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/hispanic-heritage-month-banner_tcm1045-543687.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hispanic-heritage-month-banner&quot; alt=&quot;hispanic-heritage-month-banner&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hispanic-heritage-month-banner&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;This is my family business. The future for me is that the business is still standing firm and we are all here working together.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s what Jose Lopez of Heron Lake had to say about becoming a small business owner on July 1 of this year, thanks to the support of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at DEED and other organizations in Southwest Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mr. Lopez is part of a boom in Hispanic business ownership in Minnesota and around the country. Here in Minnesota, we saw a 61% increase in the number of Hispanic-owned businesses from 2012 to 2019, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. During that same timeframe, the U.S. saw a 21% increase in Hispanic-owned businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each year from September 15 to October 15, Americans observe &lt;a href=&quot;https://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hispanic Heritage Month&lt;/a&gt; honoring the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans. This year&apos;s theme is &quot;Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.&quot; Celebrating Hispanic business owners is one of the ways DEED is marking Hispanic Heritage Month this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today we are sharing Mr. Lopez&apos;s small business success story. Mr. Lopez is the new owner of P&amp;amp;J&apos;s Mini Mart Cafe in Heron Lake. He knew he wanted to own a family business, so when he spotted an opportunity to purchase the small-town gas station, convenience store and restaurant he leapt at the chance. Not sure where to begin, he went straight to the bank to inquire about applying for a business loan. The bank thought he would benefit from additional business support and got him connected to the SBDC office where he found resources and assistance thanks to Pam Lehmann, a Professional Business Consultant at SBDC in Southwest Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ms. Lehmann connected Mr. Lopez with Robin Weis at the Southwest Regional Development Commission. Ms. Weis then connected him with Falcon Development Corporation, which provided gap financing through their Heron Lake Revolving Loan Fund program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Southwest Initiative Foundation provides classes helpful for any new business owner in the area, and they&apos;ve been a big help to Mr. Lopez. &quot;I had classes in September on marketing and bookkeeping and several other courses. They&apos;re providing me with accounting classes, too. They will help me with all of that.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Pam connected me with other people who helped me continue the process,&quot; continued Mr. Lopez, who is grateful to the many people who helped him pursue his small business dream. &quot;I&apos;m new, I needed a lot of help from all these people because it&apos;s my first time running a business, and everything is new – different from the life I&apos;m used to.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mr. Lopez and his family are now running P&amp;amp;J&apos;s Mini Mart Café. His wife and two daughters manage day-to-day operations at the gas station, convenience store and restaurant while Jose continues working a third-shift job. The family is focused on keeping their existing customer base while expanding offerings to reach new customers. For example, the family plans on keeping some of the American food items offered by the previous owner on the menu while also introducing new Mexican fare.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mr. Lopez reinforced how important it is for new small business owners to surround themselves with a team of professionals like those he was connected with through SBDC. &quot;Well, without them, I couldn&apos;t really take on this business. They helped me a lot – practically in everything. With loans and understanding how this type of business works...they know that I am still learning – every day passes, and I learn something new.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SBDC provides assistance and resources to support small business owners like Jose Lopez throughout Minnesota. Services are available in Spanish and other languages in addition to English. As we wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month on October 15, please show your support for Hispanic- and Latinx-owned small businesses in your community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you&apos;re looking for small business assistance, here are some great resources from DEED:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Centers in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/starting-business/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Start your Business&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Grow your Small Business&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/assets/how-to-start-business-minnesota_tcm1139-543409.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;5 Steps in Starting your Business in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 id=&quot;espanol&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;¡Celebrando el mes de la Herencia Hispana!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Por Christine Fischer, Directora Regional Interina del Centro Regional Suroeste MnSBDC&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Este negocio es familiar. El futuro para mí es que el negocio se mantenga y todos estemos aquí trabajando&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eso es lo que dijo José López de Heron Lake acerca de convertirse en propietario de una pequeña empresa el 1 de julio de este año, gracias al apoyo del Centro de Desarrollo de Pequeñas Empresas (SBDC) en DEED y otras organizaciones en el suroeste de Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Sr. López es parte de un crecimiento en propiedades de empresas hispanas en Minnesota y en todo el país. Aquí en Minnesota, vimos un aumento del 61% en la cantidad de dueños de negocios hispanos entre 2012 y 2019, según datos de la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos. Durante ese mismo período, los Estados Unidos vio un aumento del 21% en las propiedades de empresas hispanas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cada año, del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, los estadounidenses celebran el Mes de la Herencia Hispana en honor a la cultura y las contribuciones de los hispanos y latinoamericanos. El tema de este año es &quot;Unidos: Inclusión para una Nación más Fuerte&quot;. Celebrar a los dueños de negocios hispanos es una de las formas en que DEED celebra el Mes de la Herencia Hispana este año.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hoy compartimos la historia de éxito de la pequeña empresa del Sr. López. El Sr. López es el nuevo propietario de P&amp;amp;J&apos;s Mini Mart Cafe en Heron Lake. Sabía que quería ser dueño de un negocio familiar, así que cuando vio la oportunidad de comprar la gasolinera, la tienda y el restaurante, aprovechó la oportunidad. Sin saber por dónde empezar, fue directamente al banco para solicitar un préstamo comercial. El banco pensó que se beneficiaría de apoyo comercial adicional y lo puso en contacto con la oficina de SBDC, donde encontró recursos y asistencia gracias a Pam Lehmann, consultora empresarial profesional de SBDC en el suroeste de Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Southwest Initiative Foundation ofrece clases útiles para cualquier propietario nuevo de negocio en el área, y han sido de gran ayuda para el Sr. López. &quot;Tuve clases en septiembre sobre marketing y finanzas y varios otros cursos. También me están proporcionando clases de contabilidad. Ellos me van ayudar hacer todo eso&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Pam me conectó con otras personas que me ayudaron a continuar con el proceso&quot;, continuó el Sr. López, quien está agradecido con las muchas personas que lo ayudaron a perseguir su sueño de ser dueño de su pequeña empresa. &quot;Soy nuevo prácticamente necesite mucha ayuda de toda esta gente porque es mi primera vez teniendo un negocio y no tiene que ver nada con mi vida normal&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Sr. López y su familia ahora dirigen P&amp;amp;J&apos;s Mini Mart Cafe. Su esposa y sus dos hijas administran las operaciones diarias en la gasolinera, la tienda y el restaurante, mientras que José continúa trabajando en un trabajo de tercer turno. La familia se enfoca en mantener los clientes mientras expande las ofertas para llegar a nuevos clientes. Por ejemplo, la familia planea mantener algunos platillos americanos ofrecidos por el propietario anterior en el menú y, al mismo tiempo, introducir nuevas recetas mexicanas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;El Sr. López reforzó la importancia de que los nuevos propietarios de pequeñas empresas se rodeen de un equipo de profesionales como aquellos con los que estuvo conectado a través de SBDC. &quot;Bueno, sin ellos, no podría agarrar este negocio, la verdad. Me ayudaron bastante, en todo prácticamente. Con préstamos y entender cómo funciona este tipo de negocio... ellos saben que todavía estoy aprendiendo, cada día que pasa, aprendo otra cosa nueva&quot;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SBDC ofrece asistencia y recursos para apoyar a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas como José López en todo Minnesota. Los servicios están disponibles en español y otros idiomas además del inglés. A medida que finalizamos el Mes de la Herencia Hispana el 15 de octubre, muestra su apoyo a los dueños de pequeñas empresas de hispana y latinx en su comunidad.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Si está buscando asistencia para pequeñas empresas, aquí hay algunos recursos excelentes de DEED (&lt;em&gt;Nota: Los recursos enlazados están en inglés&lt;/em&gt;):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Centros de Desarrollo de Pequeñas Empresas en Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/starting-business/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Inicie su negocio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/grow-your-business/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Crece su pequeña empresa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/assets/how-to-start-business-minnesota_tcm1139-543409.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;5 pasos para iniciar su negocio en Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Southwest Minnesota SBDC Regional Center Interim Regional Director Christine Fischer</Author><id>543645</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>CTE programs key in filling 75,000 manufacturings jobs in the next decade</Description><Audience/><Title>Manufacturing Month: Learning from Students at Irondale High School</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Manufacturing Month: Learning from Students at Irondale High School</Title><title>2022-10-13 Irondale</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-543575&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-13T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>CTE programs key in filling 75,000 manufacturing jobs in the next decade</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/irondale_tcm1045-543574.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Irondale High School students and commissioners&quot; alt=&quot;Irondale High School students and commissioners&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;irondale&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Earlier this week, we got the chance to hear from students at Irondale High School who are participating in a uniquely-designed manufacturing career program in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Before I got to Irondale it was like I didn&apos;t want to go to school anymore, but once I got here the doors opened up to me about the trades and it made me want to come to school every day.&quot; – Oscar, Irondale Senior&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Working in trades is a lot of fun...it&apos;s a different world working in the trades than it is a desk job or working in food, you meet a lot more interesting people and definitely pick up on a lot of life skills...a lot of jobs, depending on what you go for, pay a lot of money.&quot; – Ryan, Mounds View Public Schools Alternative Learning Center Senior&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I just tell people there are a lot of opportunities that don&apos;t involve 4-year-college. You don&apos;t need a 4-year-college to get a good paying job. – Walter, Irondale Senior&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Those are the messages we heard loud and clear from Irondale Career and Technical Education (CTE) students at Irondale High School in New Brighton, in the Mounds View Public Schools district. We had a great discussion with Mounds View Public Schools leaders, staff, students and others about helping students prepare for what&apos;s next after high school graduation through CTE classes, specifically in manufacturing and skilled trades fields.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preparing students for what&apos;s next&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preparing students for employment in the manufacturing industry and the skilled trades makes great sense because these occupations are in high demand and pay well – and often people can land jobs in these fields with a high school diploma and employer- or union-provided training. Average annual wages for workers in manufacturing are $74,630, 10% higher than across all industries in Minnesota. Average annual wages for workers in skilled construction trades are $77,324, 15% higher than across all industries in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Irondale has roughly 800 students participating in CTE classes, many of them in manufacturing and the trades. Angie Zappa, a Work-Based Learning teacher at Irondale, told us she has seen a big shift over the past several years as more students become aware of the career exploration and preparation opportunities available while they are in high school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The biggest difference I see is really the relevance and how that resonates with kids. I don&apos;t have to spend a lot of time explaining the &apos;why&apos;, &apos;why are we doing this&apos; because they can see they&apos;re going to need to know how to answer an interview question; they&apos;re going to need to know what career field they&apos;re interested in,&quot; said Angie. &quot;Beyond that it&apos;s much more hands on, much more tangible, and I really feel like we can engage all types of learners in what we do.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We&apos;re currently learning about OSHA courses and how they can benefit us in the outside world, we&apos;re learning workers&apos; rights, emergency action plans... and another thing we do is watch videos that show a day in the life of a person working in manufacturing or the trades and that gives me an idea of what I want to do in the outside world.&quot; – Oscar, who wants to be electrician&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I really like CTE classes...they help us get OSHA 10 certification very soon in life so if you are going into the trades you have this extra paper saying &apos;hey I have a little bit more knowledge than other kids coming in here&apos; so it really opens up doors for better job opportunities.&quot; – Ryan, who is currently working at a local manufacturing company, Johnson Screens&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;First class when I come in, I go to welding and learn how to weld, then I go to CTE class... presenters come in and tell us what they do and how they got there.&quot; – Walter, who is currently working at a local manufacturing company, FedTech&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making real-world connections&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CTE classes are immensely popular because students can learn skills in a way they can see has application to real life. Interest in the program has increased considerably over the last year, causing Irondale and Mounds View high schools to work on adding additional welding classrooms and sections. More than 145 district students have completed the introductory welding course in the last year, with additional students on a wait list. Irondale High School Principal Vichai Saefong says if they had another welding classroom, they could have accommodated the additional waitlisted students. The challenge: welding and similar classrooms cost far more than average classrooms to equip, plus it&apos;s a challenge to find teachers for such classes because people with top welding certifications can make a lot more money outside of a classroom. Another example is CNC classes – there is a big demand for CNC machining skills, but the equipment and the instruction costs make them hard for high schools to afford. That&apos;s where community and business partnerships come in to help meet student and industry needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dewey Josephson, Operations Manager at Johnson Screens, says there are four Irondale students currently welding at the company&apos;s plant in New Brighton. Dewey says there is the long-term benefit from bringing students like Ryan on board who want to grow and learn at Johnson Screens and not jump to the next manufacturer paying 50 cents more an hour down the street in six months. But there are also immediate benefits to the company.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It&apos;s the instant value that the students bring within the program. Within a couple of weeks to a month they&apos;ve passed all the training and certifications for welding and are able to do production welding,&quot; said Dewey. &quot;I see the investment in the students as a long-term benefit but also an instant benefit.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, a time to acknowledge the huge importance of this industry to our state&apos;s economy – and the thousands of good-paying employment opportunities now and into the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manufacturing accounted for $56 billion, or 14%, of the state&apos;s gross domestic product and provided more than 310,000 jobs, or 11.3% of statewide employment, in 2021. There are many employment opportunities in manufacturing: Minnesota added almost 15,000 manufacturing jobs over the year from August 2021 to August 2022 and the latest job vacancy survey showed 16,421 vacancies in manufacturing across Minnesota. Minnesota is expected to see more than 75,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions alone through 2030.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focusing on building successful career pathways&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED is focused on helping connect people who need work with the employers who need them. This is critically important because Minnesota has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. With an unemployment rate below 2% and a near record high number of job vacancies across nearly all industries in Minnesota, it&apos;s a real challenge to find employees. There are currently four open positions for every unemployed person looking for work in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DLI supports safe work-based learning opportunities for 16- and 17-year-old student learners through the Youth Skills Training program, which also provides grants to create quality on-the-job learning experiences. So far, DLI has approved more than 100 manufacturing companies throughout the state as work-based learning sites through the Youth Skills Training program. The next round of Youth Skills Training program grant applications opens Oct. 17, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDE is focused on ensuring CTE classes and work-based learning opportunities provide high-quality training and education that prepare students for a successful future. CTE courses integrate core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge and skills to provide students a pathway to postsecondary education and careers. CTE teaches transferable workplace skills in hands-on learning environments so students can explore high-skill, high-demand career options involving science, technology, engineering and math. MDE recognizes that CTE classes are very valuable and help ensure that there are good educational experiences for all students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The takeaways&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State leaders at Tuesday&apos;s roundtable took away some concrete messages about what is needed to help more students explore and prepare for careers in high school. Those include more funding for CTE classrooms with up-to-date equipment as well as new ways of bringing high-demand CTE teachers into the classroom. Options mentioned to solve teacher shortages included additional changes to licensing requirements, adopting an adjunct professor-type model for such high-demand educators, and increasing teacher pay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All the participants in Tuesday&apos;s discussion voiced some common themes: that college isn&apos;t for everyone, that society needs to eliminate the stigma of not going on to college after high school, and that there are many in-demand, high-paying career options for students with a high school diploma and employer or union-provided training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Every one of these three young men here today day are highly educated, highly motivated – they are excellent students,&quot; said Mounds View Public Schools Superintendent Chris Lennox. &quot;Graduating seniors are often asked &apos;what college are you going to go to&apos; and we&apos;ve been working to shift that narrative to &apos;what is it you want to be when you grow up and how can we help you on the pathway to whatever that is.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find out more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/industry/manufacturing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Manufacturing Month events, tours of manufacturing facilities, fact sheets and more&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Access an &lt;a href=&quot;https://dli.mn.gov/yst&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;overview of the benefits of DLI&apos;s Youth Skills Training program&lt;/a&gt; for students and employers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://education.mn.gov/mde/dse/cte/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CTE from MDE and find out how employers can become more involved&lt;/a&gt; in work-based learning opportunities in local school districts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;View a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5eVYdACCWkA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;video recording of Tuesday&apos;s discussion at Irondale High School&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove, Temporary Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Deputy Commissioner Dr. Stephanie Burrage, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)</Author><id>543575</id><Tag><Description/><Title>manufacturing</Title><Id>230118</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>October Forum Highlights Language Access Program and DEED’s 2023 Legislative Priorities </Description><Audience/><Title>October Forum Highlights Language Access Program and DEED’s 2023 Legislative Priorities </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>October Forum Highlights Language Access Program and DEED’s 2023 Legislative Priorities</Title><title>2022-10-12 Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-543500&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-12T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Speakers shared information and resources for immigrant and refugee community members on a variety of important topics</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/transitional-thinking_tcm1045-543501.png&quot; title=&quot;transitional-thinking&quot; alt=&quot;transitional-thinking&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;transitional-thinking&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this month&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum, speakers shared information and resources for immigrant and refugee community members on a variety of important topics, including upcoming changes to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&apos;s customer services and a preview of DEED&apos;s legislative priorities for 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overview of Department of Public Safety&apos;s Language Access Program&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the last few years, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) has made community engagement a major priority for their agency. By going out and listening to the community through town hall sessions, they were able to identify challenges and come up with solutions so that everyone can have easier access to their services. They quickly learned that Driver &amp;amp; Vehicle Services (DVS) customers who don&apos;t speak English as a primary language were facing barriers that resulted in increased time and resources spent on both sides. With this information, they teamed up with Google to enhance the DVS customer-centric service model by providing customers access to services and personalized information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By leveraging Google Enterprise translation technologies, DVS will create greater access for more customers through a single integrated system incorporating chat, speech-to text and voice. They plan to implement a chat box feature that offers conversational English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish with more languages to be added in the future. They will also offer text-to-speech and speech-to text options for certain enabled devices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preview of DEED&apos;s 2023 Legislative Priorities&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Interim Director of Public Engagement, Deven Bowdry, shared a look ahead to DEED&apos;s budget planning priorities for the 2023 Legislative session. The 2022 Legislative Session was a supplemental budget year and while DEED proposed several policy and supplemental budget items, including the Office of New Americans, the majority of the agency&apos;s requests did not pass. In contrast, in the 2023 Legislative Session, lawmakers will need to pass a biennial budget for FY2024-2025 to fund the state government. The legislature left $7 billion on the bottom line last legislative session so we are anticipating a healthy surplus in the November forecast. DEED wants to hear from community members about how our budget and policy priorities can better support New Americans in the labor force as well as New American entrepreneurs and small business owners. If you have thoughts or questions, please reach out to Deven Bowdry at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:deven.bowdry@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;deven.bowdry@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community Updates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/?id=542239&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;October as Disability Employment Awareness Month in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;, recognizing that individuals with disabilities bring skills, experience and talent to the workforce and are a critical part of our economic success. Employers who want to connect to workers with disabilities are invited to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/NDEAM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;utilize resources on CareerForce&apos;s website, which lists events, links to hiring and retention resources and more&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the Date for the Immigrant and Refugee Job and Career Fair&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, November 3, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/saintpaul&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForce Saint Paul&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
540 Fairview Avenue North, Suite 103
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55104&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More details about this event will be posted on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/immigrant-and-refugee-job-and-career-fair&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt; soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employers please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/immigrant-and-refugee-job-and-career-fair&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;visit this page&lt;/a&gt; to find out more about participating in this job and career fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/NJlDLtTW_to&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;access the discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Interim Assistant Commissioner Abdiwahab Mohamed</Author><id>543500</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Disability: Part of the Equity Equation </Description><Audience/><Title>Disability: Part of the Equity Equation </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Disability: Part of the Equity Equation </Title><title>2022-10-11 NDEAM</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-543322&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-11T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>We know Minnesotans share a strong commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and opportunity for all.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ndeam2022_tcm1045-543324.png&quot; title=&quot;National Disability Employment Awareness Month&quot; alt=&quot;National Disability Employment Awareness Month&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ndeam2022&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know Minnesotans share a strong commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and opportunity for all. That&apos;s why we feel so strongly about National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is celebrated here and across the nation every October. And it&apos;s why this year&apos;s theme – &lt;em&gt;Disability: Part of the Equity Equation&lt;/em&gt; – is so appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Monday, October 10, we held an event to commemorate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities to Minnesota&apos;s workplaces and our economy. More than 300 individuals and businesses joined the virtual Zoom event. A panel discussion and several video vignettes featured individuals with disabilities who have achieved their wide-reaching career goals: an aerospace engineer, a health care worker, a baker, state government employees, a farmer, a forklift driver, and an unemployment insurance analyst.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We learned about their experiences as they pursued education, searched for a job, and moved through the recruitment, onboarding, and career advancement process. Panelists shared practical tips and advice on how businesses can make disability part of the equity equation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While each of the participants shared their own unique experiences and perspectives, there was also a common thread that ran through their message for employers and career seekers: Don&apos;t focus on the disability; focus on the person!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event reinforced DEED&apos;s strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and opportunity. While people with disabilities are critical to solving the well-documented nationwide workforce shortage, equally important is the accessibility component of our commitment. Accessibility for all is essential if we are to achieve our goals of creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. And an important component of accessibility is for employees to ask for accommodations – and employers to provide the accommodations for people with disabilities in exactly the same way they would provide accommodations to any employee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As one panelist pointed out: &quot;Everyone needs an accommodation at some point.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than half a million Minnesotans report having one or more disabilities, and the unemployment rate of this group is more than double that of people without disabilities. DEED&apos;s two main disability employment programs – Vocational Rehabilitation Services and State Services for the Blind – provide career guidance and counseling to assist people with disabilities in achieving their employment goals. But just as importantly, we partner with Minnesota businesses to seek recruitment, training, and hiring solutions that can help them meet their workforce needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED Commissioner Steve Grove, who joined us for this event, noted that hiring people with disabilities is an important part of meeting employers&apos; hiring needs during the &quot;sharpest labor shortage we&apos;ve seen.&quot; DEED remains laser-focused on helping workers find jobs, and on helping HR departments and hiring managers look to talent pools they might not have considered before – including people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the event we shared numerous resources for businesses who want to further explore the opportunities for working with DEED to recruit, train, hire, and retain people with disabilities. As one of the event panelists said, we shouldn&apos;t &quot;look past&quot; the disability, but rather embrace the potential. We know people with disabilities are capable of anything, just like anyone else. The variety of careers and stories the panelists shared today speaks to the value of businesses including and considering people with disabilities as the untapped workforce they truly are.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/x9Gmx-NfkxQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View a recording of the event&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/NDEAM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Access National Disability Employment Awareness Month resources&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Vocational Rehabilitation Services Director Dee Torgerson, State Services for the Blind Director Natasha Jerde</Author><id>543322</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>State Commissioners connected with communities and showcased what makes Minnesota one of the most welcoming and competitive states in the country for attracting and growing businesses.</Description><Audience/><Title>State Commissioners Conclude ‘Build What Matters’ Tour in Duluth  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>State Commissioners Conclude ‘Build What Matters’ Tour in Duluth  </Title><title>2022-10-07 Build What Matters Tour Day 3</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-542875&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-07T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>State Commissioners connected with communities and showcased what makes Minnesota one of the most welcoming and competitive states in the country for attracting and growing businesses.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/bwm-us-steel_tcm1045-542876.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;bwm-us-steel&quot; alt=&quot;bwm-us-steel&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;bwm-us-steel&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &apos;Build What Matters&apos; tour wrapped up in Duluth after three days in Northeastern Minnesota. State Commissioners connected with communities and showcased what makes Minnesota one of the most welcoming and competitive states in the country for attracting and growing businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The tour&apos;s final day began with Launch Minnesota, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot;&gt;a statewide collaborative effort&lt;/a&gt; to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation. The commissioners met with startups and economic development officials in Duluth and Northland about support for new and emerging businesses. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and Launch MN Executive Director Neela Mollgaard led the discussion on Launch Minnesota&apos;s growing statewide network, and the strengths and areas of growth for startups in Northeast Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second stop of the day was a bus tour of the Port of Duluth, led by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Katrina Kessler. Commissioner Kessler, along with PAC and Department of Natural Resources experts, spoke about the importance of the Port and the St. Louis River for the shipping economy and the environment, and the restorations being done. Department of Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger discussed infrastructure improvements, including the need to replace the Blatnik Bridge, which is aging, but critical to both Minnesota and Wisconsin.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Power, a division of Allete, inc., hosted the Capstone Forum, the final event of the tour. The commissioners shared reflections from the tour and hosted small-group conversations with business and civic leaders from the region, following a welcome from Mayor Larson and APEX President Rachel Johnson. The group heard from Allete CEO Bethany Owen, who discussed Allete&apos;s leadership in the clean energy transition, as well as Commissioner Grove, who spoke about the &lt;a href=&quot;http://chrome-extension:/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/mn.gov/deed/assets/governors-council-economic-expansion-roadmap-acc_tcm1045-535818.pdf&quot;&gt;Roadmap for Equitable Economic Expansion&lt;/a&gt; and the administration&apos;s work to build an economy that works for everyone. Commissioner Grove also touched on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/&quot;&gt;&apos;Build What Matters&apos; initiative&lt;/a&gt; to expand Minnesota&apos;s prosperity and encourage business growth in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/bwm-tour-komatsu_tcm1045-542877.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;bwm-tour-komatsu&quot; alt=&quot;bwm-tour-komatsu&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;bwm-tour-komatsu&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year&apos;s Build What Matters Commissioners tour was an important opportunity to meet with businesses and communities in Northeastern Minnesota. Commissioners were thrilled to hit the road, see some of what makes Minnesota great, and to find out what more state agencies can do to help it thrive.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542875</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A group of state commissioners from Governor Tim Walz’s Cabinet headed north this week as part of the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Build What Matters tour.</Description><Audience/><Title>State Commissioners Visit Eight Minnesota Communities During ‘Build What Matters’ Tour </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>State Commissioners Visit Eight Minnesota Communities During ‘Build What Matters’ Tour </Title><title>2022-10-06 Build What Matters Tour Day 1-2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-542786&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-06T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>A group of state commissioners from Governor Tim Walz’s Cabinet headed north this week as part of the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Build What Matters tour.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/bwm-group-picture-at-heliene_tcm1045-542801.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;bwm-group-picture-at-heliene&quot; alt=&quot;bwm-group-picture-at-heliene&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;bwm-group-picture-at-heliene&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A group of state commissioners from Governor Tim Walz&apos;s Cabinet headed north this week as part of the Department of Employment and Economic Development&apos;s (DEED) Build What Matters tour, eager to connect with communities and community leaders in northeastern Minnesota about issues they may be facing. The Build What Matters tour&apos;s focus is to showcase what makes Minnesota one of the most welcoming and competitive states in the country for attracting and growing businesses – and learn what can be done to make it even better.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Day One:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sappi:&lt;/strong&gt; The first stop on the tour was Sappi, a paper mill located in Cloquet. Sappi is a global diversified wood fiber company, and the third largest exporter in Minnesota as well as one of the greenest mills in the country. While touring the facility, Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Peterson spoke about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mda.state.mn.us/environment-sustainability/agri-bioincentive-program&quot;&gt;Bioincentive Program&lt;/a&gt; established by the Minnesota State Legislature in 2015 to encourage commercial-scale production of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biomass thermal energy through production incentives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cloquet Leadership Luncheon:&lt;/strong&gt; The second stop was at the Community Memorial Hospital, where the commissioners met with civic leaders from Cloquet, Carlton County, and the Fond du Lac Tribal Council. The group discussed community concerns about factors staunching economic growth, such as housing, broadband, and childcare. DEED Commissioner Steve Grove spoke with the group about expanding educational opportunities and supports for families and parents, and how agencies have worked together to propose policies to better support Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Komatsu Mining:&lt;/strong&gt; Next, the group made a stop at Komatsu Mining, a global construction and mining manufacturing business located in the city of Virginia. Komatsu recently opened a facility in 2012, with nearly 70 employees. Department of Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger spoke about the recent collaboration between the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board and the City of Virginia to add a left turn lane into Komatsu Mining at the intersection of Highway 53 and P&amp;amp;H Road this summer. Prior to this addition, Komatsu vehicles couldn&apos;t sit in the median without encroaching into traffic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tribal Dinner:&lt;/strong&gt; To cap off the first day, the group met with Tribal Partners at the Fortune Bay Resort in the city of Tower to discuss &lt;a href=&quot;https://climate.state.mn.us/minnesotas-climate-action-framework&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Climate Action Framework&lt;/a&gt;, as well as &lt;a href=&quot;http://chrome-extension:/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/mn.gov/deed/assets/governors-council-economic-expansion-roadmap-acc_tcm1045-535818.pdf&quot;&gt;the Roadmap for Equitable Economic Expansion Report&lt;/a&gt;. Tribal leaders and commissioners discussed the value of collaboration and consultation on important issues like workforce development and agreed to continue working together to ensure equitable support for all people in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/bwm-tribal-dinner_tcm1045-542799.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;bwm-tribal-dinner&quot; alt=&quot;bwm-tribal-dinner&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;bwm-tribal-dinner&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Day Two:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heliene:&lt;/strong&gt; The second day of the tour kicked-off in Mountain Iron at Heliene, a solar panel production company. Heliene is Minnesota&apos;s only solar panel factory, and the solar panel market is projected to hit $22.9 billion in 2025. The commissioners were joined by Gov. Tim Walz, and they discussed clean energy as an important growth industry in Minnesota. Department of Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold and DEED Commissioner Grove spoke about the green jobs industry, and they concluded that, as it expands, it&apos;s critical for state commissioners, policymakers and leaders do everything possible to understand this sector&apos;s growth potential and support Minnesota companies like Heliene.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;U.S. Steel:&lt;/strong&gt; The tour&apos;s stop at U.S. Steel brought celebration of direct reduced iron (DRI), a new product never before produced in Minnesota. DRI is a purer form of iron that can be used directly in electric arc furnaces – which currently use about 60 percent of the steel produced in the United States. Gov. Walz spoke of the value of working together to build a durable economy, and Minnesota&apos;s success in preparing our economy for the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Detroit Diesel Remanufacturing (DMR)&lt;/strong&gt;: The third stop of the day was DMR, a Hibbing company moving into and investing in electric vehicle remanufacturing for trucks following 15 years of producing new and remanufactured electronics components for heavy-duty equipment, trucks, passenger vehicles, agriculture, transit and rail industries. Iron Range Resources &amp;amp; Rehabilitation Board Commissioner Mark Phillips led the group&apos;s discussion about DMR&apos;s new expansion on the horizon in 2024, and their hope that their strong hiring practices—flexible hours, onsite training—will bring in more workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cirrus Aircraft:&lt;/strong&gt; The final stop of day two was Cirrus Aircraft in Duluth, where the commissioners got a behind-the-scenes tour of the manufacturing floor. Commissioner Grove said that Cirrus, already the largest manufacturing employer in Duluth, recently announced a large expansion in Duluth that is expected to bring dozens of new engineering jobs and fill a building that has been vacant since early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The expansion will be very positive – not only for Cirrus and its employees, but for the Duluth community as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542786</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Last week we capped off our Summer of Jobs Tour with a visit to the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Lino Lakes to highlight second chance hiring initiatives that support formerly incarcerated Minnesotans find meaningful employment. </Description><Audience/><Title>Final Summer of Jobs Stop Highlights Hiring People from Minnesota’s Second Chance Workforce </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Final Summer of Jobs Stop Highlights Hiring People from Minnesota’s Second Chance Workforce </Title><title>2022-10-05 soj doc</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-542700&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-05T17:10:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Last week we capped off our Summer of Jobs Tour with a visit to the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Lino Lakes to highlight second chance hiring initiatives that support formerly incarcerated Minnesotans find meaningful employment. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/lino%20lakes_tcm1045-542661.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;lino lakes&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week we capped off our &lt;a href=&quot;Last%20week%20we%20capped%20off%20our%20Summer%20of%20Jobs%20Tour%20with%20a%20visit%20to%20the%20Minnesota%20Correctional%20Facility%20in%20Lino%20Lakes%20to%20highlight%20second%20chance%20hiring%20initiatives%20that%20support%20formerly%20incarcerated%20Minnesotans%20in%20finding%20meaningful%20employment.&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Summer of Jobs Tour&lt;/a&gt; with a visit to the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Lino Lakes to highlight second chance hiring initiatives that support formerly incarcerated Minnesotans in finding meaningful employment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Along with Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) Commissioner &lt;strong&gt;Paul Schnell&lt;/strong&gt; and DEED Deputy Commissioner &lt;strong&gt;Marc Majors&lt;/strong&gt;, we held a roundtable with employers, instructors and Minnesotans who were previously incarcerated to learn first-hand the benefits of hiring workers from the second-chance talent pool. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our goal with the Summer of Jobs campaign was to help connect employers looking for workers with Minnesotans looking for work – especially people who might not be immediately on their radar. This reality is perhaps felt most acutely by Minnesotans who are formerly incarcerated. Helping Minnesotans who leave prison find good-paying jobs is a win-win for our people, our businesses, and our economy. Connecting a formerly incarcerated person to a good job is a major way to prevent reoffending – and it can provide dignity, purpose, and belonging for people looking to forge a new path in life. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED has a variety of workforce development and career readiness programs that help Minnesotans from all backgrounds – including people with criminal records – find jobs. One of those programs is the New Leaf Program, which is designed specifically for job seekers who are having a difficult time obtaining employment due to their barriers and/or records. This class offers special strategies for addressing and overcoming barriers to employment, including how, when, and why to disclose your record, addressing employers’ concerns, answering tough interview questions and more. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tour of Career and Technical Classrooms&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/lino%20lakes%202_tcm1045-542662.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;lino lakes 2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The DOC offers 14 full curriculum Career and Technical (C-Tech) classes and three certification programs to incarcerated adults – helping them prepare to reenter the workforce with in-demand skills in a variety of industries. One of the roundtable participants, Fredrick McGee, went through the Opportunity for Change program, which is grounded in evidence-informed practices and serves higher risk individuals to help with case planning, housing stability, and employment opportunities. During our discussion, Frederick noted he put in for 22 jobs and “got hired at all of them until the second interview” because of his record. He urged employers to “not judge a book by its cover. A lot of people didn’t think I would make it due to my background...” – but now, with support from Opportunity for Change, he works at Ace Auto Parts and owns his own landscaping and renovation business. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It’s stories like Frederick&apos;s that show how much potential former inmate populations have to contribute to our workforce, if just given a chance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This event – and all of these Summer of Jobs tour stops – have been so engaging and inspiring to me these past few months. Our insightful conversations with local leaders, businesses and workers have been critical in helping DEED better understand what employers and job-seekers need right now in order to make our economy run at its maximum potential and to generate more equitable opportunities for all. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rkij14a9kmY&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Check out our video from our visit to Lino Lake Correctional Facility here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/SummerofJobs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View all of our Summer of Jobs resources for job seekers and employers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542700</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Build What Matters Tour Kicks-Off at the Capitol, Commissioners Tour Northeastern Minnesota</Description><Audience/><Title>Build What Matters Tour Kicks-Off at the Capitol, Commissioners Tour Northeastern Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Build What Matters Tour Kicks-Off at the Capitol, Commissioners Tour Northeastern Minnesota</Title><title>2022-10-04 Build What Matters Tour Day 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-542485&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-04T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Build What Matters tour kicked-off at the State Capitol this morning.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>October 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/commissioner-bwm-tour_tcm1045-542483.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;commissioners on state capitol steps&quot; alt=&quot;commissioners on state capitol steps&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;commissioner-bwm-tour&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Build What Matters tour kicked-off at the State Capitol this morning, where Minnesota Commissioners started their journey north to Cloquet. The commissioners will spend time in eight communities in northeastern Minnesota, visiting companies, schools and public works projects to learn about success stories and gain insight from across the region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The focus of the Build What Matters tour is to connect with communities and community leaders, to listen and learn about the issues Minnesota communities are facing so DEED and other state agencies can work in partnership with communities to provide solutions for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone on the tour, as well as other leaders in the Walz-Flanagan Administration, interacts with business in one way or another. And every agency supports shared goals: to see Minnesota&apos;s private sector flourish, to make sure every Minnesotan has a fair shot at a good-paying job, and to make our state the very best in the country to locate, start and grow a successful business. Those goals are better achieved when everyone works together. DEED succeeds when we hear directly from communities, businesses and Minnesotans from around the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few ways the state agencies work together to reach out, connect with businesses, and help them take off is through the Minnesota Business First Stop (MBFS) and the Minnesota Business Vitality Council (MBVC). The MBFS is a partnership of nine state agencies that helps straighten out the development process so complex business projects can cut through red tape and move forward quickly and efficiently. MBVC is the Walz-Flanagan Administration&apos;s interagency group that works to uncover ways to tackle complex economic development issues and capitalize on the ample opportunities to grow Minnesota&apos;s economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So whether Minnesotans are looking to make a big splash—by launching a new business—or navigate the nitty gritty—such as adjusting to new tax codes—DEED is always available to serve and support them. We&apos;re excited to hear from business leaders and communities on this Build What Matters tour because &lt;em&gt;people&lt;/em&gt; are at the heart of what makes Minnesota great. Let&apos;s keep building together.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542485</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:44:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED hosted a listening session with community members as part of Welcoming Week – a national initiative to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. </Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Hosts Listening Session as Part of Welcoming Week</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Hosts Listening Session as Part of Welcoming Week</Title><title>2022-09-26 Listening Session</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-541481&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-26T15:20:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED hosted a listening session with community members as part of Welcoming Week – a national initiative to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Welcoming New Americans is critically important to Minnesota communities and to our economy. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) recently hosted a listening session with community members as part of Welcoming Week – a national initiative to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the gathering we asked our participants about the biggest challenges immigrant and refugees face in Minnesota today – here’s what they had to say:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Francisco Segovia&lt;/strong&gt; – Executive Director, Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One challenge as someone from the Latino community, is confusion around how we all identify ourselves here in the U.S. I like to joke that I didn’t know I was a Latino until I came to the United States as an immigrant. Some people call us Hispanics and others prefer to call themselves Latinos. It’s hard to group all of us into one category as Latin America, Central America and the Caribbean nations all have their own distinct identifies. Another thing to note is immigrants aren’t just supporting the economy here in the U.S., they’re also supporting their economies back home when they send money back to family and loved ones. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ian Oundo&lt;/strong&gt; - Principal &amp;amp; Founder, Makesi Creative Strategies, LLC&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m originally from Uganda and moved to Minnesota in 2005 and I’m a proud immigrant. We may have variations on different struggles, but a lot of the struggles that we have are pretty similar as immigrants. Immigrants have a resilience and a can-do attitude. Regardless of what’s going on, we still find a way to survive. I also want to acknowledge all the contributions that immigrants have given to certain industries like agriculture and health care. Those industries rely heavily on immigrant workers to fill those jobs. One question I have is how can we work together? Not just as African immigrants or Asian immigrants or where we came from, but I think on a larger scale and how do we use that power to break down some of the barriers and the challenges that we have? How do we work as a singular voice to address some of these challenges? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sahil Masehullah&lt;/strong&gt; - CareerForce Community Liaison&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a combat interpretation translator and cultural advisor to the U.S. Military, I was a main target for Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other terrorist organizations because I was affiliated with the U.S. Government. I was able to leave Afghanistan with my wife and four kids in 2014 and went to Houston, Texas. We didn’t choose to be immigrants – we were forced to come here to the U.S. because of the dangerous situation in Afghanistan. The challenges we initially faced were the language barrier and navigating the school system for my children. I was the only English-speaker in our household, and I had to work multiple entry-level jobs with low wages to help support my family while also going to school. I had a good education, but nobody could help me match my skills for similar jobs here. I basically had to start at zero and work my way back up. That’s one challenge that still exists – the ability to match your existing skills so you can find meaningful and well-paying work. There needs to be more resources and people who can help with that process for immigrants and refugees. There’s a lot of misconceptions by people born in the U.S. that we are taking away jobs, but in fact we’re often the ones creating jobs and supporting the economy. I’ve started a couple small businesses here and I can proudly say I pay more in taxes than a lot of people who were born here do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mykola Megits&lt;/strong&gt; - Regional Trade Manager, Central &amp;amp; Eastern Europe and Central Asia at DEED&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As someone who is sponsoring Ukrainian refugees due to the ongoing war with Russia, I’ve found a couple of barriers that need to be addressed in order for these refugees to be successful in this country.  Application for work authorization takes forever to obtain, with waiting periods anywhere from six to ten months. The same goes for obtaining a driver’s license in this country. We need to speed up some of these processes so that people can get on their feet here a lot quicker. We need to provide more than just the fish to immigrants; we need to provide the means to catch the fish as well. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Helping the State of Minnesota make connections and create pathways for New American workers and business owners to be successful is a central part of my role as Interim Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. As an immigrant myself, hearing these types of conversations inspires me to continue the important work of identifying and breaking down barriers that immigrant and refugee business owners, workers, and community members face in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-guides-us/equity/ira/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources from DEED related to immigrants and refugees&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/creating-equitable-workplace&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources on creating an equitable workplace&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-minnesota&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources on immigrants and refugees and their impact in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.welcomingamerica.org/programs/welcoming-week&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;more about Welcoming Week and Welcoming America&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Interim Assistant Commissioner Abdiwahab Mohamed</Author><id>541481</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:42:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>You&apos;re Invited: Launch Minnesota and DEED Host Four Events During Twin Cities Startup Week</Description><Audience/><Title>You&apos;re Invited: Launch Minnesota and DEED Host Four Events During Twin Cities Startup Week</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited: Launch Minnesota and DEED Host Four Events During Twin Cities Startup Week</Title><title>2022-09-16 TCSW</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-540720&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-16T14:55:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>Twin Cities Startup Week (TCSW) starts today, and I couldn&apos;t be more excited and energized!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Twin Cities Startup Week (TCSW) starts today, and I couldn&apos;t be more excited and energized! Launch Minnesota and DEED are proud to be among the sponsors for this annual event that engages thousands of entrepreneurs.  These events shine a spotlight on Minnesota&apos;s innovators and vibrant startup ecosystem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;re excited to host four events during TCSW 2022 that will help entrepreneurs and startups connect with the people and resources needed to grow their businesses. I invite you to select the links in the titles below to register for any or all these events – all of which are included in a TCSW ticket!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://emamo.com/event/twin-cities-startup-week-2022/s/grants-loans-advice-state-supports-for-startup-businesses-entrepreneurs-Wv1B5a&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Grants, Loans &amp;amp; Advice: State Supports for Startup Businesses &amp;amp; Entrepreneurs&lt;/a&gt; Monday, September 19, 2022, 9-11 a.m. in the Great Northern Building, 2nd Floor (Skyway) Conference Center, 180 East Fifth Street in downtown St. Paul: Meet with program staff to discover the ins and outs of Launch Minnesota Grants, the Angel Tax Credit Program, the Emerging Entrepreneur Loan Program, the State Small Business Credit Initiative (loan, loan guarantee, and equity investment programs), the Small Business Assistance Office, the Small Business Development Centers, the Minnesota Trade Office, and several other programs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://emamo.com/event/twin-cities-startup-week-2022/s/launch-minnesota-board-ama-a7V24N&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota Board AMA&lt;/a&gt; Monday, September 19, 2022, 11 a.m.-noon - virtual: Launch Minnesota&apos;s Board of Advisors includes successful entrepreneurs, corporate innovators, experienced investors, higher ed leaders and more. This is your time to ask them anything! Bring your questions about funding, corporate connections, innovation and more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://emamo.com/event/twin-cities-startup-week-2022/s/navigating-minnesotas-startup-resources-WRYxwa&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Navigating Minnesota&apos;s Startup Resources&lt;/a&gt; Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 8:30-10 a.m. at the Innovation Lab for Economic Development, 400 N. Wabasha St., Space #430 in downtown St. Paul:  Minnesota&apos;s entrepreneurial support organizations have resources for startups from all industries and stages. This informal meet-and-greet session will allow attendees to explore available resources so they can connect with the right people at the right time for their business.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://emamo.com/event/twin-cities-startup-week-2022/s/powering-your-startup-with-government-funding-aJYvxN&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Powering Your Startup with Government Funding&lt;/a&gt; Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 3:30-4:15 p.m. at the Science Museum of Minnesota in downtown St. Paul: Could a federal or state entity be your startup&apos;s next investor? Both national and local governments are supporting startups through grants, partnerships, education and more. Launch Minnesota will introduce you to a few of the many funding opportunities in this space and provide tips for making successful connections with government entities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TCSW, hosted by BETA, elevates and celebrates innovation through panel discussions, meet and greets, pitch competitions, award shows and more. TCSW organizers reported that in 2021 the festivities attracted nearly 17,000 registered attendees to its 204 sessions, which featured 461 speakers from a wide range of industries and backgrounds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To connect with Launch Minnesota and other entrepreneurial support organizations throughout the year, be sure to follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/calendar/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Statewide Startup and Small Business Event Calendar&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.beta.mn&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;BETA&lt;/a&gt; for organizing a week that connects and celebrates startups and  entrepreneurs!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.twincitiesstartupweek.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Find out more about TCSW&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Learn more about Launch Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/resources-startups-small-businesses-acc_tcm1045-540535.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Download a DEED resource sheet for startups and small businesses&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Launch Minnesota Executive Director Neela Mollgaard</Author><id>540720</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:42:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Welcoming Week: Celebrating  Everything New Americans Bring to Minnesota</Description><Audience/><Title>Welcoming Week: Celebrating  Everything New Americans Bring to Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Welcoming Week: Celebrating Everything New Americans Bring to Minnesota</Title><title>2022-09-15 Welcoming</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-540665&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-15T14:55:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED is proud to participate in Welcoming Week, a national initiative to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED is proud to participate in Welcoming Week September 9-18, a national initiative to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. I believe we all need to be intentional in creating inclusivity in our communities – and welcoming New Americans is an important way to do this. As an agency, DEED focuses on workforce and economic development, and we witness firsthand the positive impact of immigrants and refugees on our state&apos;s economy and communities. As a New American myself, I am proud to call Minnesota home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Helping the State of Minnesota make connections and create pathways for New American workers and business owners to be successful is a central part of my role as Interim Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. My predecessor in this role, Anisa Hajimumin, did trailblazing work in identifying and breaking down barriers that immigrant and refugee business owners face in Minnesota. She also worked to connect immigrant and refugee workers with Minnesota employers. I will continue this important work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Service to underserved communities has been a big part of my life. Fresh out of high school, I volunteered as an immigration interpreter. After moving to Minnesota, I continued working to support underserved communities. I have been fortunate to serve the immigrant and refugee community in different capacities within DEED, in both workforce and economic development. I worked with cities and counties to help facilitate successful operation of workforce development and other grants. I also trained and supported community businesses to expand and export overseas. Service is what drives me to do my work every day. I have had the honor of serving immigrant and refugee communities through leadership and advocacy – acknowledging that there is always more work to do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the last ten years 105,000 New Americans have made a new home in Minnesota and 81,400 foreign born people joined Minnesota&apos;s workforce in that same timeframe. In fact, half of our recent labor force growth has been driven by immigrants, and this will certainly continue to be the case, with immigrants displaying a much younger age profile than the native-born population, which is aging rapidly and exhibiting lower labor force participation rates as retirements pick up. About 61.5% of the foreign-born population are in the prime working years of 25-54, compared to just 38% of the rest of the population.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immigrants and refugees make up a large percentage of the labor force in many in-demand and critically important occupations in Minnesota. For example, foreign born workers make up nearly 40% of butchers and meat packers, just over 30% of software developers and computer application and system engineers and just over 18% of Personal Care Aides, according to recent Census data. Our CareerForce system, with counselors and support staff available to assist people in finding jobs, is developing new ways to serve immigrants and refugees who seek employment, from entry level jobs to professional positions. One way DEED is doing this is through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/530504&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Internationally Trained Professionals grants&lt;/a&gt; to organizations that are helping health care workers trained in another country earn the professional licenses required to do similar work in Minnesota. Another example of CareerForce outreach to New Americans is the hiring of a workforce development representative from the Afghan community to assist with making connections with Afghan evacuees who recently arrived in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Americans also drive a considerable amount of small business creation and growth in Minnesota. In 2018, 20,219 immigrant business owners accounted for 7% of all self-employed Minnesota residents – and in the Twin Cities metro, 11% of all business owners were immigrants. This entrepreneurial spirit benefits us all by revitalizing communities, creating new cultural experiences and more. At DEED, a significant portion of funding to help businesses weather the pandemic and revitalize communities as we move through recovery has gone to businesses owned by immigrants and refugees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Imagine what our labor shortage would be if we weren&apos;t welcoming new Americans to Minnesota. Imagine what kind of wealth and prosperity we could generate in our communities if we had stronger pipelines and pathways for integrating immigrants and refugees into our state&apos;s economy and communities. We can build these connections, which will benefit all Minnesotans. I hope you will join me in celebrating Welcoming Week by recognizing the many contributions New Americans make in our great state – and by reaching out to create connections that will make Minnesota even stronger.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-guides-us/equity/ira/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources from DEED related to immigrants and refugees&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/creating-equitable-workplace&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources on creating an equitable workplace&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-minnesota&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources on immigrants and refugees and their impact in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.welcomingamerica.org/programs/welcoming-week&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Welcoming Week and Welcoming America&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Interim Assistant Commissioner Abdiwahab Mohamed</Author><id>540665</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:42:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>At this month&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum, speakers shared information and resources on a variety of important topics, including hiring opportunities, small business resources and more.</Description><Audience/><Title>September’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Hiring Opportunities and SBA Program Resources</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>September’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Hiring Opportunities and SBA Program Resources</Title><title>2022-09-13 September Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-540500&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-14T22:11:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>At this month&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum, speakers shared information and resources on a variety of important topics, including hiring opportunities, small business resources and more.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/immigrant%20and%20refugees%20forum%20screenshot_tcm1045-540499.PNG&quot; title=&quot;immigrant and refugee affairs screenshot september&quot; alt=&quot;immigrant and refugee affairs screenshot september&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 297px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;immigrant and refugee affairs screenshot september&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Welcoming New Americans is critically important to our economy and to Minnesota communities. From September 9 through 18, DEED is participating in Welcoming Week, a national initiative to bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. Of course, DEED is committed to creating inclusivity and a welcoming environment year-round through the activities of our Immigrant and Refugee Affairs staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this month&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum, speakers shared information and resources for immigrant and refugee community members on a variety of important topics, including hiring opportunities, small business resources and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hiring Opportunities at Parker Hannifin Corporation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plant Manager Madeleine Seeger gave an overview of career opportunities available at her company. Parker Hannifin is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems. Most of their sales are business to business with major airplane manufacturers like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Their operation groups include aerospace, filtration, instrumentation, motion systems and more. Their Lakeville location focuses mainly on warehouse distribution and hose assembly. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or have a green card with a high school diploma. Preferred candidates should be mechanically apt, have a great attention to detail and enjoy a fast-paced environment. Warehouse positions start at $19 an hour and assembly positions start at $20.50 an hour. Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.e631b67dc0285c0566b049e1237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=243880961f66e010VgnVCM1000000308a8c0RCRD&amp;amp;vgnextfmt=EN&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;check their website for more information on their available positions&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Overview of Small Business Association and their Partner Resource Network&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maribel Reigstad and Don Jackson with the U.S. Small Business Administration gave an overview of the SBA and their SBA Resource Partner Network. The network provides reliable advice to help start, grow and expand small businesses. Some of the partners mentioned include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://twincities.score.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Score Business Mentors&lt;/a&gt; – Provides free business mentoring, learning and business development in the Twin Cities and Central Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Centers (SBCDs)&lt;/a&gt; – Through a network of nine statewide regional centers, SBDCs offer confidential consulting to help clients identify, understand and overcome the challenges of running a successful business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wbdc.org/en/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Women’s Business Development Center&lt;/a&gt; – Supports and accelerates business development and growth, targeting women and serving all diverse business owners, in order to strengthen their participation in, and impact on, the economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wwbic.com/veterans/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Veterans Business Outreach Center&lt;/a&gt; – Provides entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard &amp;amp; Reserve members and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/ptac/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC)&lt;/a&gt; – Offer technical assistance to businesses interested in selling products or services to federal, state and local governments. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.trade.gov/minnesota-minneapolis&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;U.S. Export Assistance Centers&lt;/a&gt; – Teaches small businesses about the exporting process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/community-navigators&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Community Navigators&lt;/a&gt; – Connects underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs to critical resources and assistance, including financial assistance and access to capital; contracting and procurement; marketing; operations; business development and exporting; and industry-specific training. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introducing DEED’s Interim Director of the Office of Public Engagement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deven Bowdry was recently appointed as Interim Director of the Office for the remainder of 2022. Deven has served as a leader in DEED’s policy office for several years and has strong experience in community engagement. This fall the Office will be looking to gather input from the community for the 2023 legislative session. Welcome Deven!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Updates&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Twin Cities Startup Events at DEED&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To kick off Twin Cities Startup week, DEED is sponsoring an in-person open house on September 19 from 9 to 11 am. Attendees can learn about the many financing and technical assistance programs DEED offers startups and entrepreneurs. To see all Twin Cities Startup Week Events, and for more information on these DEED events, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.twincitiesstartupweek.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;visit the TC Startup Week website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minneapolis To Celebrate Welcoming Week&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tied to the national Welcoming Week noted above, from September 9 – 18, Minneapolis will participate in recognizing the contributions and importance of immigrants to our communities and highlighting that it is a Welcoming City. Get-togethers, readings, potlucks and sporting events are some ways that other municipalities choose to celebrate and welcome our immigrant and refugee community members. You can search all Welcoming Week events on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://welcomingamerica.org/initiatives/welcoming-week&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Welcoming America website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month’s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfT0gMNu-VU&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;access the discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Interim Assistant Commissioner Abdiwahab Mohamed</Author><id>540500</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:42:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Our Summer of Job tour at Summit Academy highlighted the critical nature of workforce development for Black Minnesotans, with a special focus on the tech industry.</Description><Audience/><Title>Summer of Jobs Campaign Visits Summit Academy to Highlight Minnesota’s Black Workforce</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Summer of Jobs Campaign Visits Summit Academy to Highlight Minnesota’s Black Workforce</Title><title>2022-09-13 SOJ Summit Academy</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-540446&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-13T14:55:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>Our Summer of Job tour at Summit Academy highlighted the critical nature of workforce development for Black Minnesotans, with a special focus on the tech industry.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/SOJ_tcm1045-540441.jpg&quot; title=&quot;SOJ Summit Academy Group&quot; alt=&quot;SOJ Summit Academy Group&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;SOJ Summit Academy Group&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week, I was excited to continue our Summer of Job tour with a stop at Summit Academy in Minneapolis. Our conversation highlighted the critical nature of workforce development for Black Minnesotans, with a special focus on the tech industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jobs in tech pay well, and Minnesota employers will need thousands of new information technology professionals in the years ahead. But Black Minnesotans are significantly underrepresented in the industry. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Along with Minnesota IT Services Commissioner &lt;strong&gt;Tarek Tomes&lt;/strong&gt;, Department of Education Deputy Commissioner &lt;strong&gt;Dr. Stephanie Burrage&lt;/strong&gt; and our community partners, I went to Summit Academy to hear about its efforts to create a pipeline of Black Minnesotans ready to work in tech. Commissioner Tomes, Dr. Burrage and I were excited to talk about our work supporting tech training programs for Black Minnesotans – and we were delighted to hear from students about the program, their expectations as they go through accreditation and what more we can do to support them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Summit Academy Students Share Their Stories &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FPOWUttVZYrM&amp;amp;data=05%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7C4a78d428e345465b447f08da95a50b5f%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637986833338892807%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=Db35hittD%2FX1Lj0zsi4z3f9C%2BdQzudxmpYhIv8j4Geo%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Jamesha_tcm1045-540444.PNG&quot; title=&quot;SOJ Summit Academy Interview&quot; alt=&quot;SOJ Summit Academy Interview&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 248px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;SOJ Summit Academy Interview&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s economy has long featured well-documented disparities between white Minnesotans and Black Minnesotans in the areas of employment, education attainment, income, and more. These ongoing disparities are holding back Minnesota’s economy, and it’s critical we address these challenges now. Last month, we &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/?id=539246&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;released a report&lt;/a&gt; showing some notable and significant improvement in many metrics over the last decade. However, the disparities it highlights are not new.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, we continue to focus on tackling disparities. Earlier this year, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;we established our five racial equity commitments&lt;/a&gt; which include driving more funding to historically underserved populations; reforming government programs that have left out Black workers and business owners for too long; and launching concerted outreach and engagement programs for Black workers and Black-owned businesses across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Black population is young and one of the fastest growing segments of our workforce – and will continue to be so over the coming decade. Providing technology training opportunities will help prepare people from the Black community for successful careers with sustainable wages, while also helping meet the demands of Minnesota’s dynamic tech industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’s why it’s so important to highlight the great work that organizations like Summit Academy are doing to grow and support more Black workers to enter high-paying IT careers, one of the pathways Summit Academy has established for its students. &lt;a href=&quot;https://saoic.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Summit Academy OIC&lt;/a&gt; is a nonprofit vocational training school and their career pathway programming offers accredited 20-week job training programs at no cost to students. Summit’s Information Technology program enrolled 195 students in 2020-21, a 101% increase from 2020. The program provides students with entry-level skills in the IT field through classroom and hands-on training completed in two 10-week phases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting with other leaders and the Summit Academy students was really inspirational, and it makes me excited for what lies ahead for Minnesota’s economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/POWUttVZYrM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch more Summit Academy student interviews on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View all of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/SummerofJobs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;our Summer of Jobs resources for job seekers and employers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>540446</id><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:42:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We heard from a panel of employers and workforce partners who shared how they leverage their collective resources and expertise to support recruitment and retention efforts for the aging workforce.  </Description><Audience/><Title>Strategies for Re-Engaging the Aging Workforce  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Strategies for Re-Engaging the Aging Workforce  </Title><title>2022-09-12 Workforce Wednesday September</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-540314&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-12T18:23:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>We heard from a panel of employers and workforce partners who shared how they leverage their collective resources and expertise to support recruitment and retention efforts for the aging workforce.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce%20wednesday%20sept%207%20aging%20workforce_tcm1045-540313.PNG&quot; title=&quot;WW September&quot; alt=&quot;WW September&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: 193px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;WW September&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies, many employers are trying new tactics and connecting with previously overlooked workforce talent pools. At our latest Workforce Wednesday discussion, we heard from a panel of employers and workforce partners who shared how they leverage their collective resources and expertise to support recruitment and retention efforts for the aging workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What key advice would you give to businesses when they start engaging with an older workforce?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brenda Shafer-Pellinen, Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging, ARDC&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We need people of all ages represented in our workforce and we need to make sure everyone feels welcome at the table. Start with your marketing materials. Do they accurately reflect community members across the spectrum? How are you recruiting employees? Do you include older individuals in the hiring process? All these things matter when hiring older workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maureen Kenney, Department of Human Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t screen out people you consider to be overqualified. They could be thinking of starting a new career path or want to work in a different sector. Also, highlight flexible benefits that are included in the job description, like telecommuting, part-time schedules, paid sick time, etc. so they know you’re willing to work with them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michelle Ufford, Essentia Health&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examine your own biases when it comes to hiring. We used to hire young go-getters who would grow within the company for decades and we know that’s not the case anymore. The older population today is not the older population of 10 to 15 years ago. We’re seeing a lot more tech-savvy older workers who can use email and computers so that’s not really an issue anymore. You should also engage with your current older employees to see what is working and what needs to be improved to make the environment more accommodating.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Delaney Eld, Miner’s Inc&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have great teams set up in each of our stores who can help applicants apply for jobs that may not have an email address or might need help filling out our applications. We’ve also made our applications as short as possible and really focus more on the interview when hiring. We’ve heard from various job boards that if an application takes longer than a minute and a half to complete, most people will lose interest and move on to something else.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some ways employers and partners can work together when hiring older workers?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michelle Ufford, Essentia Health&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just knowing that programs like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://duluthmn.gov/workforce-development/older-workers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)&lt;/a&gt; and the CareerForce system exist is the first step for employers. They’re a great resource and more employers should know about them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you used flexible work schedules as a retention strategy?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Delaney Eld, Miner’s Inc&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Flexible work schedules are crucial for us. We have employees that range from 14 to 85 years old and when working with people’s high school, college and childcare schedules, it’s a necessity to be flexible to retain our employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michelle Ufford, Essentia Health&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employers need to get over flexible schedules as a scary concept with employees. Phasing out mandatory retirement ages and letting workers remain working part-time is a great way to be flexible. Having two people job share a similar role so they can have reduced hours is another great example of being flexible. Obviously since the pandemic, we’ve seen telecommuting work successfully for many organizations. There’s a lot of different ways for employers to meet people’s needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of September’s session and other past sessions, plus find related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>540314</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:42:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Event at Mercado Central. Anisa steps down and Abdiwahab steps into the role. </Description><Audience/><Title>Office of New Americans Event in September.</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Immigrant</Subject><Subject>Refugee</Subject><Subject>New Americans</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Summer of Jobs Campaign Highlights Office of New Americans</Title><title>2022-09-07 SOJ New Americans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-539851&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-07T15:14:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Immigrants and refugees from all parts of the globe are an important part of Minnesota’s economy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>September 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/97%20SOJ%20ONA1_tcm1045-539847.jpg&quot; title=&quot;97 SOJ ONA1&quot; alt=&quot;97 SOJ ONA1&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;97 SOJ ONA1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We had a great day taking our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Mercado Central in Minneapolis – it was an opportunity to highlight workers from immigrant and refugee communities as important sources of talent during this historically tight labor market, as well as to celebrate the critical work that&apos;s come out of the Office of New Americans in the last two years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immigrant and Refugee Workers Roundtable Discussion&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/SOJ2_tcm1045-539848.jpg&quot; title=&quot;97 SOJ ONA2&quot; alt=&quot;97 SOJ ONA2&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;97 SOJ ONA2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immigrants and refugees from all parts of the globe are an important part of Minnesota&apos;s economy, representing a significant source of the state&apos;s business entrepreneurs and a large part of Minnesota&apos;s labor force – now and in the coming years. Mercado Central is a great example of a thriving marketplace made up of 35 Latino-owned businesses that has become a national model of community economic development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the last ten years Minnesota has added 81,400 New American workers, and just over 50% of our recent labor force growth has been driven by immigrants. This will certainly continue, as immigrants on average are much younger than the native-born population, which is aging rapidly and starting to show a dip in labor force participation rates as retirements pick up. Of the 435,000 immigrants in Minnesota that were aged 16 years and older, there were 316,245 foreign-born workers in the labor force, reflecting a 72.7% participation rate. That&apos;s higher than Minnesota&apos;s current overall participation rate of 68.4% from July.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Those numbers show that people from immigrant populations communities are ready and willing to work when connected with opportunities. Opportunity was a word used a lot during our panel discussion. Whether it&apos;s employers removing specific degree requirements for certain job positions, or government programs providing more translated documents or dedicated staff to help immigrant business owners apply for small business grants or loans, there are lots of ways immigrants and refugees more successfully welcomed and integrated into our state and workforce. In the last two years, we&apos;ve seen the significance of that integration process first-hand, thanks in part to the work of our Office of New Americans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Celebrating the Office of New Americans&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/SOJ3_tcm1045-539849.jpg&quot; title=&quot;97 SOJ ONA3&quot; alt=&quot;97 SOJ ONA3&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;97 SOJ ONA3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/536554&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED announced Abdiwahab Mohamed was appointed temporary Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs&lt;/a&gt;. Mohamed was serving as DEED&apos;s Regional Trade Manager for Africa, Middle East &amp;amp; India in the Minnesota Trade Office and began his new role on September 1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mohamed fills the role of departing Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin, who started and led Minnesota&apos;s Office of New Americans (ONA) for two years. Funded through private grant funding, the ONA convenes interagency work around immigrant and refugee policy priorities and works with new immigrants in Minnesota to help them maximize their potential in the economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;re grateful to Anisa for her extraordinary efforts to serve immigrants and refugees, particularly through the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her legacy will live on through the ongoing work of the Office of New Americans. We&apos;re also grateful to Abdiwahab for stepping into the assistant commissioner role so there&apos;s no interruption in our services to immigrants and refugees – services that are more important now than ever before&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most recently, the ONA has been deeply involved in helping Afghan refugees transition to life in Minnesota and find opportunities for their families. Additionally, the office has expanded its commitment to immigrants and refugees over the last two years by launching programs such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/adult-career-pathways/grants/internationally/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Internationally-trained Health Care Workers&lt;/a&gt; to help health care workers land strong roles in Minnesota&apos;s health care sector.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last legislative session, DEED worked to secure state funding to extend the ONA into future years – beyond the end of the grant funding, which concludes in July 2023. That commitment will continue in the 2023 legislative session, and the Walz-Flanagan Administration is committed to hiring a full-time Assistant Commissioner in a second term.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These Summer of Jobs tour stops and insightful conversations with local leaders, businesses and workers are critical in helping DEED better understand what employers and job-seekers need right now. We&apos;re excited to see the important work of the Office of New Americans continue under temporary Assistant Commissioner Mohamed&apos;s leadership going forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YAkTSTNraZg&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch a recording of the full discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View all of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/SummerofJobs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;our Summer of Jobs resources for job seekers and employers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>539851</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:42:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>An updated analysis of demographic, economic, and educational trends and disparities</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota&apos;s Black Labor Force</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota&apos;s Black Labor Force</Title><title>2022-08-31 Labor Force</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-539246&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-31T13:59:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>An analysis of demographic, economic, and educational trends and disparities</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Economic disparities between people of color and people from the white community are notable in Minnesota and across the country. Black Americans in particular face some of the deepest disparities in our country and state, as foundational systemic barriers to prosperity persist.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As policymakers, community leaders, businesses, and workforce leaders develop approaches to address and remove these barriers, one thing we hear consistently at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is that disaggregated data by race is essential. Understanding the demographic trends and scope of disparities is an important tool for developing stronger solutions to these persistent issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In response to significant requests from the community, DEED released a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/black-african-american-data-report-acc_tcm1045-539222.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;report&lt;/a&gt; yesterday that includes this disaggregated data on the status of the Black and African American labor force in Minnesota. This analysis offers a look at some of the major demographic, economic, and educational trends and disparities in the Black and African American community in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yesterday the Star Tribune published an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/minnesotas-job-market-is-amazing-unless-youre-black/600202436/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;editorial&lt;/a&gt; authored by Stephanie Burrage, deputy commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Education, Tawanna Black, founder and CEO of the Center for Economic Inclusion, and myself, which highlights the report and how our agencies are focused on eliminating these disparities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, we are accelerating our work to address disparities around &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;five racial equity commitments&lt;/a&gt; to reduce systemic barriers to equitable growth. That includes driving more funding to historically underserved populations; reforming government programs that have left out Black workers and business owners for too long; and launching concerted outreach and engagement programs for Black workers and Black-owned businesses across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are deeply committed to these efforts – and acknowledge the work is very much in progress. And &quot;progress&quot; has many variables, both within and outside of our control – including legislative decisions and administrative actions. But we&apos;re focusing on the data plus the actions we can control, and we believe the more transparent we are about our journey, the greater the benefit will be – not just for the Black and African American community in Minnesota, but for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors</Author><id>539246</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This week we were excited to take our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Thief River Falls to visit some of Minnesota’s manufacturing powerhouses in the northwest region. </Description><Audience/><Title>Summer of Jobs Visits Thief River Falls</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Summer of Jobs Visits Thief River Falls</Title><title>2022-08-19 SOJ TRF</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-538209&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-19T13:59:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>This week we were excited to take our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Thief River Falls to visit some of Minnesota’s manufacturing powerhouses in the northwest region. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week we were excited to take our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Thief River Falls to visit some of Minnesota’s manufacturing powerhouses in the northwest region. Given historic workforce shortages and an economy filled with opportunity, our campaign focuses on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcasing the thousands of amazing jobs available in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Amplifying the many sources of labor that employers often overlook.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Highlighting the innovation and best practices in workforce development from businesses, jobseekers, and communities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Digi-Key Expansion Ribbon Cutting Ceremony&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/digi%20key_tcm1045-538200.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;Digi Key Ribbon Cutting&quot; alt=&quot;Digi Key Ribbon Cutting&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Digi Key Ribbon Cutting&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was thrilled to take part in Digi-Key’s Production Distribution Center Expansion grand opening ceremony. Their company recently added 2.2 million square feet of multi-level distribution space to their existing 800,000-square-foot distribution center. That’s large enough to fit 22 football fields! Headquartered in Thief River Falls, Digi-Key Electronics is recognized as both a leader and continuous innovator in the high service distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide. Founded in 1972, Digi-Key was a pioneer in the mail-order catalog business and a key resource for design engineers. Today, Digi-Key offers the world’s largest selection of electronic components in stock and available for immediate shipment. It’s exciting to see Digi-Key continue to grow its operations in northwest Minnesota. This expansion is projected to add 1,000 jobs over the next years, and it shows that you can have a global headquarters (and build what matters!) anywhere in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tour of Textron (Arctic Cat)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/arctic%20cat_tcm1045-538201.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;Arctic Cat&quot; alt=&quot;Arctic Cat&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Arctic Cat&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next up, I toured Textron’s Arctic Cat manufacturing facilities. Arctic Cat is a classic Minnesota company that’s synonymous with outdoor winter adventures thanks to their world-famous snowmobiles and ATVs. It was great to see their operations and meet with some of their employees. Manufacturing is a critically important industry in the Thief River Falls area and throughout northwest Minnesota. There are approximately 28,000 jobs at more than 820 manufacturers in this region alone. Breaking it down, that means one in every seven jobs in northwest Minnesota is in manufacturing, making it the second largest employing industry behind only health care &amp;amp; social assistance.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Economic Development Roundtable with Community and Business Leaders&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/thief%20river%20falls_tcm1045-538202.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Thief River Falls&quot; alt=&quot;Thief River Falls&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Thief River Falls&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;normaltextrun&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:black; border:none windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0in;padding:0in&quot;&gt;I was honored to have Mayor Brian Holmer and the Thief River Falls City Council host us for a roundtable discussion around workforce and economic development challenges in their region. Right now, Minnesota has the lowest unemployment rate of any state – ever. And that’s great news. But this tight labor market presents a real challenge to employers looking to hire more workers, serve their customers, and keep growing. Being a small business owner himself, Mayor Holmer knows first-hand the importance of a growing and retaining a skilled workforce for his region. The mayor mentioned that a skilled workforce, childcare and housing are like a three-legged stool because you need all three in order to support a growing economy. These systemic issues can’t be solved overnight, but by working together with strategic partnerships we know we can keep local businesses growing, customers fulfilled, and Minnesotans employed in good-paying jobs and advancing through long-lasting careers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;normaltextrun&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:black; border:none windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0in;padding:0in&quot;&gt;CareerForce Visit&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;normaltextrun&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:black; border:none windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0in;padding:0in&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Career%20Force%20TRF_tcm1045-538203.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;TRF CareerForce&quot; alt=&quot;TRF CareerForce&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;TRF CareerForce&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#000000&quot;&gt;While I was in the area, I made a stop at DEED’s CareerForce location, which is housed within Northland Community &amp;amp; Technical College. In fact, this is one of six CareerForce locations around the state that is located on a community college campus. I was excited to meet with CareerForce team members and workforce development partners, and afterward we did a walk-through of their space. So far this year, they’ve served 260 jobs seekers – primarily through individual assistance in person or via phone appointments.  &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#000000&quot;&gt;These Summer of Jobs tour stops, job shadows, and insightful conversations with local leaders and businesses are critical in helping DEED better understand what employers and job-seekers need right now. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#000000&quot;&gt;View all of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/SummerofJobs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;our Summer of Jobs resources for job seekers and employers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>538209</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Summer of Jobs Summit: A Snapshot of Our Collective Work, and Key Takeaways </Description><Audience/><Title>Summer of Jobs Summit: A Snapshot of Our Collective Work, and Key Takeaways </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Summer of Jobs Summit: A Snapshot of Our Collective Work, and Key Takeaways </Title><title>2022-08-12 SOJ Summit</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-537465&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-12T14:55:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>Workforce development leaders from across the state met for a virtual Summer of Jobs Summit. Our goals: to share updates and insights with one another and build on our momentum as move into fall.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Summer%20of%20Jobs%20Logo_tcm1045-537462.PNG&quot; title=&quot;summer of jobs logo&quot; alt=&quot;summer of jobs logo&quot; style=&quot;width: 350px; height: 239px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;summer of jobs logo&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This past Monday, we convened workforce development leaders from across the state for a virtual Summer of Jobs Summit. Our goals: to share updates and insights with one another and to build on our Summer of Jobs momentum as we prepare to move into fall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We took some time to share our updated service model for helping Minnesotans, which is a critical part of how we’re innovating in the face of modern realities for training in the wake of COVID-19. And, we heard from some great partners on how they’re finding new ways to reach people in the tightest labor market Minnesota has ever had.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s a video of the summit, with some highlights listed below!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/bFTCujt0dQw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Summer%20of%20Jobs%20Summit%202_tcm1045-537459.PNG&quot; title=&quot;goals of summit&quot; alt=&quot;goals of summit&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 198px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;goals of summit&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Highlights from the Summit:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mike Lang from DEED’s CareerForce division talked about key learnings from recent visits to all 16 Local Workforce Development Areas across Minnesota. Key takeaways: we need to continue striving to maximize services without duplicating them and ensuring that job seekers who need additional support to prepare for and find employment have smooth and supportive referrals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dee Torgerson, who leads Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Natasha Jerde, who leads State Services for the Blind, shared how their teams are responding to the needs of customers with disabilities. They’re implementing a variety of flexible service options to help Minnesotans with disabilities, who experience disproportionately high unemployment, connect with the many open positions employers have available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DEED’s Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Services and Operations, Evan Rowe, gave an update on efforts to make Minnesota’s online workforce development tools easier to use and more useful. One example: Minnesota’s updated Unemployment Insurance application recently relaunched with a mobile-friendly design and with most content available in four languages: English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish. We’ll continue to make major updates to our digital workforce tools to deliver better services and information to Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ben Baglio, Director of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB) shared information about the GWDB’s efforts to help Minnesotans grow digital skills, more fully engage New Americans in the economy, and grow workforce engagement with young people. The GWDB is made up of employers, educators, labor leaders and others from across Minnesota who analyze and recommend workforce development policies to the governor and legislature toward talent development, resource alignment and system effectiveness to ensure a globally competitive workforce for Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jeanna Fortney, Director of the Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards, shared this feedback:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“This was really good information today. I just wanted to say we appreciate you guys coming out to all the 16 local areas and hearing directly from those local boards and providers about what’s going on in their areas. And I appreciated Mike saying that one of the takeaways from that was understanding that we want to work together and not duplicate services and really complement each other. We appreciate that and we look forward to continuing to work very closely with you all.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;During the second half of the Summit, we heard from some of my fellow commissioners and their strategic workforce partners.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;‘Earn while you learn’ is a really great way to help people quickly build in-demand skills while earning a paycheck. One important way to do this is through apprenticeships. My colleague at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Commissioner Roslyn Robertson explained that we all need to do more to get out the word on apprenticeships. She lifted up Finishing Trades Institute Upper Midwest (FTIUM), a partner DLI works with to welcome Minnesotans to engage in a life-changing apprenticeship.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Registered apprenticeship is a time-tested employee program system that combines job-related technical instruction with on the job learning experiences,” said DLI Commissioner Robertson. “Today we want to lift up one of our partners who has been doing some really creative work in terms of bridging the gap between registered apprenticeship and higher education.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We are 49% female or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and of that we’re really proud,” said John Burcaw, FTIUM “Registered apprenticeships are such a great opportunity for young people…careers in a registered apprenticeship are viable, provide a living wage and can provide the same stability as a 4-year degree.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A talent pool that suffers from significantly higher unemployment rates than the general population are people who were recently incarcerated. My fellow Commissioner, Paul Schnell from the Department of Corrections (DOC), spoke passionately about the need to provide opportunities to Minnesota’s “Second Chance Workforce” – and the great hiring opportunity for employers. Commissioner Schnell called out one of their strategic partners, Workforce Development, Inc. (WDI), which provides skills training while people are still incarcerated and helps justice-involved individuals find employment, with the support they need, after release.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We have to remember that for people coming out of prison who are system-involved, their unemployment rate stands at about 27%. That’s a shocking number given the state’s unprecedented low unemployment rate,” said DOC Commissioner Schnell. “So if we’re going to address the issues around repeat offending, we have to commit ourselves to creating and having opportunities for second chances.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We offer different type of training opportunities. In southeast Minnesota, there is a lot of manufacturing need…lots of needs for welders in different positions,” said Nathan Jensen of WDI. The organization helps coordinate “accelerated classes so they are able to get the training done weekly within a week or two, all hands-on work with experienced educators, bringing employers to the classroom so they could meet those employers right there and hopefully making a good first impression, so they find employment that is so important to the process of avoiding any re-incarceration.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And finally, Dr. Devinder Malhotra, Chancellor of Minnesota State, shared goals for reducing the education gap between white Minnesotans and communities of color. Reducing this gap is critically important in achieving economic equity in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We serve about 300,000 students a year – and of those about 66,000 are students who come from communities of color, or those of Native origins,” said Chancellor Malhotra. “We are not only the largest higher education provider in Minnesota; we are also the most diverse higher education provider in the state... we take our obligation to prepare students for work and productive careers very, very seriously and we want to be part of the solution for talent development and workforce development. The disruptions that are impacting higher education are the same disruptions which are impacting workforce: changing demographics and technology, and globalization and interconnectedness among economies of the world.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During Monday’s Summit, more connections were made, we shared important information, and our mutual objectives were lifted up. I encourage you to check out this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFTCujt0dQw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;recording of the Summer of Jobs Summit&lt;/a&gt;. There’s a lot more to do to reach our goals, but Minnesota works better for &lt;em&gt;everyone&lt;/em&gt; when we all work together.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>537465</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This week we were excited to take our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Owatonna to focus on high-demand careers from manufacturing to computer engineering. </Description><Audience/><Title>Summer of Jobs Visits Owatonna</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Summer of Jobs Visits Owatonna</Title><title>20220811-summerofjobs-owatonna</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-537324&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-11T19:29:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>This week we were excited to take our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Owatonna to focus on high-demand careers from manufacturing to computer engineering. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/zgyGUVOFl-w&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Summer%20of%20Jobs%20open%20screen_00000_tcm1045-537318.png&quot; title=&quot;Owatonna-SOJ-screen&quot; alt=&quot;Owatonna-SOJ-screen&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 225px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Owatonna-SOJ-screen&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week we were excited to take our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Owatonna to focus on high-demand careers from manufacturing to computer engineering. Given historic workforce shortages and an economy teeming with opportunity, our campaign has three primary goals:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase the thousands of amazing jobs available in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Amplify the many sources of labor that employers often overlook.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Highlight the innovation and best practices in workforce development from businesses, jobseekers, and communities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Workforce Discussion with Local Leaders and Businesses&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/PXL_20220810_182228767_tcm1045-537319.jpg&quot; title=&quot;0811-SOJ-photo-1&quot; alt=&quot;0811-SOJ-photo-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 301px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;0811-SOJ-photo-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were thrilled to have Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan join us for our business roundtable discussion in Owatonna. Like everywhere else, Owatonna is seeing record-low unemployment and a need for talent pipelines to fill available jobs. When we asked the business leaders what their barriers were, they said getting people in the door and making sure they are trained are some of their biggest workforce issues. Two manufacturers mentioned that retirements have played a big factor in recent turnover, so they’ve become more flexible in offering part-time work so that those who have retired can come back to work at their own pace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In order to get more high-school students interested in manufacturing careers, Wenger Manufacturing has offered more tours to both students and their parents so that they can dispel any misconceptions they might have and showcase the many different career opportunities that are offered in their facility. Superintendent Jeff Elstad of Owatonna Public Schools mentioned that they like their students to leave high school with a degree plus – in that they make sure students have skills and certifications that can be used immediately once they graduate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Glass fabricator Viracon has done a lot of great work to bring in more underrepresented workforce populations to fill their jobs. They’ve hired workers from the formerly incarcerated second-chance community for many years, and now there isn’t potential stigma because it’s been so integrated into their hiring practices. They’ve also made accommodations for Muslim workers who need prayer rooms so that everyone can be comfortable and feel culturally respected while at work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Despite all these efforts, Viracon and other local companies still see hiring challenges when it comes to child care and housing. We know the impact that child care and housing have on where someone works or whether they can work at all. The Governor’s Council on Economic Expansion &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/economic/&quot;&gt;recently released their roadmap&lt;/a&gt; that includes a commitment to support families and workers by improving the quality and accessibility of affordable child care as well modernize housing policies to build more high quality and affordable housing. These issues can’t be solved overnight, but by working together, we know we can achieve a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient Minnesota economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Job Shadow at Federated Insurance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/PXL_20220810_170049902_tcm1045-537320.jpg&quot; title=&quot;20220811-SOJ-2&quot; alt=&quot;20220811-SOJ-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 301px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;20220811-SOJ-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today for our job shadow, I met with Jason, who is a system architect at Federated Insurance in downtown Owatonna. System architects devise, configure, operate, and maintain networking and computer systems. System architects consider a company’s business objectives as well as its size, budget, and resources in order to figure out what kind of computing power it needs. They also consider how much data storage the company needs, the size and speed they require, and the best user experience a company wants to create for their employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason got his start in IT working for Federated Insurance and was instrumental in helping prepare the company’s computer systems for the infamous Y2K bug at the turn of the century. His twenty plus years at Federated is a testament to their ability to retain long-term employees. During his time at Federated, Jason has enrolled in their training program so that he continues to add certifications and grow professionally while working for their company.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Walking Tour of Downtown Owatonna&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/PXL_20220810_171823629_tcm1045-537321.jpg&quot; title=&quot;0811-SOJ-3&quot; alt=&quot;0811-SOJ-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 301px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;0811-SOJ-3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the job shadow we did a walking tour through downtown Owatonna to check out a recently completed redevelopment effort that consists of a new hotel, apartment complex and streetscape project. Owatonna is very fortunate to have a number of businesses that have been there for over 100 years. Costas Candies is one of those businesses, and of course we had to stop in to check out some of their delicious chocolates! Having businesses like Federated Insurance located in downtown helps support nearby local businesses like Costas Candies – and being surrounded by great downtown amenities is a helpful recruitment tool for Federated Insurance. It’s a win-win for everyone in Owatonna!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These Summer of Jobs tour stops, job shadows, and insightful conversations with local leaders are critical in helping DEED better understand what employers and job-seekers need right now. For another look at our visit to Owatonna, check out our &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgyGUVOFl-w&quot;&gt;video on DEED’s YouTube page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View all of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/SummerofJobs&quot;&gt;our Summer of Jobs resources for job seekers and employers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>537324</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Deven was promoted to interim Director</Description><Audience/><Title>Deven Bowdry appointed Interim Director of the Office of Public Engagement</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Public Engagement</Subject><Subject>Interim Director</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled>Deven Bowdry</SubjectControlled></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Next steps from DEED’s Office of Public Engagement</Title><title>2022-08-11 Deven</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-537210&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-11T14:16:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>This Office is a consolidation and expansion of our existing outreach efforts, with a mission to create strong feedback loops between communities across Minnesota and all of DEED’s programs.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/announcement_Social%20Media_TW_tcm1045-537209.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Deven Bowdry&quot; alt=&quot;Deven Bowdry&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 200px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Deven Bowdry&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today we wanted to provide a few updates on DEED’s Office of Public Engagement (Office), which is our team focused on community relationship-building and outreach efforts for the agency. As we shared earlier this year, this Office is a consolidation and expansion of our existing outreach efforts, with a mission to create strong feedback loops between communities across Minnesota and all of DEED’s programs – with a particular focus on communities who face the most significant barriers to economic growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maureen Ramirez, the director of the Office, has decided to move on from the agency to other opportunities. Maureen is a talented and entrepreneurial leader who excels at getting efforts off the ground – we’re very thankful for her leadership role in launching this Office. We are grateful for her leadership and service, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic, and wish her the best in her next chapter. Maureen’s last day will be August 16.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also would like to congratulate Deven Bowdry, who we have appointed as Interim Director of the Office for the remainder of 2022. Deven has served as a leader in DEED’s policy office for several years and will begin this new interim role next week. He is a talented leader who has managed several policy issues for DEED and has great experience in community engagement. In fact, he started his career at DEED working on outreach efforts several years ago.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The team will continue to grow in the future further. We’ve dedicated another full-time position to expand the overall team in the coming months – stay tuned for updates as we continue to invest in the Office. With leaders focused on a host of communities and issue areas, the Office of Public Engagement will continue to expand to serve a key role in making sure DEED is listening to community and continually evolving our services to meet the needs of Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the weeks ahead, DEED’s Office of Public Engagement will be out in the community at various engagements. Just a few examples: On August 25, we’ll be at Urban League Family Day. On September 5, you’ll find us at the State Fair in multiple venues, including with our partners at the Disability Council. And on September 10, we’ll be at Fiesta Latina. In addition, the Office will be a key outreach arm this fall for on 2023 legislative issues. As part of our outreach, we’re holding more than a dozen listening sessions tied to everything from broadband access to climate change. Additionally, we’ll host several open forums to obtain feedback from community members to help inform DEED&apos;s community engagement efforts going forward.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deven will serve in the interim director role through the end of the year, and DEED is committed to hiring a full-time leader of these efforts before January 2023. We’re excited to increase the Office&apos;s work to ensure we expand DEED’s community outreach and relationship-building in the months and years to come.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>537210</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Workforce Wednesday is an opportunity for Minnesota employers to come together and share their stories and strategies</Description><Audience/><Title>Strategies for Successful Workforce Partnerships   </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Strategies for Successful Workforce Partnerships   </Title><title>2022-08-09 August Workforce Wednesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-537061&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-09T21:02:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>Workforce Wednesday is an opportunity for Minnesota employers to come together and share their stories and strategies</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce%20wednesday%20august%203_tcm1045-537060.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Workforce Wednesday August&quot; alt=&quot;Workforce Wednesday August&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 248px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Workforce Wednesday August&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce partnerships are a critical tool to our state’s economic success as we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies. At our latest Workforce Wednesday discussion, we heard a panel of employers and nonprofits share how they leverage their collective resources and expertise to support recruitment and retention efforts for youth, individuals with refugee status, and justice-involved talent pools. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are some challenges that you have worked through together with your partnerships? &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Courtney Dugstad – Executive Director, Next Chapter Ministries &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One thing people think when working with the justice-involved population is the potential for a worker to relapse and have an unsuccessful job experience. Employers need to consider a potential candidate as someone who wants to succeed versus somebody who is waiting to fail.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hosea Hargrett – Owner, H2 Real Estate Solutions  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Normally when I meet with candidates, the first question they ask is ‘do you want to know my background?’ and my reply is always ‘no, your past is your past, what I want to know is what do you want going forward?’ and that helps build a level of trust that shows that I’m not going to judge them based on criminal history.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alan Wedrickas – Account Recruiting Manager, Aerotek &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few times early in the partnership, our staff wasn’t aware of Muslim culture such as prayer times, so we had some issues of Muslim employees not being comfortable praying at work. From that experience, we worked to create designated prayer rooms, so employees don’t have to pray out in the open.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ahmed (Jaffar) Mohamud – Team Coordinator, Minnesota Council of Churches Mankato Refugee Services &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was helping one client fill out an application and there was an issue to the drug test portion of the application. They wanted to take a hair sample of the female applicant, but in the Islamic faith, women need to keep their heads covered. She initially refused this request, but after talking with her and the drug tester, we came to a solution where it would be okay to take a small sample of her hair from either the forehead or back of the neck so that her head covering can stay on. After that she was able to continue the application process.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mike Postma – Rice &amp;amp; Steele County Area Manager, Workforce Development In. (WDI) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;In reference to Steele Co Works, a workforce partnership collaboration of WDI, the United Way, and the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For us and our partnerships, we’re three organizations with different missions, but we know where we overlap so we’re able to play to our strengths. For us it’s just talking through it and asking what do we need and how do we get there? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is one key takeaway that employers should know about partnerships? &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ahmed (Jaffar) Mohamud – Team Coordinator, Minnesota Council of Churches Mankato Refugee Services &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the populations I serve, I work with clients who are bilingual and even trilingual, but English might not be one of those languages. I think employers should eliminate English requirements for certain jobs, especially entry-level positions, because the populations I serve are quick learners and can learn English skills while on the job.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alan Wedrickas – Account Recruiting Manager, Aerotek &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just keep an open mind. Imagine yourself in their shoes coming to a new country with completely different rules and a different language and trying to find a new career. Just because somebody doesn’t speak your same language, doesn’t mean they’re not qualified to work at your company.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brad Meier – President, Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce &amp;amp; Tourism  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s a lot of work to bring students into job shadows, tours and internships so good relationships with local businesses and the school districts is key in finding success.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mike Postma – Rice &amp;amp; Steele County Area Manager, Workforce Development In. (WDI) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We can be guilty of living in silos, so don’t be afraid to reach out to different people and shake it up a bit. This model works because we brought in partners that hadn’t worked together in this way before.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Courtney Dugstad – Executive Director, Next Chapter Ministries  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One out of four people in Minnesota has a criminal history and one out of six households are impacted by the cycle of incarceration. Justice-involved populations might be underrepresented in your workforce, but they aren’t underrepresented in the community. If we really want to open our candidate pool that means your company might need to change systemic policies in place to successfully hire justice-involved folks.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hosea Hargrett – Owner, H2 Real Estate Solutions  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re company that has a small HR department and doesn’t know where to start with hiring justice-involved populations, I’d suggest you work with organizations who’ve done the work so you can save time with the hiring process.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of August’s session and other past sessions, plus find related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.careerforcemn.com%2FWorkforceWednesday&amp;amp;data=05%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7C2c1e1aa4765243130cf308da7a49c3f8%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637956754483153069%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=43FwFDc8fw5cb3Ge5Fu6H1L0Lvv1YifNaLpqJsyLJ40%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>537061</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Berlin Seminar on Energy Policy – a DEED Perspective</Title><title>2022-08-09-berlin</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-537048&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-09T19:53:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Germany has been working for years on power plant transitions in host communities as clean energy replaces fossil fuels and older infrastructure closes. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/berlin%20energy_tcm1045-537044.jpg&quot; title=&quot;berlin energy&quot; alt=&quot;berlin energy&quot; style=&quot;width: 360px; height: 270px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;berlin energy&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I recently had the opportunity to participate in this year’s “Berlin Seminar on Energy Policy.” The Seminar, hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, brings together leading experts from the United States and Germany to discuss best practices and opportunities for clean energy innovation. This year’s Seminar happened at a pivotal time for Germany and the EU. Germany has a new coalition government with ambitious clean energy goals that have butted up against the war in Ukraine and Germany’s reliance on Russian natural gas. In response, Germany is scaling up clean energy initiatives as quickly as they can as they have become increasingly aware of the national security issues that reliance on foreign energy creates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) perspective, there were a number of useful takeaways from learning about Germany’s experiences to consider. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Energy Transition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Germany has been working for years on power plant transitions in host communities as clean energy replaces fossil fuels and older infrastructure closes. Those efforts have supported diversifying local economies, provided supports to spur innovation and invested in jobs for the future workforce. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, we have a new Energy Transition Office also focusing on power plant transitions in host communities as energy providers transition to cleaner fuels. Minnesota also has a newly-convened Energy Transition Advisory Committee, tasked with providing recommendations to the Legislature and Governor about how Minnesota should support host communities with a planned plant closures.  A report from the Advisory Committee is expected this fall. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Training Programs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Germany has been taking a critical look at the needs of their future workforce and is scaling up training programs to ensure they have the workforce needed to support their ambitious energy transition plans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, the Legislature and Governor have invested in intentional training programs in clean energy technologies focused on historically disadvantaged communities.  Trade unions, technical schools, community colleges, colleges and universities in Minnesota have also been updating their training programs in response to increased demand for weatherization and clean energy technologies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This fall, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/business-vitality/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Business Vitality Council&lt;/a&gt;, a cross-agency working group, intends to release a report identifying any gaps in job training programs for the clean energy sector and making recommendations about additional updates and investments the state and partners should consider to prepare the state’s workforce for future employment opportunities.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Innovation Incentives&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The German government has played an important role in piloting promising new clean energy technologies as well as making investments in scaling those technologies.  We heard about investments in new clean energy developments, techniques around weatherization and support for local clean energy, as just a few examples. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, a number of state agencies, energy providers and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission have similarly supported innovative clean energy projects and pilots that are key to the state meeting its climate goals, including investments in more efficient, flexible electric systems and wind, solar and energy storage. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our teams at DEED are going to connect with leaders in this space to discuss how the agency can play a role in incentivizing innovation around energy transition. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Governmental Affairs Director Darielle Dannen</Author><id>537048</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month&apos;s Forum shared the benefits of naturalization, Capacity Building Program, DEED’s Economic Development small business programs and more.</Description><Audience/><Title>August’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Small Business Support Programs at DEED</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>August’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Small Business Support Programs at DEED</Title><title>2022-08-04 August Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-536516&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-05T20:37:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>This month&apos;s Forum shared the benefits of naturalization, Capacity Building Program, DEED’s Economic Development small business programs and more.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/immigrant%20and%20refugee%20affairs%20forum%20august%204_tcm1045-536513.PNG&quot; title=&quot;August&apos;s Forum&quot; alt=&quot;August&apos;s Forum&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;August Immigrant Forum&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this month&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum, speakers shared information and resources for immigrant and refugee community members on a variety of important topics, including the benefits of naturalization, Capacity Building Program, DEED’s Economic Development small business programs and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Benefits of Naturalization in Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March of 2022, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, in partnership with the St. Paul Area Chamber, City of Minneapolis, and City of St. Paul, released &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.webelongmsp.com%2Fthe-journey-to-belonging&amp;amp;data=05%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7C8b066ee345b9464a8e4e08da76585cdb%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637952419132085649%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=WKoIqU8D3Xva6J7Wg9zF6ycBpGS78m%2FtEFGJE5gCgHc%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Journey to Belonging in the Twin Cities&lt;/a&gt;, a comprehensive roadmap to making the Twin Cities a more welcoming place for immigrants and refugees. From this roadmap, one of the major implementation priorities to emerge was the need to increase the number of residents who obtain United States citizenship through naturalization. Some of the civic benefits of individual naturalization include the ability to vote, serve on a jury and run for elected office. Economic benefits can include a better chance of finding secure employment, higher wages, and a better chance at homeownership than those who are not naturalized. Two of the major barriers to naturalization include the need to speak, read and write in English, as well as the ability to pay for the naturalization application filing fees. Their work will now focus on ways to help reduce those barriers for immigrants and refugees to achieve more naturalized citizens in the Twin Cities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Capacity Building Program Overview&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ose Sesay of &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pushstrategist.com%2Fhome&amp;amp;data=05%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7C8b066ee345b9464a8e4e08da76585cdb%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637952419132085649%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=1%2BRG31VXLLvC%2BnZq7GmQ0onK6aKWW5QWiP3GwoQCm8c%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Push Strategist, LLC&lt;/a&gt; shared an overview of the Capacity Building Program that’s targeted to small businesses. Many small businesses often don’t have enough organizational skills to seek funding and grow their business and their customer base. This pilot program will equip Black, Brown, Indigenous and communities of color businesses and organizations with the skills and knowledge to increase capacity and acquire funds to serve their communities at a low or no cost. Some of the skills they will acquire include: business development and training, financial management, implementation design, grant writing and more. If you’re interested in joining the next cohort, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pushstrategist.com%2Fcapacitybuildingprogram&amp;amp;data=05%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7C8b066ee345b9464a8e4e08da76585cdb%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637952419132242311%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=4Xzl0L8MTOzeg%2BkGUNv4IJ7uYCUe8qaYMt1rRhxSyPs%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;complete their form for more information&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DEED’s Economic Development Overview&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s Economic Development team highlighted the many different programs and offices that support small businesses and entrepreneurs in Minnesota. The Economic Development team supports the growth of businesses and communities through grants and loans, consultations, education sessions and other programs and services. Some of those programs and services include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbao/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Assistance Office&lt;/a&gt; – Provides consultations and answers questions related to starting a business. It offers no-cost guidebooks on a broad range of business topics, including &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/assets/a-guide-to-starting-a-business-in-minnesota-40th-ed-2022_ACC_tcm1045-514374.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A Guide to Starting a Business in Minnesota&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Development Centers&lt;/a&gt; – A statewide network of nine regional SBDCs that provides professional expertise and guidance for small businesses – both startups and established businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/starting-business/additional-resources/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Small Business Assistance Partnerships&lt;/a&gt; – Partnerships represent and empower the success of businesses owned and operated by  Black, Brown, Indigenous and communities of color, veterans, women, persons with disabilities and entrepreneurs located in Greater Minnesota. They provide high quality free or low-cost professional business development and technical assistance services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/launchmn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Launch Minnesota&lt;/a&gt; – A statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/elp/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Emerging Entrepreneur Loan Program&lt;/a&gt; – Provides loan capital for businesses that are owned and operated by Black, Brown, Indigenous and communities of color, low-income persons, women, veterans and/or persons with disabilities. DEED provides grant funds to a network of nonprofit lenders which use these funds for loans to start-up and expanding businesses throughout the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/exporting/about/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Trade Office&lt;/a&gt; - Provides export assistance to Minnesota&apos;s manufacturers and service providers. Programs and services focus primarily on assisting small and medium-sized companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Developments &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Public Engagement Liaison Hannah Dereje introduced herself to the forum members. She represents African diaspora and immigrant and refugee communities in the Governor’s Office of Public Engagement. If you have questions, please reach out to her at 612-840-0594 or &lt;a href=&quot;hannah.dereje@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;hannah.dereje@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month’s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DI9fKKiZNZ98&amp;amp;data=05%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7C8b066ee345b9464a8e4e08da76585cdb%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637952419132242311%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=2pdpmxfa8bXhNi7bUFEZYTBAztK5kErOlKd6ydUspRE%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;you can watch the discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>536516</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.  </Description><Audience/><Title>July Trends Blog</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Trends</Subject><Subject>Wages</Subject><Subject>Employment</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Economic Trends: State of the State Quarterly Issue</Title><title>2022-08-01-trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-536291&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-02T18:21:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>August 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/LMI%20graphic_tcm1045-536295.png&quot; title=&quot;2022-08-01-lmi-trends-graphic&quot; alt=&quot;2022-08-01-lmi-trends-graphic&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 192px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-08-01-lmi-trends-graphic&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends is LMI’s annual state-of-the-state issue, which provides an overview of Minnesota’s labor market and job trends plus takes a closer look at each of the state’s six regions, as well as examining wages and inflation, the role of Career and Technical Education in retaining workforce in Greater Minnesota, and more.
&lt;br /&gt;
Select a title below to view the full article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/recovering.jsp&quot;&gt;Recovering from Recession: Employment and Labor Force Trends&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An overview of employment growth and labor force trends as Minnesota continues to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/wages.jsp&quot;&gt;Wages and Inflation in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An examination of the various ways of measuring both wage and other compensation increases and how inflation impacts real purchasing power.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/high-school.jsp&quot;&gt;High School Career and Technical Education as a Workforce Development and Retention Strategy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article documents the challenges of workforce retention in Greater Minnesota among college-age individuals and examines the role that high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) can play in mitigating them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/era.jsp&quot;&gt;A New Labor Market Era in the Twin Cities Metro Area&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An analysis of changes in the Twin Cities Metro Area&apos;s labor market, focusing on labor force and industry trends, hiring demand, and what the region can expect for employment growth through the next decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/labor-force.jsp&quot;&gt;The Labor Force at Large in Northeast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The decline of the labor force in Northeast Minnesota has been the story of the last two-plus years, with the pandemic exacerbating a long-standing demographic trend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/vacancies.jsp&quot;&gt;More Vacancies, Fewer Workers in Central Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Minnesota has not yet recovered all the jobs lost during the two-month pandemic recession, but it&apos;s not due to a lack of job openings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/thriving.jsp&quot;&gt;Southeast Minnesota Continues Thriving&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Southeast Minnesota’s economy emerges from the pandemic period, the labor market is getting back to normal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/southwest.jsp&quot;&gt;Holding Back Growth in Southwest Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Southwest Minnesota&apos;s economy continues to recover from the pandemic recession, the region&apos;s labor force constraints continue to hold back more robust growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/june-2022/normal.jsp&quot;&gt;Almost Back to Normal in Northwest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of the six regions in the state, Northwest Minnesota is the closest to being back to their pre-pandemic normal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>536291</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:41:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This blog highlights Commissioner Grove&apos;s stop in Eagan highlighting DEED&apos;s efforts to help people with disabilities find jobs</Description><Audience/><Title>Summer of Jobs Eagan </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Summer of Jobs</Subject><Subject>Eagan</Subject><Subject>Disabilities</Subject><Subject>VRS</Subject><Subject>Vocational Rehabilitation Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Summer of Jobs Campaign Highlights Hiring People with Disabilities</Title><title>2022-07-27-summerofjobs-eagan</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-535828&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-27T14:09:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>We know Minnesotans living with disabilities continue to face barriers when it comes to realizing their full economic potential.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/bBs0oWfNV2w&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Summer%20of%20Jobs%20open%20screen_00000_tcm1045-535819.png&quot; title=&quot;2022-07-27-summer-of-jobs-eagan&quot; alt=&quot;2022-07-27-summer-of-jobs-eagan&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 281px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-07-27-summer-of-jobs-eagan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week we were excited to take our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to Eagan to highlight hiring People with Disabilities. Given historic workforce shortages and an economy teeming with opportunity, our campaign has three primary goals:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase the thousands of amazing jobs available in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Amplify the many sources of labor that employers often overlook.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Highlight the innovation and best practices in workforce development from businesses, jobseekers, and communities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know Minnesotans living with disabilities continue to face barriers when it comes to realizing their full economic potential. As of 2020, more than 600,000 Minnesota residents reported having at least one disability, comprising 11% of the state’s population. Compared to the overall Minnesota workforce, Minnesotans with a disability typically have lower levels of labor market participation, lower employment-to-population ratios, and substantially higher unemployment rates. In 2020, the annual unemployment rate for Minnesotans living with a disability was 9.4%, about 2.75 times higher than that of the general population, which was 3.4%. That’s a huge number of people who could be helping fill thousands of job vacancies and might need just a little bit of help connecting with employers to gain valuable job experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inclusive Talent Discussion at Minnesota Valley Transit Authority&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/soj%20photo%20one_tcm1045-535823.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2022-07-27-soj-roundtable&quot; alt=&quot;2022-07-27-soj-roundtable&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 376px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-07-27-soj-roundtable&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We started the morning with a roundtable discussion at the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) garage where I talked with employers, service providers, and students with disabilities on the importance of employers connecting with underrepresented talent pools to fill job vacancies. One of the ways DEED’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/&quot;&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS)&lt;/a&gt; can provide support across the state is by making those connections for employers and students with disabilities.
&lt;br /&gt;
VRS (along with our contracted Community Partners) helps students, families and schools connect to business opportunities in their area. And on the employer side of things, businesses can contact a DEED Employment Specialist where they help businesses strategize and think creatively regarding their hiring needs.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;VRS and community partner, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.greatworkmn.com/&quot;&gt;Great Work&lt;/a&gt;, arranged with Schmitty &amp;amp; Sons to offer a paid work experience for three students with disabilities this summer. The work consists mainly of working with the MVTA to do interior cleaning and detailing of their buses. The paid summer work experience for the students I met with today is part of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/youth/pre-ets/&quot;&gt;Pre-Employment Transition Services&lt;/a&gt; offered by VRS and supported by our partners. Allie McCullough, the HR Director for Schmitty &amp;amp; Sons, shared that these partnerships in supporting youth with disabilities have been very successful for their company and believes more employers should be aware of the work VRS and community partners are doing to help businesses with their hiring needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bus Detailing Job Shadow&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/photos%20soj%20on%20buss_tcm1045-535822.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2022-07-27-soj-on-bus-eagan&quot; alt=&quot;2022-07-27-soj-on-bus-eagan&quot; style=&quot;font-family: Verdana; width: 500px; height: 376px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-07-27-soj-on-bus-eagan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;VRS knows one of the best ways young people can prepare for the working world is to try out different types of jobs in real employment settings and paid work experience is one of the best ways to guarantee future employment success for students with disabilities.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 It was so inspiring to hear about the students’ work experiences and see their bus detailing skills in action. I&apos;m looking forward to continuing job shadowing and highlighting more of the best-paying in-demand jobs available across Minnesota this summer! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For a recap of our day, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/bBs0oWfNV2w&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;check out our video on DEED’s YouTube page&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View all of our &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/SummerofJobs&quot;&gt;Summer of Jobs resources for job seekers and employers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>535828</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:39:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Panel members on our recent Workforce Wednesday gave an overview of their program opportunities and highlighted promising practices for hiring and retaining Minnesota’s future workforce.</Description><Audience/><Title>Connecting with Potential Talent Through Onsite Career Exploration Opportunities </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Strategies for Upskilling &amp; Training Your Workforce</Title><title>2022-07-14 July Workforce Wednesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-533456&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-14T15:03:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Training programs are a critical tool to our state’s economic success as we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/employment-based-training_tcm1045-533457.png&quot; title=&quot;employment-based-training&quot; alt=&quot;employment-based-training&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;employment-based-training&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training programs are a critical tool to our state&apos;s economic success as we continue to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies. Employer panel members on our recent Workforce Wednesday shared their experiences implementing training programs into their organizations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What made your organization decide to apply for a training grant program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie Ochocki, Corporate Recruitment Director, Seneca Foods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a canning company in rural Minnesota, we had a lot of trouble recruiting for our technical and mechanical positions. We needed to develop our workforce with some sort of way to get people into these fields who want to live in rural areas. Promoting from within is also one of our company&apos;s fundamental values so we wanted to walk the talk. We partnered with the Minnesota Apprenticeship Initiative (MAI) and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dli.mn.gov/pipeline&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dual Training Pipeline Program&lt;/a&gt; and it was a really good experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shawn LaQue, Operations Manager, Terog Manufacturing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was familiar with grant programs with a different employer and after some research I was able to connect with some programs and it&apos;s helped us not only retain but recruit as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Erica Lester, Workforce Specialist, MN Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;re in a unique position in that we are the supporting organization for 17 different clinics across Minnesota. One of our huge challenges is recruiting and retaining roles in medical and dental assistance. For us, a large part was getting enough buy in from enough of our clinics and making sure it was worth the time and resources to build the system. Working with the apprenticeship program has been a great process and they&apos;ve made it as easy as can be for us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What did the process look like for your company when implementing your training program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shawn LaQue, Operations Manager, Terog Manufacturing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The whole process was super easy for our company. After reaching out, it was maybe two weeks and we were already building the foundation to implement the program. To be honest, the program did all the heavy lifting for us. I couldn&apos;t say enough good things about the program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie Ochocki, Corporate Recruitment Director, Seneca Foods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prior to this experience, I&apos;d never done a grant application and that was a bit intimidating, but we had a lot of help from both our college partner, MAI and the pipeline program. Everyone was a huge help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Erica Lester, Workforce Specialist, MN Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For us it was a bit of a longer process from start to finish. It took us about a year to get everything up and off the ground. We modeled our program after an apprenticeship program in Washington state so it took us time to modify what they had done so it could work for us in Minnesota. It was a bit of a long process, but it wasn&apos;t a difficult process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does having a training program in place at your company help with employee retention?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie Ochocki, Corporate Recruitment Director, Seneca Foods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, this is a huge help for both recruitment and retention. The fact that you&apos;re willing to invest in your employees makes everyone feel good. Some of our trainers have told us they feel really awesome training in new people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Erica Lester, Workforce Specialist, MN Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the healthcare space, the biggest problem with retention is that other clinics are willing to pay more so some of our employees leave. But what we&apos;ve heard since starting this program is that the employees we&apos;re training up feel very valued and cared for in their clinics, so even if there&apos;s a place that might pay them more, they wouldn&apos;t feel as valued as they do with us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is one piece of advice you&apos;d give employers unsure about applying for grants and trainings to upskill their workforce?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Erica Lester, Workforce Specialist, MNACHC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I know when I started creating our apprenticeship program, it seemed so daunting to put all the pieces together, but you don&apos;t have to reinvent the wheel. It was so easy to see what the apprenticeship initiative had done in the past and use those pieces to make our program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shawn LaQue, Operations Manager, Terog Manufacturing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I don&apos;t know why you wouldn&apos;t want to try it out as an employer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie Ochocki, Corporate Recruitment Director, Seneca Foods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It can be super easy to get started if you just reach out for help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of July&apos;s session and other past sessions, plus find related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>533456</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:39:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month&apos;s topics included equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies, an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, and information on Frontline Worker Pay applications.  </Description><Audience/><Title>June&apos;s Immigrant and Refugees Affair Forum: Equity and Inclusion Efforts in State Government  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Summer of Jobs Campaign Visits Duluth</Title><title>2022-07-13 Summer of Jobs Duluth</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-533866&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-13T19:10:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>This week we brought our “Summer of Jobs” campaign to the great city of Duluth.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/L51zEPBeI9I&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/summer-of-jobs1_tcm1045-533877.jpg&quot; title=&quot;summer-of-jobs1&quot; alt=&quot;summer-of-jobs1&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;summer-of-jobs1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week we brought our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign to the great city of Duluth. Given historic workforce shortages and an economy teeming with opportunity, our &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign has three primary goals:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase the thousands of amazing jobs available in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Amplify the many sources of labor that employers often overlook.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Highlight the innovation and best practices in workforce development from businesses, jobseekers, and communities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I kicked off our day at Essentia Health to address the critical need for health care workers in Minnesota. I then job shadowed an Essentia Sterile Processing Technician, which is a critical and high-demand role across the health care industry. Finally, I led a roundtable focused on ways employers can connect with untapped talent within Minnesota&apos;s aging workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Across the state, employers are grappling with a tight labor market. The most recent unemployment rate in Duluth (May 2022) was 1.5%, a historically low unemployment rate. The current unemployment rate is 2.1 percentage points lower than a year ago and 9.8 percentage points lower than was seen at the height of the pandemic (May 2020) where the unemployment rate was 11.3%. This shows just how tight a labor market the region is facing. The largest industry in Duluth is health care and social assistance, which makes up one-third (32.9%) of the total jobs in the city. This is an extremely high concentration of health care employment – statewide, only about 18% of total jobs are in health care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health Care Roundtable at Essentia Health&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/summer-of-jobs2_tcm1045-533876.jpg&quot; title=&quot;summer-of-jobs2&quot; alt=&quot;summer-of-jobs2&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; class=&quot;photoLeftNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;summer-of-jobs2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;During my health care roundtable at Essentia, I learned about the strategies they&apos;ve deployed to help alleviate workforce shortages in their company. They&apos;ve created an entire department dedicated to workforce development that focuses on engaging with youth to consider a career in health care. Through career explorations, they want students to know that you don&apos;t necessarily need to work directly with patients to work in health care. There are lots of careers in HR, finance and IT that are also needed in the health care field. Essentia also pays for college scholarships and provide hands on opportunities like job shadows and internships. This summer alone they provided 90 nursing students with internships in the hopes of hiring them all upon graduation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Shadow at Essentia Health&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/summer-of-jobs3_tcm1045-533875.jpg&quot; title=&quot;summer-of-jobs3&quot; alt=&quot;summer-of-jobs3&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;summer-of-jobs3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;After our discussion, I headed to the Sterile Processing area at Essentia where I scrubbed up and met Brady Hill, a Sterile Processing Technician II. He gave me a behind-the-scenes look of a typical day in an operating room. Brady showed me how to sterilize surgical equipment and assemble surgical tools and supplies. This in-demand position only requires a high school diploma while training and certifications are provided to you on the job. I learned that Essentia employs two of the leading Sterile Processing Technicians who are helping set the standards nationwide for this important work. Without this important role sterilizing everything that comes into contact with patients, a hospital wouldn&apos;t be able to function. From prepping OR trays to cleaning incubators in the neonatal unit, they are the unsung heroes of the hospital.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recruiting and Retaining Talent from an Aging Workforce Roundtable&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/summer-of-jobs4_tcm1045-533874.jpg&quot; title=&quot;summer-of-jobs4&quot; alt=&quot;summer-of-jobs4&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; class=&quot;photoLeftNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;summer-of-jobs4&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;For our final visit in Duluth, we held a roundtable discussion with CareerForce staff, local workforce partners, and employers focused on strategies around hiring and retaining Minnesota&apos;s aging workforce. While Minnesota&apos;s economy lost an estimated 60,000 senior workers to early retirement during the pandemic, almost half have come back. Many 55+ workers face ageism, which is holding our economy back. I heard advice from employers and partners on how employers can reorient their strategies to tap into workers who are later in their career. One key is flexibility – allowing for fewer hours, or maybe just taking on smaller pieces of a job. Employers should also consider the benefits of having a multigenerational workforce as a competitive advantage, much like employers appreciate the benefits of having a multicultural workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week&apos;s visit to Duluth for the &quot;Summer of Jobs&quot; campaign was an educational and engaging experience. I can&apos;t wait to continue job shadowing and highlighting more of the best-paying in-demand jobs available across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For a recap of our day, check out our video on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/deedminnesota&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s YouTube page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>533866</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:39:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month&apos;s topics included equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies, an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, and information on Frontline Worker Pay applications.  </Description><Audience/><Title>June&apos;s Immigrant and Refugees Affair Forum: Equity and Inclusion Efforts in State Government  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>July&apos;s Immigrant and Refugee Affair Forum Highlights DEED&apos;s New Office of Public Engagement</Title><title>2022-07-12 July forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-533484&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-12T19:10:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>This month&apos;s topics included equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies, an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, and information on Frontline Worker Pay applications.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>July 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this month&apos;s forum, speakers shared information and resources for immigrant and refugee community members on a variety of important topics. This included DEED&apos;s new Office of Public Engagement, hiring opportunities, an overview of the New American Task Force and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED Announces New Office of Public Engagement&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Maureen Ramirez shared information on the recently announced Office of Public Engagement that she will lead. The office will focus on targeted outreach and engagement efforts to make DEED&apos;s programs more accessible to all Minnesotans. Specifically, it will connect with populations in Minnesota hit hardest by racial and other disparities in employment – including gender, sexual orientation, geography, race/ethnicity, national origin, color, disability, age, or other protected groups. The office will bring together many of DEED&apos;s outreach efforts under one division with plans to grow the number of staff dedicated to this work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new Office of Public Engagement is committed to helping create equitable communities and economic opportunities and will tailor its statewide outreach and engagement efforts based on different community strengths around the state. For example, this summer, DEED staff have participated in community festivals in the Twin Cities, as well as tribal consultations in Greater Minnesota, and visits to local businesses statewide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Office of Public Engagement can be reached at 651-356-5423 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:askDEED@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;askDEED@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Union Pacific Hiring Opportunities in Minnesota&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ken Kuwamura Jr. from Union Pacific shared information on the many available jobs they are hoping to fill in Minnesota. Union Pacific Corporation is one of America&apos;s leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is North America&apos;s premier railroad franchise, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. They currently have 90 open positions in Minnesota across many different departments including operations, corporate relations, accounting, marketing, technology, supply chain, law enforcement and more. Job candidates need to be U.S. citizens or authorized to work in the U.S. and have a valid driver&apos;s license to apply.  You can visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://up.jobs/index.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;up.jobs&lt;/a&gt; to find more information on Union Pacific&apos;s current job openings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New American Task Force Overview&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ben Baglio, Director of the Governor&apos;s Workforce Development Board (GWDB) gave an overview on the GWDB and their New American Task Force. The Governor&apos;s Workforce Development Board was created in 2014 under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and provides leadership on key workforce strategies for the state. The board consists of forty-one members who represent different sectors in business and industry, community-based organizations, education, local government, organized labor, state agencies, and the state legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, they&apos;ve created the New Americans Task Force to identify issues impacting New Americans and their communities related to workforce – including education, training and overall economic opportunity. With this task force they hope to identify opportunities to better meet the needs of New Americans and employers. Currently they are &lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjDA1cbWGb5RHpGVI668kg6NUQjY2UDBCVk0xWUVRS1hMS0RJMFUwM0YzTS4u&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;compiling recommendations&lt;/a&gt; from community organizations, partners and other stakeholders. If you have specific recommendations you would like to have considered, please fill out their form by Friday, July 29.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CAPI USA and DEED&apos;s Internationally Trained Professionals Program&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/530504&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED announced the grant recipients of the Internationally Trained Professionals Competitive Grant Program&lt;/a&gt; to help fill in-demand health care positions. This program helps internationally trained health care workers earn the professional licenses required to do similar work in Minnesota. CAPI USA was one of the seven organizations that were awarded funds to assist internationally trained health care professionals in gaining licensure. With this grant, they plan to serve 50 eligible professionals in the next year. Enrollment for the program will begin in the next few months. If you have questions or referrals for this program, please contact Dawn Wambeke at 612-767-3676 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dawn.wambeke@capiusa.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;dawn.wambeke@capiusa.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/bgoyE1I4pZI&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>533484</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:39:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Panel members on our recent Workforce Wednesday gave an overview of their program opportunities and highlighted promising practices for hiring and retaining Minnesota’s future workforce.</Description><Audience/><Title>Connecting with Potential Talent Through Onsite Career Exploration Opportunities </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Applications for Broadband Director are Now Open</Title><title>2022-06-09 Broadband</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-530527&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-24T18:41:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>Deadline extended to July 8</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline extended to July 8</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m thrilled to announce that starting today, &lt;a href=&quot;https://careers.mn.gov/psc/mnjob/MNCAREERS/HRCR/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&amp;amp;FOCUS=Applicant&amp;amp;SiteId=1001&amp;amp;JobOpeningId=56321&amp;amp;PostingSeq=2&amp;amp;languageCd=ENG&amp;amp;PortalActualURL=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.mn.gov%2fpsc%2fmnjob%2fMNCAREERS%2fHRCR%2fc%2fHRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL%3fPage%3dHRS_APP_JBPST_FL%26FOCUS%3dApplicant%26SiteId%3d1001%26JobOpeningId%3d56321%26PostingSeq%3d2%26languageCd%3dENG&amp;amp;PortalRegistryName=MNCAREERS&amp;amp;PortalServletURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.mn.gov%2fpsp%2fmnjob%2f&amp;amp;PortalURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.mn.gov%2fpsc%2fmnjob%2f&amp;amp;PortalHostNode=HRMS&amp;amp;NoCrumbs=yes&amp;amp;PortalKeyStruct=yes&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;applications&lt;/a&gt; for the Director of Minnesota&apos;s Office of Broadband Development are now open.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our mission at DEED is to empower the growth of Minnesota&apos;s economy, for everyone. Our Office of Broadband Development plays a direct and large role in expanding economic opportunities for Minnesotans across the state. Through the past several years of the state&apos;s border-to-border broadband program, about 93% of Minnesota households have reliable broadband.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/RS28717_broadband-construction-worker_original%20MN_tcm1045-529802.jpg&quot; title=&quot;broadband-construction-worker_original MN&quot; alt=&quot;broadband-construction-worker_original MN&quot; style=&quot;width:50%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;broadband-construction-worker_original MN&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;There&apos;s no doubt that broadband is the critical infrastructure to invest in right now. Over the past two years, we&apos;ve relied on high-speed internet to connect Minnesotans to their classrooms and workplaces and our businesses to the rest of the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our state has the bold goal of providing every Minnesotan with access to reliable broadband, and our office of broadband oversees programs that help get us closer to that reality. This most recent call for applications built on appropriations from both the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions. This recent grant round contains the highest-ever amount of funding for the Border-to-Border Broadband Infrastructure grant program at $95 million. Funding from two sources – state and federal – can be used to reimburse for up to half the cost of the broadband infrastructure deployed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While we are making progress, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to fully connect Minnesotans with reliable high-speed internet in their homes. It is an exciting time with both state and federal investments to deploy for great projects across the state. We are looking for someone with the skills and passion to lead state broadband efforts, working with a diverse set of stakeholders and a committed staff.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon</Author><id>530527</id><Tag><Description/><Title>broadband</Title><Id>443117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description> Here’s how we’re advancing equity and inclusion within our organization to build a culture of belonging – which equips us to provide culturally responsive services to all Minnesotans. </Description><Audience/><Title>Racial Equity Commitment #5</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Racial Equity Commitment #5 Change from the Inside Out</Title><title>2022-06-24 Racial Equity Commitment #5</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-532009&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-24T18:13:59Z</Date><ShortDescription> Here’s how we’re advancing equity and inclusion within our organization to build a culture of belonging – which equips us to provide culturally responsive services to all Minnesotans. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In recent weeks we’ve shared our agency’s commitments to racial equity in a five-part blog series. We’ve written about how we &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/?id=1045-526349&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;reformed programs to remove systemic barriers&lt;/a&gt;; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/525220&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;increased our engagement and outreach&lt;/a&gt;; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;directed dollars to targeted communities&lt;/a&gt;; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/529834&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;and made equity essential to everyone’s job at DEED&lt;/a&gt;. We know in order to do our best in living out these commitments and building an inclusive workforce in Minnesota, we must start within our own agency. Here’s how we’re advancing equity and inclusion within our organization to build a culture of belonging – which equips us to provide culturally responsive services to all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) has partnered across DEED to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) into everything we do. We created clear strategies, developed leadership and employee-led workgroups, invested resources, and implemented accountability systems to advance our DEIA goals. The three primary pillars of this work include culture, talent, and education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/racial%20equity%20blog%202_tcm1045-532004.PNG&quot; style=&quot;width: 597px; height: 332px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;racial equity deia graph&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These key focus areas are broken down below and include a few examples of how we are creating a culture of belonging for our employees:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Culture&lt;/strong&gt; – We want to build a positive internal culture that makes DEED an extraordinary place to work by supporting employees, valuing everyone for their unique talents and perspectives, and fostering a shared focus on DEED’s mission, values, and goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We created new positions such as the Head of People &amp;amp; Culture, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, and a Learning and Development Manager to support DEED staff and create a positive work environment. We know supporting our employees allows us to serve Minnesotans even better.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We formed community spaces to hear from employees and address societal issues that are weighing on our minds. These include Community Reflections, Critical Conversations, Listening Circles and monthly “Culture Corners.” Hearing from many voices and providing employees with the support they need helps foster a deeper sense of belonging.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We have open conversations about identity (race is one example) and other DEIA related topics in our monthly Diversity Spotlights, all staff town hall meetings, and small group discussions. When we learn together and have open dialogue, we continually improve how we work for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We created a monthly community of practice with our managers &amp;amp; supervisors to learn and share best practices for leading people and teams. People leaders are critical to shaping culture, so this consistent space to learn and grow together is important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We work with our employee-led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to integrate messages and resources in agency-wide communications to celebrate various holidays from across cultures and communities plus significant historical dates to help all employees feel seen and appreciated at DEED.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/racial%20equity%20blog_tcm1045-532005.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Tiffany, co-chair of DEED’s DEI Committee, with DEED Commissioner Steve Grove&quot; alt=&quot;Tiffany, co-chair of DEED’s DEI Committee, with DEED Commissioner Steve Grove&quot; style=&quot;width: 315px; height: 364px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;racial equity blog photo&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tiffany, co-chair of DEED’s DEI Committee, with DEED Commissioner Steve Grove&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Talent&lt;/strong&gt; – We want to attract talent from underrepresented communities, diversify leadership, and retain a workforce that reflects the Minnesotans we serve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We set and met goals to attract more diverse applicant pools and hires, including manager and supervisor positions. Currently, our workforce diversity matches our leadership diversity at 17%. This is not our end goal, but we’re making progress.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also set a retention goal to retain at least 75% of newly hired BIPOC employees for at least two years, and early data shows DEED leading the executive branch at 94%.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To achieve our goals, we’ve made our hiring process more inclusive by integrating evidence-based DEIA practices to eliminate bias wherever possible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We started to include our commitment to DEIA in all job postings and include cultural competency qualifications for positions we post.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We are enforcing accountability by adding an Inclusive Behavior Responsibility Statement to all position descriptions, and rate employees on how well they practice DEED’s value of Creating Inclusion during annual performance reviews.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Education&lt;/strong&gt; – We’re supporting DEED employees in learning and expanding essential skills to advance economic equity in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We redesigned new employee orientation with a session on ‘Living DEED’s Values’ that takes a deep dive on what it means to be inclusive and what we expect of every DEED employee.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We offered agency-wide learning sessions about systems change work and targeted sessions to people leaders on creating psychological safety.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We developed an Equity Framework to help employees assess the impact of their work on diverse communities, and require each of these questions be answered when making a recommendation to the Commissioner’s Office:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Does this help to provide opportunities for employees and clients who have been historically underserved, underrepresented, or disadvantaged by the current system?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Does this help to eliminate barriers based on gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, national origin, geography, color, disability, age, or other protected groups?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Did we involve stakeholders who are members of the communities affected by the actions as part of our design, analysis or review?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We launched an Intercultural Skills Development Program to help people managers lead diverse teams, center equity in decision making, and ensure we are providing accessible and culturally responsive services to all. The program includes:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Working with all managers and supervisors to take the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to understand their strengths and growth areas.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Each leader has a one-on-one debrief to help them create a personal Intercultural Development Plan with support from a Qualified Administrators of the IDI.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employees then own their learning and can intentionally focus on competencies that are necessary to their intercultural development.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These strategies help us lift up and leverage diversity at DEED so we are more collaborative and creative. As we work to openly understand each other and grow in our cultural understanding, we strive to be proactively anti-racist, and equip ourselves with the skills to provide the most culturally responsive services to all Minnesotans&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We believe race should not be a predictor of a Minnesotan’s opportunity to thrive, and the past three years have only further emphasized the need to eliminate racial workforce disparities and expand economic opportunities. In short, we are not looking to return to where we were prior to the pandemic, but rather striving to transform the systems that guide who gets what and how – then changing them to meet the vision embedded in our mission statement: To empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for &lt;em&gt;everyone&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Head of People and Culture Director Anna Peterson, Office of Diversity &amp; Equal Opportunity Director Heather Stein </Author><id>532009</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Every year, people around the globe celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20. This day is designated to raise awareness about refugees – people like myself who have fled their homes because of civil war or natural disasters. </Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Celebrates World Refugee Day</Title><Publisher/><Subject>World Refugee Day</Subject><Subject>Immigrants</Subject><Subject>Refugee</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED celebrates World Refugee Day and continues providing critical services to immigrants and refugees</Title><title>2022-06-21-WorldRefugeeDay</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-531595&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-21T17:39:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>This day is designated to raise awareness about refugees – people like myself who have fled their homes because of civil war or natural disasters. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/IMG_4806%202_tcm1045-526220.jpg&quot; title=&quot;New Americans Roundtable&quot; alt=&quot;New Americans Roundtable&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;New Americans Roundtable&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commissioner Grove and Assistant Commissioner Hajimumin at a Roundtable for New Americans in Minneapolis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every year, people around the globe celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20. This day is designated to raise awareness about refugees – people like myself who have fled their homes because of civil war or natural disasters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Being a refugee means you lost everything you had or that had been built for you. Imagine walking away with nothing from your life as you knew it, and your only priority is to save your loved ones and get them safely out of the conflict zone. Imagine striving to keep hope alive in the face of adversities that seem insurmountable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Perseverance is a must and giving up is not an option – even when there is a lack of food and water, and no time to grieve or process what happened. The only way out is to look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. Optimism means coming to a safe place, where there will hopefully be people to welcome you, embrace you and shelter you from the pain and suffering you have witnessed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learning to navigate a newfound home, resettling, and learning the culture, customs, and language is intense and exposes you to vulnerability – while you figure out how to re-create the life you had and pave the way for a better one for your children. It’s a process of opening emotionally and sharing your fears and thoughts with strangers because you have nothing to hide, nothing to lose and nowhere to turn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is just the tip of the iceberg of what refugees go through – not to mention the many other barriers to creating a better life. They face a system that hinders them, including a lack of support for gainful employment with their earned university degrees, plus discrimination based on language, ethnicity, race and religion. For many, because of system failures, their hope for creating a successful life in another country is greatly diminished, and the ensuing frustration is sometimes followed by depression and other mental health issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immigrant and refugees in Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, we have many refugees that arrive with rich cultures, customs, and talents that would be beneficial to employers. The refugees have made their home here and continue to contribute to the economy and the diverse communities that make Minnesota a destination for newcomers. The latest arrivals are the 1500+ Afghans who have resettled since September 2021. The arrival of immigrants from Afghanistan brought together immigrant communities and community leaders. Local and state leadership have worked to unify their efforts in order to welcome and assist Afghan community members with ease. The State of Minnesota is now preparing to welcome Ukrainian refugees who will be supported to make their homes here, find employment, and re-establish their lives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to World Refugee Day, June is also Immigrant Heritage Month and Caribbean American Heritage Month. Nearly half a million immigrants (484,192 people) call Minnesota home. And as of 2018, 9% of Minnesotans were foreign-born and 18% of children in Minnesota are either a child of an immigrant or were themselves born in a different country. More so, 51% of Minnesota&apos;s foreign-born population are naturalized U.S. citizens.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The New American Economy helps demonstrate that immigrants and refugees are vital to the state&apos;s growth. These individuals successfully oversee more than 19,000 businesses, earning $17.5 billion in household income, generating $411.7 million in business income, and contributing over $4.8 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. Between 2010-2018, immigrants and refugees accounted for nearly 60% of Minnesota’s labor force. The state’s immigrants make up:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;40% of butchers and meat packers;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;30% of software developers, computer application and system engineers; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;18% of personal care aides.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, there are over 159,000 college degrees held by foreign-born Minnesotans. One in three immigrants aged 25 or older has a college degree (35%), and one in three immigrants with a university degree has more than a bachelor’s degree (35%). Most immigrants with a college degree are employed (78%), and most immigrants with those credentials are employed full-time and year-round (75%).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important to note that this year, June 20, 2022, marks the 10-year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. There are over 7,000 DACA-eligible residents in Minnesota contributing to the economy. DACA eligible residents earned $224.5 million and paid $52.2 million in federal and local taxes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many states look to Minnesota as the most progressive state when it comes to immigrant and refugee inclusion. Housed in the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs has worked to remove barriers that immigrants and refugees in the state face, including economic and workforce development challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the &lt;strong&gt;community connectedness&lt;/strong&gt; work the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs has undertaken includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Created monthly Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hosted 19 Forums with state agency guests, and published 18 blogs with follow-up resources after the Forums&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Established the Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Council – a collaboration between various State agencies that address issues faced by immigrants and refugees. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office’s &lt;strong&gt;educational&lt;/strong&gt; work includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Served over 500 immigrant and refugee callers seeking information about business, employment, housing, grants, and loans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conducted cultural orientation on immigrants and refugees to employers and business communities. Partnered with DEED’s Public Engagement Office to develop outreach strategies and connect immigrants and refugees to DEED services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conducted over 20 presentations and webinars for public and private sectors on employment and language access.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborated with the Secretary of State to translate forms online to better serve immigrant and refugee small business owners.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developed translation strategies for the Small Business Relief Grants to increase the number of businesses with immigrants and refugee owners who could apply.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs sought to be codified through legislation during the 2022 legislative session but was not successful. The Office continues to serve immigrants, refugees, and new Americans, working to include our newcomers who make Minnesota their home and becoming important contributing members of the community.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>531595</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We started in Mankato this week, where I met with Schwickert’s Tecta America, a company that has seen strong results in recruiting workers from Puerto Rico to move to Minnesota, and also shadowed a welder named Tealy Krosch at Jones Metal.  </Description><Audience/><Title> Summer of Jobs Campaign Kicks off in Mankato</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title> Summer of Jobs Campaign Kicks off in Mankato</Title><title>2022-06-15 Mankato Job Shadow</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-531229&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-15T20:16:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>We started in Mankato this week, where I met with Schwickert’s Tecta America, a company that has seen strong results in recruiting workers from Puerto Rico to move to Minnesota, and also shadowed a welder named Tealy Krosch at Jones Metal.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POZBOmNWhvw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%2846%29_tcm1045-531224.png&quot; title=&quot;welding screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;welding screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 550px; height: 309px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;welding screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week we’re kicking off our “Summer of Jobs” campaign here at DEED. Given historic workforce shortages and an economy that’s teeming with opportunity, the goals of “Summer of Jobs” are three: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Showcase the thousands of amazing jobs&lt;/strong&gt; available in Minnesota, so that job-seekers are aware of where the opportunity lies.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Amplify the many sources of labor&lt;/strong&gt; that employers often overlook or lack a connection to, such as immigrants communities, young people, retirees returning to the workforce, people with disabilities or those recently released from correctional facilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Highlight the innovation &amp;amp; best practices&lt;/strong&gt; from businesses, job-seekers, and communities – as well as the multiple services DEED is revamping at our agency – to help increase opportunity and productivity in our workforce. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We started in Mankato this week, where I met with Schwickert’s Tecta America, a company that has seen strong results in recruiting workers from Puerto Rico to move to Minnesota, and also shadowed a welder named Tealy Krosch at Jones Metal.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Across the state, employers are grappling with a tight labor market. In Mankato, the unemployment rate for April 2022 dropped to just 1.3% which is the lowest on record. At that rate, there were just 766 unemployed workers in April 2022 which shows just how tight of a labor market the region is facing. Luckily, the Mankato area has a much younger median age than the state (34.3 years vs. 38.3 years); and also, a much higher percentage of the population in the 15–24-year-old age group so there’s a big opportunity to work with the high schools and colleges to create talent pipelines so that area businesses have potential employees right after graduation.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inclusive Talent Discussion with Schwickert’s Tecta America&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/mankato_tcm1045-531227.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Mankato roundtable discussion&quot; alt=&quot;Mankato roundtable discussion&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Mankato roundtable discussion&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I started the day at the CareerForce location in Mankato as I met with HR staff from Schwickert’s Tecta America, a roofing and mechanical contractor, who shared their success in hiring diverse talent and how they’ve created an inclusive workplace for all employees. Schwickert’s has led the way regionally with recruiting efforts from Brownsville, Texas and Puerto Rico. Bringing new employees to the region has the potential for a bit of culture shock, so Schwickert’s makes sure to create a sense of community with their employees to help everyone feel welcomed. To increase their retention of employees, they provide opportunities for their employers to visit their families during less busy periods.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The advice they offer to employers is to get out in the community to connect with people and share your different career opportunities. During the last school year, they visited and met with students in 50 schools to share the available jobs that students might not think of like IT or HR. They also urge employers to be creative and comfortable reaching out to different talent pools so their business can remain competitive.  &lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%2849%29_tcm1045-531226.png&quot; title=&quot;group photo with welders&quot; alt=&quot;group photo with welders&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 333px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;group photo with welders&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jones Metal Inc. Job Shadow &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I continued to the day at Jones Metal to job shadow Tealy Krosch, a robotic welder and recent graduate of Mankato High School. Tealy is already making $22+ an hour as a robotic welder where she helps program their robots. Through their innovations with their robot tech, they’ve been able to automate from 120 employees down to 87 over the past eight years. Tealy is currently being featured in Mankato public schools as part of their “I AM” campaign where they highlight former students on their current career paths in different industries. Students in K-12 can be inspired by people like Tealy who are able to find fulfilling and well-paying work right out of high school.  While shadowing Tealy, I was able to make some welds of my own and take home as souvenirs from our visit. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%2847%29_tcm1045-531225.png&quot; title=&quot;Commissioner welding&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner welding&quot; style=&quot;width: 499px; height: 281px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Commissioner welding&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the most effective talent tools for Jones Metal Inc. is working with the school districts so that students can try work-based learning within their company and upon graduation they are hired and then upskilled with help from the Minnesota Dual Training Pipeline Program. The program support employers in creating or enhancing a competency based, earn-and-learn dual-training approach to meeting their workforce needs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manufacturing has always been a huge in-demand industry for Minnesota. Currently, more than 309,000 people work in manufacturing, which makes it the second largest industry sector by employment in the state. And when considering direct and indirect jobs – such as sales, shipping and professional services – manufacturing supports more than 886,000 jobs, or roughly 33% of all the state’s jobs. Average annual wages for workers in manufacturing are $70,860, 10% higher than across all industries in Minnesota. More than 60% of manufacturing openings in the latest Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey from Q4 2021 didn’t require any postsecondary education. And according to that same survey the median wage offer for a starting position in manufacturing in Minnesota is $22.48. Many manufacturing positions offer opportunity for advancement – with greater responsibility and greater pay – sometimes with employer-provided training. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This first visit for our Summer of Jobs campaign was engaging and inspiring. I&apos;m looking forward to continuing job shadowing and highlighting more of the best-paying in-demand jobs available across Minnesota.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For a recap of our day, check out our &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPOZBOmNWhvw&amp;amp;data=05%7C01%7Cdarren.eck%40state.mn.us%7C7159ddc047c6422b971d08da4f0a5546%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637909203033612025%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=cGO7Owt4p6%2BaCCDuLjcUJ4y48JMIZGXIb6ZJ7JibRrk%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;video on DEED’s YouTube page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>531229</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month&apos;s topics included equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies, an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, and information on Frontline Worker Pay applications.  </Description><Audience/><Title>June&apos;s Immigrant and Refugees Affair Forum: Equity and Inclusion Efforts in State Government  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>June&apos;s Immigrant and Refugees Affair Forum: Equity and Inclusion Efforts in State Government  </Title><title>2022-06-14 june forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-530962&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-14T19:10:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>This month&apos;s topics included equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies, an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, and information on Frontline Worker Pay applications.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/immigrant%20and%20refugees%20affair%20june%20forum%202_tcm1045-530952.PNG&quot; title=&quot;immigrant and refugee affairs june screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;immigrant and refugee affairs june screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 258px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;immigrant and refugee affairs june screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this month’s forum, speakers shared information and resources for immigrant and refugee community members on the topics. This included equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies, an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, and information on Frontline Worker Pay applications.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enterprise-Wide Equity and Inclusion Efforts  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chris Taylor, Assistant Commissioner and Chief Inclusion Officer for the State of Minnesota, shared some of the work being done to create more equitable cultures at Minnesota’s state agencies to better serve a more diverse population. The work doesn’t focus on any specific group, but is working to understand how racism, sexism, and homophobia are built into organizational norms and then developing approaches to change those norms.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Their success is based on the retention of staff who identify as people of color, staff with disabilities, Native Americans, veterans, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. They look to see how people are being treated with respect and if people’s cultural backgrounds are honored and respected. The outcomes they pay attention to include who is leaving and who is staying, the various communities that are represented, and who is in leadership positions. They also do exit interviews to see why people are leaving. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People tend to leave their jobs because they don’t feel engaged and they don’t feel like they’re going to advance in their careers -- so Taylor’s team tries to reverse those trends. A few things they’re doing is using intercultural competence so that people have opportunities to grow their capabilities of working with people from different backgrounds than themselves. It’s a way to shift power dynamics to help people feel engaged and valued as well as minimize microaggressions or overt instances of racism.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They’ve also made a big push to use Intercultural Assessments, for which they train staff internally to administer to agencies. They’re also trying to diversify the state government’s leadership programs. His team has also been working to change the criteria for candidate selections so they’re as accessible as possible to all people. One big step forward is requiring Cabinet-level agencies to have equity change plans that they submit quarterly – they use these to analyze themes across the enterprise and see which agencies are working on similar action steps and how they might be able to support each other. All of this is ongoing work, and they hope to continue working on it under future administrations.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Updates  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Frontline Worker Pay Applications Are Now Open &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To thank Minnesotans who worked on the frontlines during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency, Gov. Tim Walz signed Frontline Worker Payments into law on April 29, 2022, enabling those workers to apply for Frontline Worker Pay. Applications are now being accepted through July 22, 2022. Anyone who thinks they might be eligible is encouraged to &lt;a href=&quot;https://frontlinepay.mn.gov/submit&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;apply today&lt;/a&gt;.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sustainable Development Goals Initiative  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katey Pelican and Karen Brown from the University of Minnesota shared their work on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how those goals can benefit all of Minnesota. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 as a 15-year plan for global sustainable development.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The framework includes 17 SDGs that provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, and drive efforts at local, national, and global partnership levels. The SDGs offer an inherently integrative and interdisciplinary approach highlighting linkages between ending poverty, improving health and education, and addressing climate change and other environmental degradation.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://sdg.umn.edu/about&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;University of Minnesota Sustainable Development Goals Initiative&lt;/a&gt; seeks to support and promote transdisciplinary research, teaching, and partnerships to mobilize the resources at the university to advance a more socially and environmentally sustainable future in Minnesota, the U.S., and the globe through grants, information, and opportunities linked to SDG targets and indicators.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New Hires at DEED  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We heard brief introductions from DEED’s new Government Relations Coordinator, Nima Hussein, and CareerForce’s new Community Liaison, Sahil Masehullah. Welcome to DEED!  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>530962</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Panel members on our recent Workforce Wednesday gave an overview of their program opportunities and highlighted promising practices for hiring and retaining Minnesota’s future workforce.</Description><Audience/><Title>Connecting with Potential Talent Through Onsite Career Exploration Opportunities </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Connecting with Potential Talent Through Onsite Career Exploration Opportunities </Title><title>2022-06-06 June Workforce Wednesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-530055&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-06T15:03:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Panel members on our recent Workforce Wednesday gave an overview of their program opportunities and highlighted promising practices for hiring and retaining Minnesota’s future workforce.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce%20wednesday%20june%201_tcm1045-530050.PNG&quot; title=&quot;workforce wednesday june screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;workforce wednesday june screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 225px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workforce wednesday june screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Student career pathways are critical to our state’s economic success as Minnesota continues to see record low unemployment and high job vacancies. Panel members on our recent Workforce Wednesday gave an overview of their program opportunities and highlighted promising practices for hiring and retaining Minnesota’s future workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tammy Biery – Executive Director, Career Solutions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://careersolutionsjobs.org/job-seekers/youth-programs/careerone/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerONE&lt;/a&gt; is for 14-17-year-olds in St. Cloud and Stearns County. They work for 20 days and are graded on work quality and quantity. The youth focus on career exploration activities as well as building a resume. They also take part in teambuilding activities to practice the experience of starting a job – which always includes building new relationships and figuring out how to work together. We partner with CentraCare primarily for work-based activities at the hospital where they do lawn care maintenance, as well as visit other nonprofits in the community to do painting or staining jobs. We give them a debit card and based on their daily performance, they receive a stipend, and we teach them how to use that money on the debit card so they’re financially prepared. We’ve also started different career tracks in the health care, manufacturing, construction and early childhood education fields, and students receive college credits based on those areas of study.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Burke Murphy – Workforce Lead, Red Wing Ignite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.redwingignite.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Red Wing Ignite&lt;/a&gt; spearheaded a youth skills training program back in 2019 which is sponsored by the Department of Labor and Industry. We’ve formed a countywide collaboration built around applied learning environments that get kids out of the classroom and working with a coalition of Red Wing area manufacturers who were facing a tsunami of retirements and no one to replace them. The Red Wing area alone has around 4,000 people who work in advanced manufacturing for a variety of different companies, but the local students weren’t aware of all the different work opportunities available. We formed student cohorts and provided access, exposure and opportunity to careers and occupations in advanced manufacturing. Students learned a lot of about themselves and it gave them a sense of pride once they learned about these globally competitive companies right in their own backyard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wanda Kraemer – Education Manager, Career Connected Learning Resource Training &amp;amp; Solutions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re one of nine &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.resourcecoop-mn.gov/students-education&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Service Cooperatives&lt;/a&gt; established to support schools, cities and counties. We act as service providers for school districts in helping to develop these programs and right now we’re working on developing this link between businesses and schools – with a goal of helping students develop better ideas for what they want to do for their future and helping businesses gain their future workforce through that development. This summer we have our teacher externship program, which is a paid experience for our teachers who spend three to five days at businesses where they then work with us to create a lesson plan that they can take and share with their students to give them a more real-world experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bruce Bergeson – Director, Minnesota River Valley CTE Collaborative&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mrvctec.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota River Valley CTE Collaborative&lt;/a&gt; is born out of need, but it’s been the great collaborations of our school districts and our partners that have really made it a success and created opportunities for students. Our thoughts are if we can get students on career pathways early it’s a much more efficient way for students to find the job that fits them down the road. We now offer 14 courses throughout the year in areas like nursing assistants, carpentry skills, power line technicians, and welding principles. Every one of our classes has an employability component so students know how to secure a job and know how to keep a job once they are hired. They have job shadow opportunities where they connect with businesses and can see what’s happening on the inside of the buildings they drive by every day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of June’s session and other past sessions, plus find related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjAzMDkuNTQ2MzU1OTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jYXJlZXJmb3JjZW1uLmNvbS9Xb3JrZm9yY2VXZWRuZXNkYXkifQ.dSE0qDkDdBHPa5MT6MoIb8WAo5pfBZBJdvFW9MhWVoo/s/180860426/br/127807225841-l&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>530055</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED’s UI team has rolled out significant upgrades to our UI self-service online application. </Description><Audience/><Title>New Unemployment Insurance interface now mobile-friendly and available in four languages  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Unemployment Insurance interface now mobile-friendly and available in four languages  </Title><title>2022-06-03 UI Website</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-529908&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-03T16:09:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED’s UI team has rolled out significant upgrades to our UI self-service online application. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>June 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/ui%20new%20look%202_tcm1045-529916.PNG&quot; title=&quot;ui new look&quot; alt=&quot;ui new look&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 351px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ui new look&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the Covid pandemic, Unemployment Insurance (UI) was a lifeline to more than 850,000 Minnesotans and their families who experienced unemployment. We delivered nearly $15 billion in benefits through the first eighteen months of the pandemic – benefits that helped pay rent, keep food on the table, and support families through an unprecedented economic challenge. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The mission of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. One way we can best fulfill that mission is by ensuring all Minnesotans can easily access critical state services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To that end, I’m excited to share that this week, DEED’s UI team has rolled out significant upgrades to our &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.uimn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;UI self-service online application&lt;/a&gt;. This included making the site mobile-responsive – a much-needed upgrade when over 80% of Minnesotans apply for UI benefits on a mobile device. No more pinching and zooming when you’re on your smartphone. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our UI team also worked to ensure the most common application pages are now available in four languages – English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish. Previously, these pages were only available in English. This is a significant improvement for accessibility and allows more Minnesotans to get information on their terms. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By the numbers &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More than 80 percent of Minnesotans apply for or request UI benefits on a mobile device &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The UI application is now available in 4 languages: English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We re-did 5,700 pages to make them responsive and to incorporate multiple languages (and since each original page had to be re-done in English and then 3 more languages, we created 22,800 new web pages) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There were 115,000 separate English words and phrases that needed to be translated &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This upgrade is a really exciting step to improve the experience for all UI users, but we’re not finished. Modern digital services – in government as well as in the private sector – should see constant innovation, investment, and evolution to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our customers. This upgrade will also make future usability enhancements easier, and we’ll continue to improve the UI system – and many other DEED systems – to better serve the people of Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Evan Rowe</Author><id>529908</id><Tag><Description/><Title>unemployment insurance</Title><Id>230115</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED’s Racial Equity Commitments #4</Title><title>2022-06-02 Racial Equity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-529834&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-02T20:13:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>MJSP has added a section for business partners to describe the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives they are currently using to recruit and retain people from underrepresented groups. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Make Equity Everyone’s Job</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Picture1_tcm1045-529833.jpg&quot; title=&quot;20220602 Imagine Group&quot; alt=&quot;20220602 Imagine Group&quot; style=&quot;width: 360px; height: 270px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Imagine Group&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;DEED presents the Imagine Group with a Minnesota Job Skills Partnership grant to create diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&amp;amp;I) training and curriculum&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In recent weeks we’ve been sharing about our agency’s commitments to racial equity. We’ve written about how we &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/?id=1045-526349&quot;&gt;reformed programs to remove systemic barriers&lt;/a&gt;; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/525220&quot;&gt;increased our engagement and outreach&lt;/a&gt;; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot;&gt;directed dollars to targeted communities&lt;/a&gt;. In this fourth installment in our Racial Equity Commitments series, we share our central philosophy of agency leadership: make equity everyone’s job.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, every team sets its own goals focused on making systemic changes to our work focused on equity. That’s because we know the kind of change this moment demands won’t happen if just one team is focused on more equitable outcomes – equity is &lt;em&gt;everyone’s job&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The system we use at DEED to set goals and track progress is called OKRs, which stands for Objectives and Key Results. The Objectives describe our goals, and the Key Results are definable outcomes against which we measure our success on a 0-1 scale – and each division uses this system for its Equity OKRs each year. Each team at DEED sets an equity OKR, which we track quarterly using this system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To support our team at DEED in personal development as well as working on Equity OKRs, we’ve brought in national and local leaders – from the McKnight Foundation, the NAACP, Ashoka, the YMCA, the Federal Reserve, and others – to share their experiences and thoughts on spearheading systemic change to eliminate racial and other disparities in society. These insights helped us further shape our planning process and set OKRs focused on reducing these disparities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can see each of our equity goals on a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-we-do/objectives-plans/strategic.jsp&quot;&gt;new hub we launched to house DEED’s yearly planning documents and scorecards&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Our equity work in action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On my team, DEED’s Office of Business Development, we have participated in learning and development opportunities around systemic change and racial disparities, and we developed an equity goal that we are accountable to, and that aligns with the goals of other DEED programs. Our equity-focused objective in 2022 is to &lt;strong&gt;ensure every single business we work with is aware of DEED&apos;s partner resources to build a workforce that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Business Development Office at DEED leads programs and initiatives that promote economic growth in Minnesota. We offer solutions to help businesses relocate, consolidate, expand or open a new facility here in Minnesota with the ultimate goal of increasing capital investment and generating quality jobs in the state. Simultaneously, we conduct marketing and outreach efforts to position the state as a top business location choice. The staff in our office work in collaboration with other leaders at DEED and across the state to promote our state and DEED’s programs and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together we have already made changes to prioritize equity in our grantmaking tied to workforce development and training through the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP). The updated Request for Proposals criteria call out a preference given to organizations whose training programs serve people from economically disadvantaged communities, people of color, or those who are victims of economic dislocation, and to businesses located in rural areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, MJSP strongly encourages and prioritizes proposals that include training related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. MJSP has added a section for business partners to describe the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives they are currently using to recruit and retain people from underrepresented groups. The application also gives the business an opportunity to request a consultation with a DEED Workforce Strategy Consultant and learn more about the Inclusive Workforce Employer program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grantee spotlight&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One recent example of this work in action was a MJSP grant awarded to the Imagine Group last month. The Imagine Group will use its MJSP grant to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&amp;amp;I) training and curriculum in conjunction with Anoka-Ramsey Community College. The various employee training modules and activities developed through this specific funding for Imagine will focus on raising awareness, increasing workplace diversity, and demonstrating how Imagine can support career paths for staff from underrepresented communities. At DEED, we applaud the Imagine Group for addressing its labor needs using an equity lens – Imagine’s massive workforce diversification effort will increase recruitment, retention, and advancement of people of color and other protected classes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Driving long-term progress in racial equity in Minnesota’s economy requires new thinking, and a belief that everyone has work to contribute to making systemic change. Our Office of Business Development is committed to doing our part and grateful to all of our DEED colleagues whose leadership and partnership help us achieve our goals. Working together, DEED is focused on meeting this moment to drive racial equity and build an inclusive economy for all.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Business Development Executive Director  Catalina Valencia</Author><id>529834</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:38:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Many employers need teen employees more than ever as they face historically tight labor market conditions heading into summer. </Description><Audience/><Title>Helpful Information for Minnesota Employers Looking for Teen Employees</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Helpful Information for Minnesota Employers Looking for Teen Employees</Title><title>2022-05-19 Teens</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-528501&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-19T19:36:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Many employers need teen employees more than ever as they face historically tight labor market conditions heading into summer. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many employers need teen employees more than ever as they face historically tight labor market conditions heading into summer. But with teen unemployment near a record low, employers may need to take their recruitment, hiring and retention efforts to the next level to attract the teen talent they need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As of April 2022, the youth unemployment rate in Minnesota, based on a 12-month moving average, was 6.5%, one of the lowest on record dating back to when such data first started being tracked in 2001. Not only is teen unemployment low but the share of teens who are employed is among the highest we’ve seen since early 2008, just under 50%.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The teen labor force participation rate, although on the rise, is not yet breaking any records. At 52% in April 2022 (12-month moving average), it was in the same range it had been in 2017 and 2018 when it hit its peak after the Great Recession. This could mean that there is still some capacity to draw more teens into the labor force – and that could be good news for employers looking to hire teens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As employers continue to build back to pre-pandemic employment levels, teens are likely to continue to be in high demand in the industry sectors that traditionally hire many teens, including Accommodations &amp;amp; Food Services, Art, Entertainment &amp;amp; Recreation and Retail Trade, as well as other sectors of the economy facing worker shortages including Health Care &amp;amp; Social Assistance, Transportation &amp;amp; Warehousing and Construction. Based on the best available data, DEED forecasts that jobs in Minnesota will expand by 62,000 between third quarter 2021 and third quarter 2022, with 23% of that expansion in the industries in which youth are most likely to work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tips for Employers Recruiting Teens&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure your job postings only include actual required qualifications. You want to make sure that if you are open to hiring teens with little to no work experience, that such teens feel welcome to apply. And make sure you state any minimum age requirements up front to avoid frustration.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Teens today value diversity, equity, and inclusion more than ever. If your organization is committed to offering an inclusive workplace, tell them you value the unique contributions of Black, Brown and Indigenous people, those who may have disabilities, and folks who identify as members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) community. This recognition will make a big impact! Teens need to know that you welcome diversity, are committed to equity and offer an inclusive workplace.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The first place many teens will go to find a job is the internet so make sure that you have job openings clearly posted on your website, featuring an easy-to-use on-line job application AND make sure you’re posting jobs on websites like MinnesotaWorks.net. Jobs posted on MinnesotaWorks.net show up on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt; so anyone can see them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Many teens will want to apply to work at places they already visit, like restaurants, coffee shops, stores and movie theatres. Offer paper applications or an online application kiosk at your place of employment so young people stopping by your business can apply on the spot.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be prepared to offer more help to teens who may not know what documents they need to start work, like a social security card, state ID or birth certificate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reach out to your local high schools and ask if they have a job board or host job fairs, even during the summer, for students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/locations&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForce location&lt;/a&gt; near you for assistance in reaching and recruiting teen employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Respond to teen applicants. For example, if they are too young to work at your business, let them know at what age they can apply. If teens don’t hear back from your place of employment, they’ll tell their friends about their bad experience and that could hurt your future teen recruiting efforts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask your teen workers to tell their friends that you’re hiring. Teens are natural networkers and can help you get the word out about open positions. Consider a referral bonus. Another bonus: if teens are working with their friends, they may be more likely to stay at your place of employment longer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure that you’re adhering to child labor rules and keeping your teen workers safe. Rules vary for kids ages 14 to 17. You can find information on the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry website at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dli.mn.gov/LS/TeenWorkers.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;www.dli.mn.gov/LS/TeenWorkers.asp&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider long-term benefits of robust teen employment efforts&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teens can be extremely reliable, flexible workers who are quick to learn new skills. As a result, many employers value them highly as workers. But beyond meeting immediate staffing needs, employers should also think of summer hiring as an opportunity to build their workforce pipeline. Helping teens see your industry as a viable career option can help you in the long run. Offering summer internships, apprenticeships, or on-the-job training opportunities to teens can help build a pipeline of workers for your industry and help you establish relationships that may further your business in the future. Getting in touch with local high schools is a good place to start the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Check out the entire article titled &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/review/march-2022/summer.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Youth Summer Employment Update: Many Opportunities for Young People Now&lt;/a&gt; in Minnesota Employment Review.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Labor Market Information Assistant Director Oriane Casale</Author><id>528501</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:37:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>If you’re a teen - or you know a teen - looking for a summer job, now is a great time to find one!</Description><Audience/><Title>If you’re a teen - or you know a teen - looking for a summer job, now is a great time to find one!</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>If you’re a teen - or you know a teen - looking for a summer job, now is a great time to find one!</Title><title>2022-05-16 Teens</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-528150&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-16T19:36:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota’s record low unemployment rate - and resulting super tight labor market - mean Minnesota teens have an abundance of job opportunities this summer. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s record low unemployment rate – and resulting super tight labor market – mean Minnesota teens have an abundance of job opportunities this summer. And many employers are paying higher wages than they were pre-pandemic. Plus, teens may be able to pick up more hours than they did before the pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As employers continue to build back to pre-pandemic employment levels, teen workers are likely to continue to have many opportunities because many of the types of jobs most in demand are the ones that young people are most likely to fill. These include jobs in the industries of Accommodations &amp;amp; Food Services (like restaurants and resorts), Art, Entertainment &amp;amp; Recreation (like amusement parks and movie theatres), and Retail Trade (like grocery stories and big box retailers).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota teen employees earned a median hourly wage of $12.84 per hour and worked a median of 110 hours over the quarter during second quarter 2021 (the latest time period for which such data is available), or approximately 27 hours per week. Both these hourly earnings and hours worked are at the highest recorded since tracking of this data began in 2003!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tips for Teen Job Seekers&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You&apos;ll likely need to fill out an online or paper application form for jobs you are interested in, but it can still be helpful to put together a one-page resume, so you have all the information you need for an application in one place.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A resume should include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to contact you&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Any jobs you&apos;ve had – including babysitting, lawnmowing or other such work for family and neighbors – and what months or years you did that job&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your volunteer experience&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where you go to school or your school history&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make sure to proofread your resume for spelling or grammatical errors and have someone else review it to give you feedback on what you could improve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Want more assistance preparing for your job search? You can get free help by contacting staff at a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/locations&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForce location&lt;/a&gt; near you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Before you apply for a job, try to find out if you meet minimum age qualifications for the job. Getting this clarified up front will save you lots of time in completing applications for jobs you won&apos;t be hired for until you are older. Some employers won&apos;t hire young people under 16.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create a list of one to three people who know you and who can provide a reference – in other words someone who could say why you would be a good fit for the employer. If possible, the list should include someone for whom you&apos;ve worked or volunteered. Teachers and sports coaches also make great references. Your reference list should have each person&apos;s first and last name plus an email address and/or phone number. Make sure you have each reference person&apos;s permission to use them as a reference before your share their information with employers!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do your research on the business to which you are applying so that you know what they sell, make or provide and so that you have some idea of what your role might be or how you could contribute. Also, if possible, see how people are dressed on the job and dress that way for the interview to show that you will fit in.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lots of teen jobs are located away from public transportation lines so it can be hard to find work if you don&apos;t have access to a car or someone who can drive you. Think about your options that you could walk or bike to or that are on public transportation lines.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/job-search&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.careerforcemn.com/job-search&lt;/a&gt; to search for job openings, ask family and friends if they know of companies that are hiring and look for help wanted signs in your neighborhood and other places you often go.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be persistent. Apply for lots of jobs. Almost no one gets the first, second or third job they apply for. Keep trying. You can ask employers who turned you down to give you feedback. They may (or may not), and it may be helpful (or not), but it is worth asking and shows that you&apos;re serious about finding a job.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you land an interview, let the employer know that you are reliable, show up to work on time, every day, ready to work and that you are eager to learn. Make sure to ask when and how you&apos;ll find out if you&apos;ve been hired.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What if you get multiple job offers? If you get multiple job offers here are a couple of things to think about before making your selection: Does each of the places that made a job offer seem like a good place to work? Will you learn anything new at any of them? Which will look best on your resume in the future? Which is the easiest to get to and from via public transportation or the person giving you ride? Which job pays the most and is there any room for negotiating wage? It doesn&apos;t hurt to ask and the employer might say yes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out the entire article titled &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/review/march-2022/summer.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Youth Summer Employment Update: Many Opportunities for Young People Now in Minnesota Employment Review&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Labor Market Information Assistant Director Oriane Casale</Author><id>528150</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:37:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>May’s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies for engaging with the youth workforce in our communities.</Description><Audience/><Title>Strategies for Engaging with the Youth Workforce in Our Communities </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Strategies for Engaging with the Youth Workforce in Our Communities </Title><title>2022-05-10 Workforce Wednesday May</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-527582&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-10T19:36:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>May’s Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies for engaging with the youth workforce in our communities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce%20wednesday%20may%204%202_tcm1045-527578.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Workforce Wednesday May&quot; alt=&quot;Workforce Wednesday May&quot; style=&quot;width: 550px; height: 220px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Workforce Wednesday May&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jobs and the workforce are critical topics as we head into the summer season. May’s Workforce Wednesday discussion – a monthly opportunity for Minnesota employers to share stories and solutions to address workforce challenges – focused on &lt;strong&gt;strategies for engaging with the youth workforce in our communities.&lt;/strong&gt; Here are some of the key takeaways: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelly Read – Human Resources Recruiter, Metal Craft, Elk River &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The intern program started at our company in partnership with the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program through ISD 728. We’ve worked with multiple students in a part-time capacity and had students intern as machinists as well as work in our HR and marketing departments. Some of these students have continued to expand their skills and be promoted into full-time roles at our company after they’ve graduated. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Amy Lord - CTE Coordinator, ISD 728, Elk River, Otsego, Rogers &amp;amp; Zimmerman &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re excited to have partners like Metal Craft working alongside our students and showing them what kind of jobs are out there after graduation. There are so many jobs that don’t need a college degree and many students don’t know about those options. We want students to develop their passions and we begin working with students in the middle schools to start thinking about all types of career possibilities.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark Lee - OJT and Youth Apprenticeship Instructor and Wright Tech CEO Facilitator, Wright Technical Center, Buffalo &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wright Tech is owned by the eight public schools in and around Wright County – rather than having each school have their own career programs, we’ve built a better one together. Students come for one-third of their day to take programs in automotive, welding, construction, childhood education, law enforcement and health care with teachers who are experts in their field and bring their prior experience into the classroom. After a year, students can decide for themselves if these career pathways are compelling or if perhaps this isn’t what they want in a career – which is okay as well, because it’s all about career exploration! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Robin Gordon – HR Manager, Mold-Tech, Inc, Albertville &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We work with Mark at Wright Tech so we can locate employers, and try to connect with students when they’re young because it’s a very difficult hiring right now. We also work with the technical schools out there, but it’s a tough market.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ruth Cyphers – President, AdMfg, Inc., Fairmont  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I get really excited about career pathways, internships and job shadows because it personally took me 20 years to figure out where I should be in my life. When we have interns, they learn more about themselves than they ever knew before, and it helps them decide whether they are right for an ad agency or wherever else they should go. It’s a cool program, because there’s a satisfaction to see these interns grow into their own and succeed in the community.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tammie Hested – Family Resource Coordinator, Minnesota Valley Action Council, Fairmont &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I collaborate with lots of organizations, and I coordinate the Martin County Internship Program which includes paid internships for local college students. This program was created in 2012 as way to attract students back to our area. We have them come back in the summer and we talk with them about different opportunities and try to match them with businesses like Ruth’s company. It’s an opportunity for students to learn more about what careers they want and sometimes after an internship they realize ‘no, this wasn’t for me’ and we consider that a win as well. We also partner with the Fairmont Chamber and the school for Area Career Exploration where we host an event at the Fairmont High School and businesses come in with activities and games and they talk to the students about different career paths. We also put together a panel of young graduates – people with all different backgrounds who have returned and work in our community – to share their career path journey.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of May’s session and other past sessions, plus view related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjAzMDkuNTQ2MzU1OTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jYXJlZXJmb3JjZW1uLmNvbS9Xb3JrZm9yY2VXZWRuZXNkYXkifQ.dSE0qDkDdBHPa5MT6MoIb8WAo5pfBZBJdvFW9MhWVoo/s/180860426/br/127807225841-l&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>527582</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:37:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This week, we’re sending employers a letter with information about the tax changes and credits to ensure everyone has the information they need to move forward. </Description><Audience/><Title>Your account for unemployment insurance is now updated to reflect the replenishment bill signed by Governor Walz</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Your account for unemployment insurance is now updated to reflect the replenishment bill signed by Governor Walz</Title><title>2022-05-10 UI Update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-527727&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-10T14:50:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>This week, we’re sending employers a letter with information about the tax changes and credits to ensure everyone has the information they need to move forward. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/UI%20MN%20Businesses%20Check%20Your%20Account_TW_tcm1045-527725.jpg&quot; title=&quot;UI account graphic&quot; alt=&quot;UI account graphic&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 250px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;UI account graphic&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immediately following the work that the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Walz did to pass and sign the &lt;strong&gt;Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Replenishment Bill&lt;/strong&gt; into law, our team kicked into gear on implementing the new policy. Today we’re sharing an important update on our progress.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since the law’s passage, the funds appropriated by the legislature have put Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund back into the black by repaying all advances from the U.S. Treasury. This is a critical step in Minnesota’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic – and one that offers meaningful tax relief for Minnesota employers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the last week, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) also: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Updated the 2022 tax rates in the UI system &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Re-calculated the 1st Quarter 2022 tax bills for over 120,000 Minnesota employers  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Calculated credits resulting from the tax changes and updated UI employer accounts  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Updated the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/uimn/employers/employer-account/news-updates/tax-changes-affect-you.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;UIMN website and added an extensive FAQ&lt;/a&gt;,  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week, we’re sending employers a letter with information about the tax changes and credits to ensure everyone has the information they need to move forward. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are a Minnesota employer, the best place to see your updated billing information is in your UI employer account. If your business has any questions about these changes after checking out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/uimn/employers/employer-account/news-updates/tax-changes-affect-you.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;FAQ above&lt;/a&gt;, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/uimn/employers/contact-us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;contact the UI Customer Service team&lt;/a&gt;. We will continue our proactive communications with Minnesota employers as we move forward.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>527727</id><Tag><Description/><Title>unemployment insurance</Title><Id>230115</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:37:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In celebration of National Small Business Week, the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum in May provided important information for small businesses.</Description><Audience/><Title>May’s Immigrant and Refugees Affair Forum Shares Contract Opportunities and Loan Programs for Small Businesses </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May’s Immigrant and Refugees Affair Forum Shares Contract Opportunities and Loan Programs for Small Businesses </Title><title>2022-05-06 May Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-527412&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-06T16:00:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>In celebration of National Small Business Week, the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum in May provided important information for small businesses.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>May 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/immigrant%20and%20refugees%20affair%20may%20forum_tcm1045-527411.PNG&quot; title=&quot;may forum screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;may forum screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 265px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;may forum screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In celebration of National Small Business Week, the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum in May provided important information for small businesses. We heard from a variety of speakers who provided insight regarding contract opportunities, loan programs and more for our community members.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MnDOT Contract Opportunities for Small Businesses &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) in partnership with Push Strategist, LLC is seeking to connect with immigrant, refugee and BIPOC small businesses about contract opportunities valued up to $250,000,000. Eligible small businesses in the maintenance, construction and professional-technical industries are encouraged to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pushstrategist.com/mndot&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;fill out their form&lt;/a&gt; to see if their business meets the minimum requirements for these projects. If the business does not currently meet the minimum requirements, Push Strategist LLC will work with MnDOT’s Office of Equity in Procurement and Contracting to help provide free services to work towards becoming eligible to do business with the State of Minnesota. If you have questions or if you need language translation services, please email &lt;a href=&quot;info@pushstrategist.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;info@pushstrategist.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Loan and Finance Programs for Small Businesses &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Representatives from the Central Minnesota Development Company (CDMC) and Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) shared business loan and finance programs that are available to immigrant and refugee business owners. Some of the programs and services they highlighted include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/504-loans&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SBA 504 Loans&lt;/a&gt; – Designed for companies that are expanding the tax base, creating jobs and expanding personal income for entrepreneurs. The loans can be used for land acquisition, site improvements, the purchase of existing or new buildings and more. The borrower benefits include low down payments, fixed interest rates and long-term financing.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/elp/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Emerging Entrepreneur Loan Program&lt;/a&gt; – Provides loan capital for businesses that are owned and operated by women, veterans, BIPOC, low-income persons and/or persons with disabilities. DEED provides grant funds to a network of nonprofit lenders which use these funds for loans to startup and expanding businesses throughout the state. ELP funding can range from $5,000 to $150,000.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngrowthfund.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Inclusive Growth Fund&lt;/a&gt; – Provides flexible and affordable capital and support services for small businesses across Minnesota, with an emphasis on long-term recovery, growth and businesses in low-to-moderate income or underbanked communities. The fund offers two types of loans for small businesses, one for businesses seeking working capital and another for growth-stage businesses seeking a loan for capital expenditures.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;‘The Journey to Belonging in the Twin Cities’ Report Overview &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March of 2022, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, in partnership with the St. Paul Area Chamber, City of Minneapolis, and City of St. Paul, released “The Journey to Belonging in the Twin Cities,” a comprehensive roadmap to making the Twin Cities a more welcoming place for immigrants and refugees. You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.stpaul.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/The%20Journey%20to%20Belonging%20in%20the%20Twin%20Cities%20Report.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read the report&lt;/a&gt; to see their recommendations and learn more about this initiative. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month’s forum, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W85oYzylorQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>527412</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:37:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This blog describes the post pandemic CareerForce outreach methods being used. There are phone calls scheduled sessions and in person meetings.</Description><Audience/><Title>CareerForce Out Reach Methos</Title><Publisher/><Subject>CareerForce</Subject><Subject>Jobs</Subject><Subject>Job Search</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>CareerForce Working to Reach More Minnesotans </Title><title>2022-04-27-CareerForce</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-526532&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-28T13:20:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>CareerForce is Minnesota’s statewide network of organizations providing employment preparation and job search services. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;  &lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/RS32651_20190917_431_tcm1045-526533.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2022-04-27-Career&quot; alt=&quot;2022-04-27-Career&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 340px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-04-27-Career&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CareerForce is Minnesota’s statewide network of organizations providing employment preparation and job search services. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Local Workforce Development Boards, and community-based organizations work together to ensure job seekers find employment and to assist businesses in attracting the workers they need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the pandemic, the Career Force system has had to adapt to new models of service delivery. Today, we’re writing to announce some additional steps in our evolution to provide the best service to our customers in a new and modernized approach to service delivery.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The biggest change we’re announcing is a new system of “Office Hours” in which many locations will have windows of time to accept in-person visits at our Centers – but without people needing a scheduled appointment. Like any approach, we’re going to test this concept to see if it works.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s more background on how this decision came about and how we’re adapting our model to fit the needs of job-seekers across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proactive outreach&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last year, CareerForce has shifted its service model to reach more people where they are and not wait for them to come to us. Since spring 2021, DEED staff have called more than 140,000 people who were receiving Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. With record unemployment followed quickly by record job vacancies, we flipped our model for job service to have team members proactively reach out to thousands of Minnesotans every week over the phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re also going into the community to meet Minnesotans where they are. For example, people have long visited their local library for help when they are out of work. Many unique partnerships between libraries and workforce development have been forged on the local level. Complementing those partnerships, DEED has worked with the Minnesota Department of Education to create CareerForce Corners, which offer specific resources to help job seekers, including job fairs and other hiring events – right in the library. People who need more assistance can be referred to local resources to get the help they need. Currently, there is a CareerForce Corner at 28 libraries and counting &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/magda.olson/viz/CareerForceLocations/CareerForceLocations&quot;&gt;across Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Serving customers in new ways&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When vaccines became available, we began experimenting with in-person sessions by appointment only. This gave us new insight on in-person service and how to do it best, while staying efficient by not waiting for people to show up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, many CareerForce locations are fully open to the public and others are offering hours during the week when people can come in without an appointment for career exploration and job search services. Each CareerForce location is developing a schedule based on local needs and resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People who want CareerForce assistance can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/locations&quot;&gt;find contact information for a CareerForce location near them online&lt;/a&gt; or call 651-259-7500 to connect with staff member at a nearby CareerForce location.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The future of CareerForce is a flexible approach using a mix of the services mentioned above. We will continue the proactive model of community outreach focused on reaching those who have been most challenged by the workforce development system. Collaboration with local partners is key, and the DEED CareerForce engagement tour I launched last month promises to determine local solutions to move forward together to best serve those who need us the most.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, we want Minnesotans to know that no matter the barriers they are facing, CareerForce can help start them on the path to stable, living-wage employment.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>CareerForce Director Lorrie Janatopoulos</Author><id>526532</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Third blog on Racial Equity in Minnesota, covering Systemic Barriers to employment.</Description><Audience/><Title>Racial Equity Blog 3</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Race</Subject><Subject>Equity</Subject><Subject>Workforce</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Racial Equity Commitments Blog Series #3</Title><title>2022-04-26-RaceEquityCommit3</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-526349&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-26T15:31:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>While incremental changes are important, it’s the systemic changes that examine the root of how systems work and transform them for stronger outcomes that drives lasting change.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Reform Programs to Remove Systemic Barriers</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/RS32634_20190917_363_tcm1045-526347.jpg&quot; title=&quot;CareerForce Interview PreP&quot; alt=&quot;CareerForce Interview PreP&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 266px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CareerForce Interview PreP&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Driving long-term progress in racial equity in Minnesota’s economy requires new thinking. While incremental changes are important, it’s the systemic changes that examine the root of how systems work and transform them for stronger outcomes that drives lasting change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we continue our series on DEED’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot;&gt;five racial equity commitments,&lt;/a&gt; today we turn to commitment #3: to &lt;em&gt;reform programs to address systemic barriers.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inclusive grantmaking practices in Employment and Training Programs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2019, the Employment and Training (ETP) Grants division of DEED made a commitment to transform grantmaking to improve speed, transparency, and innovation for our grantees – many of whom concentrate services towards communities of color. Complex processes and opaque requirements were inhibiting new entrants into our competitive grant process, and inhibiting the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars to help job-seekers success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the last three years, our ETP division has embarked on a systemic effort to change that. Following dozens of community meetings with stakeholders, we:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Streamlined the application process, removing and simplifying burdensome reporting requirements,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increased engagement with grantees and prospective grantees by hosting community engagement sessions every spring, and for major RFP releases,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Made review and scoring processes more transparent,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Executed grant agreements more quickly in order to get the funding in the hands of the grantees as soon as possible, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Included a commitment to utilize external community members in the review process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2021, nearly 50% of the people who reviewed applications for workforce training for youth and adult competitive grants were non-DEED staff. These community reviewers all had connections to underserved communities and experience with the needs of job seekers. We believe this more inclusive process leads to funding decisions that support our commitment to reducing disparities in employment in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Supporting Business Owners of Color&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED provides funding to local partners such as CDFIs and non-profits on a statewide basis to deliver technical assistance for small businesses across Minnesota. We work with network Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) and nonprofit community organizations that have deep relationships with communities and business owners. The local partners reflect the cultural backgrounds and languages spoken by all types of Minnesota business owners and entrepreneurs. Our local partners have staff that provide technical assistance and loan capital, allowing local Minnesotans to do business and receive state support from trusted community partners. DEED regularly updates the list of business support organizations we work with to ensure it is relevant and responsive to local community needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The partnership between DEED and local partners mobilized to grow their impact during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to reach business owners in Black and Indigenous communities and other communities of color. In 2020, DEED held 137 webinars or outreach events, and provided $15 million in new funding to BIPOC-owned businesses. In 2021, DEED provided $8.5 million to BIPOC-owned businesses, and we are working to distribute another $4.5 million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This considerable shift in our approach had strong results: we had a 30% increase in BIPOC applications for Main Street Covid Relief business grants, and doubled the number of BIPOC partners (16) we work with to get dollars into community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, the pandemic has changed the way we promote and offer programs and opportunities. For example, entrepreneurs can now find our Small Business Development Center videos – on starting and growing a business – on our YouTube channel. Some pages and videos had more than 40,000 views. In addition, Small Business Assistance Office videos of our Guide to Starting a Business have generated over 10,000 views.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CareerForce Adapts Service-Delivery Mode&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The original model of one-stop workforce centers located statewide where job seekers and staff met in person was created years ago. With the pandemic, this model had to change and the creative and adaptable CareerForce staff at DEED responded to that need. Services were quickly transformed to allow connection by phone or virtually to ensure job seekers could continue receiving the support they needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These changes in services delivery led to greater innovation with the “Good Jobs Now” campaign. In the first phase of the campaign, CareerForce staff and Unemployment Insurance staff made calls to individuals in Minnesota receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. The goal of the phone conversations was to connect unemployed Minnesotans with a strong work search plan and with resources. The next phase of Good Jobs Now for CareerForce means continuing to reach out to UI applicants – as well as non-UI applicants with some of the greatest barriers to employment success – to provide assistance and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Commissioner%20Steve%20Grove%20with%20Staff%20at%20Careerforce_tcm1045-526348.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Commissioner Steve Grove with Staff at Careerforce&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner Steve Grove with Staff at Careerforce&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 275px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Commissioner Steve Grove with Staff at Careerforce&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;DEED Commissioner Steve Grove and staff at DEED’s CareerForce location on East Lake Street in Minneapolis&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED staff are also working to connect people who are interested in developing new skills to help them find careers projected to have strong demand into the future and that offer family-sustaining wages. Since the calls began, 1,069 people have been referred to the Dislocated Worker program, 232 people have been referred to specific training programs, and 2,997 people have been referred to other services to assist them in preparing for good-paying, in-demand employment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to this campaign, CareerForce staff are pursuing partnerships with local community nonprofits and libraries to ensure that the state’s resources are located in places where people can find them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reforming Unemployment Insurance (UI)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Perhaps no other DEED program has received more attention these last three years than unemployment insurance. But until last year, the program operated under a 1939 law that prevented high school students from getting unemployment insurance, even when they met all the other requirements and their employers paid into the system. This antiquated law was preventing many young people – who support their families through income from their jobs – from obtaining the income our system guarantees when they were laid off from work. Disproportionately, these young people are students of color. We advocated for changing the law by worked with legislators and advocates during the last session – the change will take place in July 2022, thereby building a stronger and more equitable system for young people in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional shifts to DEED’s UI programming included advocating to change a law so English as a Second Language (ESL) classes count as an allowable training type for people receiving Unemployment Insurance (UI). And we rebuilt the UI technical infrastructure to improve language access in Somali, Hmong, and Spanish, and to improve the mobile interface.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Changes Continue with Racial Equity Focus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The difficulties of the past three years have further demonstrated that more robust efforts are needed to eliminate workforce disparities and expand economic opportunities for those who face the greatest barriers. At DEED, we will continue our efforts and work in relationship with community leaders, legislators and others who want to see our state do better. We believe race should not be a predictor of a person’s opportunity to thrive, and we commit to ongoing examination of our processes and policies to make that possible for every Minnesotan. With the public’s advice and feedback, we’ll continue to reform programs to address systemic barriers.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors</Author><id>526349</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-20T15:11:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Hosts Roundtable to Highlight Importance of Establishing an Office of New Americans</Title><title>2022-04-25 New Americans roundtable</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-526221&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-25T15:34:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Immigrants and refugees from all parts of the globe are an important part of Minnesota’s economy, representing a significant source of the state’s business entrepreneurs and a large part of Minnesota’s labor force – now and in the coming years. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/IMG_4806%202_tcm1045-526220.jpg&quot; title=&quot;DEED Commissioner at New Americans Roundtable&quot; alt=&quot;DEED Commissioner at New Americans Roundtable&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;New Americans Roundtable&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Thursday, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove and DEED’s Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Anisa Hajimumin hosted a roundtable discussion at Mercado Central in Minneapolis for a discussion on the importance of establishing an Office of New Americans in Minnesota. Mercado Central is a great example of a thriving marketplace made up of 35 Latino-owned businesses that has become a national model of community economic development. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immigrants and refugees from all parts of the globe are an important part of Minnesota’s economy, representing a significant source of the state’s business entrepreneurs and a large part of Minnesota’s labor force – now and in the coming years. Therefore, it’s essential that new Americans are included in the state’s employment and economic growth and are supported through the integration process. That’s why Governor Walz recommends $470,000 to establish an Office of New Americans focused on supporting immigrant and refugee integration, reducing barriers to employment, and improving connections between employers and job seekers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Imagine what our labor shortage would be if we weren’t welcoming New Americans to Minnesota? And just as importantly, imagine what kind of wealth and prosperity we could generate &lt;em&gt;for everyone&lt;/em&gt; in our communities if we had stronger pipelines and pathways for integrating immigrants and refugees into our state and workforce,” said &lt;strong&gt;DEED Commissioner Steve Grove&lt;/strong&gt;. “It is essential that New Americans are included in the state’s employment and economic growth and are supported through the integration process.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Roundtable participants included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anisa Hajimumin&lt;/strong&gt; – Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, DEED&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Asad Ali Weyd&lt;/strong&gt; – CEO, New American Development Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Isis Gastelum&lt;/strong&gt; – Owner, Pro Nat in Mercado Central&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pang Vang&lt;/strong&gt; – CEO, Rainbow Health Kare&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“In our experience working with the East African immigrant community, there are certain challenges that their small businesses face. Some of the banking systems in place here go against their culture, such as applying for interest-based loans. They also need to be cautious of predatory landlords who don’t always sign leases with businesses so they can be evicted at a moment’s notice. This Office of New Americans would be a bridge between the government and these small businesses to help reduce some of these challenges,” said &lt;strong&gt;Asad Ali Weyd,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;CEO of the New American Development Center&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A lot of my employee base includes new immigrants, and they are always willing to learn and be trained. As an employer, I think you need to have patience as you guide them through the hiring process such as filling out paperwork, answering any questions they might have – those are some of things we do to support them so they can succeed at their jobs. If they have the necessary skillsets, and are willing to learn, they always do a great job,” said &lt;strong&gt;Pang Vang,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;CEO of Rainbow Health Kare&lt;/strong&gt;. “One way the government can better support immigrant businesses is helping them bid for more government contracts. We don’t always know where to go for certain resources when applying, so this Office of New Americans could help answer those questions and be a continued support for us. Sometimes immigrant-owned businesses do a great job of getting started, but don’t know where to go from there, so this office could help in growing their businesses as well.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Early in the pandemic, we had to shut down our business and it was devasting because it was our only source of income. Then, in early summer of 2020, our business along with many others on Lake Street suffered from the riots after the death of George Floyd. If it wasn’t for the two grants we received from DEED, I would have had to close the business for good. It’s important for DEED to continue this work and establish an Office for New Americans so we have a permanent place we can go to for help,” said &lt;strong&gt;Isis Gastelum,&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;owner of&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Pro Nat in Mercado Central&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“When I began my role at DEED, I helped connect small business owners to COVID relief grants in the summer of 2020. However, I immediately noticed one of the requirements small business owners needed to be eligible for the grant was to be registered with the Secretary of State’s office. I met with the Secretary of State’s office to determine how they could make it easier for business owners, especially people whose primary language is not English, to understand the registration requirements,” said &lt;strong&gt;Anisa Hajimumin, Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs for DEED&lt;/strong&gt;. “After having these conversations, we were able to get the Legislature to change the eligibility requirements for the 2021 COVID Relief Grants, making it easier for business owners to qualify. That is the kind of change we want to continue to carry out across the state with an Office of New Americans.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAwkWk_YwbE&quot;&gt;watch a recording of the full discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>526221</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>ETO Director Carla Vita talks about earth day legislative priorities in her new office.</Description><Audience/><Title>Carla Vita Earth Day Blog</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrating Earth Day and highlighting DEED’s clean tech and green energy priorities </Title><title>2022-04-22-Earth-day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-526023&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-22T18:20:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>On this Earth Day, Carla Vita DEED&apos;s new Energy Transition Office Director highlight&apos;s DEED’s clean tech and green energy priorities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On this Earth Day, I’d like to highlight DEED’s clean tech and green energy priorities included in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/minnesotabudget/&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. These priorities are aimed at helping grow our workforce by building a clean tech labor force pipeline; addressing climate change by stimulating the electrification of businesses’ vehicle fleets; and creating economic opportunity by assisting communities facing power plant closures with diversifying their economies and finding new opportunities for quality jobs and economic growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First up, consider the proposed Clean Tech Workforce Training Program to train, retrain, and upskill workers in the transportation, weatherization, and energy efficiency industries. New clean energy technology leads to new and different types of jobs that just didn’t exist 10 years ago. And demand for people who can do these jobs is growing fast. For example, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/careerforce-blog/occupations-projected-be-fastest-growing-minnesota-over-next-two-years&quot;&gt;demand for Wind Turbine Service Technicians will grow by 21% between 2021 and 2023&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Picture1_tcm1045-526021.jpg&quot; title=&quot;windmills&quot; alt=&quot;windmills&quot; style=&quot;width: 360px; height: 360px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;windmills&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Clean Tech Workforce Training Program also supports the workforce needed to perform specialized retrofits that make homes and buildings across Minnesota more energy efficient by providing training funding for statewide technical colleges and Tribal-led training centers. The projects those workers will complete will help Minnesotans save money on energy costs and create safer, healthier homes and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor’s budget also recommends steps to encourage reducing carbon emissions via vehicle electrification, starting with Minnesota businesses. The Electric Vehicle and Charging Infrastructure Grant Program will help businesses transition their fleet vehicles to electric and will support the electric charging infrastructure necessary for such a transition. Governor Walz is recommending $20 million to encourage businesses to upgrade their fleets and purchase light-duty electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, I’d like to focus on what my office is specifically committed to: supporting energy transition while helping to ensure the economic vitality of Minnesota communities. Several Minnesota communities will be impacted in the coming years by the retirement of fossil fuel-fired power plants. Governor Walz is recommending $2.5 million to support impacted communities by providing resources for these communities to diversify their economies and find new opportunities for quality jobs and economic growth. Supporting these communities is what the new Energy Transition Office is here to do. In my role as the Director of the Energy Transition Office, I will concentrate efforts on helping to minimize the negative impacts of power plant closures on jobs and tax revenues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s hope these priorities will serve as building blocks for propelling our state’s transition into a cleaner and more sustainable future. I invite you to join us in celebrating Earth Day – and looking forward to further growth of the clean tech and green energy economy here in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Energy Transition Director Carla Vita</Author><id>526023</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Commissioner Grove visited Hutchinson to talk with local leaders about broadband.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Commissioner Lists Hutchinson for Roundtable</Title><Publisher/><Subject>broadband</Subject><Subject>Hutchinson</Subject><Subject>Budget</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Hears from Hutchinson Area Leaders on Importance of Broadband Access for All Minnesotans</Title><title>2022-04-15 DEED Hears from Hutchinson Area Leaders on Importance of Broadband Access for All Minnesotans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-525424&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-15T18:19:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>On Wednesday, DEED Commissioner Steve Grove and DEED’s Executive Director for the Office of Broadband Development, Angie Dickison, hosted a roundtable discussion at local internet service provider Nuvera in Hutchinson. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Broadband_tcm1045-525423.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Broadband&quot; alt=&quot;Broadband&quot; style=&quot;width: 540px; height: 236px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Broadband&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Wednesday, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove and DEED’s Executive Director for the Office of Broadband Development, Angie Dickison, hosted a roundtable discussion at local internet service provider Nuvera in Hutchinson. Their discussion focused on why broadband access is essential and why now is the time to finish the job and provide border-to-border broadband access to all Minnesotans.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I love hearing from leaders and business owners about what makes Minnesota the best place to live and do business, and today’s conversation reinforced how critical high-speed, high-quality broadband is for schools, businesses, families, and communities,” said &lt;strong&gt;Steve Grove, DEED Commissioner&lt;/strong&gt;. “It’s an equity issue on many levels, and during the past several years of the state’s border-to-border broadband program, we have helped bring reliable broadband to about 93%  of Minnesotans. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/minnesotabudget/&quot;&gt;Walz-Flanagan budget&lt;/a&gt; invests $170 million to bring border-to-border broadband access to &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt; Minnesotans. It&apos;s time to finish the job.” 
&lt;br /&gt;
Roundtable attendees included:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Glenn Zerbe&lt;/strong&gt;, CEO/President, Nuvera&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Matt Jaunich&lt;/strong&gt;, City Administrator, City of Hutchinson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Angie Dickison&lt;/strong&gt;, Executive Director, Office of Broadband Development (DEED)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Daron VanderHeiden&lt;/strong&gt;, Superintendent, Hutchinson Public Schools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Marie Guggisberg&lt;/strong&gt;, Owner, River Creek Nursery&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“This pandemic dropkicked us into 2030. It’s not just broadband that’s changed, but who creates content. Kids are creating content and sending it to their teachers. Businesses were always creating content, but now that content creation has migrated to the home – and this decentralization is creating a fundamental impact that’s changing everything,” said &lt;strong&gt;Glenn Zerbe, CEO &amp;amp; President of Nuvera&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Twenty years ago, when we talked about attracting new businesses and new residents, we talked about good streets, good schools, water, sewer and electric. Well nowadays, you need to have broadband if you want to attract and retain those residents and businesses in your community. And with the tight labor force, having broadband is one way local businesses can stay competitive in being able to allow certain jobs to be done at home,” said &lt;strong&gt;Matt Jaunich, City Administrator, City of Hutchinson&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“For years we’ve been advocating for the broadband infrastructure, but the other piece of it is the ability to afford that service and the skills to able to use it – as well as access to the devices,” said &lt;strong&gt;Angie Dickison, Executive Director, Office of Broadband Development (DEED)&lt;/strong&gt;.  “During the pandemic our team created a digital equity working group with the other state agencies to understand all the programs and services available around digital literacy and access. We hope to hire someone soon that will help create a digital equity plan for the State of Minnesota. We’re excited to continue this work with our office and our provider partners around the state.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The pandemic completely changed the way we delivered instruction to our students. We had a lot of students who didn’t have any access, until we gave them mobile hotspots, and those hotspots only go so far. They’re better than nothing, but they’re not as good as broadband,” said &lt;strong&gt;Daron VanderHeiden, Superintendent of Hutchinson Public Schools. “&lt;/strong&gt;Another thing we’ve noticed is that now when students are out, they can join their class virtually or watch a recording of what they missed, so they aren’t a week behind in the work if they’re out sick.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“From a business standpoint, we do a lot of updating to our website and posting on Facebook – so whether that’s at our nursery or at our tree farm, people want pictures. Before broadband, it took so long for these pictures to load on our website – but now with broadband, we’re able to upload more photos and videos to our website that wouldn’t have been possible before,” said &lt;strong&gt;Marie Guggisberg, owner of River Creek Nursery&lt;/strong&gt;. “From a family standpoint, when you have six children in school who need to access the internet for homework and research, it was frustrating before broadband because it took a long time. So broadband, whether it’s for work or your family, it’s just a huge time saver. Especially in the rural community, to have that access is wonderful.”&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>525424</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>At April’s event we included Dari and Pashto interpreters to translate the discussion for non-English speaking community members.</Description><Audience/><Title>April’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Shares Career Resources and Community Updates </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>April’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Shares Career Resources and Community Updates </Title><title>2022-04-15 April Immigrant Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-525388&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-15T15:12:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>At April’s event we included Dari and Pashto interpreters to translate the discussion for non-English speaking community members.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/immigrant%20and%20refugees%20affair%20april%20forum%202_tcm1045-525387.PNG&quot; title=&quot;aprils immigrant forum screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;aprils immigrant forum screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 241px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aprils immigrant forum screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every month, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) hosts an  Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum. At April’s event we included Dari and Pashto interpreters to translate the discussion for non-English speaking community members. We provided information on CareerForce services as well as heard community updates from our partner organizations.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CareerForce Services Available to Refugees in Minnesota &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mike Lang from DEED’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForce&lt;/a&gt; team gave an overview of how their offices can help people find a job or new career path at no cost to career seekers. CareerForce is Minnesota’s workforce system that helps connect job seekers with family-sustaining jobs, and employers with the workers they need for their businesses to grow and thrive. The CareerForce system consists of 50 locations across the state. Not all locations are currently open for in-person support, but all of them are providing online or phone support to career seekers.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Expert staff can guide career seekers through all steps of job search and career planning. They offer many programs and services such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/dislocatedworker&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dislocated Worker Program&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/veterans-resources&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Veteran Services Program&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/youth-resources-0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Youth Programs&lt;/a&gt; and many more. Job seekers can find job search appointments near them at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/events&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;careerforcemn.com/events&lt;/a&gt;, and can register to reserve a time to meet with staff either in-person, over the phone or online. Career seekers can also find a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/Metro&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;list of upcoming online career fairs&lt;/a&gt; with employers looking to hire for a wide variety of high-paying jobs.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Updates &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a Property Maintenance training opportunity starting in May. For those who are interested, please reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.capiusa.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CAPI USA&lt;/a&gt;. These positions help with air conditioning, heating, and building maintenance.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Afghan Community in Minnesota Rotary Community Corps meetings are currently scheduled every other Saturday from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. The next meeting is Saturday, April 23, in the auditorium of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.google.com/maps/place/Normandale+Elementary+School/@44.898434,-93.3489551,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x86d5eb0b80530b5f?sa=X&amp;amp;ved=2ahUKEwiVy96AqIL3AhUvIDQIHYn6BtkQ_BJ6BAhsEAU&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Normandale Elementary School&lt;/a&gt;. Use Door #10 on the south end of the building and park near the football field. Please contact Bob Keller for more information at &lt;a href=&quot;bob@3dbd.net&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;bob@3dbd.net&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month’s forum, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5v3UVLJHrk&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>525388</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A summary blog of all the April Economic Trends studied by DEED Data Scientists. </Description><Audience/><Title>April Trends</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Data</Subject><Subject>Labor</Subject><Subject>Economic Study</Subject><Subject>Reemployment</Subject><Subject>Women</Subject><Subject>2030 outlook</Subject><Subject>Diversity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>A Look at What’s in the Latest Edition of Minnesota Economic Trends </Title><title>2022-04-15 Trends</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-525363&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-15T14:14:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office at DEED publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are articles featured in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2022/&quot;&gt;March 2022 edition of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2022/reemployment.jsp&quot;&gt;Reemployment after COVID-19 layoffs in Minnesota: Who&apos;s getting left behind?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Among Minnesota workers laid off during the initial months of the pandemic, who regained employment most quickly? And who suffered the most time out of work and experienced the greatest loss of wages? This article seeks to answer those questions and others by examining spring 2021 employment status of Minnesotans eligible for Unemployment Insurance who filed for benefits in the initial months of the pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2022/cte.jsp&quot;&gt;Females in Career and Technical Education&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gender wage gaps are evident for students who participate in Career and Technical Education (CTE) because female-dominated professions provide fewer opportunities for career preparation during high school than male-dominated professions. CTE can contribute toward addressing this equity issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2022/job-outlook.jsp&quot;&gt;Job Outlook to 2030: Recovery and Expansion&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After two long years dealing with COVID-19, employment in Minnesota is expected to continue to recover in both the short-term and the long-term, according to new projections from DEED. The state is projected to add about 170,000 jobs from 2020 through 2030.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2022/workforce.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Diversifying Workforce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the majority of Minnesota’s total jobs are held by white workers, recent and historical trends show the state’s workforce is becoming increasingly diverse. In fact, when compared to states with similar employment levels to ours, Minnesota had the most rapid growth of non-white workers between 2010 and 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2022/recovery.jsp&quot;&gt;Early Employment Recovery from the COVID-19 Recession: Quick, Strong, but Unequal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on jobs, at least in the short term. But taking a deeper dive into each major industry, and subsectors within those industries, reveals the disparate impact the pandemic had on employment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles on the DEED website&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>525363</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>DEED is reaching out to disenfranchised community members to help insure economic growth</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED&apos;s Racial Equity Commitments to outreach and engagement</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Diversity</Subject><Subject>Equity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED’s Racial Equity Commitments: Increase Outreach and Engagement</Title><title>2022-04-14 DEED&apos;s Racial Equity Commitments</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-525220&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-14T14:29:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>At the end of March, we introduced the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) racial equity commitments in the first blog of a five-part series. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/re%20commitments_tcm1045-525216.jpg&quot; title=&quot;re commitments&quot; alt=&quot;re commitments&quot; style=&quot;width: 336px; height: 447px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;re commitments&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the end of March, we introduced the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) racial equity commitments in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/deed-developments/#/detail/appId/1/id/523507&quot;&gt;first blog of a five-part series&lt;/a&gt;. Our five racial equity commitments are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drive dollars to targeted communities.&lt;/strong&gt; As an agency that grants millions of dollars per year to help grow the economy, where our money goes is an expression of what Minnesota values.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increase outreach and engagement.&lt;/strong&gt; We can’t expect communities to just come to us – we have to be in communities ourselves, so that everyone is aware of our programs and opportunities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reform programs to address systemic barriers.&lt;/strong&gt; Some of our programs or processes have designs that prevent communities of color from accessing them as easily – we must change that.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make equity everyone&apos;s job.&lt;/strong&gt; Driving racial equity isn’t just one team’s job – it should be every team’s job at DEED.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Change from the inside out.&lt;/strong&gt; If our culture at DEED is one in which people of color feel seen and valued – and can bring their authentic selves to work – and if all levels of our team reflect the communities we seek to serve, then we’ll do better for all Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this second blog in the series, we’re sharing progress on our second commitment: &lt;strong&gt;increase outreach and engagement.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2019, DEED workforce development leaders started with a &lt;strong&gt;listening tour&lt;/strong&gt; – traveling more than 1300 miles across the state to visit CareerForce locations and meet with local communities to understand their experiences with the agency. DEED leaders believe that leadership is rooted in listening, and each year DEED has continued community engagement sessions to ensure our programs are meeting the needs of communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED recognizes that reducing racial disparities in the workforce requires a dramatic increase in relationship building, outreach, and engagement across the state. For this new effort, the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) shifted focus to take on an increased external role of community engagement and an internal role supporting DEED staff in meeting their equity goals. The OEO consists of a director, the American Indian Tribal Liaison, and the Community Services &amp;amp; Government Relations Coordinator. Additionally, following an &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_04_EO_19-24_tcm1055-378654.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order&lt;/a&gt; by Governor Walz and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2021/1/Session+Law/Chapter/14/&quot;&gt;new law passed during the 2021 Legislative Session&lt;/a&gt;, DEED is required to consult with Minnesota’s &lt;strong&gt;11 federally-recognized American Indian nations. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OEO Accomplishments in 2021 include: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/OOE%20Outreach%20in%202021_tcm1045-525219.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Circle graph showing Economic Outreach in 2021&quot; alt=&quot;Circle graph showing Economic Outreach in 2021&quot; style=&quot;width: 366px; height: 340px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;OOE Outreach in 2021&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;435 outreach and engagement activities with external groups, DEED staff, tribal nations and American Indian groups, and other state agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;60 Community Calls—these are weekly half hour updates from our agency, and partners, to share timely information and get to know state agency leaders&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;20 interviews, blogs, editorials sharing news from our agency, including in Spanish&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Partnerships and support with Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Office&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;10 Tribal Consultations&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;150 requests for technical assistance from the American Indian community&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The OEO office has plans to expand capacity through hiring – &lt;strong&gt;Nima Hussein&lt;/strong&gt; is DEED’s new Community Services &amp;amp; Government Relations Coordinator, focusing on economic development outreach – and by creating new platforms for online engagement. The work of relationship building and creating a more inclusive economy will continue to evolve and is a focus for every team at DEED.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Immigrant and Refugee Affairs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s outreach and public engagement also expanded in 2020 with the addition of a new &lt;strong&gt;Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Anisa Hajimumin&lt;/strong&gt;. The most recent Census data shows that almost every county in Minnesota has increased in ethnic diversity since 2010, with the number of foreign-born residents jumping by 27% in the Twin Cities metro area and 37% in Greater Minnesota. Communities across our state are attracting and welcoming immigrants from all parts of the globe and from different educational and socio-economic backgrounds. New Americans need to be included in the state’s employment and economic growth and supported through the integration process. These public engagement efforts will help Minnesota’s economy grow and New Americans reach their full potential.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the past two years, the expanded outreach and engagement capacity to &lt;strong&gt;support New Americans&lt;/strong&gt; has resulted in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;15 monthly Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forums sharing resources and information to connect communities to state agencies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Connecting over 350 immigrant and refugee callers with the appropriate resources for business, employment, housing, grants, and loans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supporting a state task force called Welcoming Allies to assist in supporting Afghan evacuees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plans for an Office of New Americans to continue work with state agencies to ensure New Americans participate in economic growth and prosperity in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the added capacity at DEED through the efforts of the Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, and the Office of Economic Opportunity, DEED is also rolling out new programs supporting BIPOC-owned businesses and honing our outreach efforts for existing programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expanding language access&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the last three years, DEED programs have made language access a priority and increased the availability of translated materials that describe and promote DEED services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One example is the Employment and Training Program Rapid Response team who worked with the Department of Labor and Industry to produce comprehensive worker resource guide for food processing employees that was distributed and translated into fifteen languages for meatpacking and poultry processing workers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The guide provided workers with state agency contact information for their work-related Covid-19 questions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED also increased translations to support small business pandemic relief funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In July 2020, DEED implemented a Small Business Covid Relief Grant program that provided $60 million to business owners. A second round of Small Business Covid Relief Grants were distributed in September 2021.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The first round of funding included translated print materials in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong, and resulted in 5,117 applications received from businesses owned by people who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the second round, DEED translated video and print materials into Vietnamese, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali and co-hosted ten outreach sessions, including sessions in Hmong, and Chinese, and increased the availability of funds for our partners to use in promoting the application process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The increased time for outreach and increase in translated materials available resulted in a 30% increase in applications from businesses owned by people of color. This increase is due in large part to the strong partner network of CDFIs and business support organizations who spread the word and supported applicants.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED will continue to move forward the agency’s commitment to increased outreach and engagement with a racial equity focus, so that our economy works, for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Economic Opportunity Director Maureen Ramirez</Author><id>525220</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month Workforce Wednesday covers the Second Chance Workforce</Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce Wednesday March 2022</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Second Chance Workforce</Subject><Subject>Crime</Subject><Subject>Jobs</Subject><Subject>Workforce</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Hiring Opportunities with Minnesota’s Second Chance Workforce</Title><title>2022-04-12 WorkforceWednesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-524820&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-12T17:51:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>April’s discussion focused on strategies for engaging with our Second Chance workforce, who are people with a criminal record. Here are some of the key takeaways we heard from our panel.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/94CjdMVQi9E&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/CareerForce%20screenshot%20April_tcm1045-524819.png&quot; title=&quot;wwscreenshot&quot; alt=&quot;wwscreenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 236px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;wwscreenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday is an opportunity for Minnesota employers to come together and share their stories and strategies on how they’re addressing current workforce challenges. These sessions take place the first Wednesday of every month. April’s discussion focused on strategies for engaging with our Second Chance workforce, who are people with a criminal record. Here are some of the key takeaways we heard from our panel. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For employers interested in engaging with our second chance workforce, how did you get started?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kurt Scepaniak – President/CEO, Horizon Roofing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We have worked with people that have come out of incarceration and have records and I don’t see a difference in how they are compared to somebody that doesn’t have a record.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prior to COVID-19, we’d reached out to non-profits that were working with this population, like RISE, Hired and Goodwill since we currently don’t have a direct pipeline to this workforce talent. We did some mock interviews within the prison to begin meeting with people.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Traci Tapani – Co-President, Wyoming Machine, Inc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When a former employee of mine went to work at the Department of Corrections he was involved with a training program and he’d asked me to join an employer advisory council to help give input from businesses on what training and skills were needed for former inmates once they were released. That allowed me to go visit the prison and tour the manufacturing facilities and meet people working in the programs. I think the passion the staff at DOC have around training people to be successful once they reenter society is really inspiring. I’m a person who doesn’t like to base my beliefs on what I hear from others, I’d rather meet people and understand firsthand so I can form my own opinions. After having some of these experiences, it made me more aware of my staff within my company and I learned that I had quite a few people already from this population working for me that were adding success to my company.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How do you build an inclusive culture among your current employees that supports this second chance workforce as well?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kurt Scepaniak – President/CEO, Horizon Roofing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We just don’t talk about it because I don’t think it’d be right for somebody that’s coming into our company that we broadcast to everyone that they’re a former offender. Typically, the only way employees find out, is if that formerly incarcerated person brings it up on their own to coworkers. We’ve never heard any complaints from current employees and in fact, we’d already had some employees with records anyway.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Traci Tapani – Co-President, Wyoming Machine, Inc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Manufacturing has typically overall, been a predominantly white, male industry. We have been trying to diversify that workforce with not just former offenders, but also adding more women and others as well. We’re willing to have those conversations about having an inclusive workforce, but we also aren’t going to broadcast someone’s background either.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As organizations that work with employers trying to hire people with criminal backgrounds, what have you observed?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jeremiah Carter – Job Services Supervisor, CareerForce Systems Division&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I’ve seen an interest with employers outside of the manufacturing and construction industries looking to hire more from this untapped market. With the pandemic, I think it created more opportunities for this group of workers. One individual I’m currently working with was in prison for a financial-related crime. Once she was released, she couldn’t find work in the banking industry, despite having years of experience in this area. After obtaining an interview from a bank, she wasn’t hired after they learned of her past. She pushed back and shared with them resources available to protect employers against any theft-related charges and that reopened the conversation to hiring her so we’re seeing an influx of these examples.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jacquelyn Carpenter – VP of Business Development, Twin Cities R!SE&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I’ve witnessed a lot of conversations where processes and procedures are starting to be challenged with employers. I’ve been most inspired by Human Resources and executive leadership really looking at the hiring process and getting more creative and flexible on who and how they hire. We’ve learned some best practices from manufacturing and construction and it’s all industries now wondering “how do we make those changes too and how can we learn from those best practices?”.  It’s an exciting and inspiring time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What strategies as an employer have been successful with attracting and retaining talent from our second chance workforce?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kurt Scepaniak – President/CEO, Horizon Roofing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We’re still figuring it out, but before COVID we started a community outreach training from our two training centers in Waite Park and New Hope and we’d bring in people from the community, train them for five days for free and at the end of those five days we’d pick the best of the group.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Traci Tapani – Co-President, Wyoming Machine, Inc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Flexibility is the really the name of the game, no matter who you’re hiring. Hiring people with different backgrounds means they might have different needs. In manufacturing we’ve always had rigid start and end times because that’s how the industry has always worked. Now, I offer flexible schedules to people who may have issues with transportation or childcare so that their needs are met.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How do we approach employers who may still have or biases toward the second chance workforce?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kurt Scepaniak – President/CEO, Horizon Roofing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having some sort of cheat sheet with the definitions and facts related to the second chance population would be helpful to employers who don’t know or have time to research this part of the workforce.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Traci Tapani – Co-President, Wyoming Machine, Inc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having strategies for employers on how to address their employees and any potential fear around hiring employees with a criminal record would be helpful.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jeremiah Carter – Job Services Supervisor, CareerForce Systems Division&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I don’t necessarily agree having a cheat sheet when it comes to hiring people with a criminal background, I think asking more questions with the individual on their situation and then connecting with the DOC directly for more information would be a better approach.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of April’s session and other past sessions, plus view related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjAzMDkuNTQ2MzU1OTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jYXJlZXJmb3JjZW1uLmNvbS9Xb3JrZm9yY2VXZWRuZXNkYXkifQ.dSE0qDkDdBHPa5MT6MoIb8WAo5pfBZBJdvFW9MhWVoo/s/180860426/br/127807225841-l&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>524820</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Tuesday’s engaging conversation drew on expanding tech training opportunities in Minnesota, growing the tech talent pipeline for Minnesota employers, and helping to address disparities in employment and economic outcomes through increasing access to digital skills training for underserved Minnesotans. </Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Hears from Business and Community Leaders on Importance of Youth and Tech Training for BIPOC Workforce</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Hears from Business and Community Leaders on Importance of Youth and Tech Training for BIPOC Workforce</Title><title>2022-04-01 youth and tech roundtable</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-523646&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-01T14:46:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Tuesday’s engaging conversation drew on expanding tech training opportunities in Minnesota, growing the tech talent pipeline for Minnesota employers, and helping to address disparities in employment and economic outcomes through increasing access to digital skills training for underserved Minnesotans. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>April 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/IMG954693001_tcm1045-523643.jpg&quot; title=&quot;youth and tech roundtable&quot; alt=&quot;youth and tech roundtable&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;youth and tech roundtable&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Earlier this week, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove and I hosted a roundtable at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center (PWCC) focused on tech training and the importance of introducing youth to this growing and high-wage earning industry. Youth from Black, brown, and Indigenous communities are one of the fastest growing segments of our workforce and will continue to be so over the coming decade. Providing technology training opportunities will help meet the demands of Minnesota’s dynamic tech industry and prepare young people for successful careers with sustainable wages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were excited to be at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center – it’s not only a pillar of Minnesota and a cornerstone of North Minneapolis, but also one of four Minnesota nonprofits recently awarded a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/adult-career-pathways/grants/mn-tech/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Tech Training Pilot Program grant&lt;/a&gt; through DEED. They are gearing up to offer classes out of their center later this year, and these tech trainings will be focused on people from Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday’s engaging conversation drew on expanding tech training opportunities in Minnesota, growing the tech talent pipeline for Minnesota employers, and helping to address disparities in employment and economic outcomes through increasing access to digital skills training for underserved Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Roundtable participants included:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quanda Arch&lt;/strong&gt; – Program Director, Digital TechWorks Academy at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Olamide &quot;Lami&quot; Olagbaju&lt;/strong&gt; – ManCode Mentoring Participant&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Marcus Pope – President&lt;/strong&gt;, Youthprise&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark Hurlburt – President&lt;/strong&gt;, Prime Digital Academy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Allyson Hartle&lt;/strong&gt; – Vice President of State Government Affairs, Comcast&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“In the state of Minnesota, demographics are changing. We have a growing BIPOC population, and we won’t have a workforce if we don’t have these workforce programs in place early on for K-12 students,” said &lt;strong&gt;Quanda Arch, Program Director, Digital TechWorks Academy at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center&lt;/strong&gt;. “Some of the barriers we need to overcome include creating more exposure to these types of careers, and engaging the adults and the parents as well, so they understand what skills are gained from these programs.” &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“My mom signed me up for the ManCode program. At first, I was hesitant, but I did it and it was great. There were a bunch of different mentors. It was a good experience overall. I learned about coding and game design, and we had different speakers come in to meet with us. It was great to see Black men and Black people in general in these high-paying tech jobs and seeing that it’s possible for me to be in this industry. I hadn’t thought about a tech job before, but now that I’ve done the program, I know that’s now an option for me in the future,” said &lt;strong&gt;Lami Olagbaju, ManCode mentoring participant&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We think young people are amazing and brilliant, and as adults we haven’t put the things in place in our community to ensure they thrive. It’s about us working with young people who have great leadership capacity, great ingenuity and creativity, and giving them the opportunities to thrive. Unemployment for youth is near historic lows, but our concern is what kind of jobs are those young people going into, and is there a long-term career path with potential for growth?” said &lt;strong&gt;Marcus Pope, President, Youthprise&lt;/strong&gt;. “We need to put the opportunities in place so young people can have a shot at a meaningful future. We’re supportive of pilot programs like this and want to see bigger funding allocations going forward for more of these programs.” &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The landscape has shifted a lot over the years. If you were a programmer 25 years ago, you’d work for a programming company. Today, if you search for a tech job, you’re as likely to find jobs at hospitals, insurance companies and manufacturers as you are at software companies. That expansion and growth of jobs has led the industry to reconsider what makes somebody successful. With that has been the rise of other career pathways, and that comes from various certification programs -- organizations are now saying if you can do the work we can give you the job, instead of needing to see someone’s paper trail,” said &lt;strong&gt;Mark Hurlburt, President, Prime Digital Academy&lt;/strong&gt;. “The pathway of a 4-year computer science degree is always going to be there and is great for some people. But if you’re trying to pay for rent and put food on the table, that might not be the right fit. At Prime Digital, we think all options should be available when considering candidates.”&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Comcast is committed to ensuring we have a diverse workforce and a workforce that reflects the communities where we provide service. We want to give people careers and will invite graduates from these programs to interview for open positions.  We like to say ‘this is more than a job, we have a career path for you.’ There’s rigorous training when we bring people in, so they have a solid foundation and understand of their role at Comcast. As part of this pilot, Comcast will serve on a curriculum steering panel to ensure that graduates are equipped with the skills and up-to-date knowledge in technology necessary to be successful,” said &lt;strong&gt;Allyson Hartle, Vice President of State Government Affairs, Comcast&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LulBktaR-Ik&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch a recording of the full discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author>Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors</Author><id>523646</id><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:36:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This blog outlines DEED&apos;s actions to improve Equity In Minnesota after the COVID Pandemic.</Description><Audience/><Title>DEED Commitments to Racial Equity</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Equity</Subject><Subject>BIPOC</Subject><Subject>Black</Subject><Subject>race</Subject><Subject>targeted communities</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED’s Commitments to Racial Equity: a new blog series </Title><title>2022-03-31 RacialEquity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-523507&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-31T14:30:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED’s top goal in 2022 is to drive an economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/midtown%20global_tcm1045-523502.jpg&quot; title=&quot;20220331-commissioner-cultural-mall&quot; alt=&quot;20220331-commissioner-cultural-mall&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 212px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;20220331-commissioner-cultural-mall&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), we know systemic racial inequality is one of the biggest impediments to growth in our state. By so many measures, the disparities are stunning.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;30% of American Indians and 27% of Black Minnesotans are living below the poverty line in our state, compared to 7% of white Minnesotans. When it comes to home ownership (one of the central factors in generational wealth), 76% of people in the white community own their own homes, while just 25% of Black Minnesotans are homeowners. And the COVID-19 pandemic led over two-thirds of all Black workers in our labor force - and over 60% of all American Indians – to apply for unemployment insurance, with 35% of people from the white community doing the same. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Those disparities just scratch the surface. Inequality is present in so many aspects of our state’s economy. Reversing these trends is vital to meeting our agency’s mission: to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan care deeply about inclusive economic growth and have encouraged us to meet this moment for racial equity in our economy, to build a stronger future for everyone. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’s why DEED’s top goal in 2022 is to drive an economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth. We know progress toward racial equity doesn&apos;t require a single approach — it requires a holistic one. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To better organize our efforts at DEED, we’ve articulated our work on racial equity around &lt;strong&gt;five commitments:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drive dollars to targeted communities.&lt;/strong&gt; As an agency that grants millions of dollars per year to help grow the economy, where our money goes is an expression of what Minnesota values.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increase outreach and engagement.&lt;/strong&gt; We can’t expect communities to just come to us – we have to be in communities ourselves, so that everyone is aware of our programs and opportunities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reform programs to address systemic barriers.&lt;/strong&gt; Some of our programs or processes have designs that prevent communities of color from accessing them as easily – we must change that.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make equity everyone&apos;s job.&lt;/strong&gt; Driving racial equity isn’t just one team’s job – it should be every team’s job at DEED. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Change from the inside out.&lt;/strong&gt; If our culture at DEED is one in which people of color feel seen and valued – and can bring their authentic selves to work –  and if all levels of our team reflect the communities we seek to serve, then we’ll do better for all Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our work in each of these areas is very much in progress. We’ve got a lot of work to do. And “progress” has many variables, both within and outside of our control -- including legislative decisions and administrative actions. But we’re focusing on the things we can control, and we believe that the more transparent we are about our journey, the stronger our agency will be. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In that spirit, today we’re kicking off a series of blog posts on these five commitments to share our work with others — and hoping this approach will continue the conversation on how we can improve our agency.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First off, we’ll start with the most important commitment we can make – which&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;is to drive dollars to targeted communities.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/20220331-csg-phyllis-wheatly_tcm1045-523504.png&quot; title=&quot;20220331-csg-phyllis-wheatly&quot; alt=&quot;20220331-csg-phyllis-wheatly&quot; style=&quot;float: right; width: 400px; height: 300px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;20220331-csg-phyllis-wheatly&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last three years, we’ve advocated for and built several programs that focus on businesses and workers of color, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$128M in Small Business Relief Grants, including $108M for targeted businesses, $28M for BIPOC businesses, and $5.3M for cultural malls&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$80M Main Street Economic Revitalization, which includes targeted dollars for the corridors most impacted by civil unrest in 2020.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$18M Targeted Community Capital Grant Program, focused on capital projects focused on communities that struggle to obtain traditional financing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$2M for Internationally Trained Healthcare Workers workforce program.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$2M African Immigrant Grant Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$1M Tech Training pilot for Youth of color&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$1M Employment Program for Black and brown youth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creating and advocating for targeted programs like these is one way we can better serve communities of color. But we also are working to ensure existing programs use a racial equity lens. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here are some examples of strides we’re making toward equity in existing programs, in the last year in particular.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/20220331-economicdevelopment-highlights_tcm1045-523505.jpg&quot; title=&quot;20220331-economicdevelopment-highlights&quot; alt=&quot;20220331-economicdevelopment-highlights&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle; width: 400px; height: 328px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;20220331-economicdevelopment-highlights&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through applying for federal grants and advocating for more workforce dollars with the legislature, we&apos;ve significantly increased our workforce spending at DEED in the last three years. More workforce dollars help us support more organizations who work with job-seekers from Black and brown communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working with the legislature, we’ve secured an increase of &lt;strong&gt;$18 million more workforce dollars for the next two years to workforce organizations&lt;/strong&gt; who serve clients from Black and brown communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED also advocated for a funding surge during the pandemic for small businesses in BIPOC communities. In several emergency funding packages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, DEED worked with community to secure more than &lt;strong&gt;four times the average funding levels for BIPOC businesses&lt;/strong&gt;. These dollars went directly to small businesses in partnership with nonprofits and CDFIs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/20220331fundingforbipocsmallb_tcm1045-523503.png&quot; title=&quot;20220331fundingforbipocsmallb&quot; alt=&quot;20220331fundingforbipocsmallb&quot; style=&quot;horizontal-align: middle; width: 300px; height: 309px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;20220331fundingforbipocsmallb&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Funding for BIPOC Small Businesses&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The pandemic presented us with a crisis that demanded action for communities of color. Now, our focus is to make sustained progress in this area, which is why Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/minnesotabudget/&quot;&gt;Budget to Move Minnesota Forward&lt;/a&gt; includes several priorities at DEED focused on inclusive economic growth:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$15M for a BIPOC youth technology workforce program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$13M for a BIPOC reskilling technology training program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$20M in additional dollars to the Main Street Economic Revitalization program, which would include funds to help corridors damaged by the civil unrest of 2020&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$5M/yr. for Small Business Partnership Grants, which will help Community Development Financial institutions get loan dollars to business leaders of color who face challenges in traditional finance markets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$500K to establish an Office of New Americans, to help immigrants and refugees connect with great jobs and grow our economy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$500K for Agricultural Worker Wellness Committee, to better advance opportunity for migrant workers in Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$5M for Launch Minnesota and $17M Angel Tax Credit, programs that each have proactive targets for equitable distribution&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Driving these dollars is important because financial resources are at the root of racial inequality. But they aren’t the full story. In future blogs, we’ll outline our work in the other four commitments we’ve made so that DEED can continue making real progress on racial equity in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>523507</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:34:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>At the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), we believe it’s essential that entrepreneurs from all backgrounds are able to succeed in our economy – especially those who face systemic barriers to success.</Description><Audience/><Title>Emerging Entrepreneur Board</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Call for Applicants for Minnesota Emerging Entrepreneur Board </Title><title>2022-03-29 Emerging Entrepreneur</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-523272&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-29T17:53:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Entrepreneurship is on the rise in Minnesota. Business starts have jumped by more than 40% in the last year, and our economy is growing. At the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), we believe it’s essential that entrepreneurs from all backgrounds are able to succeed in our economy – especially those who face systemic barriers to success.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/RS30546_iStock-533985524-scr_tcm1045-523308.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2022-03-29-Emerging Entrepreneurs&quot; alt=&quot;2022-03-29-Emerging Entrepreneurs&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 332px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-03-29-Emerging Entrepreneurs&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Entrepreneurship is on the rise in Minnesota. Business starts have jumped by more than 40% in the last year, and our economy is growing. At the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), we believe it’s essential that entrepreneurs from all backgrounds are able to succeed in our economy – especially those who face systemic barriers to success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To that end, DEED seeks volunteers to join the &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/94&quot;&gt;Minnesota Emerging Entrepreneur Board&lt;/a&gt;. Board members will be appointed by Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and will serve four-year terms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New board members will continue the Board’s work of diversifying the Minnesota economy by enabling diverse business enterprises and job creation, particularly in low-income areas across the state. This board plays a significant role in state efforts to reduce disparities and close gaps in small business ownership by people who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and by women, veterans and people with disabilities. It also provides research, information and policy recommendations which help shape various DEED programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board members assist DEED staff in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Investigating and evaluating methods needed to enhance urban development and the best methods to create a more inclusive Minnesota economy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Submit reports to the commissioner each year by February 1, describing the conditions for Minnesota small businesses that are majority BIPOC-, woman- or veteran-owned, or owned by individuals with a disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Act as a liaison between DEED and nonprofit organizations engaged in small business development support activities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assist DEED with outreach tied to small business assistance programs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently there are &lt;strong&gt;four open Board seats&lt;/strong&gt;, and applicants from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply. Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/94&quot;&gt;Minnesota Secretary of State’s office website&lt;/a&gt; to apply.
&lt;br /&gt;
By law, this board is chaired by the Commissioner of DEED and includes the chair of the Metropolitan Council, the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, and 12 members of the public appointed by Governor Walz. Requirements ensure representation on the Board from the various groups named in the enabling legislation. Those requirements include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nine of the public members must be representatives from minority business enterprises. No more than six of the public members may be of one gender. At least one member must be a representative from a veteran-owned business, and at least one member must be a representative from a business owned by a person with disabilities. Appointments must ensure balanced geographic representation. At least half of the public members must have experience working to address racial income disparities. All public members must be experienced in business or economic development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Current board members&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gloria Howard&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grover Jones&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Edna Mckenzie &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Apee Ochudho &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kenneth Rance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tohow Siyad&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lakisha Witter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adeline Wright &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>523272</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:34:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Blog on Quarterly business leaders call</Description><Audience/><Title>Quarterly Minnesota Business Leaders Call</Title><Publisher/><Subject>business</Subject><Subject>grants</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Quarterly Minnesota Business Leaders Meeting Provides Important Updates </Title><title>2022-03-19 biz meeting blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-521905&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-18T18:03:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Business leaders from across the state came together virtually Thursday for the quarterly Minnesota Business Leaders meeting. Agency leaders from the Departments of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Commerce, Labor &amp; Industry (DLI), and Revenue (DOR) shared relevant updates and answered questions from participants.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business leaders from across the state came together virtually Thursday for the quarterly Minnesota Business Leaders meeting. Agency leaders from the Departments of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Commerce, Labor &amp;amp; Industry (DLI), and Revenue (DOR) shared relevant updates and answered questions from participants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State agency leaders included several of the additional supplemental budget proposals announced Thursday by Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan. If you missed Thursday’s meeting, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/NZnLvq0vH2U&quot;&gt;you can watch the recording.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/NZnLvq0vH2U&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/youtube%20play%20image.%20png_tcm1045-521904.png&quot; title=&quot;click screen to play YouTube&quot; alt=&quot;click screen to play YouTube&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 225px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;youtube play image. png&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next quarterly Minnesota Business Leaders Meeting is June 16 at 11 a.m. If you want to learn more from the State of Minnesota and receive an invite to these quarterly business meetings, sign up through &lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjKmIcM_WdEpAg5g6duYxIU5UN1c2Rk5ETUlSTzlJTFNTUzM1M1hUMTBSVS4u&quot;&gt;this form.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>521905</id><Tag><Description/><Title>small businesses</Title><Id>230110</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>business expansion</Title><Id>230099</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:34:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>March’s discussion focused on strategies for engaging and supporting Minnesota’s workforce with disabilities.</Description><Audience/><Title>Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining People with Disabilities  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining People with Disabilities  </Title><title>2022-03-09 Workforce Wednesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-521048&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-09T15:59:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>March’s discussion focused on strategies for engaging and supporting Minnesota’s workforce with disabilities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce%20wednesday%20march%202_tcm1045-521044.PNG&quot; title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-march&quot; alt=&quot;workforce-wednesday-march&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 240px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-march&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday is an opportunity for Minnesota employers to come together and share their stories and strategies on how they’re addressing current workforce challenges. These sessions take place the first Wednesday of every month. March’s discussion focused on strategies for engaging and supporting Minnesota’s workforce with disabilities. Here are some of the key takeaways we heard from our panel of employers.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Please describe your company and experience working with people with disabilities &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Touchstone Mental Health provides services to adults affected by mental illness in a variety of different ways. Many of our staff have hidden disabilities and learning to navigate that is very important for our company.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew Robertson, Owner &amp;amp; General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We’ve focused on working with kids coming out of high school who are still figuring out what they want to do. We work really closely with Vocational Rehabilitation Services and we try to give them skills and opportunities for their eventual career paths. If they decide they like working in cabinetry and carpentry that’s great, but if they decide it’s not for them, we’re just happy they gained valuable experience.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are some strategies for recruitment and retention that create an inclusive and supportive work environment? &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew Robertson, Owner &amp;amp; General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We set out clear expectations and have open and honest conversations with the individual student on what they are looking to get out of it.  We start slow, give them tours, and over time we give them more responsibilities as they get more comfortable in the work environment. It’s fun to see their personalities come out as their responsibilities grow. It helps that we have a foreman who has a heart and a talent for this work. Our entire company is aware of our involvement in the program and the expectation is that all employees will invest in the students and the program. It’s part of our company’s culture.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We looked at our hiring process and created an end-of-interview evaluation so that we rely less on gut feel when interviewing because there is a bias to hiring people like ourselves. We want everyone to take a big picture approach. We also think about things like elevators and making sure our workspace is manageable for all people. We have a staff person with limited mobility and before that we hadn’t really thought about our surroundings in that way before.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What are some examples of success stories in your company? &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We have a strong care and resiliency policy by providing a lot of time off for staff and we want people to use it and take care of themselves. Since the pandemic, it’s helped people overall. When hiring people with disabilities we’ve ramped up their caseloads in a slower way so people who take a bit longer to learn can feel comfortable with their work. We also like to be aware of the language we use so that we can take the stigma out of words like disability.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew Robertson, Owner &amp;amp; General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The more hours and responsibility we give certain staff, the more they enjoy the work. We worked with someone who wasn’t a good fit for our company, but he was able to find something else that worked better for him and we’re just happy he found something he enjoys doing as a career. We consider that a success.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What value have people with disabilities brought to your workplace?  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew Robertson, Owner &amp;amp; General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There’s personal fulfillment in being part of it and seeing the student’s development over time. People come out of their shell and you get to really know them. There’s also a financial benefit. Those simple tasks are still very valuable and important to our profitability. It’s also part of our core values as a company culture. All individuals who have come through this program have added a benefit to our company that’s invaluable.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As an organization with a mission to support adults with mental health issues, we also want to support our employees and their mental health. It’s important that we walk that talk. From a business perspective, people with disabilities have lower turnover which is helpful for us. We also offer part-time positions because it’s what some people are more comfortable doing and it provides us stability in our work schedules.    &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Share one key takeaway for businesses considering hiring People with Disabilities &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew Robertson, Owner &amp;amp; General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Working with DEED and the VRS program, it’s been a positive experience and we’ll continue to do it as long as I own the business.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lean on your networks. The contacts at DEED and VRS are amazing and they are looking for win-win solutions. Connect with other HR professionals and discover what is working at other companies. It’s helpful for everyone.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of February’s session and other past sessions, plus view related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjAzMDkuNTQ2MzU1OTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jYXJlZXJmb3JjZW1uLmNvbS9Xb3JrZm9yY2VXZWRuZXNkYXkifQ.dSE0qDkDdBHPa5MT6MoIb8WAo5pfBZBJdvFW9MhWVoo/s/180860426/br/127807225841-l&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>521048</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:34:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Blog on latest Reemployment after COVID 19 report from Alessia Leibert from Commissioner Steve Grove</Description><Audience/><Title>How DEED uses data to create insights on economic inequality </Title><Publisher/><Subject>trends</Subject><Subject>Data</Subject><Subject>BIPOC</Subject><Subject>Reemployment</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>How DEED uses data to create insights on economic inequality </Title><title>2022-03-08 Remployment blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-520930&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-08T18:02:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED’s agency-wide goal in 2022 is to drive an economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s agency-wide goal in 2022 is to &lt;em&gt;drive an economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth&lt;/em&gt;. In order to do that, we need to know who was most negatively impacted and how systemic barriers play a role in that negative impact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is plenty of data to show that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Minnesotans bore the brunt of job and wage loss during the pandemic. But a deeper dive into the data reveals additional information about what factors – like occupation, industry, part-time vs. full-time work status, and educational attainment – influenced job loss, the ability to find new employment and, very critically, the ability to find new employment that paid as well or better than a person’s previous job.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are fortunate to have an outstanding Labor Market Information (LMI) team here at DEED. New research from one of the LMI team members, Alessia Leibert, highlights which Minnesotans suffered the most time out of work and experienced the greatest loss of wages following a pandemic layoff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alessia’s article &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/march-2022/reemployment.jsp&quot;&gt;Reemployment after COVID-19 layoffs in Minnesota: Who&apos;s getting left behind?&lt;/a&gt; is a good example of how our department uses data to create new insights and inform decision-making.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this article, Alessia examines the spring 2021 employment status of Minnesotans who filed for unemployment benefits during the initial months of the pandemic. It shows that more than three-quarters of those laid off were working in spring 2021. But it also shows a two-tiered recovery with workers who are Black, over age 55, or who have lower educational attainment being the most likely to suffer long-term unemployment and significant wage loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, when we get insights like this from our LMI office, what does DEED do about them?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One example is our CareerForce System. DEED and our workforce development partners throughout the state use economic insights to focus on transforming the customer experience in the CareerForce system. Our changes are rooted in a proactive approach to serve the customers who need us most. That means reaching out to people where they are, in their communities, in places like libraries and community centers. This proactive outreach helps us provide career exploration, information about training opportunities and job search assistance to those most impacted by not only the pandemic over the past two years, but by systemic barriers that date back decades.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CareerForce and its shift to a more proactive approach to serve people is just one example of what DEED is doing to break down barriers. Equity-driven work is taking place across all of our offices and includes providing Minnesota Main Street Economic Revitalization Program assistance to businesses impacted by the pandemic, engaging in new models to serve people with disabilities, assisting start-ups through Launch Minnesota – with an emphasis on BIPOC-, women- and veteran-owned businesses – and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As all of us at DEED continue to strive for a truly equitable economic recovery, research like that done by Alessia helps us hone our programs and services to connect with those who need our support the most. You can find out more about what DEED is doing to assist people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth on our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-we-do/objectives-plans/strategic.jsp&quot;&gt;strategic plan page&lt;/a&gt;, which includes goals, benchmarks we’ve set for ourselves and scorecards from past years.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>520930</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:34:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month we covered the importance of attracting and retaining Minnesota’s BIPOC workforce for employers. </Description><Audience/><Title>March’s Immigrant and Refugee Affair Forum Highlights Importance of BIPOC Workforce    </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>March’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Importance of BIPOC Workforce    </Title><title>2022-03-03 March Immigrant Affairs Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-520425&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-03T19:47:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>This month we covered the importance of attracting and retaining Minnesota’s BIPOC workforce for employers. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/immigrant%20and%20refugees%20affair%20forum%20March%202022_tcm1045-520413.PNG&quot; title=&quot;immigrant-forum-screenshot-march&quot; alt=&quot;immigrant-forum-screenshot-march&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 256px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;immigrant-forum-screenshot-march&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we covered the importance of attracting and retaining Minnesota’s BIPOC workforce for employers. We also shared transportation resources from Metro Transit and highlighted several workforce programs available here at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Engaging with Minnesota’s BIPOC Workforce &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED’s Workforce Strategy Consultant, Adesewa Adeseji, shared employers’ best practices for attracting and retaining BIPOC talent. BIPOC engagement is important for all employers because the face of Minnesota’s workforce is changing and will continue to change. And with the current workforce shortage, employees are at an advantage with more employment opportunities, so employers need to be more creative in their hiring efforts. Now is the perfect time to consider talent populations that may have been overlooked by employers.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the advantages of hiring BIPOC employees include increased productivity and creativity thanks to a wider range of experiences and skillsets. Hiring employees with diverse backgrounds can also help companies better understand a more diverse customer base that can give them a competitive advantage. Some recruiting strategies for attracting a more diverse workforce include going out into the BIPOC communities and showing a genuine desire to build relationships with these communities. Companies can show that by participating in local events and celebrations. Having current BIPOC staff involved in developing your company’s recruitment strategies shows employees you care about their input and are putting honest thought into recruitment efforts. Making sure to address potential biases in the application process will also help companies attract diverse talent pools.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once more people with diverse backgrounds are hired, companies have to make sure these employees feel welcome. Acknowledging and celebrating cultural differences and promoting a “Work to Live” and not a “Live to Work” environment are a couple ways companies can embrace and retain their  BIPOC workforce. Supporting career growth through advancement opportunities and remaining competitive with wages, benefits and perks will also set companies up for future success.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find more information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.careerforcemn.com%2FWorkforceWednesday&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7Cc796c9f83cbb42c9e35208d9fd32965a%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637819215994674336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;amp;sdata=oMLBCblrUjmzOIvPwcrUljy0T6yXWBJele7Ux%2B4vHrE%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources and strategies for engaging with Minnesota’s BIPOC workforce on Careerforcemn.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Transportation Services for Immigrant, Refugees and Afghan Evacuees  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yumi Nagaoka, Public Involvement Supervisor from Metro Transit, shared transportation resources for new Minnesotans.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Their team offers “How to Ride” presentations that can be taught in a classroom setting or on board one of their trains or buses to groups who want help learning how to ride Metro Transit.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For those ready to ride, but who don’t speak English, they can use the Language Line which is a free phone service with access to 170 different languages. Customers can call the Language Line at 612-373-3333 to have their transportation-related questions answered.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metrotransit.org%2Ftap-riders&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7Cc796c9f83cbb42c9e35208d9fd32965a%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637819215994674336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;amp;sdata=oKM2O3YFv8QVOoWKqFK99NQ2UTy7LkJHH6eyNXP0YYE%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Transit Assistance Program (TAP)&lt;/a&gt; allows eligible riders to pay $1 fares for their trips. The program was created to make public transit more affordable for lower income residents. Individuals can enroll in person, online or by mail, and organizations can become partners and sign up their own clients for the TAP pass. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Welcoming Women and Other Underrepresented Groups in Construction &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The recent forum also covered a unique opportunity for a good-paying career in the highway construction industry. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and DEED provide job training opportunities for women and BIPOC community members who are underrepresented in the highway construction industry. Classes for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.careerforcemn.com%2Fwelcoming-women-and-other-underrepresented-groups-construction&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7Cc796c9f83cbb42c9e35208d9fd32965a%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637819215994674336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;amp;sdata=s3k%2B%2FtsoSypalSeVDjFpX5qWgTZ8ZCKgwx1fFTYY8z8%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Highway Heavy Construction Training and Job Placement&lt;/a&gt; begin this spring. If you have questions on this training opportunity, please contact Sylvia Garcia at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sylvia.garcia@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;sylvia.garcia@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Updates  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Margaret Odanga from DEED’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/recently-unemployed/layoff/trade-adjustment-assistance.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Trade Adjustment Assistance Program&lt;/a&gt; gave an overview of how they help workers who’ve lost their jobs due to increased foreign trade activity. Once it&apos;s determined that the applicant either lost their job or had their hours and wages reduced due to federal trade activity, they can enroll for assistance. Workers may be eligible for training services, job search allowances, relocation allowances and reemployment services. TAA can help trade-impacted workers obtain the skills necessary to gain suitable employment in other high-demand industries. TAA will pay 100 percent of tuition, course fees, books and required supplies and equipment, transportation and other items or services deemed necessary for the completion of an approved occupational skills training program. Since January of 2018, TAA has served 134 individuals that indicated their status as an immigrant or a refugee.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month’s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXVVe1NOAJ6Q&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7CDarren.Eck%40state.mn.us%7Cc796c9f83cbb42c9e35208d9fd32965a%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637819215994674336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;amp;sdata=qRtAfv%2BwjUhyDPy%2BtySc%2BBrb%2Fn1i97COaYSceXjQL2U%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>520425</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:34:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>At DEED, our agency’s mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. Every year, our agency leadership creates goals – and metrics for success – that provide a roadmap for how we can best meet that mission. Today we’re sharing our 2022 goals with the public, so that you know what we’re focused on – and can hold us accountable. </Description><Audience/><Title>DEED’s Goals in 2022 </Title><Publisher/><Subject>OKR</Subject><Subject>DEED</Subject><Subject>Economy</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED’s Goals in 2022 – Building an Equitable Economic Recovery</Title><title>2022-03-02-OKR-2021-2022-blog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-520285&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-02T19:39:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today we’re sharing our 2022 goals with the public, so that you know what we’re focused on – and can hold us accountable. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>March 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/deed-staff-collage_tcm1045-519530.png&quot; title=&quot;deed-staff-collage&quot; alt=&quot;deed-staff-collage&quot; style=&quot;font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: top; width: 500px; height: 125px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deed-staff-collage&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, our agency’s mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. Every year, our agency leadership creates goals – and metrics for success – that provide a roadmap for how we can best meet that mission. Today we’re sharing our 2022 goals with the public, so that you know what we’re focused on – and can hold us accountable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This planning process is grounded in the Governor and Lt. Governor’s vision of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/one-mn-plan/one-minnesota-plan-building-blocks.pdf&quot;&gt;One Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;, and is informed by the thousands of conversations DEED leaders and staff have with job seekers, business owners, industry leaders, labor representatives and many others across Minnesota every year. And as always, our work is guided by decisions made by your elected representatives at the state legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The system we use to set goals and track progress is called OKRs, which stands for Objectives and Key Results. The Objectives describe our goals, and the Key Results are definable outcomes against which we measure our success on a 0-1 scale.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2022, our top goal is &lt;em&gt;to drive an economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To meet that top goal, every major division of DEED has set its own ambitious goals focused on making systemic changes to our work focused on equity. That’s because we know the kind of change this moment demands won’t happen if just one team is focused on more equitable outcomes – we all have to be rowing in the same direction.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve brought in national and local leaders – from the McKnight Foundation, the NAACP, Ashoka, the YMCA, the Federal Reserve, and others – to share their experiences and thoughts on spearheading systemic change to eliminate racial and other disparities in society. These insights helped us further shape our planning process and set OKRs focused on reducing these disparities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can see each of our equity goals on a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-we-do/objectives-plans/strategic.jsp&quot;&gt;new hub we’ve launched to house DEED’s yearly planning documents and scorecards.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also know our agency won’t achieve our mission unless we’re working collaboratively across our teams and with stakeholders on some of the biggest opportunities we have to build a more effective agency to spark growth. To that end, we’ve set goals on five big priority projects that involve multiple divisions working together as “One DEED” for Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Those five priority projects are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build a new customer experience in our CareerForce system, rooted in a proactive approach to serve the customers that need us most.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Successfully implement all new economic recovery grant programs that come from the 2021-22 legislative sessions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Land a dynamic new communications &amp;amp; marketing campaign to promote Minnesota’s economy to the country and the world.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create more opportunity for job seekers and businesses by significantly strengthening the relationship between DEED’s workforce and economic development systems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build a positive internal culture that makes DEED an extraordinary place to work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I invite you to take a deeper look at our goals, as well as view the goals we’ve set over the past three years, at a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/what-we-do/objectives-plans/strategic.jsp&quot;&gt;new hub we’ve launched to house all of DEED’s goals &amp;amp; outcomes.&lt;/a&gt;  As always, we welcome your feedback.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>520285</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:34:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Up to $41 million in economic redevelopment funds available to partner organizations.</Description><Audience/><Title>RFP Closes Today for Main Street Economic Revitalization Funding  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>RFP Closes Today for Main Street Economic Revitalization Funding  </Title><title>2022-02-28 main-street-deadline-today</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-519803&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-28T21:12:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Up to $41 million in economic redevelopment funds available to partner organizations.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr_tcm1045-516471.jpg&quot; title=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; alt=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 333px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today is the final day to submit a proposal for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) second round of Main Street Economic Revitalization Program funding. This $80 million statewide economic redevelopment program will award grants to partner organizations to establish programs targeting specific main streets and commercial corridors in their regions that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects. These projects will address the greatest needs that have arisen in our communities since March 15, 2020, and spur economic revitalization across Minnesota.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals are accepted from eligible partner organizations, which include foundations engaged in economic development; community development financial institutions; and nonprofit organizations engaged in housing and commercial development. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;request for proposals (RFP)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is open through &lt;strong&gt;4 p.m. today, February 28, 2022&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gG64kzBPBhE&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The February 8 information session about the RFP is still available for viewing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A total of $80 million is available in grants to partner organizations. $38 million was awarded in the first round, and up to $41 million is available in this second round. It is expected that at least half the funds in the second round will be awarded to partner organizations serving communities outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Main Street Revitalization Program partner organizations will be publicly announced in the spring of 2022. Each partner organization receiving a grant will be responsible for conducting outreach and soliciting requests for assistance from property owners, businesses and developers. Partner organizations will then launch programs within their communities to provide grants and loans to businesses, nonprofit organizations and developers – funds which can be used for the demolition, repair, renovation and construction of eligible projects. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As a reminder, only partner organizations apply to DEED through this RFP&lt;/strong&gt;. Once selected, the list of partner organizations will be publicly available along with their contact information and instructions on how to request assistance for a specific eligible project. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/emergency-programs/economic-revitalization/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Main Street Economic Revitalization Program section of DEED’s website&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. If you have additional questions about the Main Street Economic Revitalization grants, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MSERP.DEED@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MSERP.DEED@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>519803</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:33:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Up to $41 million in economic redevelopment funds available to partner organizations.</Description><Audience/><Title>RFP closes February 28 for Main Street Economic Revitalization Funding  </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>RFP closes February 28 for Main Street Economic Revitalization Funding  </Title><title>2022-02-22 main-street-deadline-reminder</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-519319&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-22T21:07:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Up to $41 million in economic redevelopment funds available to partner organizations.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr_tcm1045-516471.jpg&quot; title=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; alt=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 333px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) invites proposals for the second round of Main Street Economic Revitalization Program funding. This $80 million statewide economic redevelopment program will award grants to partner organizations to establish programs targeting specific main streets and commercial corridors in their regions that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects. These projects will address the greatest needs that have arisen in our communities since March 15, 2020, and spur economic revitalization across Minnesota.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals are accepted from eligible partner organizations, which include foundations engaged in economic development; community development financial institutions; and nonprofit organizations engaged in housing and commercial development. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The request for proposals (RFP)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is open, and proposals are due by &lt;strong&gt;4 p.m. on February 28, 2022&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gG64kzBPBhE&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The February 8 information session is available for viewing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“In the second round of this program, we are looking to expand on the efforts to help Minnesota recover from the crisis of the last two years,” said &lt;strong&gt;DEED Commissioner Steve Grove&lt;/strong&gt;. “Not only will these investments create jobs, they will also help energize economic revitalization throughout communities across Minnesota.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partner organizations selected for grants will then launch programs within their communities to provide grants and loans to businesses, nonprofit organizations and developers – funds which can be used for the demolition, repair, renovation and construction of eligible projects. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“These investments will jumpstart the rebuilding process in Minnesota,” said &lt;strong&gt;Maureen Ramirez, Director of Economic Opportunity at DEED&lt;/strong&gt;. “Strong small businesses make our communities stronger, and these investments help build economic wealth.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A total of $80 million is available in grants to partner organizations. $38 million was awarded in the first round, and up to $41 million is available in this second round. It is expected that at least half the funds in the second round will be awarded to partner organizations serving communities outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Main Street Revitalization Program partner organizations will be publicly announced in the spring of 2022. Each partner organization receiving a grant will be responsible for conducting outreach and soliciting requests for assistance from property owners, businesses and developers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Eligible recipients will not apply directly to DEED for funding – only to the partner organizations&lt;/strong&gt;. Once selected, the list of partner organizations will be publicly available along with their contact information and instructions on how to request assistance for a specific eligible project. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/emergency-programs/economic-revitalization/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Main Street Economic Revitalization Program section of DEED’s website&lt;/a&gt;. If you have additional questions about the Main Street Economic Revitalization grants, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MSERP.DEED@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;MSERP.DEED@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>519319</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:33:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Here are some of the key takeaways we heard from our panel of employers.</Description><Audience/><Title>Strategies for Engaging with Minnesota’s BIPOC Workforce</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Strategies for Engaging with Minnesota’s BIPOC Workforce</Title><title>2022-02-17 Workforce Wednesday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-518987&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-17T22:05:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Here are some of the key takeaways we heard from our panel of employers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/workforce%20wednesday%202_tcm1045-518983.PNG&quot; title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;workforce-wednesday-screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 475px; height: 247px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workforce-wednesday-screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday is an opportunity for Minnesota employers to come together and share their stories and strategies on how they&apos;re addressing current workforce challenges. These sessions take place the first Wednesday of every month. February&apos;s session covered ways to engage with Minnesota&apos;s BIPOC workforce. Here are some of the key takeaways we heard from our panel of employers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is it so important to emphasize engagement with the BIPOC workforce?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angel Uddin – Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The workforce of the future is changing, and we need to keep up – not just in hiring people from the BIPOC community, but also realizing that consumers are changing as well. Companies that are more diverse, are more successful companies because they understand their consumers and know you can&apos;t use a one-size-fits-all approach to how you do business.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Miguel Rocha – Manager of Diversity and Inclusion - Mortenson Construction&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nearly 59 million immigrants have arrived in the U.S. in the last 50 years. 14% of the population is foreign born compared to just 5% in 1965. This just shows it&apos;s going to be important to be more representative of our communities. Minnesota is going to be more diverse and we need to be prepared to serve our employees and our customers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does meaningful engagement with the BIPOC workforce look like at your company?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lana Oswaldson Band Member Recruitment Manager – Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To help reduce barriers, we created a Development Director program which was a callout to our tribal members who were interested in exploring careers with our corporate venture businesses. We received 60 applications and we were able to employ 30 tribal members in leadership roles and it was a big accomplishment for us. We also have a Junior Ambassador Program where we offer 14- to 18-year-olds internships where they are given training and a job at the end.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angel Uddin – Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Before you go out to engage with various BIPOC communities, you need to make sure your house is in order first. You need to make sure you&apos;re walking the talk, before you go out into market. For us we focused on four pillars that included recruiting, culture competence of our leaders, mitigating bias in practices and procedures, and focusing on advancement for the purpose of retention. We also reached out to other organizations like GreaterMSP which has a program called ConnextMSP that ensures young professional people of color are recruited, hired and supported by local employers as they launch their careers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary Knudsen – Human Resources Manager - Grede Holdings LLC, St. Cloud&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We looked beyond our St. Cloud area and started an initiative where we worked with an agency in Puerto Rico and hired people to move up here to Minnesota to work. We paid for their housing and transportation and focused on helping them feel part of the community. Now that they&apos;re embedded in our community, they&apos;re helping give us referrals for new employees based on their word of mouth with the program.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Miguel Rocha – Manager of Diversity and Inclusion - Mortenson Construction&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There needs to be a relationship first. You have to be involved with the community. Word gets out and if you don&apos;t come across as genuine, you won&apos;t have success in recruiting BIPOC members. Don&apos;t make your current BIPOC employees do the work for you by making them go out and make the connections for your company. Make sure your BIPOC employees feel supported. Create opportunities within your company to discuss DEI topics via monthly lunch and learns. Build community relations by volunteering.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can businesses do to be more welcoming to immigrants and New Americans?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angel Uddin – Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You need to be looking at the entire spectrum because the absence of one of those BIPOC voices can be critical. As we sent out COVID-19 vaccine buses to marginalized communities we made sure to work with authority leaders in the community so that people trusted us.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary Knudsen – Human Resources Manager= Grede Holdings LLC, St. Cloud&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You need to get to know your employees and be interested in them. Your employees are a great resource to learn about different communities that you might not have considered. At our organization we removed language barriers by hiring interpreters and all our documents are now translated into at least 3 different languages. Offering different food options for people at events can also show you care.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Miguel Rocha – Manager of Diversity and Inclusion - Mortenson Construction&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To get employees you&apos;ve never had, you need to build strategies that you&apos;ve never done. It might feel a bit uncomfortable and a bit out of the box, but it&apos;s what needs to happen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can businesses build trust with communities they historically overlooked?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Miguel Rocha – Manager of Diversity and Inclusion - Mortenson Construction&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You have to give back what you took away. You need to invest heavily into communities to build that trust.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angel Uddin – Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acknowledge where your company fell short. Drop your ego. Ask: what can we do to fix it? One thing we&apos;ve done to remove artificial barriers is revisit our job descriptions and ask ourselves if certain requirements are really necessary for the job or is it just a nice to have? We have to stop having unrealistic expectations and open the door for someone who doesn&apos;t meet all the criteria, but has the general skillsets needed to perform the job.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the one takeaway you want businesses to learn from this session?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Miguel Rocha – Manager of Diversity and Inclusion - Mortenson Construction&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The talent is out there. Get involved. Every company has a chance to make a change. Go out and make a change.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View a recording of February&apos;s session and other past sessions, plus view related resources you can download and use, on the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/WorkforceWednesday&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read more about &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/careerforce-blog/workforce-wednesday-inspires-deeper-discussion-about-engaging-minnesotas-bipoc&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;this month&apos;s Workforce Wednesday session on CareerForceMN.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us in March when we&apos;ll discuss strategies for engaging and supporting Minnesota&apos;s workforce with disabilities. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjJmg2F8uYvRHt2DWgQYwULVUQU1GVUY1QkFNUFFIUDlTRlM1T0tUNEpBMy4u&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Register now&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>518987</id><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:33:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Commissioner Grove writes about the new JoinUsMN ad campaign and the need to promote the state economy abroad.</Description><Audience/><Title>Promoting Minnesota critical for attracting businesses, entrepreneurs</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>Marketing</Subject><Subject>economy</Subject><Subject>state to state competition</Subject><Subject>JoinUsMN</Subject><Subject>Twin Cities</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Op-ed by Commissioner Grove published in Duluth News Tribune</Title><title>2022-02-16 JoinUsBlog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-518963&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-16T18:49:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>The pandemic has made where you work more flexible than ever before, and new business starts are on the rise across the country. That kind of mobility and dynamism puts every state in a competitive marketplace.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;This op-ed was originally published in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/columns/deed-commissioners-view-promoting-minnesota-critical-for-attracting-businesses-entrepreneurs&quot; style=&quot;color: blue;&quot;&gt;Duluth News Tribune.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In an economy that’s been disrupted in almost every way these past few years, it can be hard to point to one single indicator of how well we’re doing as a state. But in a highly competitive environment for workers and jobs, there&apos;s one question I find myself coming back to again and again: Where are people and businesses moving to?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The pandemic has made where you work more flexible than ever before, and new business starts are on the rise across the country. That kind of mobility and dynamism puts every state in a competitive marketplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A recent report from Minnesota State Demographer Susan Brower showed that last year, Minnesota lost around 13,000 residents, a little over two people per 1,000 in the state. While these numbers aren’t huge, they aren’t headed in the right direction — and they continue a broader trend over the last two decades, as outlined in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnchamber.com/sites/default/files/2030%20full%20report%20-%2005.07.21.pdf&quot;&gt;Minnesota Chamber’s “Minnesota 2030” report&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business starts, on the other hand, have increased significantly in Minnesota. Entrepreneurs started 42% more businesses last year than in 2019. People are trying new things here and hoping to build Minnesota&apos;s next Fortune 500, which would bring new jobs and opportunity to our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One thing is certain: In this moment of economic fluidity, we can’t afford to sit back and hope that Minnesota will come out on top. For far too long, Minnesota has been too humble about our considerable strengths.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s why the Department of Employment &amp;amp; Economic Development recently launched a new platform at &lt;a href=&quot;joinusmn.com&quot;&gt;joinusmn.com&lt;/a&gt;, seeking to attract businesses and people to Minnesota. Our strong business climate, our talented workforce, and our quality of life all contribute to the case for, “Why Minnesota?” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The platform has a host of &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/index.jsp&quot;&gt;resources&lt;/a&gt; for what Minnesota offers, as well as &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/why-mn/rankings/&quot;&gt;rankings&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/why-mn/our-stories/&quot;&gt;stories&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/doing-business-here/location-expansion-assistance/&quot;&gt;regional snapshots.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The central theme of the message is rooted in positioning Minnesota as the “problem-solving capital” of the country. It&apos;s an idea backed by data: We have one of the hardest-working workforces in the country and one of the best business-survivability rates in the nation. The tagline “Build What Matters in Minnesota” elevates that people here care about what they do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The result is an economy that has punched far above its weight for a long time, leading to many world-changing innovations in medicine, technology, agriculture, and beyond.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, we’ve been holding roundtables across the state with business leaders and have been hearing an exuberance for what Minnesota has to offer the world. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“‘Why Minnesota? I like to say, ‘Why not Minnesota?!’ because it has so much to offer,” said Mark Emmel, president and COO of the Lion Hotel Group, at a recent roundtable in Duluth. “This includes a fantastic education system, which also helps with workforce development.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At a Mankato roundtable, Jeff Chambers, founder of sports startup Kato Collar, said, “We raised slightly over $1 million in Minnesota to get my business going, and the Angel Tax Credit was a major factor in that fundraising because it gave us credibility with investors. Minnesota cities, counties, and state government are incredible resources for growing businesses.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This legislative session, Gov. Tim Walz’s budget includes a recommendation for marketing dollars to promote Minnesota to key audiences, something other states do all the time. It is critical to share our message with those who’d consider moving to our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Promoting Minnesota on the global stage comes at a critical time. We know the view of our state these last few years has been influenced largely by the killing of George Floyd and the essential racial reckoning that followed. Our message must not ignore that fact but rather embrace that this is an inflection point in Minnesota. On our platform, we point to a host of &lt;a href=&quot;https://joinusmn.com/why-mn/inclusive-growth/&quot;&gt;examples&lt;/a&gt; of business, government, and community efforts to address racial disparities in our state. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We can be honest about our journey and still promote our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a critical juncture in the global economy. It demands bold action by states wanting to author the next chapter. And that means attracting more people and more business to Minnesota. We hope leaders across the state can embrace this new campaign to place Minnesota where it belongs: on a list of the best places to live and do business in the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Steve Grove originally wrote this as an op-ed for the Duluth News Tribune.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>518963</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:33:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month we heard from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as well as a variety of updates from community partners and state agencies.</Description><Audience/><Title>February’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Afghan Evacuee Resources and Foreign Health Care Worker Grant Program    </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum Highlights Afghan Evacuee Resources and Foreign Health Care Worker Grant Program    </Title><title>2022-02-10 February Immigrant Affairs Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-518244&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-10T22:56:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>This month we heard from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as well as a variety of updates from community partners and state agencies. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/mR6zjNvwvFM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/anisa%20forum%20with%20button%20left_tcm1045-518243.png&quot; title=&quot;anisa forum with button left&quot; alt=&quot;anisa forum with button left&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 245px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;anisa forum with button left&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we heard from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as well as a variety of updates from community partners and state agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Updates from the Department of Public Safety&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pong Xiong from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&apos;s Driver and Vehicle Services Division &lt;a href=&quot;https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/assets/images/afghans-drivers.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;shared information&lt;/a&gt; regarding the requirements needed for resettled Afghan evacuees to obtain a Minnesota driver&apos;s license or ID card. He also mentioned a supplemental budget proposal that would allow the collection of race data on license applications. This information would be shared with the office of Traffic Safety to be used in correlation with traffic stop data. This information would not be printed on license cards and it would not be available to law enforcement. This question would be optional on license applications. There is lots of interest and potential concern around this proposal and more information will be shared if the legislation is passed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Internationally Trained Professionals Competitive Grant Program Overview&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED&apos;s Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Maureen Ramirez shared information on the Internationally Trained Professionals Competitive Grant Program. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Request for Proposal was reissued&lt;/a&gt; on Wednesday, February 9. The application will remain open until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 28.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This program helps internationally trained health care workers earn the professional licenses required to do similar work in Minnesota – which will lead to more qualified health care workers available for this critical sector of the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The program will make grants up to $400,000 over two years to qualified organizations to assist internationally trained health care professionals in gaining licensure. Eligible organizations are state or local government units including two or four-year post-secondary institutions, nonprofit/community-based organizations, community action agencies, or labor organizations physically located in Minnesota and with experience serving immigrant and refugee populations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An &lt;a href=&quot;https://intercall.webex.com/wbxmjs/joinservice/sites/intercall/meeting/download/449c466f34a24440b2a97b32f3b636cc?siteurl=intercall&amp;amp;MTID=me3020f44ceed44471605ac7757e194e4&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;RFP Informational Webinar&lt;/a&gt; will be held on February 15 at 3:00 p.m. For those not able to join, recordings of the virtual sessions will be available on DEED&apos;s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community Updates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anjuli Cameron, Research Director at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/capm/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans&lt;/a&gt;, spoke on her work with the Afghan evacuees&apos; resettlement in Minnesota. Donation items that are currently needed include belts for men and boys, toys for kids, bras for women, as well as professional clothing. Sewing machines and sewing kits are also in demand. Donations can be dropped off at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/bloomington/mspja/hoteldetail&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Holiday Inn Express in Bloomington&lt;/a&gt; at the front desk, day or night. There is also an option to purchase items for Afghan evacuees from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/AF90YNV1ZAAB/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex?pldnSite=1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Alight organization&apos;s Amazon Wish List&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lillian Otieno, Emerging Farmer Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), shared information about the new &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mda.state.mn.us/emerging-farmers-working-group&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Emerging Farmers Working Group&lt;/a&gt;. This office was created to identify and break down barriers which have historically prevented existing MDA programs from reaching underrepresented communities. To learn more, attend their next &lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_MDk1YjYxOTUtMzVmMS00OWExLTg1YzYtYzFlYzYwODMwNTUx%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%25228fb3a2ed-6e44-4b1d-af32-e309a54bff50%2522%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&amp;amp;type=meetup-join&amp;amp;deeplinkId=2d4d0eff-8535-4a77-9ae5-30e4d778e658&amp;amp;directDl=true&amp;amp;msLaunch=true&amp;amp;enableMobilePage=true&amp;amp;suppressPrompt=true&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;public meeting on February 11 at 1pm via Microsoft Teams&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michelle Rivero, Director of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs at the City of Minneapolis, shared about a municipal level monthly forum that gives updates and shares topics of interest to immigrant, refugee and new American communities. The next &lt;a href=&quot;https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/ncr/immigrant-refugee-affairs/immigration-refugee-events/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;meeting is Tuesday, March 8 at 4:30pm&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lisa Perez, Founder and CEO of Prosperity Ready, shared about her organization&apos;s recently completed pilot program focused on supporting degreed immigrant job seekers. Their next cohort will launch in May. For more information &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:lisa@prosperityready.org&quot;&gt;reach out to Lisa via email to learn more about the program&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month&apos;s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/mR6zjNvwvFM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the discussion on DEED&apos;s YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>518244</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:33:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Main Street Webinar Was hosted today.</Description><Audience/><Title>Main Street Economic Revitalization Webinar</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Grants</Subject><Subject>Webinar</Subject><Subject>Main Street</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Hosts Webinar on Main Street Economic Revitalization Funding </Title><title>2022-02-08 Main-Street-Webinar</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-518115&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-08T16:34:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>DEED will award grants to partner organizations to establish programs targeting specific main streets and commercial corridors in their regions that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>February 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr_tcm1045-516471.jpg&quot; title=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; alt=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 333px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;RS29414_IMG_7472a-scr&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In support of the second round of funding through the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) hosted an information session today to share details about the $80 million available for statewide economic redevelopment. DEED will award grants to partner organizations to establish programs targeting specific main streets and commercial corridors in their regions that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These projects will address the greatest needs that have arisen in our communities since March 15, 2020, and spur economic revitalization across Minnesota. A total of $41 million is available in this second round of funding for partner organizations. &lt;strong&gt;The recording of today’s information session, with details about eligibility and applying for funding, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gG64kzBPBhE&quot;&gt;is now available&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“In the second round of this program, we are looking to expand on the efforts to help Minnesota recover from the crisis of the last two years,” said &lt;strong&gt;DEED Commissioner Steve Grove&lt;/strong&gt;. “Not only will these investments create jobs, they will also help energize economic revitalization throughout communities across Minnesota.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals are accepted from eligible partner organizations, which include foundations engaged in economic development; community development financial institutions; and nonprofit organizations engaged in housing and commercial development. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;request for proposals (RFP)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is open, and proposals are due by &lt;strong&gt;4 p.m. on February 28, 2022&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“This is a unique opportunity for nonprofit partner organizations to lead revitalization efforts in their communities,” said &lt;strong&gt;DEED Deputy Commissioner of Economic Development and Research Kevin McKinnon.&lt;/strong&gt; “We hope to see a broad range of creative proposals.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partner organizations selected for grants will then launch programs within their communities to provide grants and loans to businesses, nonprofit organizations and developers – funds which can be used for the demolition, repair, renovation and construction of eligible projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“These investments will jumpstart the rebuilding process in Minnesota,” said &lt;strong&gt;Maureen Ramirez, Director of Economic Opportunity at DEED&lt;/strong&gt;. “Strong small businesses make our communities stronger, and these investments help build economic wealth.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A total of $80 million is available in grants to partner organizations. $38 million was awarded in the first round, and up to $41 million is available in this second round. It is expected that at least half the funds in the second round will be awarded to partner organizations serving communities outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Main Street Revitalization Program partner organizations will be publicly announced in the spring of 2022. Each partner organization receiving a grant will be responsible for conducting outreach and soliciting requests for assistance from property owners, businesses and developers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Eligible recipients will not apply directly to DEED for funding – only to the partner organizations.&lt;/strong&gt; Once selected, the list of partner organizations will be publicly available along with their contact information and instructions on how to request assistance for a specific eligible project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/emergency-programs/economic-revitalization/&quot;&gt;Main Street Economic Revitalization Program section of DEED’s website&lt;/a&gt;. If you have additional questions about the Main Street Economic Revitalization grants, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MSERP.DEED@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;MSERP.DEED@state.mn.us.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>518115</id><Tag><Description/><Title>grants</Title><Id>230104</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:33:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Health Care Month comes to an end; health care workforce recruitment efforts continue</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Health Care Month comes to an end; health care workforce recruitment efforts continue</Title><title>2022-01-31 healthcare</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-516992&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-31T15:51:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>As we mark the end of the Health Care Month today, the State of Minnesota is not ending its efforts to address our critical health care workforce shortage. These efforts continue full strength.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Jodi Harpstead, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Services; Jan Malcolm, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health; Heather Mueller, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education; Steve Grove, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; Dennis Olson, Commissioner, Minnesota Office of Higher Education&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;As we mark the end of the Health Care Month today, the State of Minnesota is not ending its efforts to address our critical health care workforce shortage. These efforts continue full strength.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Here is a look back at our efforts in over the past few months.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/careerforce-health-care-month_tcm1045-516998.jpg&quot; title=&quot;careerforce-health-care-month&quot; alt=&quot;careerforce-health-care-month&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%;&quot; class=&quot;photoRightNoBorder&quot; xlink:title=&quot;careerforce-health-care-month&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;Health care has long been an industry that&apos;s helped Minnesota stand apart. Almost 400,000 Minnesotans work in the sector, and our state is home to some of the biggest names in medicine in the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/critical.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;industry faces a crisis&lt;/a&gt;: an unprecedented health care workforce shortage that&apos;s impacting thousands of Minnesotans at a critical point in our fight against the pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Right now, some emergency room patients can&apos;t be moved to a hospital room because there &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/st-cloud-er-fast-and-furious-amid-covid-wave-in-minnesota/600119088/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;aren&apos;t enough employees available to open more beds&lt;/a&gt;. Older Minnesotans struggle finding long-term care because there &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-national-guard-to-assist-with-long-term-care-staffing-shortage/600106901/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;aren&apos;t enough staff to take care of them&lt;/a&gt;. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/a-call-for-help-in-service-to-the-disabled/600124136/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;same shortage is affecting people with disabilities living in the community&lt;/a&gt;. With nearly 40,000 vacancies, unfilled health care positions account for nearly one in every five job vacancies in Minnesota. But it&apos;s not just today&apos;s health care workforce we need to be concerned about – Minnesota is projected to add 60,000 new health care jobs over the next decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz brought state agencies together to rally resources and address the shortage – through immediate emergency measures and efforts to recruit and train additional health care workers in the coming weeks and months. As part of these efforts, the Governor proclaimed &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/HealthCare&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;January as Health Care Month&lt;/a&gt; to raise awareness about the many employment opportunities in health care and encourage more Minnesotans to join in this noble, lifesaving work. We want to share some of what we&apos;re doing and ask for Minnesotans&apos; help in tackling this challenge together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and its local partners in CareerForce are hosting health care hiring events around the state. In addition, CareerForce staff are highlighting health care opportunities in their ongoing calls to Minnesotans receiving unemployment benefits. Many entry-level health care positions can be started with on-the-job employer-provided training. There&apos;s high demand for many health care positions, from direct patient care to administration; from housekeeping to culinary workers. To find out more about working in health care, call 651-259-7500.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has intensified efforts to address the workforce shortage in services for older Minnesotans and people with disabilities. This includes emergency distribution of $50 million in retention/hiring bonuses for thousands of nursing home workers, increased payment rates for personal care assistants who help individuals in their homes, and higher Medicaid reimbursements to providers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is monitoring the capacity of our hospitals to provide care and working with provider associations, professional boards, and other stakeholders to address delays in the professional certification processes. MDH is also connecting long-term care providers with temporary staff who can meet their short-term COVID-related worker shortages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) continues to support school districts that offer health care career pathways in their high schools, including Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training. MDE is now partnering with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) to offer free CNA training to high school students through coursework outside of school, and support 10 additional high schools throughout Minnesota in establishing in-school facilities to train and certify nursing assistants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OHE is leading an effort to train 1,000 CNAs for employment at long-term care locations. To do this, MinnState and partner organizations are offering &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/CNATraining/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;free CNA training&lt;/a&gt;. As of last week, 558 Minnesotans had enrolled in this training to become a CNA, currently the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/jobsindemand&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;sixth most in-demand occupation in the state&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, the Governor has taken recent emergency steps to address health care workforce shortages, including: securing federal emergency teams to support staff at four Minnesota hospitals; working with long-term care facilities to launch alternative care sites to free up hospital beds for those who need acute care; activating 400 Minnesota National Guard members to assist at skilled-nursing facilities experiencing severe staffing shortages; and most recently bringing in 200 registered nurses and respiratory therapists to work 60-hour weeks for two months to support hospitals overwhelmed by COVID patients during the latest surge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health care workforce a priority in the Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals aimed at addressing Minnesota&apos;s health care workforce shortage are included in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/Fact%20Sheet_Expanding%20Economic%20Opportunity_Final_tcm1055-515802.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Walz-Flanagan economic plan overview here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Revitalize Our Health Care Workforce&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The pandemic has highlighted the importance of investing in our health care workforce. Minnesota hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities face severe staffing shortages, with more than 40,000 open positions needing to be filled. Investing in this high-need career area is vital for the future health of our state. We must break down financial barriers and ensure students see health care as a viable field if we want to fill these open positions and provide Minnesotans with the care they need and deserve. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor&apos;s budget makes critical investments in the health care workforce, building on recent programs like free certified nursing training and the Minnesota Future Together Grant, both of which provide tuition-free pathways for students in high-need career areas.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The health care workforce crisis is acute now, but it risks becoming a chronic problem unless we make big changes. At a time when so many people are reconsidering their options in a dynamic economy, choosing a career path in health care is full of purpose and potential. When your fellow Minnesotans need help, answering the call for a career in this field is an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Minnesota Departments of Employment and Economic Development, Education, Health, Human Services and the Office of Higher Education are all engaged in efforts to raise awareness about and get Minnesotans connected to careers in health care. Find out more at&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/HealthCare&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;CareerForceMN.com/HealthCare&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>516992</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>job training</Title><Id>230107</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>230102</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:32:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>A Look at What&apos;s in the Latest Edition of Minnesota Economic Trends</Title><title>2022-01-28 Employment Growth</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-516048&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-28T17:11:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of DEED publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are articles featured in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;December 2021 edition of Minnesota Economic Trends&lt;/a&gt; - &lt;em&gt;select the title to open the full article&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/remote-work.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pandemic-era Job Postings Reveal Top Occupations Offering Remote Work&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From June 2020 to October 2021, the share of Minnesota job postings offering the option of working remotely nearly doubled, going from 5.3% to 10.4%. Find out which occupations have the most remote offerings, potential future trends and more in this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/border-battle1.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Border Battles Part 1: Cross-State Commuting Patterns&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota is a net importer of labor, meaning we attract more non-residents to fill jobs than there are residents who leave the state for work. As Minnesota employers look for ways to find new workers, they may want to look for ways they could leverage commuting patterns when attracting talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/border-battle2.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Border Battles Part 2: Occupational Employment Concentrations and Median Wages&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From an occupational standpoint, Minnesota shares many similarities with its neighboring states, but there are also some notable differences. First, Minnesota and Wisconsin have by far the largest economies in the five-state region. Second, Minnesota has a greater concentration of jobs in higher-paying service-providing occupational groups than neighboring states. This is a key part of Minnesota&apos;s appeal as a net importer of labor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/growth.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Q3 Jobs Forecast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every quarter, LMI analysts look ahead to projected job growth over the coming year. Much of the short-term employment growth projected for the next year can still be attributed to the continued recovery from historic employment losses during the early part of the pandemic. The pandemic will continue to impact the behavior of businesses, workers, and job seekers during the coming months. These pandemic impacts are playing out against larger, long-standing demographic trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/vacancies.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Vacancies Surge in 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through the first 10 months of 2021, Minnesota employers added just over 190,000 jobs back onto their payrolls, climbing back above 2.9 million jobs in October. Though the state is still below pre-pandemic employment levels, this is an encouraging sign of continuing recovery from the COVID-19 recession in 2020. Minnesota&apos;s job gains are outpacing the U.S. growth rate so far this year, but much like the past five years, the state&apos;s labor market tightness has constrained even faster economic growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/december-2021/aging.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Aging Workforce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LMI has tracked the aging workforce trend over several decades. This trend toward an older average profile of the workforce will continue as the baby boomer generation continues to age, unless there is an increase in immigration or an unlikely increase in the birth rate. This article reveals how Minnesota&apos;s share of older workers has shifted in recent history, as well as how this aging compares with other states and the nation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;You can see an archive of past &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Economic Trends articles on the DEED website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove </Author><id>516048</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>workforce</Title><Id>230117</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:32:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED Highlights in the Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward</Title><title>2022-01-28-govs-budget</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-516714&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-28T15:51:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Over the past two weeks, Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan have rolled out their Budget to Move Minnesota Forward.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past two weeks, Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan have rolled out their Budget to Move Minnesota Forward. Several components of the plan will live under DEED’s leadership, so we wanted to share the full picture of the proposal that DEED will focus on this legislative session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The $7.7B budget surplus has come to Minnesota at an inflection point in our economy. After two very difficult years for small businesses and workers across our state, we have an opportunity to seize this moment for the Minnesota economy and create a future that puts Minnesota on the cutting edge of job creation and economic growth. At DEED, our mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. Our central aim in this budget is to empower growth that is rooted in equity and – together with business, labor, and community leaders – show the world that Minnesota met this moment of disruption with creativity and innovation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below you can learn more about the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s priorities that are included in the Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cut Taxes for Small Businesses &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Replenish the UI Trust Fund&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) program acted quickly to ensure Minnesotans who lost their job due to the pandemic were able to pay their rent, buy food for themselves and their families, and weather the most difficult periods of the pandemic. UI benefits were a lifeline for Minnesota workers and their families during the pandemic, providing more than $14 billion in cash assistance to nearly 900,000 workers. Now, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor propose replenishing the UI Trust Fund in case it’s needed again, while making sure that the employers who also struggled don’t bear the cost of this assistance.
&lt;br /&gt;
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s budget makes a one-time investment of $2.73 billion to replenish the UI Trust Fund, which will prevent pandemic-related tax increases for businesses that were negatively impacted by COVID-19. This investment ensures that businesses across the state are held harmless and that future UI tax rates for employers will not be impacted by the pandemic.
&lt;br /&gt;
A $2.73 billion investment in the UI Trust Fund translates to roughly a $900 investment per worker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ensure Broadband for Every Minnesotan&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Finish Broadband Statewide&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Walz-Flanagan budget invests $170 million to finish the job of bringing border-to-border broadband access to all Minnesotans. Over the past two years, the need for high-speed, high-quality broadband has grown dramatically. Through the past several years of the state’s border-to-border broadband program, about 93% of Minnesota households have reliable broadband. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s investment, which would remain a competitive matching fund grant program, would finally pave the way for achieving the state’s goal of providing every Minnesotan with reliable broadband.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grow Small Businesses and Attract Talent&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enhance Launch Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz proposes investing $5 million in the Launch Minnesota program to expand supports for our startup ecosystem and launch an accelerator to help startups scale in Minnesota. Launch Minnesota works to attract top entrepreneurial talent to Minnesota through a series of initiatives focused on growing our innovation economy to keep our state competitive nationally and globally. The proposal would allow the program to partner with appropriate ecosystem leaders to build an accelerator for startup growth in Minnesota. Focused on industries in which we see the most momentum – healthcare, clean energy, and agriculture/food, fintech and software/IT, this state-wide accelerator will be a landing spot for companies looking to scale-up, giving them the connections, resources, and technical assistance to grow.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Invest in the Angel Tax Credit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor recommends allocating $7 million for the Angel Tax Credit in FY23 and $10 million in FY24-25. The program is Minnesota’s primary economic development tool to assist early-stage businesses engaged in technological innovation by providing a tax credit to investors or investment funds that make an equity investment. The Angel Tax Credit program has resulted in over $498 million in private investment in Minnesota startups, leveraged by the state’s issuance of $120 million in tax credits to angel investors.
&lt;br /&gt;
Investing in this program prioritizes economic growth and builds on Minnesota’s existing ecosystem of high tech, high innovation companies, including the state’s clean energy technology and biotech/bioscience businesses. The Angel Tax Credit will help communities across the state create wealth by incentivizing investment in companies with founders that are women, veterans, and minorities, and those headquartered in Greater Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State Small Business Credit Initiative Investment Changes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota is growing opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs by developing resources that encourage more private investment to fuel their growth. Right now, there is not enough early-stage capital available to support the vast number of start-up businesses in Minnesota. That’s why Governor Walz is recommending a policy change allowing the Department of Employment and Economic Development to take equity positions in small and emerging businesses to effectively manage and distribute the $97 million in funding from the U.S. Treasury for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) the state is receiving. This change will allow DEED to participate in supporting our tech sector as it grows and expands our economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prohibiting the use of cannabis in Minnesota hasn’t worked. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor know that Minnesota needs modernized solutions to harness the benefits of legalizing cannabis, including expanding our economy, creating jobs across the state, allowing law enforcement to focus on violent crime, and regulating the industry in order to keep our kids safe. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend funding for the safe and responsible legalization of cannabis for adult-use in Minnesota. A new Cannabis Management Office would be responsible for the implementation of the regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis, along with the medical cannabis program, and a program to regulate hemp and hemp-derived products. The recommendation also includes funding for grants to assist individuals entering the legal cannabis market, additional resources for substance use disorder treatment and prevention, funding to launch statewide education campaigns on the adverse health effects associated with the use of cannabis for young people and those who are pregnant or may become pregnant, a provision for the expungement of non-violent offenses involving cannabis, and implementation of taxes on adult-use cannabis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Expand Marketing Campaign to Attract Talent and Business Opportunities.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has a long history as the problem-solving capital of America – our ideas have propelled the world forward, whether that’s supercomputing, inventing in-ear hearing aids, or the pacemaker. As Minnesotans, we know there is no better place to live, work or raise a family – but it’s time we amplify this message to the world. Governor Walz is recommending $4.530 million to broadly share the story of Minnesota’s strong and resilient economy to the world, aiming to attract talent, investments, startups and new business opportunities for our future. This funding will also build out the agency’s Business Vitality Council to assist state agencies in the planning process to address large issues facing Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nonprofit Resiliency &amp;amp; Recovery Fund&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s nonprofit organizations are the first line of community support – particularly as communities recover and rebuild from COVID-19. They play a critical role in connecting people to supportive programs, funding, and services, and are essential to moving the state forward. However, funding shortfalls and a diminished workforce paired with an increased need for services is making it difficult for these organizations to operate at the level our communities need to recover and rebuild. Cuts in nonprofit staffing, services, and programming have had the greatest impact on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, who have also been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and are often clients of nonprofit organizations. The Governor recommends $50 million to provide financial support for nonprofits critical to accelerating an equitable COVID-19 pandemic recovery – allowing nonprofits to scale their operations to meet current demands.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Grow our Workforce&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tech Jobs Pipeline for Youth&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s talent pipeline for technology severely lags the nation, and as a key indicator, last year Minnesota ranked 50th out of 50 states in the number of students who took the AP computer science examination. Yet, this sector is critical to Minnesota’s economic growth. That’s why Governor Walz is investing $15 million in the Tech Youth Training program to prepare the future of our workforce – Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) students and youth – to meet the demands of Minnesota’s growing tech industry and leave the program with connections to employers ready to hire into the highest-paying career tracks in the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technology Re-skilling Training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women and communities of color. In working toward racial, gender, and economic justice, and to meet the growing labor needs in Minnesota’s tech industry, Governor Walz proposes an investment of $13 million in the Adult Tech Training Program for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and women. These are some of the highest-paying jobs in the state and will help close the gap on racial and gender disparities in our communities while also meeting tech labor demands.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clean Tech Workforce Training Program&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward creates a statewide Clean Tech Workforce Training Program to train, retrain, and upskill workers in the transportation, weatherization, and energy efficiency industries. It also supports the workforce needed to perform the specialized retrofits that make homes and buildings across Minnesota more energy efficient by providing training funding for statewide technical colleges and Tribal-led training centers. The projects those workers will complete will help Minnesotans save money on energy costs and create safer, healthier homes and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Modernize Workforce Tools&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, more than ever, Minnesota must modernize its digital services to meet the needs of Minnesotans where they are – with the services they need to find training programs to grow their skills, find job opportunities, and start a career path to achieve success. The Governor’s budget invests $15 million in one-time funding to modernize the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s workforce system to best serve Minnesota jobseekers with upgraded digital tools that bring the resources Minnesotans can get in-person, virtually.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Paid Family and Medical Leave&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward creates a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program. Right now, too many Minnesotans, especially those in lower-wage jobs, must make the unfair choice between a paycheck and taking time off work to care for a new baby or a family member with a serious illness. This can lead to significant economic instability for families during some of their most challenging times. The creation of this program is necessary to support businesses, ensure more equitable economic opportunities for Minnesotans, retain more women in the labor force, and positively impact the lives of children. Minnesota can be a more attractive state to talent at a time of historic workforce challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Create Opportunity for New Workers&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Office of New Americans&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immigrants and refugees from all parts of the globe are vital to Minnesota’s future growth in every corner of the state.  However, is it essential that new Americans are included in the state’s employment and economic growth and are supported through the integration process. That’s why Governor Walz recommends $470,000 to establish an Office of New Americans focused on supporting immigrant and refugee integration, reducing barriers to employment, and improving connections between employers and job seekers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Establish Office of Ombudsperson for the Safety, Health, and Wellbeing of Agricultural and Food Processing Workers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated the challenges faced by agricultural and food processing workers, particularly around workplace safety and employment protections, access to safe housing, and fair labor standards. That’s why Governor Walz is prioritizing an investment of $255,000 per year to fund an Office of Ombudsperson for the Safety, Health, and Wellbeing of Agricultural and Food Processing Workers. This new office would be tasked with addressing some of the long-standing problems these workers traditionally face in a centralized way – working across state agencies and with stakeholders. Additionally, this office would be instrumental in addressing some of the recommendations put forth by the Governor’s Committee on the Safety, Health, and Wellbeing of Agricultural and Food Processing Workers, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Preserving and increasing affordable housing in Greater Minnesota;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating centralized informational content in relevant languages; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating a registration process for employer-provided housing units; and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Establishing proactive housing inspection protocols. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fund the Extension of the Agricultural Worker Wellness Committee (AWWC)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor’s Committee on the Safety, Health and Wellbeing of Agricultural and Food Processing Workers (AWWC) was formed in response to COVID-19 exposing many challenges of agriculture workers. This intentionally diverse group of stakeholders represents agricultural employer organizations, unions, advocacy organizations, and State Departments. To continue the committee’s critical work, Governor Walz recommends $252,000 per year to extend the committee’s efforts – which will support safety, health, and wellbeing for workers as well as their children, families, and communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Address Climate Change to Create New Economic Opportunity&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Electric Vehicle and Charging Infrastructure Grant Program&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Climate affects everyone and the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gases in Minnesota. To reduce carbon emissions, this program will help businesses transition their fleet vehicles to electric and will support the electric charging infrastructure necessary for such a transition. Governor Walz is recommending $20 million to encourage businesses to upgrade their fleets and purchase light-duty electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Energy Transition Grant Program&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A number of power plants across Minnesota are scheduled for closure, which can have a negative impact on the communities surrounding them. Right now, 8 - 10 Minnesota counties and cities are, or will soon be, facing power plant closures as the state transitions out of fossil fuel-fired power plants. Governor Walz is recommending $2.5 million to support impacted communities by providing resources for these communities to diversify their economies and find new opportunities for quality jobs and economic growth.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>516714</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:32:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DEED names Angelina Nguyễn as Research Director of Labor Market Information Office</Title><title>2022-01-19 New LMI Director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-515605&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-19T17:11:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Angelina joins DEED and its Senior Leadership Team after managing the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s Research and Statistics Unit since 2016</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Picture1_tcm1045-515606.png&quot; title=&quot;Angelina Nguyễn&quot; alt=&quot;Angelina Nguyễn&quot; style=&quot;float: left; width: 30%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Angelina Nguyễn&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;We are pleased to welcome Angelina Nguyễn as the Director of Research for DEED’s Labor Market Information Office. She brings a strong background in labor market data as well as experience at various state agencies and a passion for creating strong and equitable communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angelina joins DEED and its Senior Leadership Team after managing the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s Research and Statistics Unit since 2016 – performing analyses and working to effectively communicate data to the public. In addition, Angelina was the liaison with the Federal Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prior to that, she provided data analysis and research for the state’s Department of Human Services in its Child Support Division.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angelina also served as the Capacity Director for the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, a state agency established to advise the Governor’s office and Legislature on issues of importance to the Asian-Pacific people of Minnesota. Earlier in her career, she served as a housing navigator for the Northside Achievement Zone, further expanding her lifelong personal and professional commitment to working with diverse, multicultural communities in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I’m excited to join DEED at this time because our state&apos;s labor force is increasingly diverse and rapidly growing. There&apos;s so much growth potential,” said Angelina.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angelina earned a Master of Development Practice from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She also completed a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’d also like to thank Oriane Casale, who has thoughtfully served as DEED’s interim Labor Market Information Director over the past two years. Oriane has been an excellent leader for the division and we’re excited she’s returning to her deputy role to continue delivering important research and analysis for the state.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove </Author><id>515605</id><Tag><Description/><Title>jobs</Title><Id>230105</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>unemployment</Title><Id>230114</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:32:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Latest on Omicron from the Minnesota Department of Health </Title><title>2022-01-14 Omicron Update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-515359&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-14T16:13:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Omicron is highly a very effective strain of the virus and moves quickly, in fact, it is doubling every 1.5 - 3 days. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) convened business leaders from across Minnesota to learn about the latest information on the Omicron strain of COVID-19. If you missed these webinars, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhg8zAnfnEM&quot;&gt;watch it here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Omicron is a very effective strain of the virus and moves quickly, in fact, it is doubling every 1.5 - 3 days. In Minnesota, the large number of cases suggest widespread community transmission, leading to an estimated 90% of cases right now likely attributed to Omicron.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As cases rise, the increase in demand for hospital resources follows. Our healthcare capacity is stretched very thin and the demands on it are expected to worsen. And our workforce is at continued risk of increased absences due to the disease.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bottom line: the best way to arm yourself against Omicron is to get vaccinated and boosted, mask up and stay home when you are sick. While there is evidence of less severe disease, we must continue to get Minnesotans vaccinated – the Omicron strain is a especially milder in people who are immunized through vaccination before they contract the infection.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Updated quarantine guidance:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following guidance applies in all cases:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You must be able to mask at all times when with others (30% of cases are still infectious at day 6).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You should avoid immunocompromised and higher risk individuals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There are shortened timelines for returning to work, school and essential activities, detailed below.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you test positive during quarantine, you will need to move into isolation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some additional sector-specific guidance is in development, and we will share that as it is developed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Isolation:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Isolation%20if%20you%20test%20positive_tcm1045-515353.png&quot; title=&quot;Isolation if you test positive&quot; alt=&quot;Isolation if you test positive&quot; style=&quot;width: 550px; height: 229px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Isolation if you test positive&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quarantine:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/Quarantine_tcm1045-515354.png&quot; title=&quot;Quarantine&quot; alt=&quot;Quarantine&quot; style=&quot;width: 550px; height: 185px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Quarantine&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No quarantine:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/no%20quaranteen_tcm1045-515355.png&quot; title=&quot;no quaranteen&quot; alt=&quot;no quaranteen&quot; style=&quot;width: 550px; height: 212px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;no quaranteen&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove</Author><id>515359</id><Tag><Description/><Title>economy</Title><Id>230101</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:32:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Our discussion this month covered programs available to under-utilized businesses looking to contract with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).</Description><Audience/><Title>Procurement Programs and Health Care Month Were Focus of January’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Procurement Programs and Health Care Month Were Focus of January’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum </Title><title>2022-01-13 January Immigrant Affairs Forum</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-515030&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-13T19:19:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>Our discussion this month covered programs available to under-utilized businesses looking to contract with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our discussion this month covered programs available to under-utilized businesses looking to contract with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). We also highlighted Health Care Month by talking with health care employers currently hiring  during this unprecedented health care workforce shortage. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Achieving Equity in the Procurement Process &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary Schmidt from the Advancing Equity Office at the Minnesota Department of Transportation shared strategies their agency is using to open the door on government contracting for small businesses, especially those owned by immigrants and refugees. Since 2016, the department has turned its equity commitment into action by making their procurement process more inclusive for all businesses. One way they’ve been able to reach more under-utilized businesses is by making their contracts smaller to help level the playing field for smaller businesses who might not otherwise bid on those projects. MnDOT uses &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dot.state.mn.us/procurement-contracting-equity/negotiated-maintenance-construction-contracts.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Negotiated Maintenance and Construction (NMC)&lt;/a&gt; contracts that are directed toward local small businesses to fix and maintain MnDOT infrastructure. They also award &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dot.state.mn.us/consult/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Professional Technical Consultant&lt;/a&gt; contracts to under-utilized firms of all sizes to help plan, prepare and carry out projects. Another resource for small businesses is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/ptac/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MN Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)&lt;/a&gt; which helps organizations learn about and apply for available local, state and federal government contracts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;January is Health Care Month &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota and the nation are facing an unprecedented health care workforce shortage – one that has a real impact not only on people providing care, but also on those receiving it. That’s why &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/careerforce-blog/governor-proclaims-january-2022-health-care-month&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Governor Walz has proclaimed January as Health Care Month&lt;/a&gt;. To highlight this critical industry, we invited three Minnesota employers to share their current employment opportunities, how they actively work to welcome immigrants and refugees, and how they help New Americans overcome employment barriers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, we heard from Bill Akuma, President and CEO of &lt;a href=&quot;https://upliftedcareservices.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Uplifted Care Services&lt;/a&gt; in Brooklyn Park. As a Kenyon native, he understands the struggles immigrants face when arriving in a new country and finding employment. Their company provides assisted living services to clients living in 5-bedroom households instead of large facilities. They also provide private in-home duty nursing to clients. They are currently hiring personal care assistants, nurses, activity coordinators, day program managers, and food services. They offer extensive training to new employees as well as connect them with mentors, so employees are ready for success out in the field.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, we heard from Adbiwadi Husen, owner of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnqcare.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Quality Care&lt;/a&gt; in Minneapolis. Their company has provided home care in downtown Minneapolis for the past 21 years with a specialty in serving members of immigrant communities. Their office speaks a variety of languages so it’s easier to help applicants fill out HR paperwork and other onboarding processes. One way to help reduce employment barriers for New Americans is to mentor and support them while on the job so they have the confidence to grow within the company. Current available positions include personal care assistants, service coordinators, intake coordinators, administrative assistants and registered nurses. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our final employer was Pang Vang, CEO of &lt;a href=&quot;http://rainbowhealthkare.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Rainbow Health Kare, Inc.&lt;/a&gt; in St. Paul. Their company serves the metro area, as well as central, southwest and southeast Minnesota. Prior to starting the agency with her father, Pang was a caregiver for many years. They currently have openings for caregivers and personal care assistants. They help reduce barriers for new immigrant employees by meeting them in person or working with them virtually to get set up for their job, depending on what is best for each employee. They teach about certain cultural aspects about the job like clocking in and out each day, following a care plan and understanding their rights as workers. They also help with other assistance  like finding housing or applying for college.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed this month’s forum, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gFw70W_w-0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Assistant Commissioner Anisa Hajimumin</Author><id>515030</id><Tag><Description/><Title>immigrants and refugees</Title><Id>449643</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communities</Title><Id>443119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:32:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>A leadership opportunity for Minnesota’s Workforce Comeback</Title><title>2022-01-12 Deputy Commissioner Posting</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-515195&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-12T16:57:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>We’re hiring a deputy commissioner for workforce development, who will shepherd the state’s workforce grant-making process, CareerForce system, and much more. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Now Hiring: Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s economy faces unprecedented workforce challenges – and opportunities. Elevating Minnesota’s talented workforce and re-skilling our economy for the future requires strong and nimble leadership in government. Here at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), we’re working every day to create new pathways for jobseekers and build the next chapter of the Minnesota economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, we’re beginning the search for the next leader to guide these efforts. We’re hiring a deputy commissioner for workforce development, who will shepherd the state’s workforce grant-making process, CareerForce system, and much more. Applicants may &lt;a href=&quot;https://careers.mn.gov/psp/mnjob/MNCAREERS/HRCR/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&amp;amp;FOCUS=Applicant&amp;amp;SiteId=1001&amp;amp;JobOpeningId=52019&amp;amp;PostingSeq=1&amp;amp;languageCd=ENG&quot;&gt;apply&lt;/a&gt; here until February 1, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s a short summary of the role, from the job description.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development provides leadership over workforce development partnerships, programs, and operations within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). This includes grant administration from both federal and local budgets; managing DEED&apos;s CareerForce strategy in 50 markets across the state; managing the Governor’s Workforce Development Board; and overseeing DEED’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Employment and Training Division, and Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs – all with a focus on tackling disparities in our labor market.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An experienced manager with strong executive experience, the Deputy Commissioner will develop and lead a transparent, effective, often external-facing team at DEED. This role requires strong partnerships and relationship management across stakeholders in the workforce development arena – internally, externally, and within the Minnesota Legislature. This leader will be a passionate advocate for equity in our economy, and ready to help transform Minnesota’s labor market during a time of historic workforce shortages. This is an opportunity to grow our talent market, close opportunity gaps for people of color, drive an innovation agenda for the state’s workforce, and advance DEED’s culture as a great place to work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This dynamic leader will be part of something special in the Walz-Flanagan Administration: to make exponential strides in advancing DEED’s mission to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At DEED, you’ll join a talented and committed team of leaders who are re-imagining government service at an inflection point in Minnesota. DEED’s leadership team is deeply engaged in an effort to transform the culture of our agency, drastically improve our service delivery, and center equity in everything we do. We’re a department in transformation and are looking to grow our leadership team committed to maximizing DEED’s mission – to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://careers.mn.gov/psp/mnjob/MNCAREERS/HRCR/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&amp;amp;FOCUS=Applicant&amp;amp;SiteId=1001&amp;amp;JobOpeningId=52019&amp;amp;PostingSeq=1&amp;amp;languageCd=ENG&quot;&gt;Apply today&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>515195</id><pubdate>2025-05-20T15:11:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>DEED Developments blog</Description><Title>DEED Developments blog</Title><Id>135524</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>“We need you. Come join us” – A Message from Minnesota’s Health Care Employers </Title><title>2022-01-07 Health Care Workers Message</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1045-514904&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-07T21:27:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>January is Health Care Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about the many employment opportunities in health care and share the word about how fulfilling the caregiving professions are. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>January 2022</Subtitle><publication>1045</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deed/assets/health%20care%20virtual%20roundtable%202_tcm1045-514905.jpg&quot; title=&quot;health care month roundtable screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;health care month roundtable screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;health care month roundtable screenshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was honored to lead a robust roundtable discussion yesterday featuring representatives of the hospital, long-term care, and disability services industries, along with labor, employer and worker representatives, as well as leaders of the Minnesota Departments of Employment and Economic Development, Education, Health, Human Services, and the Office of Higher Education. We engaged in a very candid, hopeful, and I would even say inspiring discussion about the health care workforce shortage and what can be and is being done about it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The workforce shortage is affecting nearly all parts of the nation’s economy right now. But not having enough health care workers is a matter of life and death. Our unprecedented health care workforce shortage has a real impact – not only on people providing care, but also on those receiving it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With just under 40,000 vacancies in the latest job vacancy survey, health care positions accounted for nearly one in every five job vacancies in Minnesota – the largest number of unfilled positions of any industry in the state. But it’s not just today’s health care workforce needs we need to be concerned about – Minnesota is projected to add more than 80,000 new health care jobs over the next decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January is Health Care Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about the many employment opportunities in health care and sharing the word about how fulfilling the caregiving professions are.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are messages some of health care participants shared to encourage more Minnesotans to work in health care now:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We need you,” said Dr. Rahul Koranne President &amp;amp; CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association and a medical doctor “It’s a wonderful industry to work in, I am in it and I can tell you from experience you will find joy. Come join us.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Working with people with disabilities fills your heart,” said Sue Schettle, CEO of ARRM, an organization that represents providers of services to Minnesotans with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“There is no better profession than the caring profession because no matter how difficult it gets, you can always say you have a job that makes a difference,” said Mary Turner, President of the Minnesota Nurses Association.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“This is a career where you will use your heart and your head every day” said Laura Beeth, Vice President of Talent Acquisition, M Health Fairview and Chair of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It’s your ticket to heaven,” said Patti Cullen, President &amp;amp; CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota, which represents senior and other long-term care providers in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Roundtable participants shared their challenges providing care during the health care workforce shortage – and how the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has again put enormous stress on all those in the caregiving professions. Leaders of state agencies participating on the panel outlined what is being done to address the immediate crisis as well as what will need to be done to take on the larger health care workforce shortage issue, which pre-dates the pandemic in many settings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“During the Omicron surge, we’ve already done some additional supports for nursing homes and we’re talking with group homes serving people with disabilities and we’ve been doing all we can to transfer patients out of hospitals into our direct care and treatment services. We’re looking for fast on-the-ground creativity now and we’ll be looking for long-term creativity working together going forward,” said Jodi Harpstead, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services. “We’ll be looking for new and creative models going forward for these caring professions that mean so much to so many Minnesotans.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We have begun to build health care career pathways that exist within our school systems and days so students have the opportunity to participate in job shadows and internships and apprenticeships not only looking at what it’s like to work as doctor, nurse or other direct care staff on the floor, but also recognizing there are administrators and research and other health care positions as well,” said Dr. Heather Mueller, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education. “We’ve started to build that pathway beginning in ninth grade so we have students who are working for high school credit and also getting their CNA.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Open to Minnesotans right now is access to free training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant and when I say free training, I really mean we’re covering all tuition and training expenses including books, uniforms, scrubs as well as the certification exam,” said Dennis Olson, Commissioner, Minnesota Office of Higher Education. “I’m happy to say that within weeks the folks that we are in partnership on the initiative have already been able to enroll 266 students into programs.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was inspiring to hear the across-the-board commitment to care. Those who worked in patient care all spoke of a calling to make a difference in the lives of others. It was also inspiring to hear candid discussion about the big sticky issues that will need to be addressed to tackle the health care workforce shortage in the long term.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find out about all the ways state agencies are working together to raise awareness about health care careers and connect people with health care employment at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/HealthCare&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CareerForceMN.com/HealthCare&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can see a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0niAo2B4Yw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;recording of the health care workforce roundtable here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Commissioner Steve Grove </Author><id>514904</id><pubdate>2025-08-15T13:32:02Z</pubdate></list></results>