NORTHEAST MINNESOTA WORKFORCE

INVESTMENT BOARD

Strategic Planning Overview

and

Northeast Career EdVenture

NE WIB STRATEGIC PLANNING

Utilized GWDC All Hands on Deck report

Benchmarked local initiatives

Identified gaps in current programming and resources

Developed opportunities for WIB work in 2013 and beyond

STRATEGIES FOR LOCAL ACTION

A concerted effort to pair local colleges with groups of targeted participants in a FastTRAC-like process

Professional career counselors as 'program navigators' for incoming college students

Develop and promote resources for customer service/soft skills training for incumbent workers, job seekers, and students.

Identify transferable/common skills in key industries like healthcare, IT, and others in order to build stackable credentialing based on common skill sets rather than linear, traditional programming

STRATEGIES FOR LOCAL ACTION

Convene groups that serve an older demographic to strengthen the region's ability to capitalize on the expertise of older workers

Research and develop strategies to capture and document the tacit knowledge of a retiring workforce; identify potential role for Workforce Center system in delivering such a service

Identify and promote all available funding resources for adult/older workers, including but not limited to programs typically available through the Workforce Center system

STRATEGIES FOR LOCAL ACTION

Research and promote methods of addressing and dispelling the myths surrounding hiring disabled individuals

Targeted effort to market support and retrofit resources to the business community

STRATEGIES FOR LOCAL ACTION

Develop a continuum of curriculum and career exploration opportunities from early grades on

Resurrect the Regional Applied Math Project (RAMP) model to provide teachers with the opportunity to learn how academic subjects are applied

Develop strategy to engage parents in thoughtful, educated career planning for their students

Continue to grow the Northeast Career EdVenture. Seek supplemental funding to continue the establishment of this important effort to align resources.

Grant from the State of Minnesota

Standardized menu of free career planning resources offered throughout the region

Centralized mechanism for coordinating array of resources

Connecting business and industry with education

A UNIQUE

OPPORTUNITY

TO CREATE

REGIONAL

INFRASTRUC-

TURE

Career assessments of personality, interest, and aptitude

Post secondary training planning, including funding

Preparation for job search, interviews, and the world of work (resumes, mock interviews, etc.)

Career exploration opportunities such as job shadowing and informational interviews

RESOURCES

FOR

INDIVIDUALS

Career exploration and work readiness workshops (social media and the job search, navigating business culture, CEOs in the Classroom)

Junior Achievement curriculum (classes or after school groups): Success Skills, Business Ethics, Careers with a Purpose, Personal Finance

Topics can be customized to meet the needs of the class

CLASS or

GROUP

WORKSHOPS

Industry-specific learning opportunities

School-based career fairs, job fairs, and mock interview events

Computer-based career planning tools

Fun, active career planning games

After-school workshops/clubs with career planning & exploration themes

Entrepreneurship workshops (based on JA curriculum)

CLASS or

GROUP

ACTIVITIES

Options include:

Job Shadowing Business Tours Mentoring

Mock Interviews Career/Job Fairs

Class Presentations Panel Discussions

Future development:

Student Internships/work experience

Teacher Internships

Regional STEM Collaborative delivery vehicle

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1019426/Northeast-Career-EdVenture

BUSINESS

COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMEN

T

1,606 served: 981 through groups/classroom and 625 individuals

Of individuals served:

70% juniors and seniors 10% sophomores

5% freshmen 10% 8th grade 16% minority

Group presentations have included industry panels, employer expectations, regional job outlook, and personal finance

22 businesses have signed on including MN Power, the Blandin Foundation, American Bank, Silicon Energy, Essentia Health, and U. S. Steel

PROGRESS

TO DATE

(July through

December)