Workforce
GenSync 2017 booklist
I’m often talking with older workers about their value and values. The shift we’re all experiencing as a result of better health and increased longevity can be confusing. I’ve enclosed four books (all 2016) that opened my eyes to the fact we’re living in a most unusual time. These are my top picks today out…
Read MoreIncremental progress, always
For a year, I’ve worked full-time immersing myself in all things workforce development. Major takeaways: Ageism remains an acceptable prejudice. Talent is key. Resources for older workers to maintain, improve their talent are invisible. Employers and educators have disparate goals and metrics for success. Where to start? Learn, from dozens of coffees, lunches and phone…
Read MoreWorkforce training pays off for Pratt & Whitney shareholders
Training was part of all my first jobs. I was hired to do the job but my employer (rightly) assumed I’d do my best work if they invested in training me. As a result, workforce training enhanced my productivity leading to my efforts enhancing shareholder value. Thirty years ago, MN employers prided themselves on extensive…
Read MoreWorkers in MN’s tight labor market
I just read the most-recent TRENDS workforce report from DEED. Great news for workers, sort of. It shows the Twin Cities’ annual unemployment rate at 3.3% in 2015, the lowest our region has seen since 2000. The report: https://mn.gov/deed/assets/Metro_tcm1045-249846.pdf In our booming metro economy, over 1.1 million workers are between the ages of 25 and…
Read MoreWorkforce Training and Readiness
Today, MPR News broadcast a conversation with Chris Farrell and Twanna Black (Northside Funders Group) about barriers to employment in the face of a growing workforce shortage. MN employers complain about the lack of skilled, trained employees for a wide range of positions. From the opposite perspective, prospective employees report a variety of hurdles to…
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