Ground Level
Minnesota's Skills Gap
Will enough Minnesotans have the right skills to fill the jobs needed to keep the state's economy humming in the coming decade? That question has been vexing employers, higher education officials, economic development experts and others for several years.
Answers to it vary with the field and with geography. But many of those people are trying to make sure residents have the right opportunities, employers have access to the right people and public entities play an appropriate role. This Ground Level exploration shows how the state, employers, private trainers and others are grappling with why some jobs in Minnesota are hard to fill.
Just how big a problem is Minnesota's 'skills gap'?
Many employers complain they have difficulty filling jobs. Sometimes that's because workers don't have the right skills; other times wages and other factors are at play.
Central Minnesota colleges pick up pace in manufacturing training
A group of central Minnesota colleges are boosting their efforts to provide training for advanced manufacturing skills, using a $13 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Housing lack adds to difficulty finding workers
Some Minnesota companies that have difficulty finding people to fill jobs say the problem isn't skills as much as it is a lack of housing for employees in remote parts of the state.
Worker skills shortage starts in high school
One reason good manufacturing jobs are going unfilled may be that high school students aren't exposed to what careers are available or to training that can prepare them.
Public-private partnership moves faster to supply skills
A fledgling organization called the Minnesota Innovation Institute is trying to move quickly to match skilled jobs with the Bemidji area residents who want them but aren't ready for them.Research
There's no question some employers have difficulty filling jobs. Lack of workers with the right skills is a reason but not the only one, says a state report from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Read the report: PDF: Hiring Difficulties in Minnesota: Select Nursing, Engineering, and Production Occupations
Explore the DEED Report
Skills Gap Discussion
from the Ground Level Blog
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