State Commissioners Hear from Businesses and Education Leaders on Importance of Education and Collaboration for Economic Development

ST. PAUL, MN – Yesterday, leaders of the Minnesota Departments of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Education (MDE), and the Office of Higher Education (OHE) hosted a roundtable focused on the Build What Matters campaign and how education ties directly to economic and community development. Minnesota has a strong history of businesses and partnerships building things that matter. During today's discussion, representatives from education, health care, and business talked about how they are continuing that tradition.

"Today, we heard from Minnesotans helping us prioritize education and partnerships as a vital parts of our state's economic recovery and future," said Steve Grove, DEED Commissioner. "We have incredible talent in our schools, colleges, universities, and training programs. We must continue collaborating across sectors and industries to build strong educational and career opportunities, which help continue to ensure Minnesota is the best place to live, work, and build what matters."

"There's a direct tie between education and innovation that leads to building strong career pathways across our state," said Dr. Heather Mueller, MDE Commissioner. "We think about education from birth to adult – we want to develop education-business partnerships that help people grow careers so they can stay and contribute to their communities, start businesses, and help their families thrive. We need to continue building an education sector that is inclusive and respectful of all people from all backgrounds. We have a remarkable talent market in Minnesota – that's partially due to the partnerships we forge, but also deeply tied to valuing the people doing the work."

"I'm proud that Minnesota is second in the nation in higher education attainment. People want to learn here and then stay here. We need to keep investing in efforts that break down barriers of access to higher education and connect people with jobs in high-need career areas," said Dennis Olson, OHE Commissioner. "The State's Office of Higher Education is currently providing access to free training to earn a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification – the funding covers everything from books and tuition to scrubs and uniforms. We want to recruit, train, and deploy 1,000 new CNAs within the next couple of months to help people start a new career. Ultimately, this effort helps people support their families and their communities, while also contributing to the economic vitality of the state."

Today's conversation drew on what can be done to attract students, startups, workers, and new residents – which in turn enhance the education and workforce pipeline and Minnesota's overall economy. Roundtable attendees included:

Dr. Brian Martensen, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Minnesota State - Mankato;

Kim Mueller, Career Pathway Coordinator, Mankato Area Public Schools;

Jess Anderson, Workforce Development Programs, Mayo Clinic;

Laura Bowman, Regional Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Relations, Mayo Clinic Health System;

Renae Wolf, Nursing Placement Coordinator, Mayo Clinic Health System; and

Jeff Chambers, Founder, Guardian Athletics/Kato Collar.

"The most critical part of starting a business in Minnesota is access to resources and partnerships with grantmaking organizations, university communities, manufacturers, and people," said Jeff Chambers, founder of Guardian Athletics and the Kato Collar product, which reduces concussions for football players. "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. Also, Minnesota cities, counties, and state government are incredible resources for growing businesses. The reason we'll stay in Minnesota is the partnerships – both current and future strategic partnerships with health care, government, and legislative partners."

"At the University, we talk a lot about being a steward of place – to work with your community and serve your region," said Dr. Brian Martensen, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Minnesota State - Mankato. "The University is focused on more than just educating people and growing a workforce – we've shifted to becoming more of a true partner with communities and industries like health care, agriculture, and manufacturing. Universities need to be more flexible and focus on breaking down barriers to get students access to learning, and then send them out into the field to collaborate and gain experience. Universities also help attract people to the state – with strong partnerships and supports for students, our graduates often stay in the region to help solve problems and be actively engaged in industry and their communities."

"We are holding the future of talent in Minnesota with K-12 – our approach has gone from asking 'what do you want to be when you grow up?', to, 'what do you want to do first – what else might you want to do?'" said Kim Mueller, Career Pathway Coordinator, Mankato Area Public Schools. "We have 400+ career explorations or job shadows every year, and 300+ students who complete an internship or other work experience. We have partnerships with employers who ask about students' talents, help them grow networks, invite them in for internships, and answer questions about different types of job paths."

"The Bridges to Health Care partnership brings together basic adult education centers, community colleges, and health care employers to offer basic skills education and career-specific training and support services – we've hired hundreds of people into living wage careers, which helps with workforce demands and also helps to diversify the workforce, increasing equity and access for all people" said Jess Anderson, Workforce Development Programs, Mayo Clinic. "Being agile, flexible, and frankly, entrepreneurial with training and partnerships is critical to breaking down barriers for adult learners to access training and enter into high-demand careers."

"How can health care partner externally – that's what I think about on a daily basis," said Laura Bowman, Regional Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Relations, Mayo Clinic Health System. "Collaboration and partnership are absolutely key to how we're going to make this an incredible community and to creatively continue leading as a state in the health care industry – it's a huge part of the value proposition for Minnesota. We also need to continue focusing on diversifying our workforce, eliminating racism, and achieving health equity – we especially need to recruit talent that's reflective of the people we serve, and we're deeply committed to that process. We know students are our future – they need to get onsite to experience the industry they might go into, and to have income supports to help take care their families while they're training for new careers. "

"On a daily basis I see the intense need for health care workers, as well as for pipelines to attract more nurses for training and employment by partnering and collaborating with the education sector," said Renae Wolf, Nursing Placement Coordinator, Mayo Clinic Health System. "We need to be innovative and creative with our collaborative partnerships to build the nursing and health care pipeline for the future."

DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and its services, visit the DEED website, the JoinUsMn.com website, or follow us on Twitter.