Summer of Jobs Visits Owatonna

This week we were excited to take our "Summer of Jobs" 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:

1. Showcase the thousands of amazing jobs available in Minnesota.

2. Amplify the many sources of labor that employers often overlook.

3. Highlight the innovation and best practices in workforce development from businesses, jobseekers, and communities.

Workforce Discussion with Local Leaders and Businesses

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.

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.

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.

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 recently released their roadmap 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.

Job Shadow at Federated Insurance

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.

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.

Walking Tour of Downtown Owatonna

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!

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 video on DEED's YouTube page.