Central Minnesota is a manufacturing stronghold, with several global manufacturing firms operating there.
The region is especially well known for its expertise in food processing, printing, furniture manufacturing, appliances, machinery and heavy equipment manufacturing.
View our latest blogs on CareerForce. Want the freshest data delivered by email? Subscribe to our regional newsletters.
7/1/2016 2:23:55 PM
Luke Greiner
July 2016 - It’s that time of the year when DEED’s Occupations in Demand (OID) tool is updated to provide the most current look at the hottest jobs across the state. Since the new OID listings were just published, it is an opportune time to highlight Central Minnesota’s most needed jobs. The demand for labor over the past year certainly hasn’t eased, but weakness in certain industries from changing global commodity prices are reflected in the updated list.
The Occupations in Demand tool provides an excellent view into the needs of local employers. Looking through the data for Central Minnesota, it’s clear that regional employers are in need of entry-level workers, which comprise over half of the region’s top ten occupations in the highest demand.
Despite the entry-level nature of these jobs, employers consistently tell us that these new-to-the-labor force workers need to be ready with fundamental skills, such as showing up to work (on time), getting along with co-workers, and following directions. These basic skills are developed and transformed at entry-level jobs into more complex skills like managing workflow, addressing workplace conflicts, and improving processes.
Unlike the board game Monopoly, however, there is no “Pass Go and Collect $200” in the workforce. Employers need new workers to learn and hold basic skills before investing and upskilling them to a higher position. Working at entry-level jobs while in high school or college provides workers with an excellent introduction to the workforce and allows their soft skills to progress with academic skills.
Although many new workers are shaped and polished at an entry-level job, they still need basic problem solving and soft skills to get the job. Educational institutions should take note of the demand of entry-level jobs in the region and creatively address how to grow soft skills in the classroom worthy of passing off to an employer for further development.
A list of entry-level jobs in the highest demand in Central Minnesota is included in the table below. The importance of these entry-level jobs should be recognized as a pillar of workforce development.
Contact Luke Greiner at 320-308-5378.
