Governor Walz declared September as Workforce Development Month in the State of Minnesota. At DEED, we are kicking off a month-long series of events to examine and address the opportunities and challenges in growing Minnesota's workforce.

Minnesota has a lot to be proud of w hen it comes to our state's workforce. We reached 3,108,951 total jobs in June and have added 348,054 new jobs since 2011. Wages have also increased by 24.1% during that same time period.

But we know that challenges exist. Businesses are struggling to find and retain workers, and our state currently has nearly 137,000 vacant positions that need to be filled — a historically high number.

That's why we've made workforce development a centerpiece in our 2020 strategic plan, by modernizing our offerings, taking a new approach to tackling disparities, and sharpening our focus on building services that concentrate on the specific needs of businesses. For each of our goals, we've set clear metrics that we will use to track our success in improving our work.

As part of Workforce Development Month, DEED is planning several events that will both celebrate our state's workforce and also help us learn more about the challenges we face across the state:

• Workforce Development Deputy Commissioner Hamse Warfa and CareerForce Director Lorrie Janatopoulos will hold listening tours across the state to hear from workforce development leaders and businesses about the challenges and opportunities facing Minnesota's workforce system.
• We will roll out a fresh look and approach to our workforce development direct service efforts, now called CareerForce, which includes enhanced services to Minnesota employers and tailored assistance to help all Minnesota workers find fulfilling employment. The kick-off is set for the week of September 16 and will include events at CareerForce locations across the state. I'll be speaking at an event on September 17 at the CareerForce Minneapolis North location.
• That same day, September 17, we'll host the North Side Community Career and Resource Fair, also at the CareerForce Minneapolis North location, from 3 – 7 p.m.
• On September 24, DEED will host the St. Cloud Area Career Fair from 2 – 6 p.m. at River's Edge Convention Center.
• On September 25, I will host a One Minnesota Workforce Roundtable with Governor Walz focused on equity in our workforce system. Minnesota continues to face one of the largest equity disparities in the country, but we are excited to leverage our shared expertise and innovate to meet current and future workforce needs.

We are excited to draw a deeper focus on workforce this month and share more on our exciting journey to grow our collective efforts to help the businesses and people of Minnesota succeed.

– Commissioner Steve Grove