Engage With Over 1,600 South Central MN Students

In today’s workforce resources newsletter, I highlight an opportunity to support the career exploration of over 1,600 youth. I have also included a list of all of the Workforce Wednesday events this year and an interesting article from the Mankato Free Press regarding apprenticeship programs.

Develop the Next Generation of Leaders by Sharing Your Story

Over 50 storytellers are needed for Mankato’s 2023 Career Expo. This expo, taking place on March 15, 2023 serves over 1,600 10th grade students from South Central Minnesota. The expo has three components, an interactive exhibit area, a labor market game show, and a roundtable career storytelling area.

MyStory is an opportunity for individuals to share their career journeys. It isn’t a recruiting event, but rather, an opportunity to shape students’ visions of what future opportunities might look like. Whether you knew exactly what you wanted to do and made conscious decisions to get there, or your current career field is the result of a series of twists and turns, students want to hear your story.

Each storyteller can sign up for a morning or afternoon session (or both!) within each session, story tellers will meet with 60-80 students (8 groups of 8-10) with storytelling followed by Q&A. Lunch is provided to all storytellers.

In an effort to share the wide range of opportunities, we are hoping for a diverse group of storytellers, both in the form of backgrounds and careers. As you consider your own participation in the expo, I hope you will also consider engaging additional individuals within your organization.

Some specific careers/industries that were underrepresented last year include doctors or nurses, truck drivers, production careers at all levels (assemblers, machinists, welders, team leads, and production supervisors are some examples), electricians/plumbers/HVAC, and broadcast/print/digital media.

Additional details regarding the event and time commitments are available in this volunteer “job description” 2023 MyStory Volunteer Job Description - Google Docs

Registration is requested by March 6, 2023; however, we would appreciate early registration when possible as it helps us target and invite storytellers from underrepresented industries. Career Expo Storyteller Registration (google.com)

I have personally volunteered as a storyteller in the past and found it very rewarding.

CareerForce Announces Entire Workforce Wednesday Series

CareerForce ( a division of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development ) has announced the topics for the entire Workforce Wednesday series, which takes place on the first Wednesday of every month from 11-12. The upcoming events are as follows:

• February 1 – Biases, Microaggressions, and Code Switching
• March 1 – Preparing for The New Workforce
• April 5 – Cultivating a Supportive Workplace Culture for Youth
• May 3 – Building a Culture of Worksite Wellness
• June 7 – A Culture of Leadership as a Tool for Retention
• July 5 – Growing and Expanding Your Business
• August 2 – Caregiving and the Workplace – What Caregiver Types Does Your Business Recognize?
• September 6 – Leveraging Second Chancers for a Better Workforce
• October 4 – Automation and Upskilling Workers
• November 1 – Navigating the International Hiring Process
• December 6 – Still Utilizing Passive Recruiting Strategies? Why Active Recruiting is Now Essential

I will continue to share details about upcoming Workforce Wednesday events, but individuals looking to prepare for the entire year can download the flyer by clicking the image above.

Registration for all events as well as recordings and links from past events can be found at: Workforce Wednesday | CareerForce (careerforcemn.com)

Giving change a shot: Apprentice program brings newcomers to clinical work

I found this article in the Mankato Free Press to be a worthwhile read. The article highlights how an apprenticeship program was able to help Chelsea Morning transfer her hospitality skills into a career in healthcare. Apprenticeship tools are powerful ways to address your skilled labor needs by upskilling incumbent workers or training new ones.

?I have been a proponent of the Dual Training Pipeline Program and the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership as two of the most common programs used in Minnesota. Both South Central College, Customized Workforce Education and the Strategic Partnership Center - Minnesota State University, Mankato offer customized training programs and can apply for these training funds on your behalf.