Governor Walz, Business Leaders Discuss Workforce Training and Job Creation in Owatonna

Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove today met with business leaders in Owatonna today to discuss ways to expand the economy by addressing staffing shortages and ensuring Minnesotans can get connected to job and skills training opportunities.

"Minnesota is creating jobs at a record pace -- we have more people working than anywhere else in the country. Our job is to ensure that Minnesotans have the training and education they need to be successful in whatever career path they choose, whether it's manufacturing, policing, or teaching," said Governor Walz. "That's why we're working with employers, educational institutions, and nonprofits to get Minnesotans connected to good jobs all across our state."

"This tight labor market presents a real challenge to employers looking to hire more workers, serve their customers, and keep growing," said Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Steve Grove. "Our Summer of Jobs tour is an all-out sprint to help jobseekers and employers connect, and today we lifted up opportunities to attract highly-trained professionals in careers from manufacturing to computer engineering -- not just in southeastern Minnesota but across the state."

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has developed a Jobs Skills Partnership program to work with businesses, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities and keep high-quality jobs in the state. Workforce Development Inc., recently opened a new location in Owatonna to help people looking for work get prepared for and connected with jobs in the Owatonna area.

Minnesota's unemployment rate reached 1.8 percent, just half the size of the nation's unemployment rate. Minnesota has created ver 91,000 jobs in the past year. Over the past six months, Minnesota has seen a greater job growth rate compared to the nation as a whole, at 1.6 percent.

Attendees included Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz, a representative of the Owatonna School District and engineering and high-tech employers, including Life Fitness, Viracon, the Wenger Corporation, Black Forest, US Bank, State Farm, Workforce Development Inc., and Federated Insurance.

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