In every community I visit, employers tell me they are having a hard time finding skilled workers to fill the job openings they have. It’s a complicated problem, and we are interested in learning about innovative ideas to help solve it.
I had the opportunity to visit MA-TEC – the Marshall Area Technical and Educational Center. This is a wonderful example of how schools and agencies are collaborating to help meet the demands on our southwest Minnesota workforce.
Marshall High School, Minnesota West Community & Technical College and Adult Basic Education have come together to offer career and technical training in healthcare and manufacturing. The goal is to provide real world experience and credit-based training for students and adults as certified nursing assistants and welders – two jobs in high demand across the region.
With unemployment at about 2.5 percent and a job to workforce ratio of almost one-to-one in our region, we know there’s a dire need to train and place workers. It’s exciting to see communities, businesses, schools and organizations collaborating to find new ways to do just that.
What innovative projects can you share from your area?
