1. Healthcare

Keeping Communication Current
KCC Newsletter
February 2, 2015
Survey Finds Better Job Outlook in 2015
for Minnesota's College Graduates
2015 looks to have a high
growth of college graduate
employment opportunities
in Minnesota.
A news release from the
11th annual Minnesota College Job Outlook survey
says more than 50 percent
of employers plan to increase their hiring rate. It's
a 14 percent hike from
2014 and the highest increase since 2007.
The survey conductor and
associate director of St.
Cloud State University’s
Career Services Center, Andrew Ditlevson, says the
survey takes employers into
account that actively recruit
Minnesota new college
graduates.
He says students interviewing skills and knowledge of
companies have improved
which shows all the effort
of Career Service offices is
paying off around the state.
The survey shows students
need to be more realistic
when it comes to job expectations, get rid of their
sense of entitlement and
improve their verbal communication skills.
The survey reveals staffing
agencies with 80 percent
increase in employment in
first place, the health care
market with 75 percent of
growth in second place and
manufacturing industries
rank third.
On the basis of the survey,
it seems employee referral
with a 10 percent increase
from 69.8 percent in 2014
is the biggest change in
recruiting methods for col-
lege student and new graduates in 2015. Ditlevson
says the use of social media
as an employment tool has
gone up 10 percent from
this past year alone, but is
not a direct source of hiring
according to employers.
---------From http://www.kvsc.org/
news-detail/a-better-joboutlook-in-2015-for-
St. Cloud State University's 2015 Minnesota College Job Outlook Survey finds that nearly 54 percent of employers in the
state plan to increase hiring this year. SCSU's Andy Ditlevson
(DIT'-lev-son) says that's big jump from 36 percent who
planned to step-up hiring last year. He says companies that
are active in college recruiting make the most new hires
through job fairs. A record number of employers are now using social media to recruit workers, but none reported it as
their top source for hiring. ~ From Pierce County Herald
minnesotas-collegegraduate-01-23-2015/6738/
Table of Contents
In This Issue
Page
Outlook for College Grads
1
Best Places To Work
2
Job Fairs
2
Foreign-Trained Physicians
3
WDI Staff & Office News
4
DEED Grant for Women
4
Restaurant News
5
Business Report
5
Unemployment Rates Now
6
IT Employers Add Workers
6
If you Don’t Get Hired
7
Kickoff Your Career
8
Keeping Communication Current
The Best Places To Work
In 2015, for the seventh year in a row, Workforce Development, Inc. has connected with Personnel Dynamics Consulting, Inc. to bring the nationallyrecognized “Best Places To Work” program to Southeast Minnesota.
New date for the BPTW banquet –
please change your calendars to reflect attendance at the banquet on
Thursday, April 30, at the Rochester International Event Center.
The free “Best Places To Work” program is an exciting way to help you identify what is required to attract and retain your best employees. This program is
designed to:
 Identify the “Best Places To Work” within our region
 Educate employers on the best ways to recruit and retain employees
 Collect important employment data from our region
 Promote workforce issues
 Market professional workforce associations
 Energize business and community leaders
All businesses participating in the Best Places To Work survey will receive a
free customized report detailing exactly how they compete with other employers in the community. The report reviews
37 different employment measurements and highlights Best Practices being utilized by employers in our region.
Simply go to www.PersonnelDynamics.net to begin the survey. The application deadline is February 13, 2015.
We anticipate doing site visits for the finalists in the month between mid-March and mid-April, with the banquet scheduled for April 30, 2015 at the Rochester International Event Center.
For more information and to review a sample report , contact Jakki Trihey at Workforce Development, Inc.
507.529.2701 or [email protected].
Job Fair & Partnership Opportunities
Save the dates:
February 25 – Retail / Customer Service
March 25 – Construction
March 31 – Health Care
April 29 – Regional/Post Bulletin Job Fair
The February and March Job Fairs will be
held at the Heintz Center.
The April 29 Job Fair will be at the RCTC
Sports Center.
For more information, contact Bruce Thompson 507-292-5174 or Jen Hauzer 507-923-2824
Page 2
Keeping Communication Current
Jinny Rietmann, Area Manager for Olmsted and Dodge Counties and WDI’s Youth Program Coordinator,
has worked on a statewide task force for the last 7 months and helped to write the Task Force report.
Task Force Recommends Tapping State's
Foreign-trained Physicians
Addressing barriers seen as
key strategy for meeting
primary care needs in rural
and underserved areas.
Minnesota's population of
immigrant physicians are an
underused resource that
could provide primary care
where it is needed most,
according to a recently released state task force report.
The Task Force on ForeignTrained Physicians, convened in July 2014 at the
request of the Minnesota
Legislature, is calling for
Minnesota to become a national leader in addressing
barriers that prevent hundreds of experienced physicians from practicing. The
task force found that creating pathways for these doctors to practice would enhance Minnesota's primary
care workforce by making it
larger and more diverse.
Such a workforce would
help with increasingly urgent policy issues, such as
a physician shortage, an
aging population, persistent
health disparities, the needs
of a diversifying population,
and mounting health costs.
In the most thorough examination of the issue by
any state advisory body in
the country, the 15member task force issued
the following findings and
recommendations:
 Most of Minnesota's
largest immigrant
and refugee communities are underrepresented in
the state's licensed
physician workforce.
The state has only eight
Liberian-born physicians
now licensed, while its
Liberian community is
the largest in the U.S.
 Minnesota is currently home to an
estimated 250 to
400 unlicensed immigrant physicians.
Most of these physicians are trained as
primary care providers
and bring a wealth of
expertise, including fluency in multiple languages.
 Integrating more
immigrant physicians could result in
significant cost savings to the state, including expenses
associated with preventable hospitalizations and chronic
disease. One study
suggests Minnesota
could save over $63
million by tapping foreign-trained physicians


Page 3
to address shortages in
areas designated as
medically underserved.
Immigrant physicians face significant
barriers such as securing a medical residency, which is a
necessary licensing
step. Many residency
programs require U.S.based clinical experience and recent graduation from medical
school. This effectively
disqualifies the most
experienced immigrant
physicians who practiced extensively since
graduating from medical school.
These obstacles
could be addressed
with strategic, coordinated, publicprivate action. Key
recommendations include creating a
statewide council on
immigrant physicians;
encouraging residency
programs to look beyond the date of medical school graduation;
creating a Minnesota
assessment of the clinical readiness of immigrant physicians; creating dedicated residency
positions and apprenticeships in rural and
underserved areas, and
developing new licensure options for immigrant physicians.
"This task force has thought
creatively about this problem and brought us feasible
and groundbreaking strategies that could fortify our
physician workforce for
years to come," said Minnesota Commissioner of
Health Dr. Ed Ehlinger.
The task force included representatives from health
care, higher education,
community-based organizations, workforce development, finance and government, as well as foreigntrained physicians themselves. Dr. Edwin N. Bogonko of St. Francis Regional
Medical Center, chaired the
task force.
More information about the task
force is available on the MDH website: http://
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/
orhpc/workforce/iimg/index.html.
The task force's full report and
recommendations are available at
http://www.health.state.mn.us/
divs/orhpc/workforce/iimg/
finalrpt.pdf (PDF: 1747K/ 84 pages).
---------Shared by Jinny Rietmann, WDI –
Rochester. Media inquiries to
Scott Smith, MDH Communications, 651-201-5806 or
[email protected]
Keeping Communication Current
Workforce Development Inc.
Staff and Office News
George Mietzner, formerly a
Career Counselor based in
the Rochester WorkForce
Center, has begun working
in a newly created position
as Construction Industry
Marketing Specialist. In
this position, George will
serve in a liaison role to the
construction industry to
address their current and
future workforce needs and
concerns. He will specialize
in knowing the industry and
the labor market information to support the current and future needs of
employers and the workforce.
Over the past two years,
June Woitas Rodgers, Career Counselor in WDI’s
Red Wing and Wabasha
offices, has been attending
the local Society for Human
Resource Management
meetings. Programs have
included professional
speakers on topics such as
Employment Law, Workplace Mental Health: Recognizing the Signs/Identifying
Resources, Leadership Development and Workplace
Ethics. This summer, June
was invited to be the Work-
force Readiness Advocate,
an appointed member of
the chapter board of directors. She regularly attends
the board meetings, participates in webinars for workforce readiness topics and
presents back to the board
on relevant topics.
June also attended the kickoff meeting for the
Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP). This
meeting was a direct result
of attending SHRM meetings. As lead staff on
WDI’s Wellness Committee,
this fits well with the work
of that committee and has
supported the development
of goals to create a sustainable culture of wellness at
WDI.
WDI’s Wabasha office hosted a Hiring Fair for Mastersons on January 14, one of
many that have been offered every 1-2 months.
Monday evening GED classes started again January
19. Meeting space has
been provided for DVR and
a DVR contractor to meet
with their local clients at
least 5 times in January.
DEED Grants Aim to Close
the Gender Gap, Support
Minnesota Women
$475,000 awarded to
statewide groups that
will prepare and place
over 200 women in careers.
The Minnesota Department
of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
has awarded $475,000 in
Women and High-Wage,
High-Demand, Nontraditional Jobs Grant Program
grants to eight organizations that will prepare and
place women in new career
opportunities.
The program is an outgrowth of the Women’s
Economic Security Act,
which was signed into law
by Governor Mark Dayton
earlier this year to break
down the barriers to economic success faced by
some Minnesota women.
Among the goals of the
measure is to close the
gender pay gap and to encourage women to enter
nontraditional fields.
“DEED’s new program is an
opportunity to support
working families and support women to share in the
prosperity that Minnesota
has experienced since the
end of the recession,” said
Page 4
DEED Commissioner Katie
Clark Sieben. “More than
200 women are expected to
benefit from this program
with new careers in nontraditional, high-demand
fields.”
Officials estimate that 40
percent of the gender pay
gap is attributed to women
doing different work from
men and the lower value
placed on femaledominated work. The Women and High-Wage, HighDemand, Nontraditional
Jobs Grant Program will
focus on training and placing women in high-paying
fields that are typically
dominated by men, such as
STEM (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics) and construction.
Among the funding awards,
Workforce Development
Inc. will receive $71,900
for its project that will train
women for jobs in welding,
computer-controlled machine tool operation and
machining.
For more information on
this news release, contact
Madeline Koch at 651-2597236 or [email protected]
Keeping Communication Current
Restaurant News
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. and Sodexo, Inc. Invest in the Future of the Restaurant Workforce through
the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
(NRAEF) announced today gifts totaling more than $500,000
from Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. and Sodexo, Inc. to support the
NRAEF’s mission to enhance the restaurant industry’s service to
the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities.
Buffalo Wild Wings® has donated an additional $385,000 to support the NRAEF’s operations and establish the Buffalo Wild Wings
Scholarship Fund, awarded to students pursuing degrees in culinary arts, food science or foodservice management. Each year,
Buffalo Wild Wings and the NRAEF will select two students attending four-year colleges or universities and four students attending two-year colleges or universities to receive scholarships.
Additionally, Sodexo, Inc. has donated $125,000 in support of
the NRAEF’s nationwide career technical education program,
ProStart. A portion of the funds will be used to create a dynamic
network among current and past ProStart students, educators,
leading foodservice operators, suppliers and members of the
public.
Continue reading at http://www.restaurantnews.com/buffalo-wild
-wings-inc-and-sodexo-inc-invest-in-the-future-of-the-restaurantworkforce-through-the-national-restaurant-associationeducational-foundation/
Business Report
How local industry-education collaboration
can address the regional skills gap
Industry trades are often seen as low-wage, less ideal career
options than the high-wage, idyllic four-year degrees so many of
us were taught to strive for.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are the heart of
the training needs, combining academics with rich, careerfocused training. They utilize advanced technology and align with
rigorous academics and post-secondary education, providing students with in-demand science, technology, math and engineering
(STEM) skills along with hands-on, career-specific skills they can
build on. Contrary to the image of a defeated-looking worker,
receiving early education in career areas leaves students in a
position to succeed whether they choose to enter the workforce
or continue their education. Early education in career areas creates the lifelong learners our nation needs to maintain a robust
workforce.
Read the article by Timm Boettcher at http://chippewa.com/
business/businessreport/how-local-industry-educationcollaboration-can-address-the-regional-skills/article_8382d72a-
Page55
Page
Keeping Communication Current
The Cities With The Highest And Lowest Unemployment Right Now
Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas
Monthly Rankings
Not Seasonally Adjusted
Nov. 2014p
Rank
Metropolitan Area
Rate
Yellow denotes Midwest (11 of the top 15)
United States
5.5
1
Lincoln, NE Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.1
2
Fargo, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical
Area
2.2
2
Mankato-North Mankato, MN Metropolitan
Statistical Area
2.2
4
Midland, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.3
5
Ames, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.5
5
Bismarck, ND Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.5
5
Logan, UT-ID Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.5
8
Iowa City, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.6
8
Rochester, MN Metropolitan Statistical
Area
2.6
10
Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.7
10
Sioux Falls, SD Metropolitan Statistical
Area
2.7
12
Odessa, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
2.8
13
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MNWI Metropolitan Statistical Area
3.0
13
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Metropolitan Statistical Area
3.0
13
Provo-Orem, UT Metropolitan Statistical
Area
3.0
Source: http://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm
Report finds 59% of IT employers to add temp/contract workers
More than half of IT employers plan to add full-time, permanent staff this year and
three-quarters will offer higher starting salaries, according to CareerBuilder’s new IT
forecast. In addition, 59% of IT employers will add temporary or contract workers.
Read the article on Staffing Industry Analysis at http://www.staffingindustry.com/
site/Research-Publications/Daily-News/Report-finds-59-of-IT-employers-to-addtemp-contract-workers-32948?cookies=disabled
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Keeping Communication Current
What to Do If You Don’t Get Hired
It can be disappointing to hear that you weren’t selected
for a job you were excited about, especially if this has
happened repeatedly. But there are ways to address this
situation, so that your job hunt can progress and you’ll
ultimately be hired for that great position you’ve been
seeking.
Alison Doyle in How to Handle Job Search Rejection provides tips to help job seekers get there:
Share your feelings with a friend or family members.
First, share how you feel about being passed over by the
employer with a friend or family member in a confidential
setting. If you say something about the employer, it
should be positive because you may want to apply to the
organization again in the future. An employer received an
email saying "Your loss." from a candidate who wasn’t
offered a job. That applicant won't be considered for another position at the company.
Know that most searches are quite competitive.
Many talented candidates often don’t get hired since only
one person can get the job. It’s likely that the employer
saw another candidate as a (perhaps slightly) better fit.
Since hiring decisions are typically subjective, it’s possible
that another recruiter might have chosen you.
Also, maybe the hiring manager was right, and this job
wasn't the best fit for you and wouldn't have worked out.
In that case, the company did you a favor by not hiring
you.
Think about what you could have done differently.
Reflect upon your approach to the hiring process to see if
there is anything you could improve upon in the future.
Take a step backwards and review your resume, cover
letter, interview and follow-up activity. Given what you
ultimately learned about the job requirements and people
involved, ask yourself if you could have done something
differently to present yourself more effectively.
Though not typically, an employer might share some feedback about your candidacy. If you developed a rapport
with anyone at the organization, you might approach that
person with a request for constructive criticism.
Keep your job search moving forward.
Candidates often lose momentum with their search while
waiting to hear if they landed a job. However, it’s a good
idea to continue looking until you have accepted a job offer. Even if you get an offer, it might not be what you expected. If you did put your job search on hold because you
thought you were going to be hired, move on with your
search with renewed energy as soon as possible. Finding
other options, and hopefully getting some positive responses for interviews or networking meetings, will soften
the blow of being passed over by the employer and help to
build your confidence back up.
Review your job search tools.
Our team urges you to use our Creative Job Search Guide
to help you review your resume and cover letter. The
guide also includes interviewing techniques and how to
follow up with employers. Once you have completed your
resume, post it on our no-fee job board, MinnesotaWorks.net.
If you need further help with your job search, check out
services offered by Minnesota WorkForce Centers.
---------From http://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/social-media/blogs/
mnw-blog/blog-entry.jsp?id=466-153312
Ambition is the path to success. Persistence
is the vehicle you arrive in. -- Bill Bradley
Page 7
Keeping Communication Current
Kickoff Your Career . . . in College!!
Why blindly sit in class listening to lectures and not immediately start applying it to your
field??? What better way to
Kickoff your career than to get
started immediately seeing
practitioners actually live out
what is being taught in your
textbooks. You cannot start too
soon. Begin as freshmen.
Volunteer—Volunteering can
increase your chances of being
hired if you’re strategic about
it. Volunteering builds experience, helps you network with
people in your desired field,
provides opportunities for others to recommend you within
your field, and allows you to
learn the lingo. Be a source of
cutting edge knowledge for
exhausted and busy executives.
Register at your university's
Career Development Center.
Build a relationship long before
you are about to graduate.
Gain their assistance as you
plan for internships, summer
jobs, community volunteering,
etc. Allow your name to be in
the forefront of their minds
when businesses call into the
center.
Befriend your professors—
You'll learn more, have a
greater appreciation of your
academic experience and have
more ways to find mentors,
professional and academic
references, and employers.
See them as people who want
to be affirmed and cheered on
as they invest in this field.
Assess yourself. Seek understanding of your characteristics, motivators, skills, competencies, values and interests.
Take the Self Directed Search
assessment at www.SelfDirected-Search.com ($4.95)
or the Campbell Interest and
Skill Survey (CISS), at
www.PearsonAssessments.co
m ($18.25). Both measure selfreported vocational interests
and skills and match your
score to possible careers. A
great book, workbook and excellent resource in this area
is—48 Days to the work you
love by Dan Miller and forward
by Dave Ramsey.
Create your position objective statement concise in
one paragraph. Decide what
you want to do next (it may
change numerous times). Create a paragraph of only two or
three sentences that you can
use in emails, conversations
and interviews. Short enough
family can tell others how they
can help you. 20 seconds is all
the time you have to grab
someone’s attention ! Begin
with, “I’m seeking a position as
a …”Include the function you
are seeking (e.g. marketing
executive) and the industry you
are targeting (e.g. financial
firms).
Connect With a Mentor: Mentors come in all stages of life.
Utilize social media to network
with someone who is a few
years older than you and established in the industry you’re
pursuing. Give somebody else
the benefit and blessing to give
back as others have done for
them.
Fill your resume with
“RATS”—Results/Actions/
Task or Situations. On your
résumé, start with a past tense
action verb. Quantify the results, be specific what YOU
did, and then give the detail. If
you can’t be there in person to
tell how you’ve helped previous employers, then your résumé is a good substitute. Good
layout is the key to a positive
first impression.
Create a blog—Write informative posts about your area of
career interests. Promote your
blog as you are promoting your
expertise and what you are
learning. The product you are
selling is YOU and what you
are learning. It will build your
brand and assist with SEO of
your name. See yourself as the
expert in your field and you are
writing as a consultant to an
audience. Provide samples of
papers, commentary, journal
articles, etc. Write as if you are
on staff and have an audience.
Don't be afraid to fail. Now is
a great time to blow it if you
have a choice. Start new
things, try out your interests,
fall on your face, and then pick
yourself and go in a different
direction. Have daily affirmations and constantly focus
yourself with daily goals and
positive re-enforcements.
Request informational interviews—reach out to professionals in your desired field
and request 10-15 minutes to
ask their advice. Not asking for
a job but strictly desiring to
learn: Advice, Information, and
Referrals. Provide them with
cutting edge information about
their field they may not have
had time to read.
Build a presence on
LinkedIn: Spend serious time
on LinkedIn. Build connections,
join groups related to your industry, and apply for jobs
through LinkedIn. Why use
LinkedIn? 85% of recruiters go
to LinkedIn before anywhere
else to find talent. Build, organize, and manage your online
recommendations from folks
you’ve had professional relationships. Easily connect with
industry professionals that
have careers of interest to you
or goals similar to yours. Find
decision-makers at those companies and follow them as well.
Don't be afraid to contact your
connections to provide them
knowledge and build your network. Don't let things sit idle.
Recommend others, endorse
others, and build your presence and brand on LinkedIn.
Freelance/Be creative in
serving/Internships-Freelancing is a great way to
boost your skills, resume, portfolio, professional network,
income, and confidence. Work
on contract as an interim staff
member, seek internships,
work summers, or ask for a
title and pay be $1 a year. Fill
your resume with legitimate
positions, with actually hiring
managers, and supervisors.
You will need them in the future. Serve them, get their coffee, make their copies, nothing
is beneath you, and soak up
EVERYTHING you can about
the business.
As you have daily affirmations,
expect great things from your
career. Pay it forward, be generous, be honest, be consistent, and through hard work,
things will come your way.
Now you have a plan, ACT on
it.
---------By John Roland from https://
www.linkedin.com/pulse/kickoff
-your-career-college-johnroland
Workforce Development, Inc. | 1302 7th Street NW | Rochester, MN 55901
Tel: 507.292-5180 | Fax: 507-292-5173
Web: www.workforcedevelopmentinc.org
To be added to the newsletter distribution list, contact Dari Sunderland ([email protected]).
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