HIRED eNews: January 2012

PROVIDING PERSONALIZED AND INNOVATIVE WORK SOLUTIONS

Dan is "M-Powered"!

Dan (pictured at left with HIRED project manager James Reason on the right) graduated from the M-Powered manufacturing job training program on January 24. He joined 42 other graduates of the award-winning initiative.

That same evening, President Obama delivered his State of the Union address, in which he stated, “Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last– an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.” Later in his address, the President described innovative job training partnerships between manufacturing businesses, community colleges, nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders.

Prior to the graduation ceremony, Dan’s fellow M-Powered graduates who hadn’t already secured jobs met with 12 employers looking to connect with local talent (pictured at right).

“These training partnerships, operating in communities across the country, have a lot in common with M-Powered,” said Jane Samargia, HIRED’s executive director. “While some production jobs have moved overseas, and may never return, other manufacturing jobs remain open for months because companies can’t find workers with the right combination of specialized skills. It’s exciting to see the M-Powered partnership train unemployed people in job skills that are helping the Twin Cities economy grow.”

After being laid off from two successive jobs in the printing industry, Dan decided to enter the precision manufacturing field. Last May, he entered the M-Powered program—which trains individuals for jobs in a number of high-demand manufacturing specialties—and pursued training as a clean room technician. Dan has already found a job with a medical device manufacturing company.

M-Powered partners include 23 area manufacturing businesses, HIRED, Hennepin Technical College, the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU). HIRED staff members provide M-Powered participants with individualized services and support during training, help them obtain jobs at local businesses, and offer job retention assistance.

Current funding for M-Powered is provided by a Community-based Jobs Training grant from the United States Department of Labor. The Greater Twin Cities United Way, the Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation, Tennant Foundation and donors like you provide additional funding for HIRED's sector-based job training programs in a variety of industries.

You're Making a Difference: Please Join Us February 15th

Check your calendars! We hope you can join us for the following free event:

HIRED Works: Internships for Youth and Adults

You're invited to join us on February 15 to learn how your support is helping people find jobs through innovative internship programs. The event will be held from 12 pm to 1 pm at the Griggs Midway Building in St. Paul. A light lunch will be served. For more information, or to register by phone or e-mail, please contact Pam Huff at 612-302-8504 or at Pamela.Huff@HIRED.org

You Can Offer Hope to Someone Training for a New Career

HIRED needs to raise $156,000 through this year's annual fund so that we can continue to help job seekers like Dan. We still have $101,000 to go. If you'd like to make a contribution to HIRED this month, please click here. Thank you!