Celebrating Workforce Development Month
Workforce Development Month is a nationwide celebration to showcase the impact workforce development has in building our economy, building a pipeline to good, quality jobs, and supporting underserved communities.
This month at Hired, we recognize the crucial impact that workforce development programs and services, and the professionals who provide them, make on the lives of local jobseekers, families and in the greater economy. We recognize and appreciate the diligent ways the Hired program staff are working to support workforce development from both ends – by supporting career training and employment counseling for jobseekers and also working with employer, community, and government partners to create on-ramps for access to the workforce.
Hired’s Career Pathways program grew by 64% between 2023 and 2024, reflecting both the interest and need by community for more accessible, short-term career training programs and the state and local government’s investment in meeting those needs and supporting more access for local jobseekers. We are deeply appreciative of our funders (especially MN Department of Employment & Economic Development, the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and Ramsey County) who made the expansion of our Career Pathways possible).
Let us introduce you to Austin, a jobseeker who completed our Career Pathways trainings in Home Energy, which was a training partnership between Hired, Center for Energy and the Environment (CEE), Sabathani Community Center and Ujaama Place.
Before moving to Minnesota, Austin had worked internationally as an architect. Despite a strong background of work experience, and academic and professional credentials, he struggled to find a family-sustaining position. “I wanted to do something meaningful and impactful for my community,” he said. During this training, Austin received valuable workplace readiness instruction and holistic support services from Hired and technical knowledge in home energy auditing from CEE.
Meet Austin
“Hired trains us, and we help the community. I can show people how to reduce energy costs, make changes, and save money. It's not just giving to us; it's giving to the entire community.”
Austin has since earned multiple certificates in Building Science Certification and completed his internship with CEE.
Our staff partner with thousands of participants each year who are facing barriers to employment. Participants like Yogesh, whose story is below, connected to Hired through the adult services team, receiving support for workers laid off through no fault of their own. Demand for these services is increasing tremendously as we have many new referrals and enrollments due to changing economic uncertainty.
Yogesh had a long education and career in software engineering. He never expected to be impacted by several layoffs. Working with Hired helped Yogesh reframe his perspective and plan for his next steps, which included advanced technology training.
After hard months of job searching and jumping headfirst in training, Yogesh was able to land a new role.
Meet Yogesh
“Keep your hope. Connect with someone at Hired who's able to keep your confidence level up and keep things real - not just empty words, but real advice that will make a difference in your situation. Because things will get better - don't give up.”
According to the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development, by 2035, it's projected that as many as one in four Minnesota workers will be from a community of color or an Indigenous population. As many as one in seven Minnesota workers will have been born outside of the United States. These changes, coupled with an aging population, require a proactive approach to meet workforce needs - one that creates and supports opportunities for participants while meeting employer needs and preparing Minnesotans for family-sustaining wage careers.
Hired is committed to contributing to a strong Twin Cities workforce ecosystem. We continue to pursue opportunities to partner with employers, educational institutions, local and state government agencies, and community organizations to ensure our participants have inclusive workplaces and policies that support their full engagement in the economy.
About Workforce Development Month
Workforce Development Month was established by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). This month recognizes the input of not just local organizations that provide workforce programs, but also the skilled and talented workforce development personnel that work with employers and participants to reduce barriers to developing the skills and experience needed to fill critical workforce gaps, and provide a pathway to prosperity for families.