Prairie’s Edge Resort – Granite Falls, MN
Agenda:
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:10 Welcome/Housekeeping items
9:10-10:15 Workforce Data/Trends: Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher, Center for Rural Policy & Development; Luke Greiner, Regional Labor Market Analyst, DEED. How did we get here? Kelly and Luke will share data and trends related to the current workforce shortages.
10:15-10:25 Break
10:25-11:10 BREAKOUT SESSION 1:
1.) Employer – Youth Connections: Kim Collin, Case New Holland; Pam Hilber, Avera ; Jamie Pauling, J&D Construction; Nicole Wood, Ortonville Area Health. Employer and youth connections are changing the way students make career decisions. Hear from local employers that are engaging with schools and students to support career exploration, exposure, and experiences. Find out what they are doing and why they are choosing to connect with youth!
2.) Employer Roundtable Discussion: Join your peers in engaging small group discussions about what challenges you’re facing, what solutions are working, which ones aren’t. Discussions will be facilitated by event planning committee.
11:10-11:20 Break
11:20-12:00 BREAKOUT SESSION 2:
1.) Successful strategies in recruiting and retaining employees: Lynn Marotzke, Jennie-O HR; Marti Paulson, CEO, Project Turnabout; Ashley Bormann, Montevideo Veteran’s Home Administrator – Hear how a few local employers are addressing their workforce needs as they share creative ways they have recruited and retained employees.
2.) Childcare panel: Trisha Lien, First Children’s Finance; Erik Bjerke, CEO Madison Healthcare Services; Rick Ellingworth, Supt. LQPV Schools. First Childrens Finance will share recent data, trends and resources related to childcare. Also, hear from a panel of local childcare operations that have partnered with local employers to help address local childcare, and ultimately, workforce issues.
12:00-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:30 Resources, Recruitment, Retention: Jessica Miller, Director of Workforce Strategy, MN Department of Employment and Economic Development; Carrie Bendix, Executive Director, Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council – Learn about the state and federal workforce resources available to recruit, upskill, and retain employees. Hear about ways you can expand your talent pipeline and increase employee retention including Diversity, Equity and Inclusive (DEI) strategies. Examples of best practices from across the state will also be shared.
1:30-1:45 Break
1:45-2:30 BREAKOUT SESSION 3:
1.) HR Topic: Pamela M. Harris, PLLC, Employment Law Attorney – This year’s legislature made Minnesota employers subject to four similar, but not identical, types of mandatory family and medical leave, in addition to time off required by federal laws. This session will describe the similarities, differences and overlaps among these, with suggestions for implementation and management.
2.) Workforce housing panel: Lisa Graphenteen, Director of Housing and Economic Development, Development Services Inc.; Chad Adams, CEO, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership; Hillary Tweed, Regional Director, Community and Economic Development Associates. Housing is often noted as one of the top three challenges faced by employers in recruiting and retaining workforce. This session will highlight a variety ways employers have successfully engaged with developers and communities to create housing. The session will also highlight the leadership role communities can take in addressing local workforce housing needs.
2:30-2:45 Break
2:45-3:30 Workforce marketing/recruitment: Melissa Streich, Communications Manager, UMVRDC; Jack Gottfried, Community Development Director, City of Montevideo. Need help marketing your community? Your openings? What are job seekers looking for when contemplating a move? This session will give you a few ways to take your recruitment up a level. Hear from residents on why they chose to relocate or stay here.
3:30 Closing remarks
Join us at Blue Nose Gopher for social/networking!
