Our mission is to develop and advance the workforce of Southeast Minnesota.
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A Lifetime of Impact
On Thursday, June 6th, 2019 current and former Workforce Development, Inc. staff, board members, and community members gathered to celebrate WDI’s Executive Director, Randy Johnson as he prepares to retire after 34 years with the agency. Former staff members Lynda Hyberger, Jill Miller and Dallas Groten, and Workforce Development Board Member Jeff Custer all spoke of their appreciation for, and admiration of Randy, and the work that he has done. The resounding theme in their speeches, as well as the conversation in the room was the deep impact Randy has had on participants and staff and the number of lives he has truly changed through his work, advocacy and guidance.
For those of you who have had the pleasure of working with Randy you know his passion for data falls just short of his passion for people. Randy compiled a list of notable accomplishments that WDI has achieved since 1985. A few of the highlights are as follows.
- WDI/PIC has placed over 60,000 adults in living wage careers, and another 37,000 public assistance recipients in transitional jobs – while helping some 15,000 youth gain employment and work maturity skills over the past 34 years. It is estimated that over 20% of the workforce in SE MN has been impacted by our services.
- WDI/PIC attracted some $190 million in funding, from Federal, State, County and private sources since 1985.
- When you calculate the new taxes paid on earnings for just 1 year by those placed, and add to it the amount of welfare avoided by getting a job for 1 year, it amounts to over $1 billion returned to government over the last 34 years! Dividing the return by the total cost of operation it yields a whopping 554% average Return on Investment!
Randy’s full list can be found
here
.
Randy, how do we begin to thank you for the work that you have done in our local region, the state, and on a national level? The world of workforce development has been forever altered in a positive way because of your strength, passion and tenacity. We wish you the very best as you move forward into retirement and look forward to hearing about your continued advocacy, hopefully interspersed with stories of fishing trips, travel adventures, time with your grandson and Minnesota Twins games.
With our deepest respect and admiration~
Your WDI Staff
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Signing Day with SteeleCo Works
On Wednesday, May 1st 2019 nine students from Owatonna High School signed Letters of Intent to enter the workforce after graduation. For more details on this awesome event, visit
KFRO Radio's article.
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“I look forward to graduation and to be able to stand on my own two feet for my children.”
-Brandy
The sun is shining on this beautiful 56-degree, 27th day of October 2017. There is not a gust of wind in the air. The leaves have turned, and as Minnesotans we know that this day might be one of the last beautiful days of fall.
However, for Brandy this date is filled with mixed emotions and uncertainties. After a cyclone of unexpected personal and situational events unfolded before her eyes, Brandy found herself starting a new career pathway. Brandy made the decision to quit her position as a Pharmacy Technician at a local retail store to pursue her dream of enrolling in college and becoming a nurse. Brandy quickly realized that for this to happen, she needed financial support to assist her in supporting her two small children, ages two and four. The Department of Human Services referred Brandy to Workforce Development, Inc. (WDI) for the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP).
Brandy found the yellow brick career pathway waiting for her. She traded in her ruby red slippers for supportive nursing shoes, her best dress for a set of nursing scrubs, and prepared herself for the work that lay ahead. Brandy met me, her career planner, at the start of her journey down the yellow brick career pathway. Together, we discussed career planning, completed career assessments that supported her goal of becoming a nurse, and resources for childcare and transportation.
Similar to Dorothy, Brandy continued to discover new friends and resources along the yellow brick career pathway. One of these resources, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program, assisted in the cost of her tuition for the nursing program at Riverland Community College. Brandy quickly adjusted to life as a full-time nontraditional student. She excelled through the LPN program and passed the nursing board exam in June of 2018.
In less than one years’ time, she became an LPN earning a livable wage sufficient to support herself and her two children. Brandy accepted employment as an LPN with a wage gain of $6.45 per hour—a significant increase from her hourly wage as a Pharmacy Technician. She successfully completed the MFIP and WIOA programs and gained full-time employment.
Like Dorothy, Brandy continued heading towards the land of Oz. She enrolled in prerequisite classes for the RN program at Riverland and traveled to her classes on the yellow brick career pathway. She has finished the prerequisites and plans to enroll Riverland’s RN program this fall. Since becoming an LPN, she changed health care employers. Doing so provided her a second wage gain for her family and a work schedule that better allows her to balance life as an LPN and mother.
In the end of the Wizard of Oz, the Wizard insisted that he is a good man. He proved this by giving the Scarecrow a diploma, the Cowardly Lion a medal, and the Tin Man a heart thus helping them see that the attributes they sought were already within themselves. Although WDI career planners do not use smoke and mirrors like the Wizard, career planners at WDI help our participants realize that the attributes they seek are already within them too!
Submitted by: Melissa Doppelhammer, Career Planner- Albert Lea, WDI
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Spotlight on: Healthcare
Wendy Rivera
Why did you decide on a career in healthcare?
I just deeply knew I wanted to help others and make a difference in their lives. It's a great privilege to be able to help people when they're at their most vulnerable.
Did anyone influence you towards this career choice? I work with many amazing nurses that have inspired me. they have been my role models and I hope one day, I become as good and compassionate at they are.
Could you tell me about the process for nursing? (PCA- CNA- TMA- LPN- RN)
A certified nursing assistant's (CNA) role is to provide basic care to patients, as well as assist them in daily activities they might have trouble with on their own, such as bathing and dressing. It's a short course, usually 8-12 weeks long. A Trained Medication Aide (TMA) or certified medication aide is a CNA that has completed additional classroom training to be certified to dispense medications to patients while working under the supervision of a nurse. A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) performs certain medical duties such as examining patients, observing crucial symptoms and assisting with wound care. An LPN works under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN), and it takes about 12-15 months of college to become one. Register Nurses have to perform numerous duties, but, of all, the most important is to cater to the needs of their patients and ensure they get adequate comfort in a secured and safe environment. They take note of the doctors orders and they execute them correctly. RNs are in-charge of patient care and perform patient assessment and develop care plans considering their conditions. They are also responsible for providing immediate care if required. RNs usually take leadership positions.
What positions have you had/do you have and what has been helpful to you? I started working as a CNA in 2011. After working as a CNA for quite some time and assisting residents with activities of daily living, the facility I worked at was encouraging their employees to take a short course to become a TMA so they could help dispense medications to residents. I took the course in 2017 and started administering medications. I wanted to help the residents even more and felt I couldn't due to my lack of expertise. I decided to join the Practical Nursing program at Riverland Community College that same year and I graduated with my diploma in the summer of 2018. I started working as an LPN and I was able to do so much more for the health and well being of the residents. Even though I had reached my goal and I was finally a nurse there was still a lot I couldn't do because it was out of my scope of practice, so I decided to continue studying to obtain my Associate in Science and I am hoping to graduate at the end of this year and become an RN. I want to eventually continue studying and earn my Bachelors or even my Masters. I have been able to continue with College thanks to the generosity of my community. Thanks to many scholarships given to me through Workforce Development, Inc., Thorne Crest Senior Living and through the Riverland Community College Foundation, I am able to pursue my dream. When you have a passion for helping others, put those awesome qualities to work helping and brightening up others lives.
How have you benefited from these various positions? Every step of the way has helped me on my nursing journey and to grow as a person. Being a CNA helped me to build relationships and character. Caring for the elderly has taught me to be kind and compassionate. Being a TMA helped me to recognize the side effects and adverse effects of medications and it also helped me enormously with my pharmacology course in the PN program. Also, being an LPN has helped me to communicate effectively with all healthcare providers, and do so much more for the residents. I know I want to stay working with the elderly community, working with them requires patience, humor, gentleness and love, and I have acquired those qualities and many others along the way.
Where are you currently working? Can you tell us more about your employer and how they have assisted you as you continue in this career path?
I work at Thorne Crest Senior Living Community in Albert Lea. Thorne Crest has different senior housing options such as assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation.short term transitional care unit. I have a part-time nurse position in the skilled care unit. Currently for the summer I am also assisting the Nurse Manager from the Assisted Living and Memory Care Unit. I love to help and work in all departments. I learn so much from all the different units and they help me grow as a professional. My employer has always encouraged me to grow as a professional and they allow me to work around my school schedule. Thorne Crest also gives me financial support through scholarships every semester. As an employee I feel very appreciated.
Submitted by: Deann Loge, Career Planner, WDI
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SE Minnesota Employment Trends
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Workforce Development, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Provider and a proud partner of the American Job Center Network.
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