Let’s use the workforce shortage to close the inclusion gap and strengthen our region
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A qualified and diverse workforce is critical to the competitiveness of our region. There are some big shifts happening right now in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul job market – a widespread labor shortage means many employers are having trouble finding employees. Four years from now, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Regional Workforce Innovation Network projects our region will need to fill 550,000 job openings.
The good news is that the MSP region has a labor participation rate of 71.8 percent and an unemployment rate of just 2.5 percent. The bad news is that the employment gap between the white population and population of color is worsening, growing to 11.3 percent this past year.
What are some of the strategies we should deploy to attract and retain skilled workers?
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Minneapolis chamber poll finds support for transit investment
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Almost six in 10 Minnesota voters are willing to pay higher taxes or user fees to support more spending on transit, according to a new survey. Jonathan Weinhagen, President & CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber said, “We hear a lot of ‘us vs. them’ narrative when it comes to transit. What this poll tells us is it’s time to get over that.” The poll also shows that
transit is an issue with much broader support than often portrayed. We need to move people not only around the region, but around the state, which cannot be accomplished without additional support. Without that additional support, we won't be able to compete with our peer regions or achieve future economic success.
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Friday, October 19 | 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. | The Local Irish Pub
Minnesota elections are never dull. Recounts, resignations, old guard and new faces. When it comes to state and local politics we should always expect the unexpected. Hear from veteran political insider Brian McClung as he discusses this year’s exciting Minnesota electoral landscape and what changes in office could mean for businesses and communities across the region.
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mspWellness: Championing Healthy Worksites
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At this inaugural breakfast, we celebrated the companies that have recently completed the first year of the mspWellness program. The program highlighted the changes these mspWellness Champions have made to their workplaces creating better health and wellness opportunities for their employees to inspire others to do the same.
Guest speaker Nichole Melton Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer at Allina Health | Aetna, shared best practices for employee engagement in wellness initiatives, how to implement them as well as potential outcomes. She offered that one of the definitions of wellness was the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort. She said that a wellness program is considered an employee health program when it's reasonably designed to promote health or prevent disease. Wellness programs help both employers and employees to make changes that help to not only improve overall health, but also to manage health risks, prevent future health issues, and increase safety and productivity.
Congratulations to our 2018 champions The Big Know, Community Involvement Programs, Chowgirls Killer Catering, Damon Farber, East Side Neighborhood Services, Eastside Food Cooperative, FINNEGANS, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - MN Chapter, The Lynhall, Minneapolis Regional Chamber, Minnesota Gastroenterology, P.A. (MNGI), and Stonebridge Capital Advisors.
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Thursday, October 18 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Jax Cafe
This collaborative event is an evening of networking and recognition as we honor those that serve our community. The celebration includes complimentary appetizers, a silent auction, wine pull and cash raffle. Partial event proceeds benefit the Edison High School Voyager Scholarship Fund with a generous match from both the Eastside Food Cooperative and the East Minneapolis Exchange Club.
Ceremonial checks will also be presented by the Club to Meals on Wheels-NE Dinner Bell and the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.
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Minneapolis Regional Chamber announces 2018 Minnesota Keystone honored companies
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The Minneapolis Regional Chamber is pleased to announce the 2018 Minnesota Keystone Program honored companies. Nemer Fieger, Highland Bank and Walser Automotive Group were chosen for recognition due to their generous contributions to the community and their outstanding giving programs. This year’s recipients were chosen from nearly 200 companies in the program, standing out for their unique giving programs and contributions. Serving as a model for other Minnesota businesses to follow, they will be honored at the 42
nd
annual Minnesota Keystone Luncheon.
The 2018 Minnesota Keystone Luncheon keynote speaker will be Kevin Warren, chief operating officer of the Minnesota Vikings. Jason DeRusha, Emmy-award winning WCCO-TV anchor and magazine restaurant critic will serve as the emcee.
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Veterans Appreciation Day Luncheon
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The City of Bloomington will be hosting its annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon on Saturday, November 10 at Northwestern Health Sciences University. There will be a Veterans Resource Fair followed by a lunch program. This luncheon is free for veterans and active duty service members as well as a guest, $13 for all other guests.
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Friday, October 26 | 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. | Westminster Presbyterian Church
Minneapolis has evolved into a popular destination for nationally recognized events. Nearly 35,000 people make a living in the city’s hospitality industry. How can this industry sustain growth while also attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce? Hear from our expert panel at the next Good Morning Minneapolis.
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
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The Minneapolis Regional Chamber and the MN Drug Card
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The FREE MN Drug Card is provided to you and your family to help lower prescription drug costs. The card helps you to receive savings of up to 75 percent (discounts average roughly 30 percent) at more than 56,000 national and regional pharmacies. This card can be used as your primary plan and/or it can be used on prescriptions not covered by your insurance plan.
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The Minneapolis Regional Chamber and Sprint
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The
Sprint Works Program
offers a discounts of 15% on select rate plans to members of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber. If the customer is active on Unlimited Freedom, they will receive a $5 discount instead of the % discount associated with the company.
Any subscriber on the account qualifies for the
Sprint Works Program discount
. The name on the proof document must match a name listed as a subscriber. The subscriber does not need to be the Account Holder.
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