Happy Summer Everyone!

RMCEP recently represented the state’s rural areas on the State of Minnesota Performance Negotiation team to negotiate performance standards with the US Department of Labor for the upcoming two years for the WIOA programs.  Those programs are WIOA Adult, WIOA Dislocated Worker, WIOA Youth and Wagner-Peyser.  It is always an honor to join our DEED Leadership in representing the uniqueness of Minnesota’s workforce during these negotiations.

We are moving the agency forward in these “post-Covid emergency” times.  I am excited to tell you about our Journey to Transformation as we respond to our ever-changing environment.  Changes in legislation, administration, the economy, the workforce, technology, and so many other areas demand our responses so that we are well-positioned to continue to be this area’s leading workforce development provider.  We are going through a deep dive, involving all staff, board members, and stakeholders as we examine ourselves for areas of improvement.  Of course, we will continue to keep our strong core values while we update our processes and systems to meet the challenges we see today and in the future in providing relevant workforce development services in our region of the state.  We are currently drafting new goals and processes for each of our 5 Key Pillars:  People, Culture Transformation, Technology Modernization, Operational Excellence and Leadership Development.  We are looking forward to the future and invite your comments as we move along our Journey!