RMCEP News

Northwest Region Blog

The presence of such industry powerhouses as Polaris, Arctic Cat and New Flyer make Northwest Minnesota a hub of transportation equipment manufacturing.

From wheat and potatoes to soybeans and sugar beets, the region is a major producer and processor of food staples and specialty agricultural products. Click here to view the blog.

Leadership and Organization

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

DEED is led by Commissioner Steve Grove. As commissioner of the state’s principal workforce and economic development agency, Commissioner Grove brings a wealth of private sector and civic experience to the Department of Employment and Economic Development. Originally from Northfield, Minnesota, Commissioner Grove is focused on growing the state’s workforce, closing the opportunity gap and providing businesses with the help they need to grow, stay and thrive. Read full article.

Unemployment Drops, but Labor Force Growth Lags

Monday, March 04, 2019

With the recent change in the gubernatorial administration, it’s time to look back over the past eight years of the Dayton administration, assess Minnesota’s employment conditions, and see how current conditions compare to those in play during previous administrations. No single elected state official deserves all the blame or all the credit for changing conditions well beyond their control. Governors of both parties have seen broader cyclical trends impact the state’s economy – as this comparison highlights. To ignore these impacts and attribute good or bad performance to the office holder overstates their influence over these trends. Read full article.

Grant Assists Dislocated Herberger’s Workers

Saturday, February 16, 2019

When the doors of Herberger’s department stores were shuttered across Minnesota last August, it devastated many communities, especially those in rural regions. About 200 workers in the Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP) service area lost their jobs. With a special 18-month grant program, RMCEP has been helping dislocated Herberger’s workers get the support, assistance and training they need to move forward. “The significance of the funding is that it’s dedicated to that specific group of workers,” explains Sue Hilgart, Program Manager for RMCEP. “They don’t have to compete with dislocated workers from around the region for program dollars. It’s a...

Magazine Highlights Minnesota as a Top Spot for Business

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

The new edition of Minnesota: Thriving in the North spells out the benefits of doing business here. It highlights the state’s inviting business climate, innovative atmosphere and world-class workforce. The publication, available in both print and digital versions, is part of DEED’s ongoing work to promote the state’s advantages for business investment and expansion, as well as its culture of innovation and quality of life. Read more.

Measuring Employment

Monday, January 28, 2019

DEED publishes two employment estimates each month based on two separate surveys: The household survey (Current Population Survey) and the payroll survey (Current Employment Statistics or CES survey). The household survey asks households about their employment status; the payroll survey asks Minnesota employers how many workers they have on their payrolls. The numbers produce slightly different employment counts. Over the last four decades, changes in the employment mix (self-employment, people holding multiple jobs and agricultural jobs shrinking as a percent of employment) have narrowed the gap in the employment counts. Knowing why the two series differ and how the gap between them...

Not Taking the Expansion for Granted

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held at 2.8 percent in November for the third month in a row. The state’s unemployment rate remains the lowest since May 1999 and three tenths of a point above the all-time low of 2.5 percent (January and February, 1999). October’s gain of 3,400 jobs was reduced to 2,500 after revision. Read full article.

Somewhere Between Site Selection and Storytelling: An Expert Webinar

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Economic development organizations face hard choices. To encourage investment and job growth, they must make certain decisions. They cannot be all things to all people. To a large degree, an EDO must bet on certain aspects of a community to be effective. Site selection is a changing landscape, staying on top of the current trends and features is important for your local economic development. Knowing how to tell the story to match the changing trends is even more important. in this webinar, Aaron Brossoit, CEO of Golden Shovel, explained about the changes in site selection and how an EDO can stay on...

Youthbuild: Building Opportunity for At-Risk Kids

Monday, December 10, 2018

Minnesota’s high school graduation rates have risen to nearly 83 percent, an all-time high. But looking closer at the data reveals that some groups, such as students from low income families, students of color and those experiencing homelessness have significantly lower rates of success. Youthbuild in Moorhead aims to proactively address the needs of youth who have dropped out or are at risk of not finishing school. The unique job training program gives young adults experience in the building trades and helps them develop basic skills to help them succeed later in life. The main goal is to enable young adults to...

Support Nonprofits on Giving Tuesday and Beyond

Monday, November 26, 2018

November 27 is Giving Tuesday, a day where people throughout our community, and the world, donate to the causes they are passionate about. This is a global day of giving. Unlike shopping holidays like Black Friday that focus on consumerism, this day is all about giving back to the community. Giving Tuesday encourages us to look beyond the busyness of the holiday season and to consider those in our community who may need our help and support, along with the charities that are bridging the gap for those in need. Reasons to Support Local Nonprofits Nonprofits are an important part of our local...

How do I know what job is right for me?

Monday, November 19, 2018

In our diverse economy, there are many ways to achieve workforce success, and they don’t all follow the same straight or orderly path. Employers in Northwest Minnesota now provide over 221,000 jobs and the state has over 3 million jobs, so it can be hard to know which one might be right for you. Assessments and career exploration are a great way to help students and jobseekers make the best possible choices. What things do you like to do? What’s your personality style? What skills and abilities do you have? There are a variety of free career assessments available online at...

Regional Resilience

Friday, November 16, 2018

Determining industry clusters in a regional economy has been an important tool of regional planners and policymakers for decades. Regional industry clusters show communities the nuance of their economies, identify trends, and may suggest how communities can adapt to them. In particular, the Blakely and Green-Leigh quadrant method clusters industry sectors by how well they withstand economic fluctuation. This method is unique in that it offers a matrix of sustainability, categorizing regional industries by their response to economic change over time. With this method regional industries are grouped into four quadrants - transforming, growing, emerging, and declining - based on both...

Statewide minimum wage in Minnesota set to go up Jan. 1

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Adjustment for inflation will raise wages by 17 to 21 cents an hour. Minnesota’s minimum-wage workers will get a raise starting Jan. 1, state officials announced. An adjustment for inflation will raise the statewide minimum wage from $9.65 to $9.86 an hour for workers at companies with annual gross revenue of $500,000 or more. Employees at smaller companies will see the minimum wage go from $7.87 to $8.04 an hour. The youth wage rate — for those younger than 18 — also will go up to $8.04 an hour, as will the training wage that may be paid to employees under age 20...

Many Pathways. One Mission.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (RMCEP) is proud to celebrate 50 Years of making employment dreams a reality. RMCEP has adapted and evolved with the changing economic landscape. We have seen many changes in the programs that fund our services over our forty years of existence but have consistently provided a high level of quality services. We set our goals high and look to the future with anticipation of developing additional services to meet the ever changing needs of our workforce. We truly believe that work is key to a successful life and are ready to help make employment dreams a...

Bridging the Gap Between Businesses and Young Career Seekers

Thursday, October 11, 2018

As more baby boomers retire, a workforce crisis is looming, particularly in rural areas of the country. In a recent survey, 48 percent of Minnesota manufacturers said that attracting and retaining skilled workers is one their primary challenges. The Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP) is aiming to help businesses solve this problem. The nonprofit recently hired Amy Sjoblad as a Rural Career Counseling Coordination (RC3) Business Specialist to help solve this problem. This new position will serve as an important bridge between businesses, workforce centers and educational institutions. RC3 was made possible by a legislative appropriation. Sjoblad’s position is part of...

Memorandum: Job Counselor/Resource Room Consultant

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Rural concentrated concentrated employment Minnesota program, inc. CEP 803 Roosevelt Avenue • P.O. Box 1108 • Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 56502-1108 (218) 846-7400 • www.rmcep.com www.facebook.com/RMCEP Memorandum To: Distribution Date: September 24, 2018 From: Vicki Leaderbrand Position Number: 18-10 (Extended) Re: Position Vacancy Regular Full-Time Position Position: Job Counselor/Resource Room Consultant Location: Little Falls WorkForce Center Hiring Authority: Sue Hilgart Program Manager Address: Rural Minnesota CEP, Inc. 609 13th Avenue NE, Suite G Little Falls, MN 56345 (320) 232-2000 (320) 616-2424 FAX Filing Deadline: October 8, 2018 Salary: Entry Level Grade 9 $17.34/hour to $20.04/hour Primary Objectives of Position: Promotes and facilitates the use of the Resource Room technical and informational resources for WorkForce Center customers. Provides information about careers, job openings,...