We entered the new year with no signs that the sluggish economy will rebound in force anytime soon. Ongoing concern about the burdens suffered by many in this economy brought more than 130 stakeholders from around the Twin Cities together on January 12 to think collectively about strategies that can build regional job growth and improve employment opportunities for all. Download a copy of the program.

The United Way teamed up with the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation to host this important conversation, which featured a
keynote address from Eric Seleznow of the National Skills Coalition (NSC). As State Policy Director for NSC, Eric was well positioned to describe innovative education and training strategies that are being successfully implemented across the country. Erick Ajax, of the metal forming company, E.J. Ajax and Sons, and Valerie DeFor of HealthForce Minnesota, offered a local perspective on successful industry-driven training programs. READ MORE

2012 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard: How Financially Secure are Families?

Tuesday, January 31, 11:00 a.m.
CFED will release the 2012 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard in a national webinar on Tuesday, January 31. The webinar will highlight key national and state findings, including the latest asset poverty rates and other measures of financial security and opportunity.

Register today to find out how your state fares in helping its residents achieve financial security.
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Channel that “99 percenter” energy by linking to the SKILLS@WORK movement

Protesting the increasingly unfair advantage of the top 1 percent (arguably,  economic conditions have gotten at least marginally better in recent decades for a somewhat larger 10 percent at the top) underlies much of the new energy around politics and policy these days. And that can be healthy, because the economic decline of the middle class and the working class is the biggest challenge of our times.

But it’s important to stay active and informed on a more constructive front as mainstream Minnesotans try to channel that anger and enthusiasm in 2012.

And one of the best new positive things going in Minnesota, coinciding with the Governor’s Job Summit this fall, is a new campaign called SKILLS@WORK, a joint project led by two major partners, the United Way of the Greater Twin Cities, and the Governor’s Workforce Development Council. READ MORE