CAREER Information Made Easy

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #48 | August 2020

For Job Seekers and Career Changers

• • Have you considered a career in health care?  Find health care careers for a variety of different interests and skill levels on Health Care Careers in Minnesota.  You will find in-demand health care careers in every Minnesota region.  Learn about wages, employment outlook, and more.

  • View the FACT SHEET to learn about all of the things you can do on Health Care Careers in Minnesota.  

  • Visit MinnState.edu/HealthCareCareers to start your health care career today!

  • CareerForce Virtual and Interactive Services offers FREE online help to job seekers.  Attend online workshops or job clubs to improve your resume and interview skills. Find Virtual Career Fairs where you will hear from employers who are hiring now. Career Fairs highlight different employers each week.

  • You will also find links to get personal online assistance in English, Spanish, and Somali.

For Career Counselors and Workforce Professionals

Use these online tools to help your clients explore and find their perfect career.

• Work Values Assessment (CareerOneStop)

  • This online assessment guides users through a "card match" activity where they rate 20 work value statements.  Results give detailed information about six values: achievement, recognition, relationships, independence, working conditions, and support.  Users can download their assessment results and find careers related to their top values.

• Find Career Videos (CAREERwise)

  • CAREERwise offers hundreds of short, online career videos.  Videos are organized by career cluster.  Each video page includes links to related employment outlook, education requirements, training, job openings, and employers for the career. 

Find more information for career counselors on CAREERwise.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news about the industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

This month we're highlighting articles about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn about the challenges facing Minnesota Dental Therapists. See how the pandemic is affecting the gender wage gap. And read about how uncertainty and financial pressure are impacting the mental health of young adults.

• Health Care Careers

  • Minnesota Dental Therapists Face Employment Challenges Amid Pandemic

  • Practices forced to scale back services at the height of the coronavirus outbreak.

• Wages

  • How the Pandemic is Making the Gender Pay Gap Worse

  • The pandemic has ravaged in-person service jobs - which are disproportionately done by women. Women are also getting hit hard due to the closure of schools and daycare facilities.

• Finances and Mental Health

• 'Uncertainty Made Me Struggle': COVID Puts Financial Stress on Young People

• More 18- 24-year-olds are anxious about careers as coronavirus hits jobs and mental health.

  • About 1 in 4 Young Adults Considered Suicide Because of Pandemic, CDC Reports

  • While the pandemic worsened mental health for many ages 18-24, there's help out there to support those who need it.

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #46 | March 2020

Job Seekers

Are you recently unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic?  Learn more about the resources that can help you.

• Unemployment Insurance

  • On March 16, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order to ensure workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have full access to unemployment benefits. Learn more about Unemployment Benefits in Minnesota.

• Job Search Help

  • CareerForce offers online, e-mail, and phone support to help job seekers.  Visit CareerForce Virtual & Interactive Services to find links to online classes.  Or get individual assistance online.

• Health Insurance

  • In response to the potential growth of COVID-19 cases, MNsure is offering a special enrollment period (March 23 - April 21) for individuals who are currently without insurance. Find more information about Medical Coverage After a Job Loss.

• Student Loan Payments

  • You may be able to temporarily suspend your U.S. Department of Education Student loans through an administrative forbearance. Interest will not accrue on federally held loans for 60 days starting on March 20, 2020. Contact your loan servicer online or by phone to find out what options are available for you.

• Housing

  • Governor Waltz has suspended evictions during the COVID-19 emergency.  Find Minnesota Housing updates related to COVID-19.

Find more resources if you've been recently unemployed or search for jobs on CAREERwise.

For Career Counselors and Workforce Professionals

Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction (Webinar)

April 9, 2020

9AM - 10AM Central

Career counselors and other workforce professionals who help people with criminal convictions prepare and plan their careers or search for a job can register for this one hour webinar showcasing the updated Career Planning for People with Conviction website and workbook on CAREERwise.  Get an overview of the website and find content written specifically for someone with a criminal conviction in Minnesota. You'll also learn how to use the workbook with your clients, and get connected to other helpful resources for your clients.

Presenters

• • Beth Ross, Goodwill-Easter Seals

  • Denise Felder, Career Technical Education

  • Joy Brown, Minnesota State CAREERwise

This FREE webinar is one of a series produced by MN Career Technical Education (CTE) Professional Development.

Register for the April 9th MN CTE Professional Development Webinar.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news about industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing sharp disruption to the labor market and supply chains, with some states already reporting devastating job losses and some believing that the U.S. economy has already fallen into a recession.  However, there is good news from Minnesota manufacturers who are stepping up and providing critical supplies needed to fight the pandemic.  This month we're highlighting news about how manufacturing in Minnesota is stepping up and retooling to fight COVID-19.

• • As ventilator shortage looms, Medtronic will double production 

  • Ecolab seeing sharp rise in sales of disinfectants that can neutralize coronavirus 

  • Coronavirus In Minnesota: Local Companies In 'Full-Court Press' To Manufacture Medical Products To Fight COVID-19 

  • GM, Ford plans to retool include 3M and Twin City Die Castings 

• Ford partners with 3M, GE to make respirators, ventilators and face shields

• Northern Acrylics helps social distancing with plastics

  • Tesla's Elon Musk talks with Medtronic on ventilators 

  • Local distilleries turn into hand-sanitizer-production sites to help with shortage 

Subscribe to get MN FutureWork updates by RSS Feed or delivered directly to your e-mail inbox.

You might also be interested in:

Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction Updates:

If you are a counselor, advisor, instructor, or other workforce professionals who help people with a criminal conviction with career planning, you can get updates when changes are made to the Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction website. You'll also be notified about training opportunities on the website. Sign up for these alerts on the Resources for Career Counselors page under "What's New."

News:Subscribe to get news about labor market trends, public policy, programs, and other topics that impact career planning and re-entry for people with a criminal conviction.

Minnesota State Centers of Excellence

Minnesota State hosts eight Centers of Excellence - each serving a major industry that faces serious workforce shortages. The centers collaborate with industry and educators to attract and prepare students for success in high-demand careers. Sign up to get the quarterly newsletter delivered to your e-mail inbox or view recent newsletters online.

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #45 | February 2020

What's New?

Rochester Community and Technical College now provides Job Outlook Information directly from their website program pages. Students can find related careers, wages, employment outlook, jobs, and employers for academic programs they're interested in.

Job Outlook Information is powered by the CAREERwise Labor Market Service. To see this service in action, select any Program Option from the Rochester Community and Technical College Accounting Program and choose the "Job Outlook Information" button.

February FAQ

Where can I find career information resources for Spanish speaking students?

• • Find a pen and paper Career Cluster Student Interest Survey in both English and Spanish on Advance CTE Career Cluster resources.

  • My Next Move from O*NET helps students research careers and industries.  My Next Move includes the O*NET Interest Profiler. A Spanish language version of My Next Move is available. This includes a Spanish language version of the O*NET Interest Profiler.

  • CareerOneStop provides comprehensive career, training, and job search information for a national audience. Look for the language switcher in the top right-hand corner of CareerOneStop to see select tools and content in Spanish.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news about industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

This month we're highlighting two articles. One is about the increasing need for post-secondary education to work in manufacturing. The other article highlights in-demand jobs which have resisted wage growth in Minnesota.

• You Probably Need a College Degree to Get a Factory Job Now  

• Manufacturing jobs are increasingly going to workers with post-secondary degrees. At the current growth rate, college-educated manufacturing workers will overtake those with only a high school degree in a few years.

• The most in-demand jobs in Minnesota don't pay enough to live here

• Of the ten most in-demand jobs in Minnesota right now, only half pay the $15 an hour needed to meet the basic costs of living in the state.

Subscribe to get MN FutureWork updates by RSS Feed or delivered directly to your e-mail inbox.

You might also be interested in:

Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction Updates:

If you are a counselor, advisor, instructor, or other workforce professional who helps people with a criminal conviction with career planning, you can get updates when changes are made to the Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction website. You'll also be notified about training opportunities on the website. Sign up for these alerts on the Resources for Career Counselors page under "What's New."

News: Subscribe to get news about labor market trends, public policy, programs, and other topics that impact career planning and re-entry for people with a criminal conviction.

Minnesota State Centers of Excellence

Minnesota State hosts eight Centers of Excellence - each serving a major industry that faces serious workforce shortages. The centers collaborate with industry and educators to attract and prepare students for success in high-demand careers. Sign up to get the quarterly newsletter delivered to your e-mail inbox or view recent newsletters online.

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #44 | January 2020

What's New

January FAQ

I plan to work outside of Minnesota. How do I find wages and career information for other states?

CAREERwise career profiles offer wage and employment outlook information for Minnesota and Minnesota regions. To find information for any other state in the United States, visit CareerOneStop.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news about industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

This month we're highlighting two articles. One about Minnesota's tight labor market and another describing Minnesota's renewable energy and efficiency sector.

• From tight job market to worker shortage in one decade 

• During the Great Recession, people across the country had trouble finding work. A decade later, an aging and shrinking workforce is causing businesses in Minnesota and Wisconsin to struggle finding workers to fill open jobs. Read about the strategies employers are using to fill open jobs, including hiring bonuses, education reimbursement, higher wages, and considering hiring people with criminal backgrounds.

• Minnesota firms grow an industry focused on renewable energy, conservation, and software analytics

• Minnesota lacks fossil fuels. But it has created a renewable energy and efficiency sector that relies on brainpower, software and renewable resources; a homegrown industry that employs 60,000-plus jobs, including wind technicians, solar installers, and related software jockeys; electricians, engineers and support workers.

Subscribe to get MN FutureWork updates by RSS Feed or delivered directly to your e-mail inbox.

You might also be interested in:

Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction Updates:

If you are a counselor, advisor, instructor, or other workforce professional who helps people with a criminal conviction with career planning, you can get updates when changes are made to the Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction website. You'll also be notified about training opportunities on the website. Sign up for these alerts on the Resources for Career Counselors page under "What's New."

News:Subscribe to get news about labor market trends, public policy, programs, and other topics that impact career planning and re-entry for people with a criminal conviction.

Minnesota State Centers of Excellence

Minnesota State hosts eight Centers of Excellence - each serving a major industry that faces serious workforce shortages. The centers collaborate with industry and educators to attract and prepare students for success in high-demand careers. Sign up to get the quarterly newsletter delivered to your email inbox or view recent newsletters online.

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #43 | November 2019

Get Started on CAREERwise

Are you new to CAREERwise? Or interested in learning more about the resources we offer? Use the links below to explore new and popular features and find resources that you can use.

What's New? What's Popular?

Learn what's new on CAREERwise. Discover some of our most popular content.

November FAQ

CAREERwise? CareerForce? MCIS? CareerOneStop? How do I know which career advising tool to use?

Visit Resources for Career Counselors to find an updated Career Advising Tool Comparison spreadsheet. The spreadsheet tabs provide an overview of the different tools available, detailed information about the labor market and education data each tool provides, and a comparison of the career planning components each tool offers.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news about industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

For November, we're highlighting two articles. The first article introduces results of a survey that shows a gap between young people's perception of the education needed for a successful career and the data, which shows a strong association between employment rates and earnings with education.

Since last week, November 11 - 17th, was National Apprenticeship week, we're also highlighting an article about an apprenticeship initiative that has been successful in rural Minnesota and the need for continued funding for similar initiatives.

• SURVEY: Many young people say high school diploma is enough

• Many young people don't believe that college is a path to economic success.  And for many, it appears that the perception that college is not affordable is guiding their education choices.

• State funding remains essential for rural manufacturers

• Continued funding and support from state legislators for apprenticeship programs are what local manufacturing companies feel they need to keep growing.

Subscribe to get MN FutureWork updates by RSS Feed or delivered directly to your e-mail inbox.

You might also be interested in:

Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction

Updates: If you are a counselor, advisor, instructor, or other workforce professional who helps people with a criminal conviction with career planning, you can get updates when changes are made to the Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction website. You'll also be notified about training opportunities on the website. Sign up for these alerts on the Resources for Career Counselors page under "What's New."

News:Subscribe to get news about labor market trends, public policy, programs, and other topics that impact career planning and re-entry for people with a criminal conviction.

Minnesota State Centers of Excellence

Minnesota State hosts eight Centers of Excellence - each serving a major industry that faces serious workforce shortages. The centers collaborate with industry and educators to attract and prepare students for success in high-demand careers. Sign up to get the quarterly newsletter delivered to your email inbox or view recent newsletters online.

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #42 | October 2019

5 Tips in 5 Minutes

This year we'll be offering a series of short videos to help you understand what you can do to become "career-wise." In our first video, we're highlighting the new Engineering Careers in Minnesota section on the Minnesota State website.

Updates: If you are a counselor, advisor, instructor, or other workforce professional who helps people with a criminal conviction with career planning, you can get updates when changes are made to the Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction website. You'll also be notified about training opportunities on the website. Sign up for these alerts on the Resources for Career Counselors page under "What's New."

News:Subscribe to get news about labor market trends, public policy, programs, and other topics that impact career planning and re-entry for people with a criminal conviction.

Minnesota State Centers of Excellence

Minnesota State hosts eight Centers of Excellence - each serving a major industry that faces serious workforce shortages. The centers collaborate with industry and educators to attract and prepare students for success in high-demand careers. Sign up to get the quarterly newsletter delivered to your email inbox or view recent newsletters online.

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #41 | September 2019

Updates

Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction

2020 Aspirations in Computing

The 2020 Aspirations in Computing application is now open. High school students in grades 9-12 who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary are eligible to apply. Aspirations in Computing is designed to inspire, support, and empower young women in high school to follow their interests in a computing career. Award recipients improve their chances to earn scholarships, are eligible to apply for multiple paid internship and job shadow opportunities, and are able to network with other women with computing interests.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news that impacts the industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

This month we're highlighting articles about the ways employers and advocacy groups are reaching out to the future workforce, including people that have often been traditionally excluded from some opportunities to meet future workforce needs.

Building the next generation of skilled trades workers starts with women

In 2018, fewer than one in 20 construction trades workers were women. It's estimated that by 2028, approximately 3 million jobs will sit open in the skilled trades. Read about efforts to expand the visibility of women working in the trades to meet this workforce need.

In a tight labor market, Greater Minnesota businesses think creatively about how to hang on to workers

Read about employers in Greater Minnesota who are jettisoning stereotypes and offering flexibility in order to retain workers.

STEM And STEAM Education: Why We Need Them

Women make up only 24% of STEM workers in the nation. Hispanic and African-American representation in STEM fields is less than 40% of the representation of those groups in US population overall. Read about a summer program that is working to fill that gap. Also read an argument to add the crucial component of "imagination" through the addition of Arts to STEM programs.

CAREERwise Newsletter | Issue #40 | June 2019

How to Choose Your Major

It's important to choose a major that will help you reach your goals. Find tips and resources to help you pick a major that's right for you on How to Choose Your Major. You'll be able to:

• • Identify your interests and search over 350 majors.

  • See which occupations graduates from different majors are working in using the new Bachelor's Degree to Career Destination tool.

  • Spend time with an academic advisor and student exploring the challenges of choosing a major with a link to the Finding Your Place: Choosing Your Major podcast.

Events and Updates

• • Visit a campus:

  • Introductory tours and information events are being held June 24 - June 28, 2019, at all Minnesota State colleges and universities. Application is FREE during your visit. Register to visit.

  • Learn about preparing to visit a school on CAREERwise.

  • Veterans Career Fair

  • When: July 24, 2019 2pm - 6pm

  • Where: Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center, MN

    • Veterans, active service members, and their spouses are invited to meet with employers and employment service providers at this FREE event. There will be a professional photographer available to take photos for LinkedIn. Register for the Veterans Career Fair.

    • Find tips for attending a job fair on CAREERwise.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news that impacts the industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

This month we're highlighting articles about how Minnesota's tight labor market is impacting hiring.  

Minnesota firms seek recruits earlier, adjust requirements due to tight labor market

Companies are finding that a tight labor market means they need to up their game to get the people they need.

It's a pretty good time to find a summer job for Minnesota teens - but fewer of them are

There are a lot of benefits for teens who work, as long as they don't work too many hours. However, employers are having a hard time filling positions in the current labor market.

Walmart extends debt-free college benefits to high schoolers

Walmart is extending its debt-free college benefits to high school students as a way to attract and retain workers in a tight labor market.

Target expands family-focused benefits amid tight labor market

As a low unemployment rate has compelled some retailers to increase wages and benefits to attract and retain employees, Target Corp. announced new and extended employee benefits, including expanded paid family leave and greater "backup care" offerings for unexpected child and elder-care needs.

Ex-offenders in Minnesota are slow-but-growing pipeline for employers

Employers are slowly hiring more people with a criminal conviction as a historically tight labor market offers them incentives to look past the stigma of a prison record.

CAREERwise Education Newsletter | Issue #39 | May 2019

Job Seeker Tips

• • Target Your Search Using the Job Vacancy Survey

    • According to the latest Job Vacancy survey, there are 136,917 vacancies in Minnesota. That is the second highest number in 16 years; a lot of opportunities for job seekers.

    • You can find the top 30 job titles from the survey on CAREERwise.* For each job, you'll see the number of vacancies and wages offered by employers. Click the title link to learn more about the career including the education and training you may need to get started.

    •  *CAREERwise lists top vacancies that require post-secondary training. You can find a complete listing of vacancies at the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Updates and Events

• • What's New: Transportation Careers in Minnesota

    • From automotive, aviation, diesel equipment and trucks to marine and power sports, truck driving and more, Minnesota offers a wide variety of careers in transportation.

    • Research transportation careers, learn about transportation education options, and find transportation jobs on Transportation Careers in Minnesota.

  • Career Exploration Summer Camps

  • It's not too late. Registration for a number of engaging summer experiences for middle and high school students are still available across the state.

    • Nitro X Various locations and dates

    • Week-long camp. Students are introduced to auto technician, auto body, heavy equipment technician, and diesel technician program. In pairs, students work on and modify a 4x4 remote control vehicle. They will learn about electronics, engines, suspension, paint, and diagnostics.

    • Scrubs CampVarious locations and dates

    • Depending on the specific camp, students could spend 2 to 6 days exploring a variety of healthcare careers like nursing, laboratory science, vet medicine, pharmacy, and many others.  Students experience these careers through field trips and hands on activities facilitated by healthcare professionals and college faculty.

    • Find all of the Summer Camps offered at Minnesota State locations or search by area of interest at the Minnesota State Centers of Excellence:

    • Transportation Center of Excellence

    • Engineering Center of Excellence

    • HealthForce Minnesota

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news that impacts the industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

This month we're highlight two articles about manufacturing. The first is a new study showing how early exposure to a manufacturing career can increase interest. The second article identifies the need for recruiting in the manufacturing industry.  

Exposure piques interest in manufacturing careers, study says

Young workers in Minnesota are more likely to consider a job in manufacturing if they were exposed to the trades in school or by family, but 57 percent of the state's workers never learned about manufacturing careers before turning 18, according to a study released Monday.

Manufacturing advocates warn of looming labor crisis at Twin Cities event

A group spearheaded by the National Association of Manufacturers is traveling the country trying to spread the word that an industrial career path is not what it used to be.

CAREERwise Education Newsletter | Issue #38 | April 2019

For Career Counselors . . .

• • In case you missed it, you can find a recording of our most recent webinar, Researching Education Requirements and Options, on the Career Counselorssection of CAREERwise. Learn how to help students understand the education and skills needed to start their career.

  • Request a FREE CAREERwise poster for your career center online.

Updates and Events

• • What's New: Career Exploration for Adult Learners

  • Did you know that the average age of a community college student is 281? And that over 60% of all part-time and full-time students at community colleges work1?

  • Career Exploration for Adult Learners offers resources to help adults (re)start their careers including links to assessments and in-demand occupations; information about credit for prior learning; and ways to search for programs and continuing education.

  • 1Source: American Association of Community Colleges

  • Scholarship News

  • The Southeast Minnesota National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is offering undergraduate scholarships for students in construction-related degree programs. The deadline to apply is May 1st. Learn about the NAWIC scholarship. Find more ways to pay for college.

  • Career EXPO

  • State Services for the Blind is hosting Career EXPO 2019 for high school and college students who are blind, low vision, or DeafBlind. Parents and teachers are welcome to attend. Meet working adults with a vision loss from a variety of professions and talk to college representatives. Event will be held April 27 at the MN State Department of Education Conference Center in Roseville. You can find more job and career fair events or check out the CareerForce events calendar.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news that impacts the industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

April is Community College Month. We are highlighting articles about community colleges who are using innovative strategies to help their students become more successful.  

Community Colleges and Tech Companies are Co-Branding Credentials to Solve the Skills Gap

Employers increasingly require very specific credentials and skills to even consider an applicant. Learn how some colleges are working with industry to combine a college credential with specific platform skills to help their students become more marketable.

4 Ways Community Colleges are Tackling Student Success with Fewer Resources

Learn how community colleges are using innovative strategies to help students succeed even as their resources are shrinking. From guided pathways to re-enrolling students who drop out, you'll see how many colleges are meeting their mission of providing low-cost, high-quality education.

The Changing Role of the College Advisor

See how a proactive case management approach to academic advising helps both Generation Z and "post-traditional students."

Find #communitycollegemonth on Twitter.

CAREERwise Education Newsletter | Issue #37 | March 2019

Training and Webinars

Counselors, advisors, instructors, or anyone who helps students with career planning will benefit from our February webinar, Researching Education Requirements and Options.

Title: Researching Education Requirements and Options

Date | Time: March 26, 2019 | 2PM CDT

Summary: Learn how to help students understand the education and skills needed to start their career. See how the latest updates to CAREERwise make it easier for students to research their education options including colleges and universities, programs, apprenticeships, certifications, and more.  

Register Now

Find additional Webinars and Training in the Career Counselors section on CAREERwise.   

Coming Soon

Our college and program search is changing. Starting on March 21st the Education Search Tool will directly link to the new Minnesota State campus and program search. This tool allows you to quickly search any of the 54 Minnesota State campuses.

Spotlight on Education

• • College can help you earn more money over your lifetime. On average, incomes increase with additional education. Learn more about how higher education pays off. Or read this Career Outlook article to see high-wage occupations by entry-level education.

  •       

  • Do you need help paying for college? You can find links to scholarship websitesincluding the CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. You can also connect to federal and state eligibility-based workforce training funds and programs at any CareerForcelocation in Minnesota.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news that impacts the industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

This month we're highlighting articles about solar energy in Minnesota.

• • As Minnesota moves toward green energy, young family does, too

  • MPRNews

  • Solar energy is now one of the fastest-growing job categories in Minnesota. The number of solar industry jobs in the state has more than doubled since 2015. Read about how Chip LaCasse transitioned from working in the oil industry to a rewarding career in renewable energy.

  • Minnesota prison program aims to prepare inmates for solar jobs

  • Energy News

  • Growing demand for clean energy employees led the Minnesota Department of Corrections to offer a solar installation course to two classes of inmates.

  • Minnesota set to see second consecutive year of strong solar energy growth

  • Star Tribune

  • Minnesota is set for a second consecutive year of strong growth for solar energy, anchored by a 23 percent increase in the size of the state's community solar garden program.

CAREERwise Education Newsletter | Issue #36 | February 2019

CAREERwise Education Newsletter | Issue #35 | January 2019

CAREERwise Education Newsletter | Issue #34 | December 2018

Training Events and Resources

Training for counselors, advisors, instructors, or anyone who helps students with career planning.

• If you missed our November training webinar, Exploring the Job Market, you can now find an on-demand recording in the Webinars and Training section.

• In this training you'll learn how to use CAREERwise to research in-demand jobs, salary information, employers, and job postings. See how to use real-time job postings from TalentNeuron to help your clients search for jobs and understand today's job market.

• Save the Date: January 29, 2018

  • Our next training webinar will be at 2PM (CST) on January 29, 2018. More details will be in our January newsletter.  

What's New

Have you considered a career in agriculture?  Minnesota has opportunities in a variety of pathways including agribusiness, animal systems, biotechnology, environmental systems, food products & processing, natural resources, plant systems, and power structural & technical systems. You can now find job titles, employers, training, and detailed occupation information for each of these career pathways on both the Minnesota State Northernand Southern Agricultural Centers of Excellence. 

Agriculture Industry Spotlights

View industry spotlights on CAREERwise.

MN FutureWork Highlight

MN FutureWork is a curation of articles highlighting current trends and news that impacts industry, the economy, and careers. These articles originate from various media journals throughout the country.

Meet the Farmers of the Future: Robots

Learn how a start-up company is using a 1,000 pound robot to raise produce, conserve water, and sidestep the high cost of human labor.

 View additional agriculture articles online or subscribe to MN FutureWork articles by topic.