About Minnesota's WorkForce Center System
Minnesota's WorkForce Center System is the product of government agencies rethinking of how to deliver employment and training services. It is the result of an analysis of the structures and systems which too frequently were characterized by fragmentation and duplication, and which frustrated potential users by a bureaucratic maze of programs and services. From the analysis of workforce development structures and service delivery system, a vision emerged in which comprehensive, integrated, individualized services would be the outcome. WorkForce Centers represent a move from red tape to results, focusing on providing information and resources that enable individuals to achieve economic security and employers to successfully compete in today's economy.
The evolution process began in 1993, when a partnership meeting was called for federal, state, and local service providers to define a one-stop concept for employment and training service delivery. Key representatives in the enterprise included Job Service/Unemployment Insurance, State Services for the Blind, Rehabilitation Services, Job Training and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development management team. By 1995, a prototype one-stop office was established in South Minneapolis; this office was named "The national model of One-Stop Shop employment and training service centers" by then-U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.
After receiving a federal grant in 1995 to develop a statewide system of One-Stop Centers, Minnesota launched a three-and-a-half year process, establishing 53 One-Stop Centers to serve Minnesotans in every area of the state. The "bricks and mortar" phase of collocating previously separate offices and integrating staff functions and services represented an enormous effort, and a fundamental change in how the partners saw their business.
Key public awareness accomplishments during this time period include the following:
- Launching a website that allows access to job data bases from any internet connection;
- Statewide on-air job fairs, a collaboration of the WorkForce Center System and a local television channel;
- Receiving numerous awards and acknowledgments for innovation in government service delivery throughout the development phase;
- A nationwide One-Stop Conference that earned high praise and established Minnesota as a model for other states in developing their One Stop Systems.
Today, WorkForce Centers are found all around Minnesota, and provide customer-driven services in cooperation with our community and business partners. The evolution of the partnerships continue, as partners explore and develop innovative means to make the best use of workforce development resources, establish collaborations and projects unique to their local labor market, and find new ways to reach individuals and employers of Minnesota who will benefit from workforce development services.