Interested in a PAID, nine-month fellowship

in Washington, D.C.?

Applications for 2012-13 Public Policy & Graduate Fellowship Programs Now Being Accepted

Application Deadline: February 17, 2012
Begin the Application Process Here

Public Policy Fellowship (PPF) Program 
The PPF Program offers talented Latinos, who have earned a bachelor's degree within two years of the program start date, a paid, nine-month fellowship.  This fellowship offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at the national level in the public policy area of their choice.
Selected participants will receive:
• Work experience in Washington, D.C.
• Great pay--$2,200 monthly stipend for housing and local expenses
• Benefits that include domestic round-trip transportation to Washington, D.C., health insurance, and optional short-term housing
• Leadership training, networking, and more
Learn more about CHCI's Public Policy Fellowship Program and view the eligibility requirements.
Graduate Fellowship Program (GFP)
The nine-month, paid GFP offers exceptional Latinos who have earned at least a master's degree within three years of the program start date with unparalleled exposure to hands-on experience in the public policy areas:

Selected participants will receive:
• Work experience in Washington, D.C.
• Great pay--$2,700 monthly stipend for housing and local expenses
• Benefits that include domestic round-trip transportation to Washington, D.C., health insurance, and optional short-term housing
• Leadership training, networking, and more
Learn more about CHCI's Graduate Fellowship Program and view the eligibility requirements.

Apply today!

For more information on the CHCI Public Policy or Graduate Fellowship Program, please contact Caroline Gonzalez at cgonzalez@chci.org. 

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TO:             All AGC Highway General & Specialty Contractors

RE:              MN/DOT On the Job Training (OJT) Program Informational & Feedback Session

• The MN/DOT Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will present and thoroughly explain the OJT rules and program requirements.  Both the regular and alternative OJT programs will be explained
• There will be time for discussion and questions from contractors
• There will be opportunities to discuss suggestions to improve the program(s)

A special informational discussion and feedback session for AGC contractors who utilize or have used the MN/DOT OJT program is being held:

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Local 49 Operating Engineers Main Office
2829 Anthony Lane South
Minneapolis, MN 55411

 Please feel free to contact me at the numbers below or contact Jason George (Operating Engineers Local 49); (612) 741-9831 with questions or concerns.

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Appoints Diego Osuna as Interim Executive Director of the Agency
Saint Paul and Minneapolis, January 24, 2012 – CLUES is pleased to announce that Diego Osuna, MBA, Director, External Partner Development – Marketing Alliances, General Mills, has accepted the position of Interim Executive Director of CLUES while the organization conducts a national search for a regular, full-time president. This announcement follows the resignation of CLUES President Jesse Bethke Gomez, MMA, who, having faithfully served CLUES for 16 years, has been appointed to the position of Vice-President of University Advancement and the Executive Director of the Metropolitan State University Foundation. Mr. Bethke Gomez will continue to serve as the President of CLUES until the close of the business day on January 27, 2012.

For the offical release click here.

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Health Reform Task Force

Workforce Work Group - Request for Comments

 

The Workforce Work Group of the Governor’s Health Reform Task Force invites your input on potential strategies to address workforce-related issues across health sectors such as primary care, dental health, long-term care, mental health and substance abuse. Your input will inform the Work Group’s recommendations to the Governor’s Health Reform Task Force.

All input to the Work Group should be submitted electronically.

• Register and submit your input on Minnesota’s health workforce issues (PDF: 102KB/1pg).

In addition, the Work Group will invite select submitters to give their input in person. To be considered for in-person testimony at the upcoming meeting, please submit your comments by midnight, Wednesday, February 1.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012
4-6 p.m.

Minnesota Department of Health
Snelling Office Park
1645 Energy Park Drive
St. Paul, MN 55108-2790

Select submitters will be notified by Monday, February 6 with additional details.
All meetings are open to the public.
You can update or cancel your subscription at any time by editing your personal profile. All you will need are your e-mail address and your password (if you have selected one).
This service is provided free of charge by: Minnesota Department of Health.
P.S. If you have any questions or problems please contact support@govdelivery.com for assistance.

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MARK THE DATE
February is National Parent Leadership Month in Minnesota
Get Ready to Recognize Parent Leaders on February 10, 2012!

An Invitation from Circle of Parents® of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota

Hello Colleagues and Friends:

MARK THE DATE: February is National Parent Leadership Month in Minnesota. To promote Parent Leadership Month in Minnesota, Circle of Parents®, a program of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota, is pleased to be hosting this event on February 10, 2012 at the Capitol in the Great Hall. At the event, we will be celebrating the great contributions parents make to our communities by recognizing professionals and parents partnering in Minnesota to build on the strengths of families and prevent child abuse and neglect.

We are inviting your organization to join us, as official co-hosts and attendees of the event. By taking part in this day, you will be joining others in publicly recognizing, celebrating, and honoring parents for the leadership roles they take in their homes and communities.

Don’t miss the chance to be a part of Parent Leadership Month in Minnesota. Here are some ways your organization can participate:

• Allow Circle of Parents® the use of your organization’s name as a co-host of the event; no financial contribution necessary.
• Attend the Parent Leadership Month event.
• Take the opportunity to honor a parent leader within your network or organization.
• Nominate a Parent Leader for the 2012 Parent Leader Award being presented by Circle of Parents®.
• Agree to distribute (print ready) invitations to others within your network(s) to attend the event (we will provide the invitation templates).
• Pass a proclamation in your city, school, and county to honor parents (we can provide you with a step-by-step guide to requesting a proclamation with templates).

We encourage everyone to become involved in this national opportunity to honor Parent Leaders.

If you would like to co-host the event, please contact Lisa Deputie at (651) 325-9391 or lisabilldeputie@yahoo.com by January 31, 2012.

If you would like to nominate a Parent Leader for the 2012 Parent Leadership Award, please send the Parent Leader’s name, contact information, and a short description of why your nominee should be selected for the award to Lisa Deputie at (651) 325-9391 or lisabilldeputie@yahoo.com by January 31, 2012.

 

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Saying “Sí” to Business Opportunities

Manny and Vicky Gonzalez are reminded each day that it isn’t only Spanish speaking people who stop to purchase Mexican (“tortas”) sandwiches at their two restaurants in Minneapolis.

“A lot of Minnesotans have learned that there is more to Mexican food than tacos,” said Manny, who with his wife started Manny’s Tortas along Lake Street in 1999.

In the past century, long-time Minnesota families learned there was more to Italian cuisine than pizza, and that Chinese food is regional and far more complex than chow mein. Now, Minnesotans with newly acquired tastes for the Gonzalez’s Mexican sandwiches drive from throughout the Twin Cities metro area to their two shops in Minneapolis’ Mercado Central and Midtown Global Market.    

U.S. Census data from 2010, anecdotal evidence about immigrant entrepreneurship, and a recently released study from the Immigration Policy Center show Minnesota is rapidly changing. Days of sputtering along and resisting change should be behind us. New Minnesotans are changing the demographic portrait of the state and communities. New ethnic entrepreneurs are changing the mix of businesses and the products and services being offered in commerce.

Hector Garcia, executive director of the Chicano Latino Affairs Council (CLAC), refers to the benefits of this commerce as “cultural complementarities.” The long established Minnesota society learns from immigrants and refugees entering the state in search of opportunities, he said, and new arrivals learn from established businesses, groups and people.

What’s more, new Census data show that immigrants now comprise 8.3 percent of the Minnesota workforce. From them, Garcia said, existing Minnesota businesses and its large corporations gain knowledge for opening even more trade and business relationships with countries and businesses abroad, paving the way for even more economic activity.

The never-ending task for CLAC and other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and community leaders is to educate people to see new arrivals to the state and to business activity as “assets,” and not “liabilities” that need services, he said.

This year, 2012, is the next scheduled survey of business owners in America by the U.S. Census Bureau. Its findings should reveal explosive growth by ethnic entrepreneurs since the last survey in 2007.

Data on this growth is mostly anecdotal but was examined in a Minnesota 2020 November report. It showed the Hispanic/Latino community is reviving business activity in Willmar, Worthington and various other rural Minnesota communities, as are ethnic entrepreneurs throughout neighborhoods in the Twin Cities metro area.

Tom Webb, writing in Sunday's Pioneer Press, observed that the combined Hmong Village and Hmongtown Markeplace in St. Paul have more merchants and service providers on site than the Mall of America, for instance. Garcia said the 2012 survey of  business owners should provide similar information for Hispanic/Latino owners. The 2007 survey showed Latino-owned businesses had $1.6 billion in revenue and employed 5,970 people. Both figures are expected to swell in the coming study.

From anecdotal evidence, business startups from the ethnic communities are believed to be young and within the five-year range from the last business owner survey. That makes Manny’s Tortas, now entering its 13th year, a long established enterprise both by restaurant standards and by ethnic ownership experience.    

That baker’s dozen of years experience in Minneapolis gives Manny Gonzalez a perspective on how economic activity builds and how markets change. When the Gonzalez family first opened shop in Mercado Central (1515 East Lake Street), most of the customers were fellow Hispanics, he said. Now, the customer base is “a good mix of everyone who wants a good, different sandwich.”

This mix of customers spills over on Minnesota and Minneapolis economies. Manny and Vicky Gonzalez now employ 12 people.

Much of the Immigration Policy Center report for Minnesota is gathered from earlier government and academic studies referenced here before. New findings, however, include:

That strengthens Garcia’s argument that our new Minnesotans are assets, not liabilities. In basic business terminology, we must assure that our education system and our other institutions do not waste our assets.

Egerstrom, L. (January 18, 2012). Saying "Sí" to Business Opportunities. Minnesota 2020. Retrieved January 20,2012, from http://www.mn2020.org

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The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Minnesota WorkForce Centers have partnered with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) to deliver a program designed to reduce a disparity found in the ratios of minorities and women within the Minnesota highway construction industry - the Mn/DOT-DEED Highway Heavy Construction Training (HHCT) program.  The Mn/DOT-DEED HHCT program is now in its second year and is available to candidates throughout the State of Minnesota.
Training will be provided at the following 5 districts: 

Mankato/Willmar,
Minneapolis/St Paul,
Owatonna/Rochester,
Bemidji, and
Duluth.

Mn/DOT-DEED HHCT program applications are now being fielded statewide.  We will be accepting applications through February 2012 and plan to interview/screen candidates from January through February 2012.

Program candidates must be able to fulfill all availability and participation requirements to be considered for the program, inclusive of possessing independent insured transportation, minority/female status, high school diploma/GED/comparable certification, English language and basic arithmetic skills, and achievement of a “Silver” (level 4 or higher) National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) within the parameters of reading, math, and information finding.   Following successful application screenings and candidate interviews, candidates will be scheduled to participate in the NCRC tests at the affiliated HHCT district WorkForce Center.

A complete listing of program eligibility requirements is included within the attached program brochure and FAQ/application forms.  These materials are intended to be distributed to applicants as one package.  Interested program applicants should carefully read the HHCT brochure section, “Ok, how do I qualify for the Program?” to get a full understanding of program eligibility guidelines and the application form FAQ section to get a comprehensive perspective of the HHCT program.

Regarding the Mn/DOT-DEED Highway Heavy Construction Training program timelines and training schedules, the program training sessions will be 6 to 8 hours per day, roughly 8:00AM to 4:00PM dependent upon the district, and will be approximately 1 week (4 to 5 days) duration, comprising approximately 10 to 15 participants per district, and are anticipated to launch early March in the southern districts, concluding late March in the central/northern Minnesota districts. 

FAQ and Application | MNDOT Brochure

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NEW LEAF SERIES
for Former Offenders

Minneapolis Workforce Center
777 East Lake Street
Corner of Lake & Chicago
On #5 and 21 bus lines
Free parking

The  NEW  LEAF  SERIES  for Former Offenders is a free series of classes offered Monday through Thursday afternoons at 12:30 – 4:30 PM over a two week period at South Minneapolis Workforce Center.

Topics covered include

• How, When and Why to Disclose your Record
• Issues facing Former Offenders
• Avoiding Self – Sabotage and the Job Application Trap
• Skills you offer Employers
• Effective Job Hunting methods for Former Offenders
• Resumes, Networking & Interviewing
• Budgeting, Finances & Survival

PARTICIPANTS MUST BE ON TIME AND ATTEND ALL 8 SESSIONS TO CONTINUE IN, OR TO GRADUATE FROM THE PROGRAM!

Applications for the NEW LEAF SERIES are accepted ONLY at the Minneapolis WorkForce Center (North and South) in the Orientations offered daily, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM
Space is limited.   Accepted applicants will be notified by telephone prior to the beginning of the NEW LEAF SERIES.
           
**2012 Series dates

Jan   9 - 19          Feb  6 - 16             Mar  12 - 22
                 Apr  16 - 26         May  7 - 17            Jun  (no classes)                

 

**Schedule subject to change

 

 

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Spanish | Hmong |Somali

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CLUES
Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio
Many cultures, one dream. Muchas culturas, un solo sueño.
720 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55407
www.clues.org

CLUES along with the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities translated an online course called “Making Your Case” into Spanish. This course will help our Spanish speaking clients learn about the importance of contacting senators and representatives and advocating for their children and their families’ needs.

http://www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/makingyourcase/index.html

Please feel free to share this online course with the families you work with. Also, please let me know your feedback through email, and if you happen to have any questions, contact me: Domestic Abuse Program Coordinator/Family Case Manager Eva Landeros phone 612-746-3539 elanderos@clues.org

 

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Speaking of Home-St. Paul Seeks Participants who Speak Indigenous Languages of South and Central America

Speaking of Home – St. Paul will be the first public artwork ever installed in St. Paul skyways and seeks the participation of indigenous language speakers who have emmigrated to the Twin Cities from South and Central America. The project is an expansion of public artist Nancy Ann Coyne’s groundbreaking 2008 pilot project, installed in Downtown Minneapolis skyways over a four month period with funding provided in part by a 2005 research and development grant from Forecast Public Art. 

The primary goals of Speaking of Home – St. Paul are to address diversity and draw attention to the differing lives of people through the arts while revitalizing downtown St. Paul, acting as a catalyst for its economic and cultural development. Utilizing four highly trafficked Downtown St. Paul skyways – glass-enclosed, second-story pedestrian bridges over busy city streets – the project consists of the installation of monumental photographs and text on the windows of the skyways, revealing the stories of immigrants who now call the Twin Cities home. Scheduled to be on view for a minimum of nine months, the installation explores the meaning of home to people of all ages who came to be a part of the United States and provides a visual representation of Minnesota's significantly diverse population.

Collaborating with more than 50 residents of the Twin Cities, Coyne will capture their stories as each shares their treasured family photographs from their country of origin and engages in an interview about their journey to Minnesota and the meaning of home. It is from these sessions that the content of the installation is developed – the personal photos and stories of people who made a choice to call Minnesota their home. 

Participation is relatively simple. Participants should: 

Speaking of Home – St. Paul is co-presented by Forecast Public Art, the City of St. Paul, the Family Housing Fund (FHF), CommonBond Communities, and the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in partnership with the Walker Art Center’s MNArtist Program.

Please contact Kirstin Wiegmann with questions or interest at 651.641.1128 or kirstin@forecastpublicart.org

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Capitol Notes:

 

Fiscal situation improves, but more trouble looms

published 10/6/2011

The state’s short-term fiscal outlook has improved, but another recession could easily reverse its fortunes, officials told a joint legislative panel.

Members of the Legislative Advisory Commission were given an update on the state’s cash flow outlook. Jim Schowalter, commissioner of Minnesota Management & Budget, said the state ended its fiscal year in June with an extra $233 million in the treasury. He said the improved cash balance will likely preclude the need for any emergency short-term borrowing in the current fiscal year.

“We’re looking at improved numbers from where we were last year,” Schowalter said, calling the latest projections “good news.”

Over the last several years, the slumping economy has precipitated a drawdown in the state’s cash reserves. To keep the state operating, budget officials have resorted to moving money back and forth between different state accounts (inter-fund borrowing) and temporarily delaying certain payments and tax refunds.

In 2010, the state arranged for an emergency line of credit with U.S. Bank. With as little as 24 hours’ notice, the state can borrow up to $600 million to keep state coffers from running dry. So far, it hasn’t been used, but state officials renewed the deal for the current fiscal year just in case.

Today, members of the commission voted to authorize MMB to retain the current line of credit. Schowalter emphasized that borrowing would be MMB’s option of last resort — and in any case, probably won’t be necessary.

“At this point, I do not anticipate cash flow borrowing… but there are low points, and there are risks around these numbers,” he said.

Although the state’s budget situation appears to be looking up, the state’s long-term economic outlook is less rosy.

State Economist Tom Stinson said much slower growth is now projected for the U.S. economy this year — and in fact, another recession may be coming. He said increasing gas prices, the tsunami in Japan, the debt crisis in Europe and political gridlock in Washington, D.C., have all cast doubt on the prospects for recovery. (Read the latest economic update from MMB.)

The extra cushion in the state’s cash accounts might not last very long if the economy tanks again.

“We still have a little bit of space on the forecast, but the economic outlook has turned down pretty substantially,” Stinson said.

He said the odds of another recession starting as early as this fall are now estimated to be between 40 percent and 50 percent, which he called “extremely high” from a statistical standpoint.

“These are significant changes in the economic outlook. These, in economists’ terms, are ‘non-trivial,’” Stinson said.

He added that additional economic stimulus, in the form of a federal extension of the payroll tax cut enacted in December, will likely be needed if a recession is to be avoided.