The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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May 27, 2010

Our View: Consider careers, jobs and markets

The Free Press

— Workers of today face a higher risk of their industry suffering a downturn than probably any time since World War II, and that prospect should be reason for business, labor and government leaders to plan for change more than ever.

A recent series by Free Press partner Minnesota Public Radio has detailed the significant changes in Minnesota’s job climate. Minnesota may never get back to the economy it had just two or three years ago.

The state has lost more than 40,000 manufacturing jobs in the current recession, according to state records, and 150,000 jobs overall. Those manufacturing jobs typically paid 18 percent more than the average job in the state, and has driven the state’s economic growth.

Now, factory workers making $50,000 year have had to take trucking jobs where they sometimes lose 20 percent of their pay and their purchasing power, according to the MPR report.

Of course, manufacturing is an industry that loses jobs to the cheap labor overseas in a number of areas. That has been happening for decades, but the current recession put more pressure on companies to compete, and many must find cheaper labor. That’s not to say we will lose all manufacturing. Minnesota has a history of manufacturing companies that are adopting new technology all the time. 3M and places like Medtronic come to mind.

Many of these firms adapt and are continually innovating. We may lose the lower skill jobs, but we have the competitive advantage in technology industries with an educated workforce. But we must nurture and grow that educated workforce.

There are many Minnesotans trying to make a transition from manufacturing jobs to other jobs. The state has long been the major player in workforce training, whether that is through its array of colleges and technical schools or through retraining programs through the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The state’s dislocated worker program that offers retraining ran out of money earlier this year, according to the MPR series, but has recently acquired an $8 million grant to serve the long list of workers needing retraining.

Some workers find themselves in an industry that may be shrinking, yet they can’t take time off to get retraining. Some state programs help workers who have had their hours cut back get retraining part-time. More of those programs are probably needed. They allow the worker to still have an income  yet prepare for the future.

The state of Minnesota has lots of resources for job seekers looking for training and careers that will be in demand at the website iseek.org. There are tips for choosing careers as well as finding retraining should you lose your job or plan to shift jobs.

The only constant in the world of jobs is change. The better prepared we are, the sooner we’ll be able to adapt to the changing world economy.

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