After the June 18th workforce study presentation to our board members and study investors, the steering committee immediately met to chart a course for next steps.

It is absolutely critical that we have community buy-in of the study and its recommendations. We will take the summer to do community outreach and prepare for a mid-September committee start date. Specifically, our next steps are as follows:

1. Reach out to the community through service groups, business and community committees and present the study and request buy-in and participation.

2. Present to all levels of elected officials throughout Cass and Clay Counties. These presentations will be done in several ways: individual board and commission presentations and an open forum for state legislators and our federal congressional delegation.

3. We will research non-profits and other community groups to determine if their activities coincide with one of our five strategies and determine how we can assist them or invite them to join one of our committees.

We will commence the process of addressing our workforce issue, as a community, in the third week of September. If you have not seen the report, please go to our website and download the report. If one of the five strategic plan items has interest to you, and you would like to serve on a committee, let us know!

A study commissioned by the GFMEDC and four additional local agencies and 16 community partners lays out four areas of action to help ease the workforce shortage in the Fargo Moorhead MSA.

Six-months of research, surveys, focus groups and in-person interviews by TIP Strategies, a consulting firm based in Austin, Texas, have culminated in a 100-page report that details the environment surrounding regional workforce and the challenges and opportunities we face recruiting, retaining and developing our workforce.

The Greater Fargo Moorhead region currently has more than 6,700 job openings, and the 11-county labor shed has more than 11,000 job openings. Within the next five years, the region is projected to have more than 30,000 openings, and the labor shed is projected to have 55,000 openings. These jobs openings include both new jobs and replacement jobs which are open due to natural turnover in the workplace.

Employers across the region are already having difficulty securing the talent they need. Some of this difficulty is consistent with challenges employers across the US are facing - the mismatch between the skills that available workers have and the skills employers need. This is known as the skills gap.

In the Fargo Moorhead region the workforce challenges are further complicated by the low unemployment rate and the high labor force participation rate. There are not enough workers in the region to fill these job openings.

The report includes a four-point framework with priority projects to tackle the region's employment challenges. The five-year strategic plan aims to address ways to cultivate and develop local talent, attract new talent to the region, build a strong path towards financial stability for those who need it and encourage innovation to maximize the region's use of human capital.

1. Cultivate: Strengthen the pipeline of local talent to support employers in the region.
    a. Community 101 for college students
    b. Tiny Pulse for Talent Insights
    c. Winter Festival to "Embrace the Cold"
2. Attract: Enhance and coordinate efforts to bring new talent to the region
    a. Friends and Family Campaign
    b. Talent Recruitment Services
    c. Trailing Spouse Network

 3. Build: Develop a framework for financial self-sufficiency and upward mobility for workers in low-wage and basic-skill jobs
    a. Nonprofit collaborative
    b. Affordable Housing Advocacy
    c. Employer-led childcare
4. Innovate: Encourage the development of innovative solutions to address the region's workforce-related challenges
    a. Technology Hackathon
    b. Social innovation challenge

Within the next three to five years, the five lead organizations will drive the implementation of the four strategies and evaluate progress strengthening our workforce system to continue to support business growth.   

The Full Report

"You don't fill a room like this the day before a vacation weekend if you're not passionate about small businesses," said North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp.

Heitkamp hosted the first small business committee field hearing in Fargo on July 2.

During the hearing, Heitkamp and Maria Contreras-Sweet, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration talked with GFMEDC's, John Machacek, Myriad Mobile's, Jake Joraanstad and City of Fargo's, Dan Mahli.

Nearly 95% of North Dakota businesses are small businesses. Senator Heitkamp stressed the importance of the small businesses in communities and the importance of support for those starting out, at both the state and federal level.  "It's the small (businesses) that are the big deal."
 

Contreras-Sweet spoke about the "collaborative nature" of business owners, universities, private organizations, governments, and especially the SBA that have helped form Fargo Moorhead's vibrant entrepreneur ecosystem.

Machacek works closely with the entrepreneurial community connecting new and existing businesses to resources like available grants, programs and incentives. In addition, his support through GFMEDC is a combination of personal meetings with startups and community partners, leading or participating in the planning and marketing of events & initiatives, and being a trusted resource of connections, relationship building, and advice.  

"So often when we think of startups, we picture grand images of Silicon Valley. But it's happening all over the country, and the startup scene in North Dakota is booming," said Heitkamp. "As our startups continue to grow, I want to make sure the federal government is doing all it can to help support that growth - boosting economic development and promoting innovation. The unique needs of startups in the Upper Great Plains are often very different from those on the coasts, and working together, we can make sure the federal government is addressing those needs in a targeted, thoughtful way." 

With the exit of CoCo in June, the GFMEDC has been working to support Emerging Prairie's efforts to reopen the collaborative coworking space.

Now called Prairie Den, Emerging Prairie is banking on a more flexible membership program to build a successful collaborative coworking space for Fargo Moorhead.
 

The GFMEDC has agreed to support the Prairie Den during its transition the first six months. 

So what is a coworking space?

It's a place where people can rent a space for a day a week or

permanently. Popping up across the country, coworking spaces are a way for entrepreneurs, freelancers and others to afford a shared space, and it creates opportunities to collaborate with others in the community.

Photo Credit Marisa Jackels

Den Days Coming Up

The week of July 20 -24, the Prairie Den will be having Den Days. We encourage you to check out the space and consider some type of membership. 
 

So what does it take to get a membership?

The following memberships get you 24/7 access to the space. Individual memberships are $200/month. Company passes are $300/month and are not tied to an individual person, any member of your organization can work from the space. A team space is $1,000/month and up to eight people can have a dedicated space. 
 

There are also flex passes, punch cards and day passes. For more info on pricing and benefits, go to www.emergingprairie.com/prairiedencoworking 

And if the memberships available don't quite meet your needs, let Annie know! The team is willing to work to find a solution for you or your team that meets your needs and allows you to be part of the Prairie Den community.

Many individuals and organizations have stepped up to assist in this community effort, with donations of furniture, appliances, art work, services, cash contributions and more. The Prairie Den still has many needs to continue improving the space including sound dampening materials, white noise machines, an audio system for music, and soft seating. If you are willing to contribute, contact 

awood@emergingprairie.com.   

The GFMEDC recently created some "Smart Facts for Conversation". The 3x5 cards are a handy way to keep a few talking points in your wallet or purse. We have plenty of copies on hand. If you would like some, let us know.

We've begun placing this postcard in various stores, restaurants and museums around town.

If you see one, grab it and mail it to your friend or family member. If you'd like some delivered to your organization, let us know.

A spotlight on our programs...

Here at the GFMEDC, we work many collaborative initiatives, support community efforts and manage some sizable projects of our own. Please take a look at what we have going on here. You can see the complete list in an online booklet on our website under What We Do.  

Cost of Living Calculator
 

The GFMEDC gathers cost of living information which goes into this handy calculator that allows you to calculate the cost of living difference (among the cities who participate in the survey).

This is a great tool for people who are thinking about joining our community. Share it with someone you know or link to it on your website. The URL is right here (you just have to scroll down the page a tiny bit).

Startup Drinks  July 22 

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

More info 

1 Million Cups 

Every Wednesday 9:15

FMCT The Stage

http://fargo.sites.1millioncups.com/    

TEDxFargo - Wonder

Thursday, July 23

Fargo Civic Center

All Day

http://www.tedxfargo.com/ 

Tickets  

Spark your Startup

September 3

6:30pm - 9:30 pm

Barnesville, Minn.

 More info