The Journey to Meaningful Workforce
A report released by the Minnesota Center for Rural Policy and Development titled “The Journey to meaningful workforce participation among graduates in Southwest Minnesota” that says “the choices students make in high school and the paths they take after high school can predictably guide them to specific states of meaningful workforce participation later. If their paths and planning for after high school involve programs with regional ties such as attending a college in the region or engaging in career and technical education (CTE) programs, they are significantly more likely to work in the region”. 

How to Expand the Meaningful Workforce in Southwest Minnesota
LYFT Career Pathways and Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council (PIC) have been invited to talk about the efforts occurring in southwest Minnesota. These efforts align with what the report recommends to increase the number of students who might remain in the region with meaningful workforce participation. One message is that the small percentages of southwest Minnesota high school grads that have meaningful workforce participation in the region five and ten years after graduating high school is to double down on efforts that focus on career exploration and CTE in the region because the evidence is clear that it’s the correct strategy.

LYFT Career Pathways is working to shine in our role in this mission. Our initiatives increase CTE and career exploration for schools and students in southwest and west central Minnesota through their Innovation Grant Funding, 3Es Roadmap, and Advancing Career Connected Learning. Learn more from the Center of Rural Policy and Development’s report analysis of this meaningful workforce journey.