Workforce Development Strategies for Brooklyn Park, MN: Group 2 Report - Connecting Communities to Opportunity

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2016-2017 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Brooklyn Park. Unemployment rates in Brooklyn Park are higher than those for the state of Minnesota. Although suburban cities generally do not focus on workforce development, instead relying on county or state agencies to fill this role, Brooklyn Park is interested in supporting local workforce development efforts. The goal of this project was to determine effective workforce development strategies that address cultural competency in the workplace, prepare new immigrants and other underrepresented groups for employment, and examine transit-oriented development workforce development strategies in other suburban communities. Brooklyn Park project lead Erik Hansen worked with students in PA 5512: Economic and Workforce Development, to create a set of recommendations around local workforce development strategies. The students' final report is available.