Growing a skilled workforce for the Northeast Metro area has been a team-effort since 2017. That year Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation (VHEDC), White Bear Lake Area Schools (WBLAS), Ramsey County, Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry, local industry partners and White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation partnered to create the GenZ Connections paid-internship program to fine-tune the career goals of high school students and to grow a strong and sustainable workforce. That first summer class consisted of four students and four manufacturing firms. In January 2018 VHEDC received the Partnership Award by the Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM) for the locally-driven workforce initiative, and in the summer of 2018, GenZ Connections doubled in numbers: eight students and eight manufacturing firms.

On July 22 a GenZ Connections class of 11 WBLAS Career Pathways’ students – four Automotive and seven Manufacturing – celebrated the completion of the six-week program at Buerkle Automotive Group – aptly named Buerkle Car Campus for GenZ 2019. The number of industry partners grew to 12 – four automotive and eight manufacturing firms.

To meet the need for a skilled workforce in a variety of fields, WBLAS’ Career Pathways program includes Manufacturing, Healthcare, IT and Trades. Jenny Moore, Career Navigator for WBLAS’ Career Pathways, says “Students enrolled in Career Pathway classes learn industry-specific skills and, in some courses, may earn free college credit and industry-recognized credentials. The Career Pathways program helps students – and their parents – make informed decisions about post-secondary education and career choices, choices that assist with their future investment.

“We’ve continued to serve the community by aligning educational opportunities based on workforce needs. White Bear Lake Career Pathways has added the Automotive Career Pathway to help support the skilled trades. Students have a wide variety of opportunities within the construction, manufacturing, and automotive industries such as class instruction, industry-recognized credentials, paid internships, job shadowing, job site tours and additional on-and off-campus opportunities. All of these examples continue to support the need for a skilled workforce.”

This year’s Northeast Metro manufacturing and automotive industry partners included:

Another valuable GenZ Connections community partner, since 2017, has been White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation; WBLAEF provides funds for steel-toe construction boots for the interns. According to their Career Pathway, students were closely supervised and mentored in a wide variety of automotive and manufacturing tasks when they were interning with industry partners. Additionally, all students met with Career Pathways instructors for employability skills training. Manufacturing students were divided into two teams among industry partners – milling and molding – and completed an OSHA 10 training course.

Randi James, office manager for Renstrom Dental Studio, says “Our GenZ interns learned how dental crowns are made through a customized manufacturing process. Each crown is unique to each individual, and they were able to see how we manufactured with a combination of technology, science, and artistry. The GenZ program is important for Renstrom Dental to bring awareness to our industry. The students get to learn from, and work with, actual technicians doing their daily work. They get a chance to see and hear what kind of work/life balance is available and learn about different work environments. It’s difficult to find technicians entering our industry, and the GenZ program allows us to get in front of students entering the workforce and possibly spark some interest in a future career path.”

Justin McPhee, Vice President of Engineering at Mold Craft, says “GenZ is important to Mold Craft and the community because it helps students and parents make a positive connection between a viable career and manufacturing. Manufacturing is very high tech, pays well with benefits and the post-secondary education at community and technical colleges is affordable with students often graduating with no debt, as they’ve been working in the field as they go to school.”

Linda McDonough-Rees, HR Manager for Buerkle Automotive Group, says “Buerkle Automotive’s participation in GenZ Connections provided a unique opportunity for us to collaborate with leaders from the local high school, members of the VHEDC Workforce Committee, industry partners within our own automotive industry, as well as industry partners from the local manufacturing community of businesses.

“As an HR professional and parent myself, I understand that many of today’s students and parents are looking for opportunities outside of the traditional 4-year college degree programs; opportunities that allow students to establish outstanding careers with as little as one to two year’s post high school education. Like many industries, the automotive industry is undergoing a large demand for new workers. The automotive service technician career specifically is projected to need over 13,300 new technicians to meet the market demand between 2016 – 2026. Students who enjoy working with their hands, have the ambition to solve problems and are able to adapt to changes in auto technology will likely succeed in the auto service technician career.”

Pam Caruth, co-owner and office manager for Fairway Collision Center, says “Each student that visited our facility was able to really see the entire repair process from beginning to end. They were able to spend some time with our body technicians along with the painters and detailers. We had a few of the students work with some technicians, and a few that had interest in the mechanical aspect of our industry were re-thinking what area of interest they may have in the future. Working with an auto body tech made a few realize they may be interested in that department rather than strictly mechanical. A good technician can make quite a bit more than strictly a mechanic, and this was a good tool to open their eyes to that.”

Shelly Bruno, HR Manager for Teamvantage, says “The Manufacturing Pathways students learned about a variety of careers in a contract manufacturing and plastic injection molding environment. We value programs like this because it allows us to teach students about manufacturing and give them the tools and information needed to be successful in their future careers.”

Jon Tomaszewski, Manufacturing Engineer/Assistant Production Manager for The Specialty Mfg. Co., says “We showed the students many manufacturing disciplines in the short time they were here to get a taste of what careers are possible when they’re out of school. They worked hands-on with engineers, CNC programmers, set-up and machine operators, quality technicians and supervisors.

“Our company benefits from the GenZ program because we have the opportunity to engage with the next generation of workers and understand what they might be looking for in a future career. One unintended benefit we’ve seen is the renewed excitement employees have towards their job after spending time showing the students what they are capable of.”

The GenZ 2019 graduating class of interns (high school juniors and seniors) included Automotive Pathway students: Angelo Gambino, Sam Sperry, Dean Isakson and Dante Mahmood. And Manufacturing Pathway students: Harris Brekke, Kevin Lundgren, Jackie Vallejo, Andre Keller,Gavin Tschida, Kajuan Ramsey and Esteban Garrido Perez.

Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Liz Moscatelli says “The VHEDC is a group of business leaders that engages with community stakeholders to enhance the economic vitality of our community. We’re proud to be a part of this program that enriches the career paths of students in the White Bear Lake Area School District. Manufacturing companies and automotive-related industry partners are critical to the success of this program by welcoming students into real-life work scenarios. Creating these experiential learning opportunities for our youth will continue to improve our economic growth.”