4.2.
Economic Development Authority (EDA)
- Meeting Date:
- 11/03/2016
- Submitted For:
- Patrick Brama
- By:
- Patrick Brama, Administrative Services
Title:
Job Fair Support
Purpose/Background:
↵Anoka-Ramsey Technical & Community Colleges hosts an annual regional job fair at Anoka Tech every February (4 years running). The 2017 event planning is underway. The event will take place on February 22, 2017, from 10am-2pm. This event has increased in popularity in the recent past. In 2016, roughly 1,000 prospect employees and 100 businesses attended. Anoka Tech partners with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to plan, coordinate, and fund the event. Businesses include mainly professional services and the manufacturing industries--with a lot of participation from Ramsey, Anoka, and Coon Rapids businesses.
In 2015-2016, the EDA provided general/ informal direction for staff to investigate options to help address workforce shortages in Ramsey (as workforce was deemed the #1 issue by Ramsey businesses during business visits). One specific suggestion was to consider a potential job fair in Ramsey. As a result of said discussion, staff did some investigating--and the Anoka Tech Job Fair turned up as an opportunity.
Considering Ramsey's geographic proximity to the Anoka Tech Job Fair, the recent success of the Anoka Tech Job Fair, and the primary businesses served by the Anoka Tech Job Fair (includes Ramsey businesses), staff reached out to the Anoka Tech Job Fair planning committee. Staff has attended a couple event planning meetings--to see if the City of Ramsey could add value to their process, and leverage the Anoka Tech Job Fair to help Ramsey businesses.
In summary, the Anoka Tech Job Fair Committee and City staff are pitching the following changes to the event in 2017 (proposal):
(1) for Ramsey, Coon Rapids, and Anoka to help with basic marketing for the event. This would include invites to prospect businesses, Facebook posts, website posts, and newsletter articles. This tactic should help increase participation and awareness for the event. Although this work will take up staff time for participating cities, it should not be a new/ explicit line item cost.
(2) for Ramsey, Coon Rapids, and Anoka to help to coordinate/ cover the cost of a shuttle bus--that would transport event attendees to-and-from the overflow parking lot (the new Eaglebrook Church/ old K-Mart). This is a $500 total cost, that would be split between participating cities.
(3) for DEED and Anoka Tech to coordinate and fund increased marketing efforts for the event, by purchasing $1,500 ads via social media platforms (i.e. Facebook and LinkedIn). This tactic should help increase participation and awareness for the event. DEED was willing to consider this tactic, as a result of the proposed support from local cities (for the shuttle bus service).
(4) for DEED and Anoka Tech to get high schools involved--and arrange a pilot program in 2017 for Anoka High School to send students (and potentially parents) to this job fair. This tactic is intended to address the "systematic" negative perception the public has with manufacturing, and manufacturing jobs. This will provide young people, and their parents, an opportunity to see manufacturing jobs upfront and early on. Staff has received strong feedback from Ramsey businesses to pursue/ address this issue.
In 2015-2016, the EDA provided general/ informal direction for staff to investigate options to help address workforce shortages in Ramsey (as workforce was deemed the #1 issue by Ramsey businesses during business visits). One specific suggestion was to consider a potential job fair in Ramsey. As a result of said discussion, staff did some investigating--and the Anoka Tech Job Fair turned up as an opportunity.
Considering Ramsey's geographic proximity to the Anoka Tech Job Fair, the recent success of the Anoka Tech Job Fair, and the primary businesses served by the Anoka Tech Job Fair (includes Ramsey businesses), staff reached out to the Anoka Tech Job Fair planning committee. Staff has attended a couple event planning meetings--to see if the City of Ramsey could add value to their process, and leverage the Anoka Tech Job Fair to help Ramsey businesses.
In summary, the Anoka Tech Job Fair Committee and City staff are pitching the following changes to the event in 2017 (proposal):
(1) for Ramsey, Coon Rapids, and Anoka to help with basic marketing for the event. This would include invites to prospect businesses, Facebook posts, website posts, and newsletter articles. This tactic should help increase participation and awareness for the event. Although this work will take up staff time for participating cities, it should not be a new/ explicit line item cost.
(2) for Ramsey, Coon Rapids, and Anoka to help to coordinate/ cover the cost of a shuttle bus--that would transport event attendees to-and-from the overflow parking lot (the new Eaglebrook Church/ old K-Mart). This is a $500 total cost, that would be split between participating cities.
(3) for DEED and Anoka Tech to coordinate and fund increased marketing efforts for the event, by purchasing $1,500 ads via social media platforms (i.e. Facebook and LinkedIn). This tactic should help increase participation and awareness for the event. DEED was willing to consider this tactic, as a result of the proposed support from local cities (for the shuttle bus service).
(4) for DEED and Anoka Tech to get high schools involved--and arrange a pilot program in 2017 for Anoka High School to send students (and potentially parents) to this job fair. This tactic is intended to address the "systematic" negative perception the public has with manufacturing, and manufacturing jobs. This will provide young people, and their parents, an opportunity to see manufacturing jobs upfront and early on. Staff has received strong feedback from Ramsey businesses to pursue/ address this issue.
Notification:
NA
Observations/Alternatives:
NA
Funding Source:
EDA Budget, 2017, Miscellaneous Operating Expenses, $166-$250 total cost for Ramsey. Ramsey would make the arrangements.
Recommendation:
↵Staff believes this is a unique opportunity for Ramsey to help address workforce issues. Assuming the EDA still has interest in continuing efforts around addressing workforce, staff would support the "proposal" outlined in the introduction of this case. Notes below.
- It is not uncommon for Ramsey businesses to suggest we have a job fair. The EDA has informally suggested we consider a job fair (2015-2016).
- This opportunity is a very cost-effective approach to a job fair for Ramsey (i.e. partnering with an existing/ growing/ successful event versus creating our own). The total budget for this event is several thousand dollars. DEED and Anoka Tech pledge a substantial amount of staff time into this event.
- This effort will also rally Coon Rapids and Anoka around this event for the first time ever--thus, creating a unique partnership with DEED, Anoka Tech, and three cities. This could be powerful in terms of our ability to have a very successful event.
Action:
Provide staff direction on the proposal outlined in this case.
Attachments
No file(s) attached.
Form Review
| Inbox | Reviewed By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Kurt Ulrich | Kurt Ulrich | 10/31/2016 02:49 PM |
- Form Started By:
- Patrick Brama
- Started On:
- 09/29/2016 01:46 PM
- Final Approval Date:
- 10/31/2016