>> THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE BAKER, LET'S TALK ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE AREA WHERE YOU ARE WORKING, AND WE WILL GO AROUND THE TABLE ON THAT TOPIC.
WE DID GET GOOD NEWS ABOUT INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT ABOUT NEWS IN PRECEDING MONTHS PERHAPS WAS NOT QUITE SO GOOD.
YOU COULD TALK ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND WHAT LEGISLATIVE RESPONSES WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE IN THIS SESSION ON THAT TOPIC.
>> I THINK ALMOST EVERYBODY IN THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND JOBS AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY, EVERYBODY IS STRUGGLING WITH WORKFORCE.
WHAT DO WE DO?
HOW DO WE PAY THEM APPROPRIATELY?
RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE STATE WE ARE DEALING WITH BILLS, LISTENING TO A LOT OF VERY IMPASSIONED ADMINISTRATORS AND NURSING HOME OPERATORS.
THE LIST IS ENDLESS ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES AND REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THESE PLACES LIKE NURSING HOMES AND MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES WHERE THEY ONLY GET SO MUCH MONEY BASED ON REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE MEDICAID, MEDICARE PAYMENTS.
WE CAN'T GET THAT MONEY TO THEM FAST ENOUGH BECAUSE OF THE WAY INFLATION AND SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR PEOPLE HAVE REALLY TAKEN OFF 6789 SO WE HAVE GOT WINGS IN NURSING HOMES THAT ARE SITTING THERE EMPTY, AND NURSING HOMES THEN HAVE A MUCH HARDER TIME MAKING THE PAYMENTS AND PURCHASING THE FOOD THAT'S ANOTHER 30% HIGHER THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
WE ARE REALLY, REALLY STRUGGLING TO MAKE SURE WE GET AS MUCH RESOURCES TO OUR STATE EMPLOYEES THAT NEED THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS RIPE FOR THOSE KINDS OF DESPERATE SITUATIONS.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE SEEN SUCH A SHORTAGE WHETHER IT'S PSYCHOLOGIST, NURSES, NURSING HOME CARE, PCA'S, AND IT'S REALLY QUITE SOMETHING.
THERE'S NOT A HEARING THAT GOES BY OR BILL THAT DOESN'T GO BY WITHOUT REALLY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE WORKFORCE AND THE WORK WE NEED TO DO AND THE FUNDING WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET THEM OR OUR NURSING HOMES ARE NOT GOING TO BE AROUND.
>> Barry: SENATOR WEBER, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, YOUR THOUGHTS.
>> I DON'T THINK WE HAVE EVER SEEN A TIME WHERE EVERY BUSINESS IS OUT THERE LOOKING FOR WORKERS.
WE HAVE RESTAURANTS IN MY AREA THAT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPENED 7 DAYS A WEEK AND NOW DUE TO A LACK OF HELP, THEY ARE CLOSED ONE OR TWO DAYS IN ORDER TO GIVE PEOPLE THE TIME OFF.
THEY JUST DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH WORKERS TO COVER ALL THE SHIFTS.
WE SEE THE SAME THING IN OUR NURSING HOMES.
WE SEE THE SAME THINGS IN MOST ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES.
WE HAVE CAR DEALERSHIPS AND MECHANIC SHOPS THAT ARE NEEDING PEOPLE.
VIRTUALLY EVERY BUSINESS IS IN NEED OF WORKERS.
PART OF IT IS QUITE FRANKLY, TOO, THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF TRAINED HELP, WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MECHANICS, PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS, CARPENTERS.
WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE THAT ARE FOR OUR YOUNG STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND MAYBE EVEN STARTING DURING HIGH SCHOOL THAT HELP TRAIN THEM.
I THINK WE HAVE REACHED A POINT WHERE EVERYONE RECOGNIZES IF SOMEONE NEEDS A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE PREPARED TO GO OFF TO COLLEGE AND PURSUE THE FOUR-YEAR DEGREE.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND AS THEY LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL TO HAVE GOOD TRAINING IN TWO-YEAR PROGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE IN THE CAREER VOCATIONAL AVENUE.
THERE ARE MANY GOOD JOBS OUT THERE.
THERE ARE MANY NEEDS FOR THESE PEOPLE.
CERTAINLY WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OFFER THAT WHOLE SPECTRUM OF OPPORTUNITY.
>> Barry: SENATOR MCEWEN I'M GUESSING DULUTH IS IN THE SAME POSITION AS OUR OTHER COMMUNITIES.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT ISSUE.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
I THINK, AS MY COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE DISCUSSED IN SOME GOOD DETAIL, WE HAVE A WORKFORCE SHORTAGE ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT'S TRUE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS THAT.
AS SENATOR WEBER WAS TALKING ABOUT, REALLY ENCOURAGE PROGRAMS TO HELP PEOPLE GET INTO THE TRADES.
THERE'S A REAL SHORTAGE OF WORKERS IN THE TRADES.
A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE.
NOT HAVING EVERYBODY AND NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO OR NEEDS TO OR SHOULD GO FOR A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
REALLY EXPLORING AND DEVELOPING THE ARRAY OF OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK OUR WORK SHORTAGE REALLY SPEAKS TO RIGHT NOW IS THE WEALTH DISPARITY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SOCIETY.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN A SITUATION, I THINK, ESPECIALLY POST PANDEMIC, WHERE WE REALLY ARE SEEING THE EFFECT OF PEOPLE HAVING IN SOME WAYS, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, NOT ABLE TO WORK AT HOME OR SCRAPING BY, WORKING PART-TIME, FIGURING THINGS OUT AND REALLY DOING THE REASSESSMENT OF WHAT THEIR LABOR IS WORTH, WHAT THEIR TIME IS WORTH AND REALIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, GETTING PAID $13 AN HOUR IS JUST NOT GOING TO CUT IT ANY LONGER.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS, LOCALLY AND IN DULUTH I HAVE HEARD THIS FROM OUR NURSING HOMES AND CARE CENTERS, AND OTHER AREAS THROUGH CHILD CARE, THAT THOSE POSITIONS ARE VERY LOW PAY, NOT NECESSARILY OUT OF THE CHOICE OF THE PEOPLE RUNNING THOSE CENTERS.
THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO PAY PEOPLE MORE.
WE NEED TO PAY PEOPLE MORE.
A LOT OF THE TIME NOW PEOPLE CAN JUST LOOK AND RIGHTFULLY SAY THIS IS VERY HARD WORK.
IT IS VERY HARD WORK, CARING PROFESSIONS, AND PEOPLE DO IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT.
AT SOME POINT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEBODY MIGHT LOOK OVER AND SAY IF I GET A JOB AT THE LOCAL FAST FOOD PLACE OR WHAT NOT, I CAN GO AND MAKE 17, $18 AN HOUR, WHICH IS GREAT.
I'M GLAD WE ARE SEEING THOSE WAGES GO UP, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP PACE WITH THAT, WITH THIS WAGE CORRECTION.
PEOPLE NEED TO LIVE.
THEY NEED TO THRIVE AND PAY THEIR BILLS TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT KEEPS PACE WITH WHERE WE