The Northland Works is a collaborative project between the Northeast Minnesota Office of Job Training (WSA3-WIB), the Duluth Workforce Council (WSA4-WIB) and the Northwest Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (WDA7-WIB). Its objective is to inform parents, students, guidance counselors, teachers, career counselors, job explorers, and employers about the coming baby boomer retirements and skills shortages in occupations such as professional nurses (CNA, LPN, RN), engineers, dentists, welders, machinists, teachers, doctors, financial analysts, mechanics, accountants, electricians, and computer scientists and in local industries like education, construction, health care, aerospace and aviation, energy, transportation, technology, mining, and manufacturing.

The Northland Works informs the public of current news, events, and customized workshops that help educate youth regarding apprenticeship, job shadowing, internship, volunteer, and placement network programs available in the northland so that they can effectively learn to design a plan, build a resume, and apply for positions.

The Northland Works provides job hunters and employers links to job postings in Minnesota's Job Bank, Wisconsin's JobNet, and classified ads; to the counseling, recruitment, retention, and replacement services available at Minnesota Workforce Centers and Wisconsin Job Centers; to labor market information data; to area schools like Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC), Duluth Business University, Northland College, Lake Superior College, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), St. Scholastica, University of Wisconsin Superior (UWS), and to Hibbing, Itasca, Mesabi Range, Rainy River, and Vermillion Community and Technical Colleges; and to major employers from the Iron Range to Ashland.

The work for The Northland Works is an ongoing project as the labor market is constantly changing and new opportunities become available daily. We continue to canvas the region in search of stories about becoming educated, living and working in the northland. While our site has a great many links out to schools, businesses, and workforce development websites, it is also extremely important now that those sites link back to The Northland Works. We hope you will continue to help us spread this new optimism and confidence for the future of our region.

Thanks to its public relations and advertising campaign, the Northland Works project (www.thenorthlandworks.org), is reaching increasing numbers of job seekers and career explorers since it was launched in November 2005. The project, which covers northwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota, informs students, parents, teachers, employers and others about the coming baby boomer retirements in the Northland, and lets them know that high quality jobs are becoming available. Our objective is to inform parents, students, guidance counselors, teachers, career counselors, job changers, and employers about the coming baby boomer retirements in our region, and to let them know that high quality jobs are becoming available in the northland. Recently an exciting achievement took place: The Duluth City Council voted unanimously on a resolution to partner with the Duluth Workforce Council in forming a Workforce Strategy Task Force. Our partnership’s mandate is to study the economic impact of the large number of baby boomer retirements to Duluth and report our results to the Duluth City Council by the end of 2007. You can read the complete resolution at http://www.ci.duluth.mn.us/city/council/resord07/07-0049r.htm. >>> read more...

If you're prepared, the skills you bring to the job will be in high demand. If you're in school, meet regularly with your guidance counselor and teachers, if you're already in the workforce; schedule an appointment with a career counselor at a local Minnesota Workforce Center or Wisconsin Job Centers in your area. They have the skills and knowledge to help you make informed choices along your career path. And don't forget to check back regularly with The Northland Works website www.thenorthlandworks.org. We'll keep you informed with what's happening in our region as it pertains to workforce needs, and the skills & training required to be successful in the Northland job market.

If you have any questions concerning the history, development, and/or purpose for The Northland Works please contact The Northland Works.