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The ‘Renewable Energy Marketplace – Alliance for Talent Development’ (MNREM) is committed to diversifying the economic and energy future of the 36 county region of South Central, Southwest, and West Central Minnesota.
Its private-sector lead board includes business people, educational leaders, labor, foundations, workforce professionals, and educators. Thiscoalition seeks to leverage the rich resources of people, wind, sun, and biomass to provide local benefits (jobs, energy, and community investment) and global connections (for equipment, capital, and innovation transfer.)
MNREM received a $5 million grant through the WIRED initiative from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Mission:
To develop regional talent and businesses, boost innovation and support the cultivation of new technologies, in order to achieve a competitive advantage in the global economy.
Key Goal:
To achieve long-term sustainable economic vitality and compete in a global economy through the retention, creation, and attraction of an educated and skilled workforce.
Our Opportunity:
Minnesota's multiple strengths in the renewable energy industry present its South Central, Southwest, and West Central regions with a unique opportunity for renewed economic vitality. This landscape has two defining characteristics: agriculture and supporting manufacturing. Both are challenged to adapt and transform from traditional resource and industrial-based economic models to a more knowledge-based economy. Rooted in the legacies of agriculture stewardship and entrepnreeurship, the Alliance seeks new ways to contribute to the region's growth and competitiveness. Critical emerging industries based in renewable energy and biosciences are revitalizing the inherent know-how and spirit of entrepreneurship in this region.
Our Challenge:
This opportunity could be lost if we do not cultivate the region's talent pool tot ake advantage of our valuable resources. To do this, we need a coordinated strategy in which industry and its public allies determine the critical skills and other resources needed, and then develop collaborative initiatives to provide and grow these skills. Our momentum, based on a critical mass of industry, natural resources and leadership holds the potential for global competitivceness. However, it lacks the conditions to complete the transformation to a knowledge an innovation-based economy due to a shortage of skilled workers.
Our Strategies:
- Provide a diverse, skilled workforce for the renewable energy industry to strengthen the Marketplace region's competitiveness in the global economy
- Improve recruitment, retention, and credentialing of talent by aligning and enhancing education and training resources
- Establish a regional leadership framework to define and support a regional agenda, evaluate its success, and preside over a meaningful change mechanism
- Advise on public policy to support the renewable energy industry cluster, driving the region to provide solutions for energy production and other value-added products
- Develop a regional culture that supports and attracts new firms and new ideas that can create new products for the emerging renewable energy/bioscience industries and supporting industry sectors
- Build on the opportunity to drive research and development and create additional products that use agricultural inputs and entrepreneurship
The Renewable Energy Marketplace - Alliance for Talent Development (MNREM) is supported by a $5 million WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) grant from the U. S. Department of Labor
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Our Implementation Plan
Click Here to view our Plan
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MNREM Board Members
Executive Committee
Mark Willers, CEO, Minwind Energy, Luverne – Chair
Dave Sunderman, Member Services Manager, BENCO Electric; General Manager, CTV, Mankato – Vice-Chair
Juanita Lauritsen, Executive Director, Southwest Minnesota Workforce Council, Marshall – Secretary-Treasurer
Warrenn Anderson, Attorney, Morris
Randy Hagen, President, Solar Skies, Starbuck
Connie Ireland, Regional Administrator, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Mankato
Lowell Rasmussen, Vice Chancellor, University of Minnesota, Morris
Sherry Ristau, President, Southwest Initiative Foundation, Hutchinson
Richard Shrubb, President, MinnesotaWestCommunity & TechnicalCollege, Worthington
Robert Thurston, President, Thurston Genetics, Olivia
Other members of the Leadership Board
Diane Halvorson, Director, South Central Workforce Council, Mankato
Tom Hoff, Career and Technical Project Coordinator, Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative, Marshall
Bob Hoffman, Vice President, MinnesotaStateUniversity, Mankato
Jeremy Kovash, Executive Director, Lakes Country Service Coop, FergusFalls
Jerry Larson, Farmer and Board President of Ottertail Ag Enterprises, Elbow Lake
Jan Lundebrek, President, First Security Bank, CVEC Board Member, Benson
Tim Penny, President, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Owatonna
Nancy Straw, President, West Central Initiative, FergusFalls
Kent Thiesse, Vice President, MinnStar Bank; School Board Chair, Lake Crystal
Dennis Timmerman, Senior Project Development Director, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), Marshall
Bob Weerts, Owner and Operator, Weerts Construction, Winnebago
Dan Wenner, Director, Rural MN CEP, DetroitLakes
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This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded under Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
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