Blue Ribbon Commission Reducing Racial Employment Disparities

1. Blue Ribbon Commission Reducing Racial Employment Disparities in the Ramsey County Metropolitan Area, including Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Scott, Washington Everybody In Overview Everybody In Co-Chairs: Butch Howard, General Manager, HMSHost, Minneapolis/St Paul Airport Nekima Levy-Pounds, Associate Professor of Law, St. Thomas School of Law

2. How to Use This Presentation • The purpose of this presentation is to acquaint you with the history of the formation of the much discussed Blue Ribbon Commission’s Report for action: Everybody In...A Report to Reduce Racial Employment Disparities in the Ramsey County Metropolitan Area, and to provide information on the follow up work of the Everybody In team • This information will give you a head start if you choose to participate • Information about participating is also included Thank you for your interest in this project Patricia Brady Everybody.In@co.ramsey.mn.us

3. Agenda • Background • Blue Ribbon Commission • Six Strategies to Reduce Racial Employment Disparities • Everybody In: Implementation Team (I-Team) • Actions taken to date • Alignment with key partners • How you can participate

4. Background • 2010: Economic Policy Institute reports the Twin Cities as having the largest racial employment gap in the nation (see next slide for details) • 2010: Foundation community invites Dr. Algernon Austin (report author) to Minnesota to deliver report; resulting press draws attention to issues • 2011: The Ramsey County Workforce Investment Board (RCWIB), with key partners theCity of Saint Paul and Ramsey County, appoints a 20 member Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) to develop strategies to reduce racial employment disparities

5. 2009 Economic Policy Institute Report • The black-white difference in unemployment in 2009 was larger in the Twin Cities Metro Area than anywhere else • Below is an excerpt from the 2009 unemployment rates in 18 large metro areas:

6. The Achievement Gap Compiled by MNCompass, from: Minnesota Department of Education.

7. Median Household Income Note: In 2009, inflation-adjusted dollars. Race and ethnicity reflect the race and ethnicity of the head of the household. Compiled by MNCompass from: Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

8. Why Racial Unemployment Disparities Matter • By 2035, 48 percent of Ramsey County residents and 44 percent of Hennepin County residents are projected to be people of color • In suburban counties, the proportion of residents who are people of color is expected to double during that same period

9. Blue Ribbon Commission: May–Oct. 2011 • In response to the aforementioned issues, The RCWIB and its partners, the City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, appointed a Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) • The BRC created Everybody In: A Report to Reduce Racial Employment Disparities in the Ramsey County Metropolitan Area. The report: • defines the key issues in six strategies to be implemented over five years • defines key actions to be undertaken • defines and recommends a performance measurement system to determine progress • The BRC defines itself as the accountable body for future teams to report progress and updates

10. Everybody In Strategies • Raise public awareness among employers and greater community about racial employment disparities • Create a broad-based regional collaboration of employers, including business, government, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and service providers to concentrate on decreasing the racial employment disparities • Implement specific targeted policy changes that directly support racial employment equity • Strengthen the transparency of workforce development outcomes • Promote opportunities that increase postsecondary attainment and training for job readiness • Foster business and entrepreneurial opportunities that result in job creation

11. Initial Key Actions for Implementation as Directed by the BRC • Immediately establish an implementation groupand structure • Build on data in the report to establish a comprehensive inventory of programs and efforts within the Ramsey County metropolitan area that are aimed at reducing or eliminating racial disparity in employment • Develop and execute an implementation plan to address the six strategies and related actions in this report • Establish a valid and reliable performance measurement systemas a critical component of the implementation phase and use it to monitor progress over time • Communicate the implementation group’s plan, including preparing and delivering presentations and written summaries appropriate to the needs of a wide range of audiences

12. Everybody In: Implementation Team (I-Team) • Established in August 2012 as directed by the BRC • Comprised of 40 members, staff, and facilitators who are community leaders representing both Saint Paul and Minneapolis • Led by the RCWIB, in partnership with the City of Minneapolis, City of Saint Paul, Minneapolis Workforce Council, and Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Charge: Develop a five year plan to implement selected Everybody In strategies

13. Initial Partner Organizations • Governor’s Office • City of St. Paul • St. Paul Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity • MNDOT • Minneapolis Dept. of Civil Rights • United Way • McKnight Foundation • Phillips Family Foundation • American Indian Family Center • Build Wealth Minnesota • Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church • Wells Fargo Foundation • Growth and Justice • Governor’s Jobs Initiative, DEED • Dakota County WIB • Minneapolis Urban League • African American Leadership Forum • St. Paul College • St. Paul Public Schools • McDonalds • Ramsey County WIB • Minneapolis Workforce Council • Network for Better Futures • MEDA • St. Paul Promise Neighborhood • Minneapolis Regional Chamber • Greater MSP • U of St. Thomas School of Law • Culture Brokers Foundation • Neighborhood Development Center • HealthPartners • Anoka County WIB

14. Other Organizations That Participatein the Growing Partnership • Metropolitan Council • Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation • Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council • Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union • AFL-CIO • Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development

15. Alignment with Initiatives of Initial Key Partners Ramsey County Board of Commissioners: Unified with Critical Success Indicator • Disparities in, access to, and outcomes of County services for diverse populations are eliminated Itasca Project • Generating Quality Job Growth; Improving Higher Education; Improving our Region's Education System closely linked to job growth Ramsey County WIB: Unified with Vision • To be a leader in identifying future workforce issues and developing appropriate responses to those issues City of Minneapolis • Hired full time position to address disparities in employment (first in the state) City of Saint Paul: Mayor’s Strategic Plan • Workforce will be ready to compete in a global economy

16. Early Alignment with Key Entities • Four Metro Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) have moved to assure their strategies are aligned with those of Everybody In: • Ramsey County Workforce Investment Board • Minneapolis Workforce Council • Dakota County WIB • Anoka County WIB • Washington County WIB

17. I-Team Progress to Date • Issued an RFP and contracted for professional facilitation services • Assembled and charged to eliminate racial employment disparities through strategies developed by BRC • Assisted by a regional Steering Committee • Developed an action plan that includes the identification of three strategic areas to address • In process: development of a community awareness campaign • In process: bring together WIBs in the 7-county metropolitan area to review the racial unemployment disparities

18. I-Team Progress to Date • The following strategies were selected and are being addressed by Action Teams of the membership: • #1 Raisepublic awareness among employers and greater community about racial employment disparities • #5 Promote opportunities that increase postsecondary attainmentandtraining for job readiness • #6 Foster business and entrepreneurial opportunities that result in job creation

19. Do you Wish to Visit Implementation Team Meetings? The schedule for the open meetings of the Implementation Team may be found at the following link: http://www.rcwib.org/boardmembers/EverybodyIn/Info/2013EverybodyInITMeetingDates.pdf Your attendance as a guest is welcome.

20. Action Teams • Raisepublic awareness among employers and greater community about racial employment disparities - Lead: Commissioner Kevin Lindsey, Minnesota Department of Human Rights • Promote opportunities that increase postsecondary attainmentandtraining for job readiness - Lead: Eric Muschler, McKnight Foundation • Foster business and entrepreneurial opportunities that result in job creation - Lead: Morris Goodwin, Wilder Foundation For more detailed information on any of our strategies, please go to: http://www.rcwib.org/boardmembers/EverybodyIn/MeetingMaterials/EverybodyInReport-strategies.pdf For more information on the work of the Action Teams or to directly interface with Action Teams, please contact Patricia Brady at the following email address - Everybody.in@co.ramsey.mn.us

21. More Information Detailed information on I-Team Strategy http://www.rcwib.org/boardmembers/EverybodyIn/MeetingMaterials/EverybodyInReport-strategies.pdf The Blue Ribbon Commission http://www.rcwib.org/Aboutus/BRC.htm Everybody In…the report http://www.rcwib.org/boardmembers/BRC/BRCReport.pdf Research Links http://www.rcwib.org/Aboutus/BRC.htm#Research_Links:_ Press Coverage: http://www.rcwib.org/Aboutus/BRC.htm#Research_Links:_