Agenda - Economic Development Authority - 01/14/2021

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• Created a picture of how the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce Manufacture CoHort is representing best practices in the community with collaboration and focused efforts in support of workforce and the manufacturing industry. • Career and technical education (CTE) programs provide students with pathways to high - skill, high -paying careers in in -demand industries. • Ensuring that all students have access to high -quality programs must be a priority for policymakers. • Shared that, in Minnesota, Youth Skills Training is an effective way to support efforts in career and technical education for students through providing them with meaningful and safe paid work experiences paired with related education at their high school. Continued to expand the outreach with local school districts and tech college. • Continue the discussion on process to best utilize workforce capacity that resides in different socioeconomic sub -groups. • Specific address to these sub -groups in the K12 population. Focus on removing barriers to success that show up as challenges to how students have access to opportunities and how to best meet their learning needs from where they are at. The outcomes brought insight into aligning local resources to accommodate the "non- traditional" learner. Peeling back barriers around technology, in person learning, non- traditional learning times and lifestyle challenges effecting success in coursework. These techniques and practices are imbedded in the curriculum now, and an additional level of awareness to solving new barriers is now also present in the learning culture. COVID 19 — Pandemic Mid -March until year end: • Outreach to become available to everyone in the CoHort on any questions or resources locally, state, federal level in support of the "shutdown" phase of this pandemic. • The Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacture CoHort transformed into a very reliable resource for PPP application challenges and questions. • Supported many of the Manufacturing CoHort with direct connections to lending institutions that would configure and navigate the PPP loan process. • Assisted with PPE readiness and demand, worked with local health care providers and government to "solve" COVID related planning. • Opened multiple conversations with CoHort members on applications for CARES monies. • July Manufacturing CoHort: COVID and Manufacturing. o Where we have been? o How has the past few months affected us? o What are some of the ways that we have adapted? o What will be the next direction for our industry? Can we be a futurist? o And, ultimately, how can we support each other moving forward?