INFORMATION #2 EDSR 08-14-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minnesota Employment ,,, ~t~ ,Jr 1,„. , May 2006 Data...June 2006 Issue Technically Speaking, Central Minnesota Workers are Well Trained Educational attainment is frequently used as a measure of the quality of the resident labor force. Rankings often place Minnesota near the top in terms of the skills of the working-age population. For instance, Minnesota placed ninth in the nation in the number of residents 25 years and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher in 2004 (32.5 percent).' While bachelor's and advanced professional degrees are certainly important considerations in a knowledge-based economy, they do not present a complete picture of the quality of a region's workforce. In fact, this narrow view of educational attainment can lead to an incorrect perception that some areas-most ^otably those falling outside metropolitan areas-do not offer awell-trained supply of labor. 1i However, when attainment of associate degrees and post-secondary vocational awards are included, a different portrait emerges. Associate degrees conferred at two-year community and technical colleges provide skill-based training specialized to an occupation or industry that fits the demands of regional employers. Central Minnesota, by that measure, is home to a very well-trained, highly skilled workforce. A BroaderPerspective With the growing acceptance that post-secondary education is necessary for attaining higher-wage employment, interest in and attainment of four-year bachelor's degrees has steadily increased. Census Bureau data show that rates for four-year college degrees in rural areas have risen steadily since the 1960s, although they still fall far behind metro rates. Just over 17.2 percent of the working-age population in Central Minnesota has a bachelor's degree or higher, as compared to 24.4 percent in the United States. However, about 7.6 percent of the population 25 years and older in Central Minnesota-more than 27,000 people-have an associate degree. While this is less than half as many people who have bachelor's degrees or higher, it represents a 20.4 percent increase since 1990. Generally, the percentage of the population with an associate degree is higher in the counties of Central Minnesota than in the United States. Ten of the 13 counties in the re>;ion have a higher concentration of associate degrees, led by . ,.: Reg~p}1d11 ;i ~~~~ M~~~o~~ Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Labor Market Information Office O N L I N E L Regional Spotlight