On October 25th, 2011, the APEX team attended the Minnesota Governor's 2011 Job Summit at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul. With more than 700 attendees, the sold-out event opened with a panel discussion hosted by Governor Mark Dayton on the subject of Minnesota Jobs in the Global Economy. Panel speakers discussed the imperative need for Minnesota to secure lasting competitive advantages for businesses struggling to succeed in the global marketplace. The ability to adapt and implement change efficiently was cited as a necessary area of improvement, and specific examples included the State's ability to help better align the available workforce with the skillsets required for the jobs of the future.
Subsequent morning sessions covered additional topics ranging from access to capital, the cost of business growth, energy-related issues, the need for enhanced state branding, and the development of a dashboard for tracking data metrics, among others. The keynote speaker was Dr. Michael Mandelbaum, co-author of the newly released That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back. Dr. Mandelbaum discussed how many Americans are “Frustrated Optimists" who know we can move forward as we always have in the past, but whose formulas for success are in need of renovation.
As Dr. Mandelbaum argued, states like Minnesota cannot rely on a one-part program for economic growth and stability. Instead, we must consider simultaneously cutting spending, raising revenues and continuing to invest in the historical areas of infrastructure, education and research and development. Investing in this three-part program, Dr. Mendelbaum stated, is the only viable formula for competing successfully in the global economy.
Afternoon sessions covered a wide range of topics, such as infrastructure, the rise of the creative class, workforce development issues, the "economic development toolbox," export opportunities, employment inequality and tax reform. The summit concluded with an overview of the sessions, followed by a summary of major takeaways and an interactive discussion of next steps. In closing, Governor Dayton stressed that it will take both private and public sector engagement to grow our economy and make Minnesota globally competitive.
To learn more about how APEX works together with its public and private partners throughout Minnesota and Wiscosnin in support of our region's economy, please contact Rob West at: (218) 740-3667
Comments
Post has no comments.