BEMIDI, Minn. - Nate Dorr will outline the job market in the northwest portion of Minnesota and look at some potentially hot careers when he presents a noon Brown Bag Lunch program March 11 at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation (CRI), located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a bag lunch for the one-hour session, which is open free to the public.
A regional analyst with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Dorr will refer to data on employment trends, current economic problems, population characteristics, and the possible impact of the stimulus package as the backdrop for the presentation. He feels that looking at quarter-to-quarter changes and comparing similar quarters over a five-year period can help determine which industries might survive the global crisis.
"I will talk about the jobs that have survived the recession, how we are affected by the recession, and what jobs or industries have been hit the hardest," said Dorr. "Depending on how the federal stimulus package shakes out, our region might be well positioned to implement infrastructure and constructions projects. And with the growing interaction between local colleges, economic developers, private businesses, and government around green industry jobs, the northwest region has the potential to emerge as a leader in the renewable energy market."
He will also be able to discuss the different generations that comprise the current workforce and challenge or affirm the myths surrounding each group, which generally are cataloged by years of birth and descriptive titles, like Generation X. Finally, information on where resources can be found on high-demand occupations, employment projections, and regional career websites will be provided.
In his current position, Dorr analyzes trends in employment, wages, industry sectors, demographics and other factors of the northwest Minnesota economy. He has used his background in youth programs, low-income organizations, the economic sector, and workforce development for writing grants over the past six years.
Dorr earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the U of M. He previously held positions with the Minnesota Community Action Association, the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Legislature, and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs in Minneapolis.
The program is part of free training and informational presentations offered by the CRI each month. A full schedule can be found at www.cri-bsu,org/BrownbagSeries.html.
Formed in 1997, the Center for Research and Innovation is an off-campus facility operated by Bemidji State University to assist businesses, organizations and individuals in gaining new knowledge, achieving applied experience, and improving successes.
The CRI annually serves more than 2500 individuals and 400 businesses by providing corporate and custom training, delivering non-credit online learning, creating multimedia solutions, offering strategic organizational development, and coordinating regular informational programs in such areas as natural resources and work safety.
For more information, contact the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; email, cri@bemidjistate.edu; or at the Web site www.cri-bsu.org.