November 2022 Editorial

November 2022 Highline Notes Editorial

Help Wanted!

Marshal Albright, Cass County Electric Cooperative president & CEO

No matter where you go, you likely see help-wanted signs posted at most businesses.

The September labor market report from Job Service North Dakota shows over 18,000 jobs in the state, including 6,600 job openings in a six-county area in southeast North Dakota. Healthcare and social assistance lead with over 1,200 job openings, followed by retail trade and office and administrative support.

The question is, how do we fill the open jobs? Labor markets are highly competitive across the country. Many factors influence a person looking for a job, but most often, quality of life prevails. Over the past several years, I had the opportunity to visit with many folks that have moved to the Fargo area, and their first impression is they are concerned about the weather. However, the warmth of the people and the community turned the idea of perceived cold into four fantastic seasons of warmth.

As a community leader involved in many initiatives to address our workforce needs, I can assure you that business leaders know that workforce development is a number one priority. There are numerous opportunities to expand the workforce in our region – recruiting talent from other areas, training residents with skill sets that match job openings, retaining college and high school students, expanding and making childcare affordable so more people staying home with kids can re-enter the workforce, and federal immigration reform. Of course, we can’t forget the need for more affordable housing. There may be opportunities to support workforce development through legislation at the state level by supporting the expansion of childcare incentives statewide. Governor Burgum is encouraging the North Dakota Legislature to spend up to $80 million over the next two years to address childcare in the state.

Attracting workers from another region takes resources. The Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC) understands this is a priority and focus for the community. The GFMEDC, Chamber, and others have put together successful campaigns to attract workers to our area and are completing a master workforce and talent strategy for the long-term growth of our community.

This issue of the Highline Notes features a story on the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber’s recent announcement of receiving a $9.6 million Good Jobs Challenge grant from the Economic Development Administration to support the regional agriculture, manufacturing, and technology industries. The grant is an unprecedented win for our community to help address a critical workforce challenge.

“This is a historic day for our region and the states of Minnesota and North Dakota,” said Chamber President & CEO Shannon Full. “With the workforce as the number one challenge facing our companies and communities, the Good Jobs Challenge grant will provide critical funding to enable our region to develop a systematic, collective approach to the workforce needs.”

Cass County Electric Cooperative is committed to supporting workforce development efforts throughout our service area by sponsoring Chamber events for area businesses and serving on local economic development boards.