Future ready: Investing in Minnesota’s next generation of workers

The Minnesota Chamber Foundation is in year two of its partnership with the Greater Twin Cities United Way to create career pathways and amplify quality work experience for youth across Minnesota. United Way’s Future Ready Workforce Fund invests in partnerships focused on expanding the number of high-quality work experiences and the quality of pathways-aligned work experiences for young people. These efforts are supported by an appropriation to United Way initiative by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The Minnesota Chamber Foundation Business Education Network (BEN) partners, led by local chambers of commerce across the state, are well positioned to lead local efforts. BEN partners are the intermediary between local employers, local schools and students and are active across Minnesota, providing statewide reach. This powerful partnership between the Minnesota Chamber Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way and local chambers of commerce seeks to bridge the gap between public education and employment systems, ensuring that all Minnesota students have access to wealth-building and purpose-driven careers. 

Nearly a dozen local chamber partners across the state, ranging from Fergus Falls and Brainerd to St. Paul and Owatonna are actively connecting students to career opportunities and paid work experience in their communities. These opportunities for collaboration often result in meaningful career exploration by students, allowing them to assess whether they wish to pursue higher education or directly enter the workforce after high school. Employers are given the value of connecting with students and developing a future talent pipeline in their community.

The Minnesota Chamber Foundation is grateful for the local chamber BEN partners, and the leadership and support of the Greater Twin Cities United Way to advance this important work across the state. We will continue to strive to provide youth with a range of opportunities to build meaningful careers in communities across Minnesota and to assist employers in building the workforce of our future.