Driving Minnesota's Economic Growth: A Strategic Action Plan
On July 1st, 2003, Minnesota took the bold step of merging two agencies into the newly formed Department of Employment and Economic Development. For the first time, economic success would be defined in a holistic manner, recognizing that workforce and economic development are simply two sides of the same coin. The newly merged agency would work to break down the barriers between workforce and economic professionals, believing that only by working together could we create the best possible results for the citizens of the state of Minnesota.
We have taken that task to heart. Using Positively Minnesota as our slogan, we have joined forces with colleagues and partners across the state to use every available resource in our fight to be the leaders in economic success for our clients; individuals, businesses, and communities. While we have much to do, the reality is that we have made significant progress already. The US Department of Labor has begun aggressively promoting the inclusion of economic development principles into the workforce system. Within DEED, we are already ahead of the curve, using our internal advantages to become more responsive to our external customers.
This strategic plan highlights specific initiatives that we are confident will result in greater success for the state. The initiatives are obviously accurate only at a point of time in that we are constantly adding new items and taking off actions as we complete them. By the same token there are many other day to day initiatives that are not on this list. But the reader should know, we will act aggressively and with pride as we seek the best environment for economic success in the United States. Minnesota has a rich history of leading the nation in so many categories. We will continue that tradition with the full strength of our fellow state agencies, our many partners, and our outstanding staff.
(Signed) Matt Kramer, (former) Commissioner
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