In 2011 the
Minnesota Governor’s Workforce Development Council produced a comprehensive
report titled “Working to Close the Skills Gap”. In that report it was asserted that by 2018,
70% of Minnesota jobs would require education beyond high school. In contrast
to this forecast is the reality that in 2011 only 40% of working-age adults in
state held a post-secondary degree.
A skills gap
exists in Minnesota and the rest of the United States and is slated to increase
as a result of 71% of Americans being employed in jobs for which there is low
demand and an oversupply of workers.
Contrast this to a shortage of workers that lack the skills necessary
for jobs that require higher skill levels. Jobs that many believe are directly
tied to any recovery in the U.S. economy.
Today, people
in the employment marketplace generally fall into one of four skillset
categories:
1. People who are “ready now” and have
exactly the right skills that employers are looking for at the right time. Employers will first try and recruit from
local labor markets and schools to find these people, but if they are
unsuccessful they will look elsewhere.
Sometimes far afield.
2. People who are “ready soon” and who,
despite having limited training and on-the job experience can fit in.
3. “Work ready” people have two to four
years of postsecondary education and can be trained on the job, but for those
companies with limited or shrinking budgets for training, hiring these people
is a limitation.
4. The “far from ready” segment of the
population, are people who have dropped out of school, or only have a high
school diploma. Good job prospects for
these people are small.
Thomas
Friedman, author of the book Hot Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How
it Can Renew America believes that the global marketplace has rewritten the
requirements for employment success. In
addition to “working hard and playing by the rules”, it is necessary to obtain
some form of postsecondary education, regularly reinvent yourself, and make sure
you are engaged in lifelong learning. In short, you will need to work harder,
smarter and develop new skills faster.
A core value
of the Northfield Public Library is to support lifelong learning, education,
and enrichment. The library has an
impressive and extensive collection of print and electronic resources,
participates in two large interlibrary loan networks that provide access to
materials held throughout Minnesota, more than eight Internet accessible
computers, and experienced staff dedicated to serving library users.
In addition
to the above resources, there is a special collection in the library of
materials on the subjects of small
business development and job searching, as well as a computer in this area
dedicated to employment and business related activities. Finally, the library has partnered with the
Minnesota Workforce Center and provides the space for twice monthly job search
club meetings and classes. For more
information contact the Northfield Public Library at 507-645-1802. We can also answer your questions
online. Click on http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/library/askalibrarian
Below are
works written by Thomas L. Friedman that available for loan in the Northfield
Public Library.
The World
is Flat: A Brief History of the
Twenty-First Century. New York:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, c2005 Call no. 308.4833 FR
Hot,
Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How it Can Renew America.
New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, c2008 Call no. 363.7 FR
That Used
to Be Us: How America Fell Behind In the
World It Invented and How We Can Come Back. New
York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux,
c2011 Call no. 973.932 FR
Martha Stewart Living
On Thursday Oct. 18 at 7 PM the Northfield Library welcomes
paranormal expert and author Chad Lewis. Mr. Lewis will take the audience on a
ghostly journey to some of the most haunted places in Minnesota, from wandering
ghosts in the North Woods to a haunted B & B in Wabasha. Complete with photos, case histories,
eyewitness accounts, ghost lore and directions, this unique presentation
encourages you to visit these places for your own ghost story. The program is
free and open to all ages. The program will be held in the library meeting
room. For disability arrangements or more information please call the library
at 507-645-6606. The presentation is sponsored by the Friends and Foundation of
the Northfield Public Library. 
In 2011 the
Minnesota Governor’s Workforce Development Council produced a comprehensive
report titled “Working to Close the Skills Gap”. In that report it was asserted that by 2018,
70% of Minnesota jobs would require education beyond high school. In contrast
to this forecast is the reality that in 2011 only 40% of working-age adults in
state held a post-secondary degree. 
American Decades is a cross-disciplinary
source for students and researchers who need a single reference to explore and
analyze the events, people and social trends that have impacted contemporary
American history. Each volume covers a 10-year period (1900-2009) and covers
arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government
and politics, lifestyles, law, business and economy, and sports. As you begin your fall history projects at school or begin your research for History Day in the spring, make sure you check out this resource. Go to www.northfieldmn.info and click on “E-Library”. You will need your library card to access from home. For more information please
call the library at 507-645-1802. 
This week check out our display of books that also appear in a new exhibition at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. entitled "Books that Shaped America". The exhibit will be up through Sept. 16 if you are lucky enough to be in Washington. Some of their books exhibited are from their Rare Book Collection Division. Here's some info from their website and a partial list of books. It is an interesting mix of books - anything from "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown to "Joy of Cooking", "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller and "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac. Here's a description of the exhibition on the Library of Congress website:
