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- 4 Questions with Kathy Tunheim
Enterprise Minnesota Magazine - August 2011HELPING MANUFACTURERS GROW PROFITABLY |
4 Questions with Kathy Tunheim
Position: Senior Advisor for Job Creation for Governor Mark Dayton Role: Connecting public leaders and private sector employers and job creators from around the state to ensure proper investment in and proliferation of manufacturing and other skilled jobs in Minnesota.
Governor Mark Dayton recently appointed you Senior Advisor for Job Creation. How are your previous experiences helping you in this new role? I began my career in public service. I worked in both the state government and in the U.S. Congress as a staff person when I was first out of school. Then I spent 10 years at Honeywell, and so I have a strong appreciation for the manufacturing culture and the kinds of investment decisions they have to make in both capital and in people. I have spent the last 20 years building a communications company, Tunheim Partners, so I can offer an entrepreneur’s perspective as well. Because my professional expertise is in messaging, I feel it helps me in making sure that we address the challenges of job creation in a way that we can work together and move the state forward. Will finding skilled talent become an even more widespread challenge for manufacturers in the coming years? Well, I know we have the potential talent. The opportunities for exporting from Minnesota to other countries are going to continue to grow and evolve. That creates a strong need for employees who have the ability to think and anticipate on a global scale. With that in mind, I think the question is, are we doing the right things to encourage young people who should be thinking about and would be energized by careers in manufacturing? Are we helping them see those possibilities and are we creating the right sort of opportunities for their post-secondary educations, whether it’s in technical schools, four-year colleges or certification programs? Also, we need to make sure those kinds of opportunities and preparations align with manufacturers needs, so that they pave the way for success in a real job. What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Minnesota’s manufacturing job market? As a state, Minnesota has continued to have a very strong and thriving manufacturing sector before and throughout the downturn. Now, we’re coming out of the downturn and demand isn’t as strong so we know we can meet the demand. As we think about the recovering economy and building a manufacturing sector that is even stronger in the future, it is more a question of, do we have good alignment between the kinds of jobs that are going to be here, and the kind of training and preparedness for talent that we need? Are we as prepared to compete as we need to be? How can manufacturers encourage creation of jobs that will help their businesses? I think the most important thing manufacturers can do is to be heard—to be engaged in constructive ways in their local environments, whether it’s with our public policy people or elected mayors, county commissioners, or state legislators. They need to be sure these individuals are aware of the labor needs of manufacturers in the Twin Cities and around the state. To that end, the governor has put together a whole team of people whose job it is to try to really listen to and understand the ongoing evolution of these needs, and make sure that we respond effectively. |
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