The Good Life – May-June 2018

Featuring Entomologist Donald Carey "The Bug Man" Local Hero - Clay County Detective, Jason Hicks, Having a Beer with Radio Producer - Kyle Iverson and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine. Featuring Entomologist Donald Carey "The Bug Man" Local Hero - Clay County Detective, Jason Hicks, Having a Beer with Radio Producer - Kyle Iverson and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.

18.05.2018 Views

WRITTEN BY: KRISTI HUBER • PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: UNITED WAY Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he can feed himself for the rest of his life. Yes, this is an old cliché, but like most clichés, there is usually an element of truth. Today, this saying doesn’t go quite far enough. Yes, a skilled fisherman won’t go hungry, but is that our end goal? Surely our community wants a better future for people and their families. And, our need for a skilled workforce has challenged us to think differently. For this man and his family to stop the cycle of poverty, he will need a job with a reasonable wage at a successful fishing company. This is the only way his son might have the chance move up the ladder to become an engineer, CEO or scientist. When I visit with leaders across our community, the conversation often leads to their struggle with the workforce shortage and how it is impacting their business and bottom line. It is estimated that by the year 2020, there will be 30,000 open jobs in our local communities.* At the same time, one out of nine people in Cass and Clay 26 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

counties, or 26,000 people, are living in poverty, which is defined as a family of four living on less than $24,600 per year. There is a correlation in these numbers. What we know, is that the barriers for many of these families are two-fold: access to skills and basic needs unique to each person. A solution has been found in a first-ever collaborative Workforce Development Case Manager, Amy Feland. Amy’s innovative role is funded thanks to generous United Way donors and was created through strategic collaboration between United Way, Minnesota State Community and Technical College and Lakes and Prairies Community Action Partnership. ERIC’S STORY OF SUCCESS When Eric, a local man from Moorhead, came to Lakes and Prairies Community Action Partnership, he urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 27

WRITTEN BY: KRISTI HUBER • PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: UNITED WAY<br />

Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him to<br />

fish, and he can feed himself for the rest of his life. Yes,<br />

this is an old cliché, but like most clichés, there is usually<br />

an element of truth. Today, this saying doesn’t go quite far<br />

enough.<br />

Yes, a skilled fisherman won’t go hungry, but is that our<br />

end goal? Surely our community wants a better future<br />

for people and their families. And, our need for a skilled<br />

workforce has challenged us to think differently.<br />

For this man and his family to stop the cycle of poverty,<br />

he will need a job with a reasonable wage at a successful<br />

fishing company. This is the only way his son might have<br />

the chance move up the ladder to become an engineer,<br />

CEO or scientist.<br />

When I visit with leaders across our community, the<br />

conversation often leads to their struggle with the<br />

workforce shortage and how it is impacting their business<br />

and bottom line.<br />

It is estimated that by the year 2020, there will be 30,000<br />

open jobs in our local communities.*<br />

At the same time, one out of nine people in Cass and Clay<br />

26 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

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