Mayors propose workforce legislation

Communities in southwest Minnesota are joining forces to address labor shortages in several affected occupations.
Mayors in the cities of Luverne, Pipestone, Worthington, Jackson, Marshall, Canby and Granite Falls have organized as Southwest Minnesota Council of Mayors to work on issues affecting all their communities.
The labor shortage is on top of their list, and they’re proposing a pilot program that aims to attract and retain workers in southwest Minnesota through paid education in technical fields.
The targeted occupations include carpentry, mechatronics, automotive, plumbing, auto technology, agriculture diesel, electrical, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Modeled after “Build South Dakota,” the program would provide up to $8,000 of tuition payments per year for students who enroll in a two-year course of study at Minnesota West and commit to work in one of the targeted occupations in southwest Minnesota for at least three years.
The students’ tuition is structured as a three-year forgivable loan; each year is forgiven as long as the student is living and working in southwest Minnesota.
The group of mayors is requesting $600,000 per year in state funding for the five-year pilot program for a total request of $3 million. These funds would be combined with locally leveraged funds of $150,000 each year.
Baustian said the group is hoping that the state funding will be provided during this legislative session.
“We lose nothing if we do nothing, but we have everything to gain if we add to our workforce development and our trades,” Baustian said.
Rep. Rod Hamilton is jacketing the bill in the house, and Sen. Bill Weber is doing the same in the Senate.
The mayors received the draft bill today and will meet with their respective legislators Wednesday.
The mayors said they formed the group because together they represent about 44,000 people, which might help them when seeking legislative solutions.
“Especially as border communities, we share issues in common,” Baustian said. “And with our workforce, we’ve watched as South Dakota and Iowa are drawing our kids away from Minnesota. It was time to do something.”
They plan to continue to meet to address other issues that affect southwest Minnesota.