Southeast Minnesota Workforce Development Board

The Southeast Minnesota Workforce Development Board is one Minnesota’s 16 local workforce boards, designated under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.  The Board is comprised of a majority business representatives, as well workforce, education and training, government, economic, and community stakeholders.  We are dedicated to quality workforce development endeavors throughout southeastern Minnesota.

The Board guides the design of local workforce development throughout the counties of Freeborn, Mower, Houston, Rice, Dodge, Steele, Fillmore, Goodhue, Olmsted, and Wabasha, including partnership of the operation of CareerForce locations. We also maintain and oversee various subcommittees and taskforces including sector-specific committees in Healthcare, Emerging Technologies & Economic Development, Manufacturing, and Services & Trades, and Taskforces including Emerging Workforce/Out-of-School Youth, MaxAbility Employment, Salute Southern MN Veterans Network, and Diversity and Inclusion (Women & Minorities, Previously Incarcerated Individuals).  We operate a number of Career Pathways programs, including Construction/Trades, Healthcare, Information Technology, Public Sector, and Advanced Manufacturing.

The Southeast Minnesota Workforce Development Board is a leader in CareerForce, Minnesota’s unified workforce system. Our mission is to develop and advance the workforce of Southeast Minnesota by acting as:

  • A champion for workers
  • A convening agent bringing partners together to solve workforce problems
  • A change agent to promote and facilitate innovation and creative solutions
  • The agency accountable to the individuals, businesses and communities we serve, providing measurable change