Participating members:
Gordon Aanerud, Sandra Peterson

Other participants:
Dan Smith, committee staff

MINUTES

1. The meeting was called to order by Gordon Aanerud at 9:15 a.m.

2. "Minnesota World Competitor, the Governor's Workforce Development Plan"

   Discussion focused on the recently released report of the Mini Cabinet on Workforce Development, "Minnesota World Competitor." Participants expressed concern that the report was prepared and presented without direct involvement of the Governor's Workforce Development Council, rekindling concerns raised at earlier meetings regarding the relationship between the GWDC and the Mini Cabinet. Particular concern was raised about recommendations in the report to discontinue several grant programs supporting workforce preparation in the K-12 school system and to shift some of this responsibility to the workforce centers. There appears to be growing resentment that the GWDC is viewed as a group without direct purpose or input into the state's workforce development strategies.

   Members asked that the chair of the Education to Employment Committee be contacted to see that he, the vice chair, and as many committee members as possible attend the next scheduled meeting in March to discuss the "Minnesota World Competitor" document and provide reaction from the Education to Employment Committee. Participants also asked Dan Smith to seek participation from the Mini Cabinet or its deputies to review the report and discuss its recommendations and rationale. Dan will see that all committee members receive within the next week photocopies of the report and of "fact sheets" on the specific programs noted in the report to give time for individual review before the March meeting.

3. Committee meeting attendance
   Concern was expressed that even with defined and distributed meeting times members are unable or unwilling to attend committee meetings. Dan was asked to raise this issue with the chair for further discussion at the next meeting.

4. Next meeting/Regular Meeting Schedule
   It had been previously decided that the regularly scheduled time for meetings of the Education to Employment Committee would be the fourth Friday morning of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. On this schedule, the next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for March 24, 2000. Dan will review this date/time with the chair to ensure his attendance, and will work with committee members to establish a different time for the March meeting if this date/time does not work for most members.