MnSCU asks employers to assess needs

Starting next month, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities will ask employers what skills their job candidates need.

Chancellor Steven Rosenstone wants to make sure no Minnesota jobs go unfilled because of lack of training, so MnSCU will hold more than 40 sessions with businesses throughout the state.

This time around they'll focus first on health care, IT, manufacturing, engineering, energy and transportation.

Other sectors -- such as agriculture and financial services -- will come later this year.

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Rosenstone says MnSCU will also watch for new sectors to serve as they appear.

He said the survey is the only one of its kind that he knows of in the nation.

"No one sees anybody ahead of Minnesota on this, and that's the way we like it," he said.

The chancellor said he'll make the results public later this year so all Minnesota colleges can benefit.

MnSCU will update the survey in coming years to keep it current.