Workforce Development, Inc.: Using Workforce Data and Employer Partnerships to Address Regional Workforce Challenges in Southeast Minnesota

Workforce Development, Inc. (WDI) serves a diverse region across Southeast Minnesota that includes both the rapidly growing Rochester metropolitan area, many smaller communities, and rural towns. This mix of urban and rural economies creates a complex workforce landscape, with employers across the region facing very different workforce challenges, from talent shortages in healthcare to layoffs and population decline in rural areas.

To respond to these challenges, WDI has built a data-informed approach that combines labor market information, employer engagement, workforce program data, and regional partnerships. Rather than relying on data alone, WDI focuses on combining quantitative information with direct employer feedback to better understand workforce needs and support regional workforce strategies.

Using Data to Support Employer Workforce Strategies

One of WDI’s strongest workforce services is helping employers use labor market information and workforce data to strengthen their workforce development strategies. The organization works directly with employers to analyze workforce trends, understand hiring challenges, and identify long-term workforce needs.

WDI’s approach goes beyond standard labor market information. In addition to state and regional labor market data, it also uses its own workforce program data to better understand who is entering workforce programs, which populations are being served, and which strategies are leading to successful job placement outcomes.

These data driven insights help employers make more informed decisions about recruitment, retention, and workforce planning. For example, employers may work with WDI to understand projected workforce demand for specific occupations or to build new hiring strategies for positions that have been difficult to fill over time.

Combining Data with Employer Voice

WDI notes that workforce data is most valuable when combined with direct employer input and local context. Leadership highlighted that labor market data alone cannot fully explain what employers are experiencing on the ground.

As a result, WDI regularly conducts employer surveys, roundtables, and discussions to gather qualitative feedback from businesses across the region. These conversations help staff validate trends seen in the data while also identifying emerging workforce challenges that may not yet appear in traditional labor market indicators.

This approach drives more meaningful discussions with workforce boards, employers, and elected officials. Rather than simply presenting charts or reports, WDI focuses on contextualizing the data and connecting it to real workforce experiences within the region.

Building a Strong Public-Private Partnership with Mayo Clinic

One of WDI’s most significant workforce success stories is its long-standing partnership with Mayo Clinic, one of Minnesota’s largest employers. Located in Rochester, Mayo Clinic plays a central role in driving workforce demand across the region, particularly in healthcare and related industries.

Over the years, WDI and Mayo Clinic developed a strong public-private partnership focused on workforce development and career pathway expansion. Together, they created multiple training and career pathway programs designed to support critical healthcare occupations and respond to emerging workforce needs. As of May 2026, WDI was supporting training efforts across approximately 12 to 14 different programs connected to Mayo Clinic workforce needs.

Data plays an important role in shaping these workforce strategies. WDI uses labor market information to help identify which occupations were growing, which skills were most in demand, and where workforce shortages were emerging. At the same time, Mayo Clinic shares workforce projections, hiring trends, and future staffing needs with WDI to support collaborative planning efforts. This exchange of data allows WDI to provide Mayo Clinic with insights into local workforce program participants and job seekers, helping the employer better understand how to connect with talent across the region.

Expanding Employer Engagement Through Data Initiatives

In addition to labor market analysis, WDI also develops innovative employer engagement strategies that generate additional workforce insights. One example is the organization’s “Best Places to Work in Southeast Minnesota” initiative, which has been operating for approximately 15 years. Through this initiative, employers participate in workplace assessments and surveys that generate valuable regional workforce and employer data. Participating employers receive benchmarking information and insights that can help improve retention, workplace culture, and employee engagement.

WDI leaders viewed this initiative not only as an employer recognition program, but also as an important source of regional workforce intelligence and employer engagement. The program also helps strengthen relationships between WDI and employers across the region.

AI and Shared Workforce Technology Solutions

Like many workforce organizations, WDI has also begun exploring how artificial intelligence can support workforce services and internal operations. Staff have participated in AI training opportunities and are experimenting with tools related to resume development, case note management, and workforce data analysis.

At the same time, WDI leaders emphasized the importance of creating more coordinated technology and data strategies across Minnesota’s workforce system. The organization has advocated for statewide access to shared workforce data tools and platforms so local boards throughout the state can operate using more consistent information and shared resources.

WDI discussed opportunities to partner more closely with chambers of commerce and regional organizations to share costs for workforce data tools and subscriptions. Board leadership viewed these partnerships as an opportunity to improve access to high-quality labor market information while reducing financial burdens on smaller workforce boards.

In a region where urban and rural communities face very different workforce realities, WDI has shown that effective workforce strategies require both strong data and strong relationships. Through collaboration, employer engagement, and a commitment to continuous improvement, WDI continues to strengthen workforce services across Southeast Minnesota.

Key Insights and Lessons for Workforce Boards

1.  Combine Labor Market Data with Direct Employer Feedback: Data alone does not tell the full story. Employer surveys, roundtables, and ongoing conversations help workforce boards better understand local workforce challenges and add important context to labor market trends.
2. Build Long-Term Employer Partnerships Around Shared Workforce Goals: WDI’s partnership with Mayo Clinic demonstrates how workforce boards and major employers can work together to develop career pathways, training programs, and workforce strategies informed by shared data and planning.
3. Leverage Partnerships to Expand Data and Technology Capacity: Smaller workforce boards often face resource limitations when purchasing workforce data tools or building technical capacity. Partnerships with chambers of commerce, employers, and regional organizations can help boards share costs, improve access to tools, and create stronger regional workforce systems.

Learn more about Workforce Development, Inc. here.