The Intersection of Workforce Development & Secondary Education

With the desired outcomes of learning about factors impacting economic participation and job preparedness and to consider how we can help people achieve a path to good living wage jobs in greater St. Cloud Area, a small convening was recently organized by St. Cloud’s Nonprofit Resource Specialist, Kathy Grochow and the Otto Bremer Foundation.


Attending the convening included higher education representatives from St. Cloud State University, Rasmussen College, and the St. Cloud Technical and Community College, as well as funders and workforce development advocates.

Randi Roth, executive director of the Otto Bremer Foundation, facilitated the convening and started with round-robin introductions which lead a deeper dialogue/debrief following two presentations from Kathy Gaalswyk, Initiative Foundation and Dr. Potter III, St Cloud State University as well as Kathy Zavala, Stearns-Benton Workforce Council.

Through conversations, the following questions were discussed:
• What is unique about the greater St. Cloud area’s student/learner population and their success in achieving a path to a living wage job?
• Who might be “falling through the cracks”?
• What initiatives are already underway to address gaps and needs?
• What else should be considered?

A list of opportunities were identified through these discussions and the realization that there are strong efforts in the community centered around building a strong and viable community.



Randi Roth, Executive Director, Otto Bremer Foundation, facilitating a group of community leaders centered around economic participation and workforce development.


Kathy Grochow, NRS, St. Cloud