A look at in-demand jobs and who’s hiring in Minnesota amid the pandemic

There are 60,000 open jobs in Minnesota right now, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The department is offering free services to job-seekers, hoping to connect workers with in-demand industries.

There are 237,000 Minnesotans out of work, as of July.

"There’s lots of job opportunities, there’s lots of training programs," said Hamse Warfa, the deputy commissioner for workforce development at DEED. "The vast array of jobs that are available would really surprise a lot of people."

DEED shared this list of Minnesota’s top 30 jobs in demand, which includes nurses, retail supervisors, truck drivers, preschool teachers and security guards.

"Security guards are critically needed, in light of some of the security challenges in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities in general," Warfa said. "IT also seems to be an area where a lot of people are moving to, who were not in the sector before."

DEED wants job-seekers to know they offer many programs and resources, most of which are free.

You can take this skill-matcher survey to identify skills you already have that may transfer to another career.

If you were laid off during the pandemic and need help preparing for an in-demand career, DEED said you may be eligible for counselor-approved education or training through Dislocated Worker services.

DEED’s Pathways to Prosperity program (P2P) also helps place workers in high-growth, high-demand industries with long-term employment opportunities.

DEED said some employers now offer on-the-job training. They recommend searching "on the job training" when looking at current job postings on CareerForceMN.com.

The state also offers a free Coursera initiative with 4,000 courses, so Minnesotans can explore new career fields, take classes for college credit and earn new certifications.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS talked to a man in Minneapolis who recently used the state’s resources while searching for work.

Ishmam Ahmed, a 26-year-old manufacturing engineer, said he was suddenly laid off from his job in November and spent several months looking for a new opportunity during the pandemic.

"Suddenly, now I’m in the boat with the masses. Everybody’s losing their job," Ahmed said. "There were definitely times in the beginning where I was starting to lose hope."

Ahmed said he received support from CareerForce, led by DEED, and met virtually with a counselor through their partner ‘Hired.’

"I’m a person who is very individual and like to do things on my own and it’s hard for me to ask for help," Ahmed said. "But now I know now there is much support out there."

He said the counselor he worked with, Beth, urged him to renew his engineering certification. He took a month-long course and in June, landed a new job at Minnetronix, a medical device manufacturer in the Twin Cities.

"So that was a really big takeaway, that there’s this huge network of support that people don’t realize is there," Ahmed said. "If they can do it for me, they can do it for countless other people."

To find a CareerForce location near you, click here. If you don’t have internet access, you can call 651-259-7501.

DEED: Unemployment in Minnesota fell to 7.7% in July