- Insights and Inspirations: Survey: Expanded unemployment benefits hurting St. Cloud area employers
- Engage Leaders: Message from Brad Goskowicz, CEO, Microbiologics
- Grow Business: Shrpa named MN Cup Semi-Finalist
- Expand Talent: Outdoor Career Fair on June 15
- Shape Tomorrow: gBETA Pitch Night June 8
Insights & Inspirations: Survey – Expanded unemployment benefits hurting St. Cloud area employers
“ST. CLOUD / May 26, 2021 – Expanded unemployment benefits were cited most often as a detriment to hiring by Greater St. Cloud and Central Minnesota employers who took a recent survey. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said employee shortages led them to cut back on expansion plans.”
“Those and other results were released May 26th by the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC), which commissioned the survey and collaborated on its development, distribution and analysis with the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and St. Cloud’s Greenfield Communications. A 16-question, online inquiry was emailed to approximately 1,460 investors/members of the GSDC and Chambers of Commerce in St. Cloud, Cold Spring, Sartell, St. Joseph, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park. The May 6-18 survey was completed by 215 people.” Read the full press release.
This has been a fast-tracked endeavor made possible through the engaged leadership of several GSDC executive leaders. Special thanks to Greg Windfeldt/PCI for chairing the survey committee and presenting the survey results at the Chamber’s Legislative Wrap Up Session.
Among the results:
- 53% had openings for up to seven positions.
- 23% sought to fill 14 or more openings.
- 43% said fewer than half of applicants contacted for interviews in 2021 followed through with them.
- 38% of respondents said fewer than half who were offered jobs accepted them.
- It’s taken five or more weeks for 59% of respondents to fill open jobs in 2021.
- 14% of respondents had no positions they were trying to fill.
Read the full report: Labor survey results May 26 2021. Take Action alongside the GSDC and Chamber of Commerce.
Engage Leaders: Message from Brad Goskowicz, CEO, Microbiologics
Greetings from Microbiologics.
At Microbiologics, we have had the privilege of playing a critical role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. From virus research through our Virology Services Team, to molecular IVD quality control materials, Microbiologics has been collaborating with our partners on the front lines to develop solutions that address the many challenges of this new Coronavirus. Our biological control materials help ensure the consistent accuracy of clinical laboratory diagnostic tests that detect infections like COVID-19 and other pathogens. Around 70% of medical decisions depend on clinical laboratory tests, according to the CDC. The biological controls we produce right here in St. Cloud help physicians throughout the world effectively treat their patients with the right diagnoses. We create confidence in every positive or negative test result.
To continue supporting our partners in addressing the growing challenges they face, we are expanding our Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) capabilities at our corporate headquarters in St. Cloud, which began construction this past February. This expansion allows us to continue co-creating and pursuing new ideas alongside our partners without limitation. The BSL-3 certification enables our scientists to innovate products and provide testing services for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and other pathogens that pose significant challenges for global health and safety.
At the heart of everything we do is an uncompromising commitment to supporting our partners on the frontlines and creating confidence is science. We care deeply about our clients’ needs and understand the impact their products will have on the lives of people throughout the world. It’s what drives us to continuously push ourselves to find better answers, better solutions, and better ways to serve.
We provide a full menu of antiviral testing and assay development services to support the development of drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, from discovery through post-market surveillance. Currently, our virologists are performing tests to monitor the immunological responses to COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to maintaining our commitment to supporting research and development for a broad range of other viruses.
Another critical area we support is the development, validation, and monitoring of antimicrobial agents. The increasing resistance to antibiotics in Tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus (Staph infections), and other bacteria is a growing public health crisis. Contemporary medicine would be unthinkable without effective antibiotics. We are proud to assist our partners and customers in the development of new antimicrobial materials that will play a critical role in the future of healthcare.
Our teams have been truly engaged, responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global challenges with a focus on the customer, engagement, and innovation.
Brad Goskowicz, CEO of Microbiologics
Microbiologics is a foremost biological products and services provider, focused on protecting the health and safety of people around the world. For 50 years, they have been partnering with healthcare and life science laboratories, manufacturers, and suppliers to co-create and provide biological control materials, assay services and consulting for microbiology, molecular diagnostics, and virology.
Grow Business
Shrpa Named MN Cup Semi-Finalist
GSDC congratulates Shrpa, a gBETA Greater St. Cloud alum, for making it to the MN Cup semi-final round in the high-tech division!
Shrpa is a platform that helps you find adventures and share things to do within your community such as day trips, date nights or an afternoon with the family. The itineraries include multi-stop, self-guided activities, and experiences that highlight the exciting things to do at each location.
MN Cup is a community-led, public-private partnership supporting Minnesota’s entrepreneurs. The annual competition showcases emerging entrepreneurs from across the state and connects them with education, mentorship and support to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures.
Expand Talent
Live Job Fairs Return! Outdoor Job Fair on June 15
With between 6,000-7,000 open jobs on Greater St. Cloud JobSpot, employers are looking for job seekers. To help you meet some job seekers looking for new opportunities, Career Solutions and Central MN Jobs and Training Services have teamed up to offer an outdoor career fair at Career Force, St. Cloud on June 15, 2021.
Why you should attend:
- Promote your company and recruit jobseekers for open positions.
- Visit in person with jobseekers.
- Network with other employers
- Event is free for jobseekers.
- Notification of event is sent to 20,000+ jobseekers.
Get Registered today:
Click here for more information and to register for the event: https://www.greaterstcloud.com/job-fairs/
To help employers prepare for a successful event, review the job fair tips provided by Career Force St. Cloud along with additional recruitment and retention resources located on our GSDC website.
Shape Tomorrow
gBETA Pitch Night June 8
JOIN US FOR VIRTUAL PITCH NIGHT on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM CT.
Pitch Night is a celebration of gBETA Greater MN St. Cloud’s latest cohort. You’ll be inspired by the five-minute pitches from the Spring 2021 cohort companies!
The gBETA Greater MN St. Cloud companies will each do a five-minute pitch followed by Q&A. Come prepared to learn all about these companies’ innovative ideas making a difference in our world!
Register for the event today!
Contact Our Staff Team
Patti Gartland, President
pgartland@greaterstcloud.com | 320-260-2442
Leslie Dingmann, Business Development Director
ldingmann@greaterstcloud.com | 320-493-9003
Gail Cruikshank, Talent Director
gcruikshank@greaterstcloud.com | 320-260-6775
Amelia Barkley, Communications & Program Specialist
abarkley@greaterstcloud.com | 320-292-9296