Archive for Marketing & Advocacy
Dakota County Broadband Advocacy
Dakota Future has been promoting the use of broadband technology in Dakota County for many years. Here are some of our specific activities:
Countywide Broadband Inventory and Assessment
A report detailing the broadband services available throughout the county. Providers were surveyed and the results summarized by provider and community. We hosted a broadband summit where we featured a program with presentations by providers and community representatives engaged in broadband development initiatives. Providers had an opportunity to have exhibits and meet with community leaders and businesses. (See the report.)
Career Training for Students
Marketing high technology careers and training opportunities at DCTC and IHCC in a variety of areas, including computers, health care, nano-technology, pre-engineering, science.
IT Workforce Initiative
In December 2008, Dakota Future launched its IT Workforce Initiative in collaboration with the MN IT Workforce Collaborative. This initiative is made possible by a MN Department of Employment and Economic Development FIRST Grant.
Dakota Future is focusing on two strategy areas: High School Outreach and IT Transitional Workers. High School Outreach Opportunity: In order to attract more prospective workers into the IT field, efforts must be made to educate students about the range of occupations and opportunities in the IT field.
Dakota Future Response:
- Facilitate a discussion that included high school IT instructors, business instructors and guidance staff, community and technical college IT program directors and area corporations. This meeting provided excellent two-way learning about opportunities for education – business collaboration.
- Survey all Dakota County high school IT instructors about their current curriculum and extracurricular IT programs, existing partnerships with businesses around IT, and a “wish list” for business – school collaboration.
Transitional Worker Opportunity:
In order to help both IT and non-IT workers transition to more future-oriented IT careers, establish information, resources, and training to create the appropriate skill set that will enable these workers to find quality IT employment in area companies.
Provide a menu of programs/pathways for repositioning dislocated IT workers for new jobs and/or entrepreneurial activity
Promoting Technology Programs
Thomson Reuters - Continued expansion of IT-focused operations at its Eagan facility with a recent expansion in its data center.
ImageTrend - ImageTrend is a ten-year old home grown company in Lakeville. They provide software solutions for business, education, health care and government sectors. The company, which employs approximately 100 people, recenly purchased land adjacent to their current building in Lakeville that will be used to build new space. The company has committed to creating another 21 jobs, but the owners believe that it is more likely that they will add another 60-70 jobs during the next four years.
Eagan-area businesses - There is a strong IT cluster in Eagan with Thomson Reuters, Delta Air Lines, Unisys and Blue Cross - Blue Shield. These companies, located in a relatively small area, have large data center operations. This concentration has stimulated huge investments in fiber networks from multiple carriers providing redundancy and competitive pricing for these and other firms in the area. In addition, these firms have been active on the City of Eagan Technology Task Force which has focused on ensuring that big broadband services are ubiquitous throughout the community. They have contributed their expertise to the task force and helped community leaders recognize the importance of connectivity to the long term competitiveness of the community. Through the work of the task force, DSL access rose from 50% to over 90% of the community via Qwest and Frontier. In addition, Dakota County was the first place in the country where Comcast launched their DOCSIS 3.0 service.
