“The City’s partnership with VHEDC is
vital to the success of the community. It
provides a level of staffing we otherwise
would struggle to have, a level of
service that makes the community
better,” said Watson.
coming, what their needs are,” said
Angelia Millender, President, Century
College, who pointed out that college
representatives sit on the Boards of
several businesses in the region, and
vice versa.
The City’s partnership with
VHEDC is vital to the success
of the community. It provides a
level of staffing we otherwise would
struggle to have, a level of service
that makes the community
better.
- Kevin Watson, City Administrator,
City of Vadnais Heights
Century College
Century College in White Bear Lake
is also one of VHEDC’s strategic
partners. As the entity that will be
educating the workforce of the future,
the college works closely with VHEDC
and local businesses to make sure the
classes and experiences it is offering
are appropriate for the workers of
tomorrow.
“Our partnership with VHEDC is
extremely valuable. We believe
at Century College that we can’t
survive without our business partners
because they inform us as to what is
Our partnership with VHEDC
is extremely valuable. We
don’t believe that there is a line
between us. Instead, there is
a bridge that connects us.
- Angelia Millender, President,
Century College
Century College works with local
businesses to provide the interns
they need to get their work done.
The college also invites businesses to
post part-and-full time employment
opportunities, and to help inform the
curriculum.
UpTurnships
Another key strategic partner for
VHEDC in 2020 will be UpTurnships, a
company that since its founding in 2014
has facilitated nearly 150 paid internship
opportunities for students, and also
provided students with business training
and access to a career coach. All
services are provided to students by
unpaid volunteers.
“We know that college students
working two or three jobs to put
themselves through college are some
of the best candidates for jobs, but they
can’t afford to participate in unpaid
internships to get the experience they
need to secure a good job right out
of college. So, we help companies
develop a ready, motivated, diverse
talent pool through paid internships,”
said company co-founder Julie Burrows,
who used to work in marketing for
Pillsbury.
Burrows said that of the 90 students
who have gone through the program
and are now in the workforce, 84
percent of them had a job within two
months of graduation. She attributes
part of the company’s success to its
partnership with VHEDC, which provides
some of the funding that allows
students to be paid for their work as
interns. Biz Recycling, The White Bear
Lake Area Schools and White Bear Area
Chamber of Commerce also participate
in the partnership.
T
he AARP Network of
Age-Friendly States
and Communities
serves as a catalyst to
educate local leaders (both
elected officials and engaged
residents) and encourage
them to implement the
types of changes that make
communities more livable for
people of all ages, especially
older adults. The network
provides cities, towns,
counties and states with the
resources to become more
age-friendly by tapping into
national and global research,
planning models and best
practices.
What makes
a community
“Age-Friendly”?
1. Outdoor Spaces and
Buildings
2. Transportation
3. Housing
4. Social Participation
5. Respect and Social
Inclusion
6. Work and Civic
Engagement
7. Communication and
Information
8. Community and Health
Services
Learn how to join at
AARP.org/AgeFriendly
vhedc.com
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