The state has tapped insider Marc Majors to head up Minnesota's workforce development efforts during a time of historic labor shortages.
Majors replaces Hamse Warfa, who left in January to join President Joe Biden's administration.
Majors, who stepped into the role of the state's deputy commissioner of workforce development on Friday, formerly headed the employment and training programs for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). He is credited with securing more than $130 million in federal and state training grants for Minnesota employers and employees.
The Minneapolis native has held several other jobs within DEED's jobs programs. Majors also worked to streamline the grant application process and broaden the reach of state and federal training grants into rural and urban communities, and he has worked to expand training opportunities to communities of color.
"Marc's wide-ranging expertise and experience are huge assets in helping DEED lead the way to a more inclusive economy," DEED Commissioner Steve Grove said.
Majors said in a statement that this is an "important moment for workforce" in Minnesota.
Majors takes the helm at a time of historically low unemployment that has left employers scrambling to find workers for health care, service, retail and manufacturing jobs statewide.
In January, Minnesota's unemployment rate slid to 2.9%, well below the national rate of 4.08% in January and 3.8% in February. The number of job vacancies in the state saw an 84% year-over-year increase, hitting a record 205,700 during the second quarter of 2021.
