DCR and River Heights Chamber Host Principals Bus Tour

The Dakota County Regional (DCR) Chamber of Commerce and River Heights Chamber of Commerce partnered to host a Principals Bus Tour on Thursday, August 2, 2012.  30 Principals and Superintendents from Independent School Districts 197, 192, 196, 917, 191 and South Saint Paul/Inver Grove Heights attended this tour of four of the largest employers in Dakota County.

The goal of this tour was to connect businesses and educators in meaningful discussion on how to fill the gaps between job skills and skills training.  The DCR and River Heights Chambers tour allowed Principals the opportunity to interact and understand the needs of businesses, jobs of the future, and skills needed to perform the jobs.

Many businesses have jumped on board with this initiative.  The Principals toured large businesses in the community such as Waterous Company, Thomson Reuters, Flint Hills Resources, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.  At each location they were given a presentation by key individuals regarding jobs, education/skills needed, hiring expectancy and internship/mentorship opportunities.

After this tour, the chamber and the school districts plan to create a task force and create a plan of work to address the skills gap in Dakota County.  This group will work to develop strong sustainable mentorships with regional businesses, creation and expansion of programs to bridge the achievement gap, create programs to shift curriculum to address the issue of “Ready to Work,” and so much more.

In today’s society it is crucial that we bridge the gap between education and employment.  We need to prepare students to enter the workforce.  This can’t be done without collaboration between educators and businesses.  With programs like this, we hope to be one step closer to preparing the future workers of the world.

The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce is a regional chamber serving the communities of Eagan, Farmington, Hampton, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Rosemount, Sunfish Lake and West St. Paul, and the townships of Castle Rock, Empire, and Eureka. The chamber has four business councils that are comprised of Chamber members located in a specific geographical area and provide a channel for members to be involved in networking, discussing issues and implementing special projects and events for the benefit of the area being served.  The DCR Chamber is committed to building a stronger business community in all of Dakota County.  DCR Chamber is a business organization that unites and energizes the business community to improve members’ success by providing networking opportunities, supporting educational opportunities, encouraging business & community development, and shaping public policy. For more information on the chamber, visit www.dcrchamber.com or call 651.452.9872.