Sara Garbe

Tell us about your background.

I am the Job Service Manager at CareerForce in Saint Paul and Blaine for the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development. I relocated back to Minnesota in January 2024. Prior to working at DEED, I worked for over 15 years at the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation in Sioux Falls. I started as an Employment Representative and case managed job seekers for 6 years in Employment Service, Re-Employment Services (through the Unemployment Insurance Division), WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker programs, and the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. I also maintained relationships with local employers and connected them with available programs and resources. I served as an Assistant Manager for 4 years and supervised team members in Employment Services, Jobs for Veterans State Grant, and Re-Employment Services. I became Manager of the local office in 2018 and supervised 3 Assistant Managers and various members of our 40-person team. During that time, I also supervised the WIOA Youth and Business Services teams. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Augustana University and a Graduate Certificate in State Government Leadership Excellence from University of South Dakota. While in Sioux Falls, I served on the Employment Disability Resources Board of Directors, the Sioux Empire United Way Community Impact Team, and was a volunteer with Junior Achievement of South Dakota for 14 years. 

Share about your work at CareerForce Saint Paul.  

My team at CareerForce is responsible for delivering Basic Career Services under the federal Wagner-Peyser Act which is a core program (Title III) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Services to job seekers include access to MinnesotaWorks.net (the state’s labor exchange) to find and apply for jobs, job search preparation, education, and counseling, and referrals to eligibility-based employment and training programs with a special emphasis on veterans, Unemployment Insurance (UI) applicants, and Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers. Services to businesses include access to MinnesotaWorks.net to post job openings and screen applicants, consultations on hiring needs, and access to CareerForce facilities to recruit applicants. 

What are the most significant employment challenges job seekers in our community are facing currently? 

Access to affordable childcare and transportation are common barriers that job seekers face. Connecting job seekers to available programs, resources, and services is something that we do on a daily basis. Along with that, despite the number of unemployed persons per job vacancy being 0.6 in the Metro Area, there is often a mismatch between the skills job seekers have and the skills for which employers are looking. Promoting job training programs available through the partners of CareerForce is also a priority for us accompanied by encouraging businesses to develop on-the-job training and mentorship programs to assist new employees.

What are some of the resources available through CareerForce to help job seekers start or advance in their careers?

CareerForce is often a “best kept secret”, though we don’t want it to be! We can assist new job seekers and experienced workers alike. There are many self-service resources available on MinnesotaWorks.net and CareerForceMN.com that can connect job seekers to job openings, free workshops on the job search process, resume writing, interviewing skills, and career exploration, along with access to local hiring events. There are also staff-assisted services where CareerForce staff provide career counseling and job search assistance (interview preparation, resume writing/reviewing) and career exploration services.