Shaping the Future of Education in South Central Minnesota Survey

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* 1. Where do you work?

K-12 School

2-Year College

4-year College or University

Adult/Continuing Education

Workforce Training Provider

Technical/Trades Training Program

Other (please specify)

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* 2. Which best describes you?

Teacher / Instructor

Paraprofessional / Classroom Support

Administrator

Counselor / Advisor

CTE or Work‑Based Learning Coordinator

Adult Education / Workforce Training Instructor

Other (please specify)

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* 3. What county do you work in?

Blue Earth

Brown

Faribault

Le Sueur

Martin

Nicollet

Sibley

Waseca

Watonwan

Other (please specify)

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* 4. How long have you worked in education or workforce training?

0–3 years

4–10 years

11–20 years

21+ years

Student Preparedness & Skills

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* 5. Based on your experience, how would you rate students’ readiness for postsecondary education or employment in the following skill areas?

	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent	Not Sure
Math	Math Poor	Math Fair	Math Good	Math Excellent	Math Not Sure
Science	Science Poor	Science Fair	Science Good	Science Excellent	Science Not Sure
Reading & Writing	Reading & Writing Poor	Reading & Writing Fair	Reading & Writing Good	Reading & Writing Excellent	Reading & Writing Not Sure
Humanities / Critical Thinking	Humanities / Critical Thinking Poor	Humanities / Critical Thinking Fair	Humanities / Critical Thinking Good	Humanities / Critical Thinking Excellent	Humanities / Critical Thinking Not Sure
Digital Literacy	Digital Literacy Poor	Digital Literacy Fair	Digital Literacy Good	Digital Literacy Excellent	Digital Literacy Not Sure
Problem-Solving	Problem-Solving Poor	Problem-Solving Fair	Problem-Solving Good	Problem-Solving Excellent	Problem-Solving Not Sure
Communication / Soft Skills	Communication / Soft Skills Poor	Communication / Soft Skills Fair	Communication / Soft Skills Good	Communication / Soft Skills Excellent	Communication / Soft Skills Not Sure

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* 6. Where do you see the biggest gaps between what students learn and what local jobs require? (Select up to 3)

Digital literacy (email, online tools, technology)

Technical/industry-specific skills

Career awareness (knowing local jobs, industries, pathways)

Communication and teamwork

Problem solving & critical thinking

Reliability/time management

Career readiness (resumes, interviewing, workplace expectations)

Other (please specify)

Education & Workforce Alignment in the Region

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* 7. Thinking about the institutions you are familiar with in South Central Minnesota, how would you rate the overall quality of education and training?

	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent	Not sure
K-12	K-12 Poor	K-12 Fair	K-12 Good	K-12 Excellent	K-12 Not sure
2-Year Colleges	2-Year Colleges Poor	2-Year Colleges Fair	2-Year Colleges Good	2-Year Colleges Excellent	2-Year Colleges Not sure
Colleges/Universities	Colleges/Universities Poor	Colleges/Universities Fair	Colleges/Universities Good	Colleges/Universities Excellent	Colleges/Universities Not sure
Trade schools	Trade schools Poor	Trade schools Fair	Trade schools Good	Trade schools Excellent	Trade schools Not sure

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* 8. How well do current programs prepare students for local job opportunities?

Not aligned

Somewhat aligned

Mostly aligned

Very aligned

Not sure

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* 9. How prepared is the region’s education system for future workforce needs, including new technologies and AI?

Not prepared

Somewhat prepared

Mostly prepared

Very prepared

Not sure

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* 10. Which industries or career pathways do you believe need the most attention or investment in our region? (Check all that apply)

Manufacturing

Healthcare

Agriculture/Food Systems

Education & Early Childhood

Transportation/Logistics

Skilled trades (construction, electrical, plumbing, etc.)

Information Technology

Creative economy/Arts /Media

Energy/Green Careers

Entrepreneurship & Small Business

Government & Public Administration

Business, Finance & Accounting

Other (please specify)

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* 11. What is already working well in South Central Minnesota that we should build on?

Needs, Barriers, and Support

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* 12. How challenging is it to recruit and retain educators at your institution?

Easy

Somewhat easy

Somewhat difficult

Very difficult

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* 13. What most affects whether educators stay or leave the region? (Select up to 3)

Compensation

Workload

Burnout or stress

Limited advancement opportunities

Work–life balance

Lack of support or resources

Cost of living (housing, childcare)

Other (please specify)

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* 14. What are the biggest barriers students face to completing education or training? (Select up to 3)

Transportation

Financial barriers (food, basic needs, etc.)

Cost of education

Housing instability

Mental health or stress

Childcare responsibilities

Academic preparedness

Limited access to technology

Other (please specify)

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* 15. Which supports would most improve student success? (Select all that apply)

Career counseling

Mental health supports

Financial assistance

Flexible scheduling

Work-based learning (internships, apprenticeships)

Tutoring or academic support

Other (please specify)

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* 16. How confident are you that students and graduates will stay in South Central Minnesota long-term?

Not confident at all

Not very confident

Somewhat confident

Very confident

Not confident at all

Not very confident

Somewhat confident

Very confident

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* 17. What most influences whether students choose to stay in or leave south central Minnesota after completing their education? (Select up to 3)

Availability of quality jobs

Wages and benefits

Housing affordability

Cost of living overall

Career advancement opportunities

Amenities and community life (restaurants, entertainment, recreation)

Access to higher education or continued training

Social ties (family, friends, community connections)

Other (please specify)

Shaping the Future of Education in South Central Minnesota

Are you an educator, teacher, or education professional in South Central Minnesota?

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* 1. Where do you work?

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* 2. Which best describes you?

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* 3. What county do you work in?

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* 4. How long have you worked in education or workforce training?

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* 5. Based on your experience, how would you rate students’ readiness for postsecondary education or employment in the following skill areas?

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* 6. Where do you see the biggest gaps between what students learn and what local jobs require? (Select up to 3)

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* 7. Thinking about the institutions you are familiar with in South Central Minnesota, how would you rate the overall quality of education and training?

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* 8. How well do current programs prepare students for local job opportunities?

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* 9. How prepared is the region’s education system for future workforce needs, including new technologies and AI?

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* 10. Which industries or career pathways do you believe need the most attention or investment in our region? (Check all that apply)

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* 11. What is already working well in South Central Minnesota that we should build on?

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* 12. How challenging is it to recruit and retain educators at your institution?

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* 13. What most affects whether educators stay or leave the region? (Select up to 3)

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* 14. What are the biggest barriers students face to completing education or training? (Select up to 3)

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* 15. Which supports would most improve student success? (Select all that apply)

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* 16. How confident are you that students and graduates will stay in South Central Minnesota long-term?

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* 17. What most influences whether students choose to stay in or leave south central Minnesota after completing their education? (Select up to 3)

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* 18. What is the single most important change that would improve education and workforce outcomes in this region?

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* 19. Is there anything else you’d like to share?