Career Academies empowers graduates with in-demand skills and credentials that meet the workforce needs of local businesses and strengthen Minnesota’s future talent pool.
We provide funding, coaching and training, and peer-to-peer networks that support and bring together career pathways leaders from communities to share best practices to help students succeed.
Career pathways open doors to diverse industries, allowing students to delve into many career possibilities. Working hand-in-hand with Minnesota employers, Career Academies builds tailored programs that directly address the specific needs and job opportunities within each local community.
These programs span a wide range of fields, including but not limited to:
Through Career Academies, Liz Williams collaborates with school districts and partners to reimagine school systems as a catalyst for community wealth building. Liz works closely with our partners in southwestern Minnesota and SPPS. Before United Way, Liz worked at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center where she led initiatives with charter school authorization and STEM career pathways. She has taught and worked in both urban and rural communities in New Mexico and Minnesota and is a licensed teacher. Liz received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and her master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard University.
Der Yang supports the strategy and leads the day-to-day execution of Career Academies. She works closely with our grantees providing the necessary support to ensure overall success from programming to evaluation. She has over a decade of experience leading enterprise programs, most recently with Ameriprise Financial. Her passion is centered on equipping individuals and communities with resources to achieve optimal success while disrupting traditional systems. Der received her bachelor’s degree from St. Catherine University and her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.