Bridging the Opportunity Gap: The Evolution and Uncertain Future of Minneapolis Step Up
MINNEAPOLIS — In 2019, Jordan Dotson was a standout graduate of Minneapolis South High School, a young woman from a working-class household on the city’s North Side who balanced rigorous academics with a passion for theater. Today, at 25, Dotson is an environmental compliance manager at Best Buy’s corporate headquarters, a role she secured full-time in 2023 after graduating from the University of Minnesota.
Dotson’s trajectory from taking two buses across town to managing corporate regulatory frameworks is not a matter of chance. It is the result of a deliberate, decades-long effort to integrate Minneapolis’s youth into the professional workforce. Her success is a hallmark of the "Step Up" program, a city-led initiative that has served as a bridge between under-resourced neighborhoods and Fortune 500 boardrooms.
However, as the program enters its third decade, it faces a paradox: while its success stories like Dotson are more prominent than ever, the program itself is shrinking. Amidst a shifting economic landscape defined by remote work, artificial intelligence, and a cooling climate for diversity initiatives, the pipeline that built Dotson’s career is narrowing, leaving thousands of Minneapolis teens searching for a foothold in an increasingly competitive labor market.
Main Facts: A Proven Model Under Pressure
The Minneapolis Step Up program, founded in 2003, was designed to address the stark disparities in employment opportunities for lower-income youth, particularly students of color. For over 20 years, the program has provided a structured pathway: career-exploration courses, interview preparation, professional mentoring, and ultimately, paid summer internships.
Since its inception, approximately 36,000 teenagers have completed the program. These internships are not merely "summer jobs"; they are high-stakes entries into professional environments, often paying up to $16.50 per hour for 40-hour work weeks. For many participants, these roles represent the first time they have stepped inside a corporate office or worked alongside professionals in fields like law, finance, or engineering.
Despite this legacy, recent data reveals a troubling trend. In 2011, Step Up placed a record 2,325 teens in summer positions. By the summer of 2024, that number had plummeted to 1,250—a decline of nearly 50% from its peak. This contraction occurs even as demand remains high; currently, two teenagers apply for every one available internship slot.
The decline is attributed to a "perfect storm" of economic and social factors. The rise of remote and hybrid work models has made it difficult for companies to provide the face-to-face mentorship essential for high school interns. Furthermore, businesses are grappling with economic uncertainty, the disruptive potential of AI, and a political climate that has seen a retreat from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Chronology: From Civic Vision to Corporate Integration
The story of Step Up began in 2003, born from a partnership between then-Mayor R.T. Rybak and former U.S. Bancorp CEO Richard Davis. The two leaders recognized that Minnesota’s future economic health depended on its ability to train a workforce that reflected the state’s changing demographics.
2003–2010: The Formative Years
In its early years, Step Up focused on basic job readiness. Rybak and Davis acted as the program’s chief cheerleaders, leveraging their influence to convince private-sector CEOs, nonprofit leaders, and government agencies to open their doors to Minneapolis youth. The program targeted students who lacked the "social capital"—the professional connections and networking opportunities—often available to their wealthier peers.
2011: The High-Water Mark
By 2011, Step Up had become a national model for youth workforce development. With over 2,300 interns placed, the program was a vital engine for social mobility. It was during this era that participants like Mike Archer, now 27, began their journeys. Archer, raised by a single mother with a disability, recalls working in city parks for $7.24 an hour. "I wasn’t just running around the neighborhood," Archer said. "I was responsible. I bought my own first phone… My job gave my mom a break."
2019–2023: The Dotson Era and the Pandemic Shift
Jordan Dotson entered the program during this period, landing an internship at Best Buy while still in high school. She worked under Mary Thomas, a Best Buy attorney who mentored her through her undergraduate years at the University of Minnesota. This "long-game" mentorship allowed Dotson to transition seamlessly into a full-time compliance role. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced a radical shift toward online career exploration, a change from which the program’s in-person participation numbers have yet to fully recover.
2024–Present: The Modern Challenge
The current iteration of Step Up operates on a $3.75 million budget, funded by a mix of government grants and 85 wage-paying employers. While the program remains a cornerstone of the city’s youth strategy, the 2024 low of 1,250 interns highlights the difficulty of maintaining corporate engagement in a post-pandemic, AI-conscious economy.
Supporting Data: The Economic Necessity of Inclusion
The importance of programs like Step Up is underscored by data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). According to DEED, the entirety of Minnesota’s workforce growth since the early 2000s has been driven by people of color and immigrants. As the state’s white population ages and exits the workforce, the economic vitality of the region depends on the successful integration of younger, more diverse generations.
However, the labor market for these younger workers is tightening. Angelina Nguyen, director of labor market information at DEED, notes that teen unemployment in Minnesota jumped from 7.9% in early 2025 to 13.5% by May of the same year. For Black Minnesotans, the unemployment rate remains significantly higher than the state average.
"Teens are competing with older, more experienced workers," Nguyen explained. "There aren’t as many openings as possible… and it takes longer to find a job."
Traditional entry-level sectors—fast food, retail, and entertainment—have seen a reduction in openings over the past year. This makes professional internships even more critical, as they provide skills that are more resilient to automation and economic shifts.
Official Responses: Mentorship as a Business Strategy
While the numbers are down, the commitment from long-term partners remains fierce. Rene Madrid, an immigrant from El Salvador and manager of the U.S. Bank office on East Lake Street, has mentored more than 50 interns since 2010.
"Some of my top bankers… started as interns," Madrid said, pointing to Jorge Estudillo Castillo, a 22-year-old banker who began his career as a Step Up intern while attending Cristo Rey High School. Madrid argues that the program is not charity; it is a talent acquisition strategy. "They all learn about our business, customer relationships, making professional connections, and personal finance. That’s good for all their futures."
Tammy Dickinson, the long-time manager of Step Up, is actively calling for more employers—particularly in the healthcare sector—to "step up" in 2025. Healthcare remains one of the few sectors with high demand and low-cost training pathways. Dickinson emphasizes that high school counselors report Step Up veterans are significantly better prepared for post-secondary planning than their peers.
However, Dickinson and other leaders acknowledge the hurdles. The "mercurial" political environment and pressure on corporations to eschew diversity-focused initiatives have made some employers cautious. There is a growing concern that the "diversity backlash" seen in national politics is trickling down to local workforce programs, leading some firms to quietly scale back their participation.
Implications: The Long-Term Cost of a Narrowing Pipeline
The consequences of a shrinking Step Up program extend far beyond a few hundred fewer summer jobs. The program serves as a primary vehicle for social mobility in a city that has historically struggled with some of the widest racial disparities in the United States.
For individuals like Mike Archer, the program was a springboard into the skilled trades. Archer, who describes himself as "never a great student," used the discipline he learned in Step Up to complete a program at Dunwoody Technical College. Today, he is a journeyman electrician and foreman earning over $100,000 a year. "I own a home. I’m blessed," Archer said.
If the pipeline continues to narrow, the "Archer" and "Dotson" stories may become exceptions rather than the rule. The implications include:
- Economic Stagnation: Without a steady flow of trained, diverse talent, Minnesota employers may face chronic labor shortages in high-growth sectors.
- Increased Social Disparity: As teen unemployment rises among Black and Latino youth, the wealth gap in the Twin Cities risks widening further.
- Loss of Social Capital: The "networking" that Dotson cited as crucial is impossible to replicate without direct intervention. Without Step Up, a student from North Minneapolis has statistically lower odds of ever meeting a corporate attorney or a bank manager.
The future of Minneapolis Step Up depends on whether the private sector views youth mentorship as a disposable "extra" or a fundamental business necessity. As Jordan Dotson noted, the "jarring" experience of interviewing for a Fortune 500 company at age 15 was exactly what she needed to realize she belonged there. The question for Minneapolis is how many other students will be given the chance to reach that same realization.
