Bridging the Opportunity Gap: The Critical Role and Current Challenges of Minneapolis’s Step Up Program
In the corporate offices of Best Buy’s headquarters, Jordan Dotson navigates the complexities of environmental compliance. A 2023 graduate of the University of Minnesota and a standout alumna of Minneapolis South High School, Dotson’s trajectory from a working-class household on the city’s North Side to a Fortune 500 management role is often cited as a blueprint for professional success. However, Dotson is quick to point out that her journey was not merely a product of individual ambition, but the result of a deliberate structural intervention known as Step Up.
“It was a little jarring at 15 or 16 to prepare for an interview at a Fortune 500 company,” Dotson recalls. “The internship helped me with networking and to start feeling that I belonged.”
Today, as Minnesota faces a tightening labor market and significant demographic shifts, programs like Step Up—and its St. Paul counterpart, Right Track—are viewed by economists and civic leaders as essential pipelines for the state’s future workforce. Yet, despite their proven track record of moving young people from underrepresented communities into high-paying careers, these programs are facing a precarious moment. A combination of shifting workplace norms, economic uncertainty, and political headwinds has led to a decline in employer participation, leaving thousands of eager students on the sidelines.
Main Facts: A Proven Model Under Pressure
The Minneapolis Step Up program is a work-readiness and internship initiative designed to connect Minneapolis youth—specifically those from low-income backgrounds and communities of color—with the city’s top employers. Since its inception, the program has served as a bridge between the classroom and the professional world, providing students with more than just a paycheck; it offers social capital, mentorship, and a sense of vocational belonging.
Key highlights of the program’s current standing include:
- Total Impact: Since 2003, approximately 36,000 teenagers have completed the program, which includes online career-exploration courses, mock interviews, and paid summer internships.
- Compensation: Summer jobs through the program pay up to $16.50 per hour, with students working up to 40 hours weekly.
- The Participation Gap: Despite high demand from students—with two applicants for every available internship—the number of available slots has dwindled. From a peak of 2,325 interns in 2011, the program saw a decline to 1,250 in the summer of 2026.
- Funding and Scale: In 2025, the program operated on a $3.75 million budget, supported by 85 wage-paying employers alongside government funding.
The program’s success is exemplified by individuals like Dotson, who transitioned from a high school intern to a full-time environmental compliance manager. Her mentor, Mary Thomas, a Best Buy attorney, guided her through college and into a career that utilizes what Dotson calls her “compliance brain and math brain.” However, the path Dotson walked is becoming narrower for the current generation of Minneapolis youth.
Chronology: From Civic Vision to Modern Obstacles
The origins of Step Up date back to 2003, a period of relative economic optimism in the Twin Cities. The program was the brainchild of then-Mayor R.T. Rybak and former U.S. Bancorp CEO Richard Davis. The partnership was a landmark example of public-private collaboration. Davis, who famously began his own career as a part-time bank teller while in college, joined Rybak in a relentless campaign to convince the Twin Cities’ corporate elite that investing in local youth was an act of economic self-interest, not just charity.
Throughout the mid-2000s and early 2010s, the program grew in stature. By 2011, it reached its zenith, employing over 2,300 teens across a diverse array of sectors, including finance, healthcare, and government. During this era, the program was celebrated nationally as a model for urban workforce development.
However, the landscape began to shift in the late 2010s and early 2020s. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced remote and hybrid work models that fundamentally altered how entry-level employees are integrated into office environments. By 2025 and into 2026, the decline in participation became more pronounced. While the program had survived the Great Recession and the initial shocks of the pandemic, it began to struggle against a new set of variables: the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) causing hiring caution, and a shifting political climate that has made some corporations wary of programs specifically targeting diversity and inclusion.
Supporting Data: The Economic Reality for Minnesota Youth
The decline in internship opportunities comes at a time when the economic data suggests that Minnesota’s youth, particularly students of color, are facing increased hardship. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the state is at a crossroads.
Angelina Nguyen, director of labor market information at DEED, notes that the teen unemployment rate in Minnesota spiked from 7.9% in early 2025 to 13.5% by May of 2026. For Black Minnesotans, the unemployment figures are significantly higher, reflecting a persistent disparity in the local labor market.
“Teens are competing with older, more experienced workers in this economy,” Nguyen explained. “There aren’t as many openings as possible… and it takes longer to find a job.”
Historically, teenagers found their footing in sectors like fast food, retail, and entertainment. However, these sectors have seen a cooling in demand over the past year. In contrast, the healthcare sector remains a bright spot. Entry-level roles such as personal care assistants and nursing assistants are in high demand and offer clear ladders to high-paying careers in medical technology and nursing. Yet, without the formal structure of a program like Step Up, many low-income students lack the awareness or the "soft skills" required to navigate the certification processes for these roles.
The demographic data underscores the urgency: since the early 2000s, almost all of Minnesota’s workforce growth has come from people of color and immigrants. As the "Baby Boomer" generation continues to retire, the state’s economic vitality depends entirely on the successful integration of these younger workers into the professional economy.
Official Responses: Mentorship as the Missing Link
Program leaders and mentors argue that the decline in internships isn’t just about a lack of funds, but a lack of mentorship bandwidth in the modern office.
Tammy Dickinson, the long-time manager of Step Up, emphasizes that high school career counselors frequently report that Step Up veterans are significantly better prepared for post-secondary life than their peers. "They know how to talk about their future," Dickinson said. She is currently calling on healthcare and tech employers to "step up" for the 2027 cycle, arguing that the time invested in a 16-year-old today is an investment in a loyal employee five years from now.
The value of this long-term investment is echoed by Rene Madrid, manager of the U.S. Bank office on East Lake Street. Madrid, an immigrant from El Salvador and a University of Minnesota graduate, has mentored more than 50 interns since 2010. His office sits in the heart of a vibrant Black and Latino neighborhood, and his staff reflects that community.
“Some of my top bankers, and I have 20 direct reports here, started as interns,” Madrid said. Even for those who do not stay in banking, Madrid argues the skills are universal. “They all learn about our business, customer relationships, making professional connections, personal finance, credit, savings, and money management. That’s good for all their futures.”
One of Madrid’s success stories is Jorge Estudillo Castillo, 22, who began as an intern while attending Cristo Rey High School. Today, Castillo is a full-time banker, serving customers in both English and Spanish, and providing a level of relatability that is essential for the bank’s local success.
Implications: The High Cost of a "Missing" First Job
The implications of a shrinking Step Up program extend far beyond summer boredom; they touch on the very fabric of social mobility and public safety. For many participants, the program is a literal lifeline that pulls them away from "negative influences" and toward a stable middle-class life.
Consider the case of Mike Archer, 27. Raised by a single mother with a disability who earned just $14,000 a year, Archer grew up on the North Side of Minneapolis. His first Step Up job involved picking up litter and performing light maintenance in a local park for $7.24 an hour.
“I wasn’t just running around the neighborhood,” Archer said. “I also became a mentor at the park… I was responsible. I bought my own first phone and some clothes. I liked that feeling. My job gave my mom a break.”
While Archer admits he was never a "great student," the work ethic he developed during those summers propelled him through Dunwoody Technical College. Today, he is a journeyman electrician and a foreman, earning $63 an hour. He owns his own home and expects to earn over $100,000 this year. Archer’s story illustrates that the "Step Up" model is not just for the corporate-bound; it is a vital engine for the skilled trades.
However, if the current trend of declining participation continues, stories like Archer’s may become exceptions rather than the rule. Analysts point to several "headwinds" that could further stifle the program:
- The Remote Work Paradox: As more managers work from home, the "desk-side" mentoring that 16-year-olds need is harder to facilitate.
- Economic Uncertainty: Businesses facing mercurial market conditions or potential AI-driven restructuring are often the first to cut "extras" like high school internship programs.
- Political Pressure: A growing national pushback against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has caused some corporate legal departments to view programs specifically targeting students of color with newfound caution.
As Minneapolis looks toward 2027, the challenge for the city’s leadership will be to reinvigorate the spirit of 2003. The data suggests that the need for the program has never been higher, and the success stories of Jordan Dotson, Jorge Estudillo Castillo, and Mike Archer prove that the model works. The question remains whether the Twin Cities’ business community will prioritize the long-term health of the workforce over the short-term convenience of the modern, hybrid office.
Without a renewed commitment, the "opportunity gap" that Step Up was designed to close may begin to widen once again, leaving the next generation of Minneapolis talent without a foot in the door.
