The xChange improves lives in Saint Paul by uniting community groups and pairing job seekers with employers

 

About

The xChange is a collaborative effort to engage employers and community organizations in creating more equitable and more numerous employment opportunities for residents of the East Side of St. Paul.

The East Side of St. Paul is a diverse community of many different backgrounds, stories, and cultures. With diversity comes strength for a growing community. However, opportunities for residents on the East Side can vary depending on economic status, English language fluency, and personal networks. These factors often point to disparities that hinder some residents from achieving prosperity and fulfillment in employment and overall, in life.

In response, the East Side Employment xChange has been working to address disparities in employment. The xChange brings fourteen partner organizations and their combined resources to collaboratively engage employers and community organizations in creating more equitable and more numerous employment opportunities for residents of the East Side of Saint Paul. The xChange is collectively changing workforce practices and advocating for improved policies that will raise the prosperity of the East Side while celebrating its rich diversity.

Our Team

We are working to end employment disparities on the East Side of St. Paul by collaborating across organizations. As a staff, we organize with our partners to collectively govern the xChange.

Our History

  • 1930s

    The East Side was once the industrial muscle of St. Paul where companies such as 3M, Hamm's Brewery, and Seeger/ Whirlpool employed thousands, and working-class neighborhoods flourished.

  • 1960s

    By the late 1960's, industrial jobs that had sustained many were slipping away due to outsourcing and automation. The region was shifting toward high-tech work, but those jobs required education and access to transportation beyond the reach of most residents.

  • 1980-90s

    As warehouses were abandoned and dis-investments in the community were incentivized, resources and access to opportunities on the East Side constricted.

  • 2010s

    In the early 2010's East Side partners were organized through the East Side Prosperity Campaign (ESPC).

  • Today

    Nearing the mid-2010's, with the dissolvement of the ESPC, Nexus Community Partners breathed new life through the East Side Economic Growth Initiative (ESEGI) which had a focus on employment. That focus was the seed that planted the idea of what we now call the xChange.

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Job Seekers

The East Side of St. Paul is a diverse, bustling and dynamic area. It is home to an incredible variety of people from all over the world, speaking a multitude of languages and bringing a wealth of unparalleled experience.

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Partners

Our nonprofit partner organizations have operated in the community for years, and in one case, an entire century. They create ideas and opportunities for local people, and build innovative platforms and models to serve the community.

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Employers

Businesses form the backbone of our economic success and also serve as places for local people to build skills, careers and sustainable livelihoods. On the East Side of St. Paul, we have many employers representing a range of industries and opportunities.

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Supporters

Our supporters run the gamut from small to large and form part of the community fabric. They are vibrant organizations unto themselves and keep us, and the East Side of St. Paul, vibrant.

Impact Report 2024

View our 2024 Impact Report to see the great work our community has achieved this past year!

East Side Employment Insights

Throughout our history, the xChange has gathered insights from East Side residents, organizations and employers to strengthen employment opportunities in the community. View our initiatives and findings below.

Asset Map (2015)

Since December 2015, twelve organizations came together as the East Side Employment & Workforce Collaborative (ESEWC) under the East Side Economic Growth Initiative (ESEGI) to address employment disparities on the East side of St. Paul. They created an "asset map" of workforce services, laying the groundwork for the East Side Employment xChange, connecting residents with employers across the metro.

Talking Circles Report (2018)

Between November 2017 and April 2018, the East Side Employment xChange held Talking Circles and interviews with over 60 East Side residents about how employment does, or does not, support them and the things they value most. From the multitude of experiences that were shared, here are interrelated themes that shape many East Siders’ experiences with work (available within the PDF).

Dreams Pursued (2021)

Ramsey County, the City of St. Paul, and the East Side Employment xChange collaborated on the “East Side Dreams Pursued” project, gathering insights from residents about their career aspirations through online surveys, discussions with job counselors, and various community locations. Input from over 400 respondents shaped training programs, strengthened employer partnerships, and informed external partners to better align resources for job seekers.

The information is now utilized by Ramsey County and the City of St. Paul for business attraction and retention on the East Side, while the xChange shares it with employer partners to influence employment opportunities and build relationships, engaging the community and stakeholders in the process.