The Minnesota North College Podcast Minnesota North College

On this episode of the Minnesota North College Podcast, I chat with Bill Engel about his "Race Across the West" this past summer and the outlook for mens basketball this coming 2022-2023 season.

For the first official episode of the Minnesota North College Podcast, we are sitting down with our President, Dr. Mike Raich to discuss how we became Minnesota North College.  It's not often in higher education that five college merge into one, and President Raich will discuss how we got to this point and what the benefits of becoming one college are for our region, our partners, but most importantly our students.

Requested by popular demand, on this episode of the Workforce One Podcast we sit down with Roy Smith, from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.  Roy is the head of talent development for this unique economic development state agency and he talks about his shared position between IRRRB and the colleges of the Northeast Higher Education District where he also serves as the head of the Applied Learning Institute (ALI).  He also discusses what he is seeing and hearing from employers in our region and their challenges to finding employees, especially in light of COVID-19.

Roy also tells his very unique story about how he boomeranged back to NE Minnesota and how he started as a culinary student at Hibbing Community College, but eventually became an educator!!!

If there is one person to know in NE Minnesota for workforce development, it has to be Roy!  

On this episode of the Workforce One Podcast we sit down with Tamara Lowney, President of the Itasca Economic Development Corporation.  Tamara is a force of nature and engaged in a ton of economic development projects.  Whether it is "The Forge" initiative for increasing workforce development engagement in Itasca County, or it is "Innovate 218" providing training for underestimated entrepreneurs through ILT Academy, the Rink "Shark Tank" event, the "Build Back Better regional SPARK initiative", or attracting large scale economic development projects like Huber, IEDC and Tamara are players to be known in the region.  In addition to discussing these initiatives, we also discussed her personal journey in the hospitality industry, and how she became President of IEDC.  Oh and by the way, she is a Bemidji State University alum and current graduate student!!!  

On this episode of the Workforce One Podcast, we have on two of our own, Gail Anderson, Operations Manager for Advanced Minnesota, who is also a Master Black Belt and Executive Coach, and Angie Clark, Customized Training Representative from Bemidji State University, who is a Yoga instructor, avid marathon runner, and advocate of workplace wellness, and healthy living.  We discussed the advantages of coaching, what coaching is and is not and the logistics of coaching, and Angie discussed the practice of mindful self-compassion as well as the benefits of other wellness related offerings and workshops that are available.  

This truly was one of our favorite pod's to record, we hope you enjoy it.  

We are kicking off Season 2 of our highly acclaimed "Workforce One" Podcast where we meet with companies and individuals that help drive our regional economy.  On this episode, we are sitting down with Abi Menon, the new General Manager of Triumph/Minnesota Twist Drill, a major drill bit manufacturer, right in our own backyard of Chisholm Minnesota.  Abi discusses where Twist has been, and where it is going after a recent purchase by its parent company Walter Surface Technologies which operates in 7 countries around the globe.  In addition, Abi discusses Twist's workforce challenges and opportunities with hopes of doubling their workforce!  Abi is committed to our region and committed to creating "A Perfect Twist" employee!

We look forward to engaging with Twist for years to come!