As we head into spring, we’re excited about so many things happening in our Golden Path community. We’re expanding our partnerships with state and local organizations to drive work-based learning, continuing to add functionality to Compass (like the recent improvements to job shadow management), adding new employers to Compass, gearing up for events, and even welcoming a new marketing intern at Golden Path.
Keep reading for more updates!
Read the blog post: FMWF Chamber and Golden Path to drive work-based learning
Be sure to read the new Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce blog post about our partnership to expand work-based learning across the region.
“Partners in Leadership: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Through Work-Based Learning” highlights how our collaboration (including with regional schools) will connect local students to hands-on experiences through Compass while helping employers engage earlier with emerging talent.
Also, The Chamber is hosting Insider Access: Work-Based Learning – From Interest to Impact, a regional event on April 24 in Fargo, bringing together employers, superintendents, and workforce partners to align around the future of our workforce. Watch for more details on this event and other partnership efforts to help support employers and schools in the Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo region and in other communities!
Mineer speaking at GNDC’s GrowND: Workforce Showcase
Mark your calendars for the Greater North Dakota Chamber’s GrowND: Workforce Showcase on Tuesday, April 21, in Bismarck.
Golden Path Founder and CEO Patrick Mineer is one of 11 speakers presenting mini-sessions at the event. Two hours of concise, 10-minute presentations will showcase a variety of solutions to workforce challenges. The event also features opportunities for discussion, Q&As, and a social with resource tables hosted by each of the speakers. Helpful support materials will be available for you to take back to your business or organization.
Learn more about the event or register today.
Making job shadow management easier in Compass
Job shadow management in Compass is better than ever.
Recent updates include improved workflow, from educator approval to tracking employer approval to managing in-progress shadows. The newest Compass release also includes improved scheduling, easier access to employer primary contact information, and the option of calendar invites for students, school professionals, and parents.
North Dakota educators, see the recorded job shadow training session in the story below. For other educators, refer to the School Professional Reference Guide in Compass for more information, and watch for our upcoming series of Compass Quick Start Guides.
Catch these free, recorded Compass and RUReadyND.gov workshops
North Dakota school professionals looking for support with RUReadyND.gov and student career exploration now have access to recordings of virtual workshops offered by North Dakota Career and Technical Education.
This series includes two Compass workshops:
- The Compass System Within RUReady.ND.gov: Facilitating the Four-Year Rolling Plan, Career Exploration, Work-based Learning, and Employer Connections
- Managing Job Shadow Experiences using Compass in RUReady.ND.gov
Other workshops include an RUReadyND quick start guide, using CareerViewXR for immersive career exploration in the classroom, and more.
All of the recordings are free to North Dakota school professionals. Access the series of workshops.
Meet the new Golden Path marketing intern
Welcome to the new Golden Path Student Ambassador intern, Brody Foster!
The Detroit Lakes High School senior is completing a work-based learning internship at Golden Path this quarter. Foster will be working on a variety of marketing projects, including student instructional videos, social media posts and videos, and providing student feedback on Compass. He is earning academic credit for his time here while also gaining valuable hands-on work experience.
You may recognize Foster from a spotlight story earlier this year. Foster completed two internships earlier this academic year at Detroit Lakes businesses. A driven student with a passion for business, entrepreneurship, and building community, he also serves as the regional president for the student organization Business Professionals of America (BPA).
Watch for Foster on our social accounts and be sure to give him a warm welcome!
You can also learn more about this internship in Compass.
MHEC grant work with NDUS and Compass is underway
We’ve begun meeting with the individual North Dakota University System (NDUS) institutions to discuss their needs and goals for using Compass to support career exploration for their current and prospective students. NDUS received a grant from the Midwest Higher Education Compact (MHEC) to provide Compass access to all 11 institutions.
Golden Path is meeting with each of the schools to identify gaps and how to fill them in terms of career exploration, employer connections, program awareness, and more.
Building connections in South Dakota
Golden Path Solutions presented at the Western Statewide CTE Consortium’s Annual Meeting in Rapid City, SD. More than 20 South Dakota schools participate in the consortium, which is dedicated to strengthening career and technical education programming and building connections between school districts, technical colleges, industry, and all areas of CTE across the state.
Supporting student Compass use at Northern Cass School
Golden Path had a great time meeting with students Feb. 12 at Northern Cass School in Hunter, ND. As part of their Choice Ready Day, we visited with several classes to help students update their Compass profiles and connect with employers for job shadows and internships.
Northern Cass was one of the first Golden Path schools and we love returning to help additional grades of students find guidance and connections in Compass.
Thank you to Director of College, Career, and Life Readiness Mackenzie Tadych (pictured) and Success Coach Makenna Bush for hosting.
Contact us to schedule a Golden Path visit at your school.
Bring real-world employer insights into the classroom with EDVentures
School professionals are encouraged to save the date for EDventures 2026. This free professional development program takes education professionals beyond the classroom and into local businesses. It will be held June 15-19.
Hosted by the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Cass County Career and Technical Education Center and NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota, EDVentures provides school professionals with real-world insights to help students better prepare for future careers. Participants will go behind the scenes at local businesses and organizations, hear from employers about the skills and education their careers require, and be able to take this information back to the classroom.
Registration opens in April.
Sign up for updates and to be notified when registration becomes available.
New employers and Career Profiles added to Compass
Thank you to Wallwork Truck Center for the recent Connections Membership renewal and John Deere for their upgrade to Connections.
We also welcomed several new employers into Compass, including Cottingham Insurance Agency in Underwood, ND; Kids First Daycare in Minot, ND; Qdoba, CL Linfoot Company, and Little Miracles, all in Grand Forks, ND; and Dakota Paw Veterinary Hospital and Catuli Academy, both in Watford City. New employers from Devils Lake include Unlimited Athletics, 583 Therapy, North Dakota Telephone Company, Eventide Senior Living Community, and more.
Some of the newest Career Profiles in Compass include:
- Energy Sector Engineer at Lund Oil
- Apprentice Electrician at Delta Constructors
- Pipe Fitter and Welder at Delta Constructors
Watch for upcoming Career Profiles from Swanston Equipment, DakotaMB, the North Dakota Army National Guard, and more.
Let us know about your events
If you have an event that you want us to include in our newsletter, please send us a note at info@goldenpath.net. If you are an employer and want to publish your event to schools and students, remember that you can do that through Compass. If you’re an educator wanting to invite employers to a school event (like a career fair or expo), you can do that in Compass too, choosing the employers you invite by industry, name, career cluster, or distance from you.
Important dates
- March 17: Job Service North Dakota 2026 Multi-Industry Job Fair, Dickinson, ND
- March 17: Minnewaukan (ND) Public Schools Career Fair
- March 17-18: T4 Summit, New Town, ND
- March 18: Traill County Career Expo & Job Fair, Mayville (ND) State University
- March 25: NDSU Summer Jobs & Internships Fair, Fargo
- April 21: GrowND: Workforce Showcase, Bismarck
- April 24: FMWF Chamber’s Insider Access: Work-Based Learning – From Interest to Impact, April 24, Fargo
- April 29-30: T4 Summit, Watford City, ND
- Apr. 29-May 1: ACTE’s Work-Based Learning Conference 2026, Providence, RI
- May 19-21: North Dakota Petroleum Council’s Williston Basin Petroleum Conference, Bismarck
Connect with us
Keep up with the latest opportunities and information here:
- Facebook for students, parents, schools, and employers
- Instagram for students
- LinkedIn for employers
- Our blog for recent news and stories
More information
Contact Patrick for more information or to connect about opportunities with Golden Path Solutions.
Follow us
Keep up with the latest opportunities and information here:
- Facebook for students, parents, schools, and employers
- Instagram for students
- LinkedIn for employers
- Our blog for recent news and stories
More information
Contact us for more information or to get started with Golden Path Solutions and Compass.