Golden Path Solutions Launches Compass College Piot Program to Strengthen Connections Between Colleges, Employers, and Students
August 26, 2024 / Fargo, ND
Golden Path Solutions, a North Dakota-based company that helps schools and students with career exploration and work-based learning and employers and communities with workforce development, is excited to announce that colleges are now part of their online platform Compass. This initiative features partnerships with several regional colleges across North Dakota and Minnesota, aiming to help students identify connections between educational institutions and employers.
Compass now allows participating colleges to highlight key programs and directly link them to partnering employers and their career opportunities. Patrick Mineer, founder and CEO of Golden Path, says “This new capability of Compass offers students enhanced guidance in their career exploration journey by helping them understand how specific educational programs align with industry needs and their future career.” Compass allows employers and schools to reference each other within their profiles, further strengthening the collaboration between education and industry, while highlighting Sponsorship opportunities and other programs to help students pay for their postsecondary degree.
Colleges participating in the pilot program:
- North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton and Fargo
- North Dakota State University in Fargo
- Mayville (ND) State University
- Bismarck (ND) State College
- Northland Community and Technical College in East Grand Forks and Thief River Falls, MN
Dr. Lisa Karch, executive vice president of Academic Affairs at North Dakota State College of Science, highlighted the importance of the collaboration, saying, “We at NDSCS are thrilled to embark on this pilot partnership with Golden Path Solutions, underscoring our commitment to enhancing opportunities for prospective students and strengthening ties with employers. This collaboration underscores NDSCS’s dedication to fostering valuable partnerships that benefit both our students and the business community, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Golden Path Solutions to highlight our shared commitment to employer engagement.”
The initial five colleges are showcasing programs they wish to promote and highlighting their partner employers within the Compass platform. This dual visibility ensures that students can easily understand the connection between their educational paths and potential career opportunities. Students exploring a college’s page on Compass will see linked employers, view organizational details, and explore Career Profiles where available. Conversely, when students visit an employer’s Career Profile, they can discover related educational programs at the partner colleges, complete with in-depth information about the college’s offerings.
Seinquis Leinen, senior director of Strategic Enrollment Management at North Dakota State University, shared her thoughts on the pilot program. “NDSU is excited to be piloting Golden Path Solutions this year. It will greatly benefit North Dakota students by allowing them to explore postsecondary and industry opportunities across our state and region, all on one platform! We look forward to showcasing our offerings within Compass to help students discover how their NDSU degree can prepare them for a fulfilling career.”
The Compass college pilot program marks a significant step forward in Golden Path Solutions’ mission to connect students with meaningful career opportunities and to support employers in finding the talent they need. By linking educational programs with real-world career paths, this initiative promises to provide students with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their futures. As Golden Path learns how students navigate and use this information, more colleges and more programs will be added in the future.
Dr. Brian Huschle, vice president for Academic Affairs at Mayville State University, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “Working with the Golden Path team has been great. GPS is invested in supporting our young people in choosing the best careers to fit who they are and who they aspire to be, while also demonstrating the opportunities to reach these goals right here in our region.” Huschle further added, “This is a great project to help high school students explore careers and educational paths to attain their goals.”
For more information about Golden Path Solutions and the Compass college pilot program, please contact Patrick Mineer at 701-866-2620, or visit www.goldenpath.net. You can also follow Golden Path Solutions on Facebook and LinkedIn.