8/25/2009 by Beth Bily

Nearly one in five Iron Range residents is unemployed in the recession, but regional economic developers believe the economy is poised for recovery next year.

Efforts are underway to ensure that when the rebound comes, a well-educated workforce is available that meets local business and industry needs.

A comprehensive assessment due Oct. 1 will guide Iron Range higher education program development by analyzing that need.

This study builds on other initiatives, such as the soon-to-launch four-year Iron Range engineering degree and graduate engineering programs, which aim to partner business with higher education in the region.

Sertich Consulting, a firm that specializes in leadership, community development and government relations services, is compiling the assessment, commissioned by the Iron Range Higher Education Committee. It is analyzing data from multiple sources on employer need and academic program delivery in the Taconite Tax Relief Area.

Joseph Sertich, retired president of the Northeast Higher Education District and president/CEO of Sertich Consulting, said partnering business and education has become the accepted model for developing educational programming. “The focus has shifted to now look at what you need and what kind of academic design it will take,” he said.

A 2008 higher education assessment report completed by North Dakota-based DMD Consulting and Praxis Strategy Group was a primary data source, said Sertich. Other data was obtained from a workforce gap analysis and information from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The comprehensive assessment built upon the DMD study, identifies the five top need priorities on the Iron Range: industrial technology, process automation, industrial lab technicians, industrial construction and information management.

Sertich said he expects to finalyze a draft plan in August and present it to the Iron Range Higher Education Committee in mid-September. Putting the plan into action will follow, he said. “The next steps will be to work with regional leadership teams to find out which institutions will take the lead” in various programming areas, he said.

Although the plan wasn’t finished, the higher education committee and its educational partners approved a workforce educational initiative this spring, the four-year Iron Range engineering program.

The committee allocated $1.14 million for the engineering program, funded by taconite taxes through legislative action. Students enrolled will build on a two-year education with hands-on training from private engineering firms. The Arrowhead University Consortium will govern the program when it’s launched this fall. Minnesota State University-Mankato will issue the degree.

Sue Collins, Sertich’s successor as president of the Northeast Higher Education District, said 15 students will be enrolled in the program’s first year.

“The program was modeled after Itasca Community College’s success (with a two-year engineering program) but it also places students in industry with mentors,” said Sandy Layman, Iron Range Resources commissioner.

In late July, the higher education committee also approved a graduate level engineering program beginning in September through the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Swenson College of Science and Engineering in cooperation with the Arrowhead University Consortium. UMD faculty will teach the program at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College in Virginia.

The graduate level courses are part of UMD’s current programs, including master’s degrees in Engineering Management and Environmental Health and Safety along with a proposed new graduate program with specialization options in civil, chemical, electrical and computer, industrial or mechanical engineering.

“The courses being offered on the Iron Range are directly applicable to the professional development and career needs of engineers working in the public and private sectors on the Minnesota Iron Range,” said James Riehl, dean of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. “And we are focused on setting class times and advisement scheduling to meet the needs and availability of the Iron Range professional.”

Meanwhile, the Sertich Consulting study will lay the foundation for further action in Iron Range higher education, Layman said. “The study will conclude in October, then the last quarter of the year will be devoted to coming up with a work plan,” she said.

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