Iron Range Engineering (IRE) has been recognized as one of the top 10 emerging world leaders in engineering education through the recent publication of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research study.

Located on the Mesabi Range College campus in Virginia, IRE provides an engineering education to graduates of Minnesota’s community colleges. Using an innovative approach based on the latest research on how people learn, the IRE model guides students to develop the wide variety of knowledge and skills that engineers need to succeed in the ever-changing world.

The program is supported by the Iron Range Higher Education Committee and the Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and funded through the Iron Range Higher Education Account. The program is delivered by a university-college partnership between Minnesota State University, Mankato and Itasca Community College.

“We are fortunate to have the continuing support and financial investments of the public and private sector partners of IRE," said Northeast Higher Education District President Bill Maki. "IRE is at the center of the education-based economic development strategies we have in our region.”

MIT commissioned the benchmarking study in June 2016 to provide a rapid overview of the cutting edge of engineering education globally and a horizon scan of how the state-of-the-art is likely to develop in the future. The study draws on interviews with 178 global opinion leaders in engineering education located in 18 countries. s part of the study, thought-leaders in engineering education from around the world, identified two sets of university programs. The two sets are the current leaders in engineering education and the emerging leaders in engineering education.

The top 10 emerging leaders of innovation, in order, are:

1. Singapore University of Technology and Design (Singapore)
2. Olin College (US)
3. University College London (UK)
4. Pontifical University of Chile (Chile)
5. Iron Range Engineering (US)
6. National University of Singapore (Singapore)
7. Technical University Delft (Netherlands)
8. Charles Sturt University (Australia)
9. Tsinghua University (China)
10. Arizona State University (US)

View the full study.  

Visit the IRE website.

When the summer tourist season arrives, Ely’s downtown streetscape will have some noticeable beautification improvements. Sidewalk renovation, information kiosks and decorative lighting with banners were completed last fall. New bike racks, benches and flower planters will be installed this spring.

“The last major reconstruction of Ely’s main street occurred 25 years ago,” said Harold Langowski, City of Ely clerk. “The infrastructure was showing its age and many organizations in Ely worked together to change that and renew our streetscape.”

The sidewalk renovation was a partnership with Minnesota Department of Transportation that corrected steep grades and trip hazards and made them ADA compliant. The Incredible Ely community organization installed a new informational kiosk at Whiteside Park and will soon add a second. The City of Ely replaced the corroded and ineffective street lighting with updated LED lights that are dark sky-compliant, and Incredible Ely coordinated business sponsorships of banners attached to the streetlights.

New bike racks are being contributed by Ely Area Community Health Council through a grant from Minnesota’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership; the racks will be installed adjacent to new benches provided by the City. Hanging baskets and planters for flowers were organized by Incredible Ely. Ely Rotary started the beautification effort in 2016 when it donated new trash and recycling receptacles to the downtown areas and city parks.

The streetscape improvements are intended to complement the ongoing storefront and building investments being made by Ely’s business owners.

“All of the improvements will serve Ely pedestrian and biker traffic by improving safety and access to retailers,” said Langowski. “The citizens, businesses and community organizations believe it is so important to provide the thousands of annual visitors in Ely with a warm, welcoming and safe experience. This was a giant collaborative effort.”

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported this project with a Downtown and Business Corridor grant. 

Each year the Summer Worker Outreach Project (SWOP) provides 11 to 14 year olds a six-week course that emphasizes community service, self-accountability, work ethic and money management.

Over the past 21 years, 600 students have attended SWOP which began as a grassroots initiative by area churches and eventually grew into its own non-profit organization. It is available to kids in Chisholm, Mountain Iron-Buhl-Kinney and Virginia. Ten youth are selected from each community and meet three days per week during June and July at their town’s designated host site.

“Eleven to 14 year olds are at such an impressionable age developmentally,” said Melissa Yarick, SWOP executive director. “SWOP provides these youths with exemplary adult role models that lead them in service-oriented work that aids in their successful transition to adulthood.”

There is one adult per five youth that oversees the group’s weekly activities, which includes a combination of education, guest speakers, field trips and volunteer work. The youth earn a weekly stipend that they deposit into their individual savings account at a community bank.

“These kids truly get the experience of having a summer job with positive adult supervision and mentoring,” said Yarick. “The demand for SWOP has been high and the outcomes positive. The program may potentially be expanded into the communities of Eveleth, Hibbing and Orr.”

Examples of work include lawn care and upkeep of public spaces such as parks, cemeteries, community gardens and libraries; outdoor painting projects; and, helping with activities at nursing and assisted living homes. The kids also perform office and practical work for non-profit agencies such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, AEOA, food shelves, Range Center, United Way and Habitat for Humanity. Each child also job-shadows at an area business such as a restaurant, t-shirt design shop, hair salon, newspaper publisher, veterinary clinic, auto repair shop and canoe outfitter. Kids journal their experiences throughout the six weeks and have help in creating a resume.

Chisholm firefighter Dillon Anderson attended SWOP two summers when he was 11 and 12 years old and recalls the experience with great fondness. He was introduced to professions such as banking and law enforcement and performed community service preparing sandwiches for the food shelf and scrubbing century-old gravestones at the cemetery.

“I learned many valuable life lessons through SWOP,” said Anderson. “The program definitely gave me an advantage during job searches as an adult because it is very respected and recognized for work and service in our region. My wife was also a SWOP participant.”  

Parents, guardians or youth interested in SWOP should call 218-290-9238 or visit SWOP online. Applications will be available at area schools in the counselor’s office beginning in mid-April and are due on May 1.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported this project with a Workforce Development grant. Email Roy Smith for grant information or call him at 218-735-3039.

The Skibo Vista Overlook, located outside of Hoyt Lakes and along the 78-mile Superior National Forest Scenic Byway connecting the Iron Range to Lake Superior’s North Shore, is undergoing a renovation to make the historic viewing area more accessible and informational.

Elevated 20 stories and formerly the home to an observation tower used until the 1960s to watch for forest fires, the overlook provides a stunning panoramic view of the Laurentian Divide with a visibility of more than 30 miles. Visitors may see eagles in flight, migrating hawks, views of several Iron Range towns and mining facilities, and fall color displays during the autumn months.

The renovation includes a new concrete viewing area and observation deck with cable safety railing, interpretive history signage and information kiosk, new picnic tables and outdoor restroom, a parking lot expansion and resurfacing, landscaping, and an enhanced entry point from the highway with prominent signage.

“There are not many locations in the immediate area where such a view can be seen,” said Beth Pierce, Iron Range Tourism Bureau (IRTB) executive director. “The renovation creates a wonderful stopover point for tourists traveling back and forth between the North Shore and the Iron Range.”

The byway is very popular among tourists during the spring, summer and autumn months because it is a relaxing and beautiful two-hour drive between Gilbert and Silver Bay. The paved road is in very good condition and is historic in its own right because it was carved out of the wilderness about 100 years ago during the logging era.

“Tourism is very important to our agency’s service area by providing jobs and pumping money into the local economy through visitor spending,” said Mark Phillips, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation commissioner. “The overlook renovation is a great addition to the region’s attractions.” 

The project involved several regional organizations including United States Forest Service, Iron Range Historical Society, IRTB and City of Hoyt Lakes. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported this project with a Culture & Tourism grant. 

The Northeast Workforce Solutions Series kicked off in February with about 160 participants from Grand Rapids, Grand Marais, Hibbing and Duluth engaging in a workforce gap conversation. The State Demographer reported on the stagnant population dynamics and the need to look at new migration to move the needle of population growth and workforce diversification.

Most recently, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported that since January 2017, the northeast region had gained 6,200 jobs which employers are now challenged to fill at a time when job seekers hold the cards.

As a follow up to that conversation, organizers with the City of Duluth, Duluth Workforce Development Board, the Northeast Minnesota Workforce Board, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation, along with several public and private partners, are hosting the second series aimed at introducing innovative talent recruitment strategies planned for Wednesday, April 18 in Duluth and Chisholm.

“Participants from the Workforce Solutions Series Kick off were very clear in their feedback: we need tangible strategies,” said Duluth Mayor Emily Larson. “This second in the workforce series will dig deeper into innovative solutions from a national expert and lead into an honest conversation with a panel of employers who have demonstrated success in their recruitment efforts. There’s no better time than now to share and learn from other experts to ensure a strong workforce and economy for our region’s future.”

The second of the multi-part series will be conducted in Duluth in the morning and Chisholm in the afternoon, but both will feature the same keynote speaker, Janice Urbanik, executive director of Partners for a Competitive Workforce, who has worked extensively on developing the talent supply chains for the regional industry sectors in Cincinnati, Ohio. Additionally, participants will gain valuable insight from panelists who are attracting employees to their organizations in creative ways.

“Employers need to stay competitive to attract and retain a vibrant, skilled workforce,” said Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Commissioner Mark Phillips. “It’s about finding the right strategy that suits your organization. Our goal is to bring ideas and people to the table.”

The event will take place on April 18 with two sessions:

Morning Session: 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Registration at 7:30 a.m.; Program at 8 a.m., Greysolon Ballroom, Duluth

Afternoon Session: 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Registration at 12:30 p.m., Program at 1 p.m., Minnesota Discovery Center, Chisholm

Advance registration is highly recommended to obtain the $20 per person rate. 

Register for the Duluth session.

Register for the Chisholm session. 

Club Entrepreneur will host a panel discussion entitled "Duluth: Our dynamic outdoor industry – where is the puck going?". The event, which also includes a luncheon and networking, will be held on Tuesday, May 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Northland Country Club in Duluth.

The purpose of the discussion is to advance innovation in the region's $867 million outdoor industry via education, dialogue and idea sharing among those who live and breathe the outdoors daily.

All of the panelists are connected by the outdoor category in diverse ways but share a common purpose: to get people enjoying and exploring the great outdoors.

Panelists include: Tom Sega, Duluth Pack; Dean Casad, Winnebago Industries; Mark Norquist, Modern Carnivore; Josh Smith, Eventryr; and Joe Friedrichs, WTIP Radio.  

Moderator will be John Arms, and Jesse Smith, Inspired Motivated Leadership, and Club E, will serve as the host. 

Register and get additional details.

Club Entrepreneur is a community of business professionals who meet each month for networking, idea sharing and presentations from some of the country’s most respected innovators, catalysts and thought leaders.