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 Dakota Specialty Mill
Commissioner James Leiman and ED&F Director Josh Teigen visited Dakota Specialty Mill to learn more about how North Dakota feeds the entire world.
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There is still time to register for the Travel Industry Conference
This is the must-attend conference for communities looking to develop their tourism infrastructure and for marketers and tourism professionals in North Dakota's travel and tourism industry. Registration is open through Friday April 22! Renowned speakers fill the agenda with educational and inspiring topics including industry updates, common threads of great places, destination development planning, post-pandemic marketing, accessible travel, talent recruitment, tribal tourism, digital marketing trends, social strategies, global tourism, sharing community driven stories and much more. The Governor’s Awards for Travel and Tourism will be presented at the Governor's Luncheon on April 27. Don’t miss North Dakota's premier conference for tourism marketers and travel-sector businesses.
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New listing and event categories available for tourism partners
In 2021 NDtourism.com hosted 2,155,110 visits and provided 281,712 referrals to partner sites. ND Tourism’s Partner Portal is a valuable tool you should be utilizing to get your experiences listed on NDtourism.com for FREE. Some new listing categories include Culinary Experiences (i.e., breweries and wineries or if part of an event or listing), Game & Recreational Centers, Landmark Attractions, Educational Attractions, Wellness & Self Improvement, and Shopping (i.e., Antique & Flea Markets, Local Shops, Specialty Shops, Iconic ND Gifts, Shopping Districts). Some new event categories include Workshops & Classes, and Sporting Events. Also, important to note, Accessible Amenities are now available. Studies shows 20% of U.S. Travelers report having or traveling with a person with a disability. It is vitally important that our partners update their listings to reflect all the accessibility options so visitors looking for accessible attractions, experiences, and lodging can find them. You can find the complete submission rules and guidelines here. We look forward to sharing your experiences on NDtourism.com. Contact Amy Schmidt at amrschmidt@nd.gov with questions.
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National Travel and Tourism Week is May 1-7, 2022
National Travel & Tourism Week has always been an excellent way for North Dakota’s tourism industry to kick off our state’s peak tourism season. We encourage you, your colleagues, your local officials and your communities to join us May 1-7 to spotlight the FUTURE OF TRAVEL. This year’s theme elevates how the travel industry can restore the workforce, help communities recover, foster sustainability, usher in new innovations and reconnect travelers in the U.S. and around the world. Learn how you can get involved here. If you have any questions about National Travel & Tourism Week contact Kim Schmidt at ksschmidt@nd.gov.
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 Commerce is now accepting applications for the Technical Skills Training Grant
The application window for the Technical Skills Training Grant program is now open through July 7.
The continuation of the grant program was part of Gov. Doug Burgum’s Accelerate ND plan, which contained his executive recommendations to the state Legislature for strategically investing federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). During a special session in November, the 67th Legislative Assembly appropriated $15 million for regional workforce grants. Commerce was allocated $3 million of this funding to sustain and evolve The Technical Skills Training Grant program.
The Technical Skills Training Grant program aims to offset the cost for program providers and employers in their effort to support the development of highly trained skilled workers to meet the demands of our labor market.
For this year’s cycles, the grant program is now offering Track A and B options to expand the grant’s impact.
The Track B option is in addition to the original parameters from previous cycles. This option is designed for companies wishing to provide internal upskilling opportunities for their existing staff to promote movement and advancement throughout the organization, create more comprehensive onboarding and new worker training programs, and/or provide safety training for employees.
The Track A option reflects the initial intent of the grant program and is designed for new and expanding accelerated, non-degree training programs that prepare trainees for new jobs.
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Regional Workforce Impact Program
The North Dakota Regional Workforce Impact Program (RWIP) launched earlier this month to encourage and empower locally led solutions through collaboration and partnership.
To build cohesive strategies, applications should be submitted by region, rather than individual businesses, organizations, etc.
Examples eligible applicants include:
- Economic Development Organizations
- Cities (must be incorporated)
- Chambers of Commerce
- Job Development Authorities
- Regional Councils
- Other organizations addressing local or regional economic development needs
- Projects must take place in North Dakota
- Program participants must reside in North Dakota
Organizations and businesses that wish to take part in the program should contact an eligible applicant in their designated region.
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Minot Main Street Initiative Community Visit
Please join Gov. Doug Burgum, Commerce, and the Minot community as they showcase Minot’s distinguished community development efforts and progress as a community on May 6!
This community visit will kick off with a local tour to highlight the outstanding examples of infill development and efforts that are key to curating an active and vibrant downtown. Following the tour, Gov. Burgum will host a roundtable discussion with the Minot community. We encourage your presence to help to guide the discussion, listen, and hear from Minot about their tremendous progress as a community.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP by noon on Thursday, April 21. If you are unable to attend and will be sending someone in your place, please indicate who will be attending in your RSVP.
Tentative agenda:
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12:30-1:30 pm: Community tour – walking and bus
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1:45-3:30 pm: Main Street Initiative Community Visit
Details on the agenda, location, and logistics will be provided soon.
RSVP to: Maria mehanson@nd.gov or call/text (701) 595-4121.
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