NORTHERN ADVANTEDGE CAREER EXPO HELD NOVEMBER 5

November 11, 2014 – Bemidji, MN – The Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) and IMPACT 20/20 held the first annual, Northern AdvantEdge Career Expo on November 5 at Bemidji State University's (BSU) John Glas Field House. Together, 12 high schools from throughout NMF's region brought more than 1000 high school students to connect with local businesses and their employees.

One hundred exhibitors filled the arena floor, providing hands-on activities to show students the detail in their line of work. Students also attended break-out sessions to converse in small groups about various careers in their areas of interest. Following the in-depth presentation, there were 20 presenters on-hand to answer individual questions from students.

"This event exceeded our expectations," said NMF Communications Specialist Ashley Johnson. "The career expo afforded us the chance to show off Northwest Minnesota's higher education entities and our region's industry. We hope this platform will aid us in retaining a talented workforce."

Exhibitor booths included a mock crime scene from local law enforcement, a welder's booth from Northland Community College, and a chemistry lesson on ice cream making from BSU's chemistry department, among many others. Presentation topics included: construction, graphic design, photography, nursing, education/teaching careers, athletic trainer, architecture, legal, dental, physician's assistant, physical therapy, and social work careers. One presentation touched upon workplace values and the importance of soft skills.

Local businesses, area high schools, Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College provided an overwhelming amount of support for the expo. We'd like to extend our appreciation to all of the event's sponsors:

Bemidji State University, IMPACT 20/20, Northwest Technical College, Northwest Minnesota Foundation, 360 Manufacturing & Applied Engineering Program, Northland Community & Technical College, University of Minnesota Crookston, Beltrami County Farm Bureau, Bemidji Woolen Mills, First National Bank Bemidji, Northwest Indian OIC, Potlatch (Bemidji), TEAM Industries, Ultima Bank (Fosston)

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is a public, charitable foundation serving 12 counties of Northwest Minnesota by investing resources, facilitating collaboration and promoting philanthropy. Impact 20/20 is a group of influential leaders in Northwest Minnesota representing diverse interests and working together for the region's economic success.