‘Duluth Promise’ Program to boost career readiness among students

Leaders from various local institutions and businesses, including The College of St. Scholastica, came together for a press conference to introduce “Duluth Promise,” a program designed to enhance career readiness for students in the region. This initiative specifically targets the healthcare, manufacturing and business sectors to provide tailored educational pathways that align with students’ career goals.

Project leaders note Duluth’s workforce is shrinking and facing retention challenges, making now the perfect time to launch such a program. “We could be on the national map as a leader in innovation and technology from beginning to end,” said Duluth Chamber of Commerce President Matt Baumgartner in an interview with Northern News Now. “It’s connecting students at the right time, with the information and also making sure that they’re having a good experience while they’re pursuing that pathway.”

St. Scholastica’s president Dr. Barbara McDonald emphasized the collaborative nature of this effort: “We are engaged in a collaborative effort with the Duluth Public Schools, UMD, LSC, the Duluth Chamber [of Commerce], APEX and the Workforce Board focused on securing $500,000 in legislative funding to support the Duluth Promise initiative on workforce development.”

President McDonald expressed optimism about the project’s progress, adding, “We successfully secured bills in both the House and the Senate and look forward to a hopeful positive outcome for our joint project. We hope this collaborative model will provide opportunities for our area and serve as a blueprint for other communities focused on educating, placing and retaining a much-needed workforce for their regions.”