Fostering economic opportunity and job creation in North Dakota

Rapid advances in technology are creating new opportunities in a digital economy. But these opportunities remain out of reach for many in our community, who often lack the broadband access, digital skills, or other resources needed to succeed. That’s why Microsoft is building local, public-private partnerships to collectively address these issues and help ensure all people can benefit from the opportunities of the digital economy. Together, we can advance a future that is for everyone. 

Our approach and impact in North Dakota 

Microsoft TechSpark is a civic program to foster greater economic opportunity and job creation. In the greater Fargo area and elsewhere in North Dakota, we’re partnering closely at the local level to understand our community’s unique challenges and opportunities. While I’m pleased to share highlights of our collective impact to date, I know there is more to do, and that our customers, partners, and neighbors hold us to high standards. 

Promoting skills and employability 

Digital skills are highly sought after by employers today and will be critical in the future, yet many people lack access to high-quality digital skills education. This widens skills gaps and intensifies economic divides. TechSpark helps schools and nonprofits strengthen their ability to offer digital skills and computer science education through grants, technology, curriculum, and our TEALS computer science (“CS”) education program. For example:  

• We partnered with nearly 100 school districts on the nation’s first ever statewide Hour of Code event, allowing more than 6,000 students to try their hand at a skill critical to their futures. 
• We supported the development of a middle school STEM Academy by Valley City State University’s STEM Education Center. The academy serves students from area schools with a predominantly Native American population, allowing them to gain valuable digital skills and CS education during a four-day residential camp. 

As technology reshapes the future of work, companies must also change the way they hire and support employees to ensure qualified candidates get matched with the right opportunities and have clear pathways for career advancement. We’re collaborating across sectors to help create a skills-based labor market that connects people and employers in new ways. For example:  

• The industrial park in Fargo is not served by our local bus system, which deters qualified candidates from applying to the more than 1,000 job openings in the complex. Together with the United Way’s Workforce Transportation Project, Microsoft hosted a meeting of more than 30 business leaders, nonprofits, and local city leaders to explore ways to use Fargo’s MAT Bus TapRide app to better connect riders to the industrial park and its skilled jobs. Our seed funding helped the United Way raise an additional $160,000 to pilot the project, with a goal of convincing the city to approve future project funding. 

Helping local organizations thrive through digital transformation 

Advances in technology like cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) can bring transformative growth to nonprofits, startups and established companies, but they can also threaten those that don’t have the resources or know-how to adopt and integrate these technologies. We’re helping organizations leverage the power of technology to streamline operations, develop new lines of business, transform service delivery, and drive economic growth in our communities. For example:  

• We’re partnering with American Crystal Sugar to use data science and visualization (powered by a Microsoft PowerBI dashboard) to help the organization track and reduce safety risks to its employees, gain production efficiencies, and potentially create new jobs.  
• We’re working with North Dakota State University to equip its Precision Agriculture program with our FarmBeats technology kits. The kits will give students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in how AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing can transform the agricultural industry today and in the future.  
• We supported the University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation to work with startup, Airtonomy, on a pilot to capture aerial imagery more autonomously and affordably. The imagery will be used to help the renewable energy, agriculture, and public safety industries advance their digital transformations. 

Increasing access to broadband 

According to FCC data, nearly 25 million Americans still lack access to high-speed broadband, 19 million of which live in rural communities. In North Dakota, Microsoft data indicates more than 400,000 people do not use the internet at broadband speeds, hindering their ability to start or run a modern business, access telemedicine, take an online class, or research a school project online. Through our Airband initiative and partnerships with local service providers, we are committed to connecting more communities to broadband and the educational and economic opportunities it provides.  

Join us: help advance a future that is for everyone 

Tackling these issues is complex and demands collective local effort. We’re creating cross-sector partnerships to help spark economic investment, job creation, and opportunity, and we’re just getting started. Learn how you can join us at microsoft.com/TechSpark or by emailing techspark@microsoft.com.