This article was printed in Minot Daily News on Friday, October 12, 2007:

Hoeven announces Young Professionals organization

By Gwen Bristol, Correspondent 

BISMARCK – Gov. John Hoeven announced the creation of a statewide Young Professionals organization Thursday during the first day of the two-day 2007 Workforce Summit.Hoeven and Commerce Department commissioner Shane Goettle both indicated that including young professionals in the conference could provide valuable input to discussions concerning future workforce directions. Expanding local Young Professionals groups’ ability to network with each other also made sense.“It’s a great example of how we really are working to tie everything into a comprehensive effort,” Hoeven said.The announcement for a statewide Young Professionals organization comes a week after Minot formed its Young Professionals group. The Minot group is one of seven organized Young Professionals social networks in the state.

While Young Professionals groups across the state have their own age requirements, most of them are geared toward the twenties-and-thirties crowd whose careers are kicking off. Young Professionals groups give them a structured way to trade ideas and build business relationships with people in similar situations.

Justin Forde, chairman of the new North Dakota Young Professionals, said one of the biggest advantages of having a statewide social networking group is that it will help keep talented young workers in the state.

“We’ve all chosen to make North Dakota our home,” Forde said. “Young Professionals gives us a place in the community, something that we can belong to.”

“We’re all good ambassadors for our state,” he said.

Statewide Young Professionals coordinator Catherine Dalzell said the larger organization will allow young professionals in sparsely populated areas to participate.

“The (statewide) Young Professionals in the rural areas is an advantage,” she said. “Even if their town is too small to have a Young Professionals group, they can sign up to be a part of Young Professionals.”

There are around 850 people registered with Young Professionals organizations across North Dakota. The organization has a Web site, (www.ndyp.net), that allows young professionals from around the state to trade ideas online as well as in person at Young Professional events.

“Young Professionals lets them have a group to tie in with and lets them have a place in North Dakota and feel like they can stay,” Forde said.

Several young professionals spoke during the press conference, calling the Young Professionals groups a bridge between college experiences and formal business networking like chamber of commerce events where they sometimes feel intimidated by their more-experienced peers.

Creating the statewide Young Professionals organization during the workforce summit pulled the rising generation directly into the conference issues. More than 30 young professionals attended the conference.

Hoeven said the conference is intended to draw input from business leaders and associations, K-12 education and higher education, job service and the commerce department, as well as the Young Professionals groups.

The issues discussed at this conference will form the basis for future focus groups that Goettle said could evolve into a workforce congress next spring. Hoeven said the findings could be developed into possible policies that may be introduced at the next legislative session.

“We’re gaining jobs. We’re gaining more career tracks,” Hoeven said, adding that wages are going up as well. “We’re going to continue to push things higher.”

Also attending the press conference was John MacMartin, president of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce. MacMartin said the Young Professionals groups give talented young people opportunities for education, fun, business networking and giving back to the community.

“From the Chamber’s perspective, Young Professionals is important because it gets young people involved in the community,” he said.