Bemidji State University and NTC—Bemidji’s Technical College have both received Inclusive Workforce Employer designation from the Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program. The designation recognizes employers who have demonstrated a commitment to be more inclusive in their workplaces and practices.

The Inclusive Workforce Employer program began in 2020 and is meant to reduce disparities and raise awareness of the value and methods for increasing diversity in the 26-county region’s workforce.

To earn the designation, businesses must express a commitment to inclusive and equitable workplaces in their stated missions, visions or values. Additionally, they must assess how diversity, equity and inclusion affect their workplaces and cultures; provide diversity, equity and inclusion education for staff and leadership; and allocate resources to support and sustain an inclusive and equitable workplace or community.

Christine Kirschbaum, regional coordinator for the CEP, presented BSU and NTC President John L. Hoffman with plaques recognizing each school’s designation.

“The commitment BSU and NTC have to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace is truly commendable,” Kirschbaum said. “By earning this designation, Bemidji State University and Northwest technical College have demonstrated their leadership in promoting welcoming environments for individuals from diverse backgrounds within our region.”

BSU and NTC join CHI St. Joseph’s Children in Park Rapids and Delta Dental of Minnesota as Inclusive Workforce Employers in the five-county Headwaters Region, which includes Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods and Mahnomen counties. In total, 15 employers have received the designation.