MATR Newsletter – May 13, 2022
The state with the best education wins!

Come Home Montana

• Montana Career Opportunity – Government Contracting Advisor – Kalispell PTAC

  This position is accountable for the direction, coordination, and delivery of activities for the Kalispell Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). Provides consultation and training to businesses interested in pursuing the…

Welcome to Bear Paw Development

• 4 Montana organizations to share $10 million for environmental cleanup

  Snowy Mountain Development Corporation in Lewistown will receive $3.9 million, Great Falls Development Authority in Great Falls will receive $2.65 million, Bear Paw Development in Havre will receive $2.15 million, and Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Council in Butte will receive $1 million.

Montana Department of Commerce

• Montana Department of Commerce Awards $580,000 in Workforce Training Grants

  “Montana’s economy is thriving and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. To keep our economy vibrant and strong, we must ensure that we have a robust and skilled workforce,” said Commerce Director Scott Osterman.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Will you help us with a Remote Worker Survey? Mission West Community Development Partners

  Transitioning to Remote Work Can Be Hard

• Census Undercount Threatens Federal Food and Health Programs on Reservations

  The 2020 census missed nearly 1 of every 17 Native Americans who live on reservations, an undercount that could very well lead to insufficient federal funding for essential health, nutrition, and social programs in remote communities with high poverty rates and scarce access to services.

• Hyundai Wants to Build Terrifying Walking Cars in Montana

  In fact, the company is so dedicated that it’s building an entire research and development centre in Montana with one explicit goal: Give cars legs.

The Telecommuting and Gig Workforce in Montana

• Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on What Companies Are Getting Wrong About Hybrid Work

  Chesky thinks there’s a better version of hybrid work, and he has the data to back it up.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Biden administration to release $45B for nationwide internet

  The Biden administration is taking the first steps to release $45 billion to ensure every U.S. resident has access to high-speed internet by roughly 2028

• New Video Diaries Highlight Chattanooga’s Long-Term Solution to the Broadband Affordability Gap

  There is a long-term solution to the broadband affordability gap that can be found in America’s first gig city.

• Satellite communication network connects remote communities 

  The global system provides strong, continuous internet access with fewer satellites

Funding and Building your Business

• This Ex-Banker Gives New Hires Two Weeks Off Before They Even Start Their Jobs

  Hospitality tech startup SevenRooms has a program to inoculate against burnout.

• TODAY’S TED TALK – The case for a 4-day work week

  The traditional approach to work needs a redesign, says economist Juliet Schor. She’s leading four-day work week trials in countries like the US and Ireland, and the results so far have been overwhelmingly positive: from increased employer and customer satisfaction to revenue growth and lower turnover.

Regional Business News

• Big Tech Companies Are Starting to Freeze Hiring. Should You?

  The hangover from a hiring binge leaves some companies wondering if they’re too labor heavy, especially if the economy slows. But that might be an opportunity for smaller firms.

21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• Flathead, Glacier students finish another student-built home

  The main goal of the program is to provide kids with hands-on knowledge and a head start in the job market.

Careers

• 8 words you should never use to describe yourself in an interview (and what to say instead)

  Stuffing your résumé and LinkedIn profile with generic buzzwords can be off-putting to potential employers, but it’s far worse when you recite them during an interview.

Montana Leadership

• Missoula County commissioners ask to join Reserve St. camp cleanup efforts – Please join the Earth Day 2022 Cleanup Part 4 Today 5/13 – 9 to 4!

  Missoula County leaders are asking the state for permission to inspect the homeless encampment under the Reserve Street bridge and help with cleanup if necessary.

Transportation

• There’s a Cheap Solution to the Electric Vehicle Charging Conundrum

  What we actually need is an approach that takes advantage of an EV’s strengths: most notably, its ability to charge anywhere and anytime. And it doesn’t have to be nearly as expensive as you might think.

• How U.S. Infrastructure Perpetuates Car Dependence

  The assumption that it’s “impossible” to live without a car in many American cities perpetuates infrastructure projects that privilege and induce driving.

• 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning: World’s Best-Selling Vehicle Goes Electric

  Lightning version last year the automaker had to stop taking orders after 200,000 people signed up. So the electric vehicle revolution is no longer coming soon — it’s here.

• 10 Ideas To Make Renting A Tesla From Hertz 10× Better – “Once you choose electric, you’ll never not select it.”

  I think that for people to experience a Tesla EV, companies utilizing them in rental fleets would fare better listening to some of these ideas. And although some are Tesla-specific, such as relating to Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, others can be implemented by fleets that have a variety of EVs.

• Neighbors Say Road Diet Causes ‘Traffic Nightmare,’ but Data Tell a Different Story

  In reality, plenty of people benefit from such projects. But the media often highlight the loudest, least-informed voices.

Energy and Climate Change

• U.S. Distributed Wind Energy Potential Can Meet Half of National Electricity Demand

  The study focused on the impact of wind technology cost and performance, policy, and siting conditions on economic potential. NREL also modeled opportunities for distributed wind in disadvantaged communities.

• Resilient Butte program sees green energy potential in the Mining City

  “We’re going to be working with some experts from around the country who are familiar with climate trends and climate projections to say, what are the issues facing Butte? So, we can be Butte tough into the future,” said Steve Thompson, head of NCAT.

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