MATR Newsletter – September 21, 2023
The state with the best education wins!

Journalism is printing what someone else doesn’t want printed. Everything else is public relations.”

George Orwell

Today’s MATR Newsletter is sponsored by:

Montana Career Opportunity – Transportation Support & Logistics Specialist – Helena Public Schools
The Helena Public Schools has an immediate opening for a Transportation Support & Logistics Specialist At Helena Public Schools, our vision is to foster dynamic educational experiences that prepare all students for life. As a Transportation Support & Logistics Specialist you contribute to this mission by providing management of transportation software. You will work as part of a team serving 1,000 employees across 18 campuses in Helena. Some what you may do: Provide day-to-day monitoring, operational support, and initial troubleshooting of the District’s transportation software (Edulog SQL, eSQL, Athena) and transportation services.
Montana State sets all-time fall enrollment record
MSU’s enrollment solidifies its position as the largest university in the four-state region of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.
Montana Nonprofit Career Opportunities – Director of Civic Engagement, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center – Executive Director Clark Fork Coalition – Executive Director, Helena Community Gardens and more… – Montana Nonprofit Association
Multiple Career Opportunities in Montana’s Important Nonprofit Economy

Missoula Economic Partnership September Newsletter is Here!
Commissary Kitchens in Missoula: MEP assists in connecting the dots
Can Do: The Benefits Of Running A Montana-Based Business – Michael Fitzgerald – Submittable – 3/23/2018
Michael passed away a few days ago but, thanks to Arnie Sherman, his vision of Submittable and life will live on for all of us to learn from.
Measure aimed at apprenticeships creating opportunities in Montana
According to the state, apprentices who complete the program earn an average wage of $63,000, $20,000 more than the average statewide. And they now work in fields such as healthcare and information technology, as well as traditional trades such as plumbers, carpenters and electricians..
Introducing Grace Stephens, the new Federal Broadband lead for Montana
As we continue this important effort, I want to call your attention to many upcoming opportunities you have to shape the deployment of $628 million in Broadband infrastructure funds throughout Montana. You can sign up for email updates

Clean Energy is Booming in Montana – 9/21 – Missoula
Come learn about current statewide trends in household and commercial solar and wind, the City of Missoula’s climate advocacy and three years of negotiations with NorthWestern Energy, and the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives for businesses, farms, and individuals.

2023 BSED Annual Meeting, Be Remarkable Billings! 10/11
Our 2023 BSED Annual Meeting will remind us of what makes Billings, Montana a unique and thriving place, and what goes in to being Montana’s largest and most diverse economy. We will learn about the industry trends and opportunities that shape our economy today and, in the future, and what it means to Be remarkable Billings.

Flathead Valley Community Groups Partner to Recruit Retirees into the Workforce
In a collaboration between Job Service Kalispell, My Glacier Village, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and FVCC, the Retiree Workforce Group connects seniors and retirees with local resources and employers

Upcoming Trainings: A Business Case for Childcare, MMEC Trainings, Boots to Business and more!
We will be presenting on the current state of childcare in Montana, including focused discussion on what is happening right here in our own communities.
GFDA Top Thirteen for 9-18-23
We are receiving Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding to move three strategic initiatives forward!

Flathead Housing Inventory Begins to Stabilize
Local real estate agents and lenders said at a Sept. 19 Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon that buyers are trending toward new construction builds while the commercial market has opened up drastically since its last peak in 2018

The fruits of Missoula’s dissolved weekly paper – The Pulp
Longtime Missoulians remember the Missoula Independent, our town’s free alternative weekly newspaper between 1991 and 2018.
Pay Transparency Is Sweeping Across the US
New York joined a wave of states that require pay transparency in job ads. New data suggests most US postings now include a salary range, but they are sometimes laughably vague.

New census data helps define Montana’s affordable housing crunch
Stats indicate 29% of Montanan households spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs.
Appreciating the Spaces That Connect Us
Often overlooked, liminal spaces like front porches and sidewalks can boost social connections.

How to Win Over Investors With a Strong Proof of Concept
Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea and Eat the Change, talks with Ron Holloway, co-founder of Woofbowl, about the importance of starting small.

The Provost Problem at the University of Montana
The University has lost its fifth provost in five years. Why can’t UM keep people in its top academic job?
Montana Launches First-of-its-Kind Statewide Micro-credential Development Initiative
The Montana University System partners with Education Design Lab to develop and scale skills-forward, short-term credentials in high-demand fields.

Led by sciences and engineering, Montana State research spending hits record $230 million
MSU is the largest research enterprise in the state, and its total expenditures exceed the research expenditures of all other institutions in the state combined.

Desperation and renewal: how Huron, South Dakota embraced new Americans (Karen refugees from Southeast Asia) and thrived
“Our kids are better equipped to live in a diverse world than kids just about anywhere in the state,” Nebelsick said. “There are patches of Sioux Falls that are the same, but our families value that. Our kids were able to come back and reinforce that. We were able to adapt and prosper much more quickly because we didn’t see the obstacles of color.”