IASC NEXT Career Pathways

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IASC NEXT Career Pathways

The Next Career Pathways are designed to work seamlessly with current coursework offerings while providing real-world experience in the community.

We work with the Itasca Area School Collaborative, students, businesses, & the Northern MN community.

05/21/2026

🏫🧀🎉Open house vibes, snacks, and celebrating an incredible semester. Huge congratulations to the students who spent the last few months exploring, experiencing, and excelling.

Whether stepping straight into the local workforce, starting an apprenticeship in the trades, or heading off to college, every single pathway is a massive win for Itasca.

📍Thank you to the local businesses who hosted our interns. You are directly shaping our future workforce and keeping our community strong.

STUDENTS: chat with your counselor to explore your next semester!

BUSINESSES: Visit our website and learn about partnering to host interns and more!

05/06/2026

Fun was had, connections were made, and NEXT had a great time at the Grand Rapids High School Job fair!

05/01/2026

We hear a lot about the “skills gap” these days, and at NEXT, we get to see the solution in action every day.

Since it is National Apprenticeship Week, we want to give a huge shout out to the Grand Rapids High School Woodworking program. These students recently teamed up with the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce to provide professional craftsmanship for their annual awards, and the results were outstanding.

This goes way beyond a typical school project. It is a direct link to the workforce. By giving these students the chance to apply their skills to real community needs, we are watching them build the future of our local economy right before our eyes.

04/21/2026

The future of the trades is looking bright! 🛠️

Grand Rapids Area Learning Center students recently took a deep dive into the world of local industry with a tour of Randy’s Cabinets & Woodwork. Beyond the craftsmanship, students had the invaluable opportunity to network with area business owners, bridging the gap between the classroom and the career.

A huge thank you to Randy’s Cabinets and our local business community for investing time in the next generation of professionals.

FutureTrades

04/16/2026

Last night was a monumental evening at Grand Rapids High School as we celebrated student achievement across a wide range of disciplines, from mastery in Spanish to academic honors.

While the night recognized many forms of excellence, we want to give a special shout-out to our NEXT Career Pathway recipients! These students are doing more than just earning credits; they are gaining the professional certifications, technical skills, and hands-on experience that bridge the gap between high school and a high-demand career.

We couldn’t capture every single winner in one go, but we are incredibly proud of the leaders emerging in all seven pathways:

💼 Business

🩺 Healthcare

🌿 Natural Resources & Ag

🍎 Education

🏗️ Construction

⚙️ Manufacturing

🚘 Automotive

📸 Swipe to see some highlights of our Pathway Excellence winners! ( in no particular order)

These awards prove that our students are career-ready and community-focused. Whether they are headed into an apprenticeship, the workforce, or continuing their education, they’ve already built a foundation for success.

Congratulations to all of last night’s honorees! You make the Thunderhawk community proud. 🚀

02/26/2026

Behind the scenes of a Northwoods powerhouse! 🌲📦

Today, NEXT Business Pathway students from and got an exclusive look at how a local staple operates on a massive scale. We toured three locations:

📍 Corporate Headquarters: Where the big decisions happen.
🚚 Distribution Center: The heartbeat of the logistics and supply chain.
🛍️ Retail Store: Where the “hometown feel” meets the customer.

From its roots right here in Grand Rapids to a multi-state operation, L&M showed our students that you don’t have to leave Itasca County to build a world-class business career.

NEXT is an program

02/06/2026

Representation is the blueprint for the future.

What an incredible day at - Itasca for the Women in the Workforce event! From the trades and forestry to law enforcement and healthcare, the energy was electric.

It’s one thing to tell young girls they can be anything; it’s another to let them see, meet, and talk to the women actually doing the work. Hundreds of students walked away yesterday with a clearer vision of their own potential.

To the mentors and professionals who shared their stories: thank you for paving the way.

02/02/2026

Huge thanks to our local pros for helping our students EXPLORE the Construction pathway last week! 🏗️⚡

We appreciate Pokegema Electric, ISD 318 Maintenance, and Local 49 Operating Engineers for providing such an incredible, hands-on experience.

📢 Is your business hiring the next generation? > We are always looking for partners to help students discover their passions. If you want to get involved, drop us a message!

01/27/2026

Congrats go out to Henry from Northland for completing his semester internship and receiving his OSHA-10 cert!

01/26/2026

Huge shoutout to our incredible interns! ✨

We wrapped up the semester at Floodwood last Thursday with a celebration of all their hard work. From sharing highlights of their internship journeys to earning their OSHA 10 certifications, these students are crushing it. We couldn’t be prouder of their growth and dedication! 🚀

Address

Bigfork, MN
56628, 56639

Website

https://nextpathways.org/

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