(Minneapolis, MN – Dec 8, 2025) – The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) has awarded a $250,000 Strategic Impact and Innovation Grant to provide all 11 North Dakota University System (NDUS) institutions with access to the career readiness and workforce alignment platform Compass by Golden Path Solutions in Fargo, North Dakota.

“This initiative will enhance student success by offering personalized career guidance, connecting students with regional employers for internships and careers after graduation and aligning academic pathways with workforce needs, which is accomplished through the Compass online platform,” said NDUS Commissioner Brent Sanford.

All North Dakota middle and high school students currently have access to Compass through RUReady.ND.gov. The platform also supports the state’s Four-Year Rolling Plan and districts’ work-based learning processes. Compass impacts how students, schools, employers, and communities connect to ensure every learner has a clear and supported path from education to career.

This initiative will enable Compass to bridge the longstanding gap between K-12, postsecondary institutions and the workforce by providing a unified, data-driven system that follows students through every stage of their educational journey from middle school to college graduation. All 11 institutions, serving more than 47,000 students, will be able to highlight their programs and employer partnerships to high school students. This transparency will help students make more informed decisions about their post-graduation plans while also helping colleges with enrollment and recruitment efforts.

“We are impressed by the holistic, collaborative, and thoughtful approach North Dakota leaders are taking,” said Susan G. Heegaard, MHEC president. “Compass can help students save time and money, employers develop the talent pipeline they need, and colleges and universities boost enrollment tied to career outcomes. It’s exactly the kind of project MHEC seeks to support with its Innovation Grants.”

For more information about the grant, contact Carrie Wandler, senior director of policy initiatives at MHEC. To learn more about Compass, visit Golden Path Solutions or contact Patrick Mineer, founder and CEO.

About MHEC
MHEC brings together leaders from midwestern states to develop cost-sharing opportunities, generate collaborative solutions to challenges and opportunities in higher education, and align postsecondary education to improve individual career readiness and regional economic vitality. Member states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

In June 2025, the MHEC commissioners approved a budget that will provide grants of up to $250,000 for each member state to pursue high-impact initiatives that align with the MHEC’s strategic plan and that are responsive to state needs in such areas as affordability, credential attainment, student success, and workforce alignment. More information is available at www.mhec.org.

About NDUS
The North Dakota University System is a unified system of higher education governed by the
State Board of Higher Education. Organized in 1990, the system includes two research universities, four regional universities and five community colleges. The mission of the State Board of Higher Education and the Chancellor of the North Dakota University System is to enhance the quality of life, and the social and economic vitality of all served by its public colleges and universities.