Dunseith, North Dakota, has commenced a multi-stakeholder community revitalization plan following the recent announcement to bring a 100,000-square-foot industrial site back to life as an RV manufacturer by Hoefer Group, LLC. Dunseith Public Schools held a ground-breaking the afternoon of June 2 on a new $15M Career and Technical Education (CTE) Complex. Set to be finished in 2023, the CTE Complex is destined to be a model of innovative K12 CTE education in rural North Dakota.
Bouyed by upcoming workforce needs at Hoefer Group, and the broader gap in certified RV technicians across the U.S., Dunseith’s school board and superintendent David Sjol spearheaded an initiative to develop a CTE training program that promises jobs for graduates. That led to collaborations between Dunseith Public Schools, Hoefer Group, the North Dakota Department of Career & Technical Education, and the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) to establish Dunseith as the nation’s first traditional high school Level II RV Technician RVTI Learning Partner.
The Dunseith school board has approved and financed an approximate $15M budget for the CTE Complex. Along with national accreditation by the RV industry, Dunseith is working with the state to ensure RVTI’s program modules are approved for high school credit. According to RVTI’s Curtis Hemmeler, this is exactly the type of collaboration RVTI envisions at the K12 level.
“What’s happening in Dunseith is an incredible model to follow across the county for RVTI,” said Hemmeler. “First and foremost, when RVTI looks at expanding partnerships amongst traditional high schools, state education collaboration is crucial. Our program is independently audited and designed to fit with existing state CTE curriculum’s. We’ve begun a push to bring RVTI programs to K12 education, and Dunseith’s initiative is a wonderful start.”
Dunseith’s David Sjol applauds the breadth of learning that a Level II Technician certification can offer a high school CTE graduate, “Dunseith’s school system has a growing interest by students in trades, and RV program modules in many respects overlap with our existing programs. What really interested the school system in achieving a national RV industry accreditation, is that this one program sets our student body on a path to gaining valuable skills in many automotive and construction-related trades. Students can stay and work for the new RV factory, or go just about anywhere in the country and find a good-paying career.”
The RV training program is anchored by a new local industry. As Dunseith Mayor Jesse Marion observes, “We had for decades a very stable employment in electronics manufacturing. The pullout by Benchmark in 2015 – our only manufacturer and only large employer outside the school system – was devastating. Community members worked tirelessly to repurpose our industrial site. The facet of this new RV project that excites me the most is seeing job opportunities for K12 students – our community’s future – to secure better pay and have marketable skills when a college education might be out of reach.”
As part of collaborations, Hoefer Group has offered to hire as many technicians as Dunseith’s RV program can graduate. Says Hoefer Group CEO Charles Hoefer, “We selected Dunseith with a rich history in manufacturing, and nearly 50 former employees ready to return. Beyond that, we need partners to create a pipeline, and we are thrilled to see high school student interest. 25 students attended a recent after school event organized by Dunseith’s CTE instructors to learn about careers at Hoefer Group. Many shared that their parents had 10-20+ years at the plant. Local efforts to help us succeed in hiring are overwhelmingly encouraging.”
The facility is expected to be complete in 2023.
