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Technology & Trades Career Exploration
2025 Career Institute Connects 8th Graders with SW MN Careers
A Hands-On Career Exploration Event for Middle School Students
On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, nearly 200 eighth-grade students from Redwood County participated in the annual Career Institute: Technology & Trades on the Prairie (TTOP), held at the Redwood Area Community Center. This highly engaging, hands-on event brought together employers, educators, and community partners, including LYFT Career Pathways, to offer students an unforgettable introduction to technology and trades career exploration in southwest Minnesota.
Real-World Learning Through Interactive Sessions
From 9am - 1:45pm, students rotated through fast-paced, 20-minute sessions designed to simulate real-world experiences in a wide variety of career fields. Each session offered students the opportunity to try their hand at industry-specific tasks, ask questions, and explore the tools and skills used by professionals every day.
Career paths featured during the event included:
- Healthcare
- Law enforcement
- Construction
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Agronomy
- Energy
- Mechanics
- Early childhood education
- Digital technology
Community Collaboration Makes It All Possible
The Career Institute is a collaborative effort driven by local schools, businesses, and economic development partners. It’s designed to help students begin connecting their interests and strengths with meaningful, high-demand careers, especially those rooted in their own communities.
We extend heartfelt thanks to our ongoing partners and sponsors:
Farmward, CentraCare, Altimate Medical, Daktronics, City of Redwood Falls, Schult Homes, Redwood Area Development Corporation, Redwood Area Communities Foundation, Redwood County Economic Development Authority, Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism, Minnesota West Carl Perkins Consortium, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council, and the SWWC Service Cooperative.
A Special Thanks to Our 2025 Industry Participants
This year’s event saw an impressive lineup of participating employers and organizations, in addition to our ongoing partners and previously mentioned partners who generously donated their time, equipment, and enthusiasm to help inspire the next generation of professionals. Thank you to:
- Avera Granite Falls
- Schwartz Farms
- Redwood County Technology
- Redwood Schools Early Childhood Education
- ATV Big Air
- Redwood Falls Police Department
Looking Ahead
By offering immersive, skills-based career exposure to middle school students, the Career Institute is building momentum toward a more informed, prepared, and excited local workforce. Events like these are key to strengthening the pipeline of talent in technology and trades careers in southwest Minnesota.
Thank you again to everyone who made the 2025 Career Institute a success!
Photo credit: The majority of images were provided by Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism and used with permission.
