Center for Rural Policy and Development

10/19/2026

Minnesota’s unemployment rate is creeping up, but what does that look like across the state?

Unemployment has risen in every region since 2022, with some areas of Greater Minnesota facing higher rates than others.

In our latest blog post, CRPD Senior Researcher Kelly Asche takes a closer look at regional trends and what they reveal about Minnesota’s changing workforce.

Read more:

Unemployment rates are up in every region of the state since 2022, but the regional gaps behind those numbers are nothing new.

10/13/2026

A great conversation in North Mankato!

Last week, the Center for Rural Policy & Development brought its Pathways After High School Roadshow to South Central College, sharing new research on the education and workforce pathways of Greater Minnesota high school graduates.

Following a presentation by CRPD researcher Kelly Asche, three local education and workforce development experts joined a panel discussion to explore the findings and what they mean for the region.

Thank you to our panelists Gwenn Wolters of South Central Service Cooperative, Dr. George Taylor III of South Central College, and Dr. Aaron Budge of Minnesota State University, Mankato, for sharing their perspectives!

We're looking forward to continuing these important conversations across Greater Minnesota.

Learn more about upcoming Roadshow stops and register: https://www.ruralmn.org/events/

10/07/2026

Where do Southeast Minnesota’s high school graduates go after graduation, and what helps keep them connected to the region?

CRPD’s newest Pathways After High School report takes a closer look at Southeast Minnesota graduates, examining their paths through education and the workforce.

The findings offer new insight into what influences where graduates ultimately live and work and what that means for Southeast Minnesota’s future workforce.

Explore the research:

Understanding Where Graduates Go After High School

10/06/2026

🎙️ What keeps young people connected to rural Minnesota after high school?

In the latest episode of the Center of Everywhere podcast, President & CEO Julie Tesch joins Marnie Werner following the first stop of our Pathways After High School Roadshow in Fergus Falls.

They dig into what CRPD’s research tells us about the role career and technical education, two-year colleges and other pathways can play in keeping young people connected to rural communities and the workforce.

🎧 Listen to Season 7, Episode 3: Pathways After High School Roadshow:
https://www.ruralmn.org/podcast/season-7-episode-3-pathways-after-high-school-roadshow/

📍 Want to join us on the road? See upcoming Pathways After High School stops and register at ruralmn.org/events.

10/02/2026

What does it take to help young people build a future in the rural communities they call home?

A recent MPR News Rural Voice town hall in Grand Rapids explored that question with parents, educators and community leaders. The conversation drew on research from the Center for Rural Policy and Development examining the career paths of high school and college students, including the important role that career and technical education can play in connecting young people with opportunities close to home.

The discussion also highlights a challenge many rural communities know well: creating accessible, affordable places for young people to live and build their lives.

Keeping rural communities vibrant starts with understanding what young people need to see a future there.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation from MPR News:

How do rural communities keep young people from drifting away? At a Rural Voice town hall in Grand Rapids. Kerri Miller heard from parents, educators and town leaders about the challenges and possible solutions that could help rural kids stay in their hometowns.

10/02/2026

🚗 CRPD is hitting the road!

Our Pathways After High School Roadshow kicked off this week in Fergus Falls, the first of 10 stops across Minnesota. At each stop, we’ll share regional findings on where Greater Minnesota students go after high school and hear from local experts about what the data looks like on the ground.

In our latest blog post, President & CEO Julie Tesch shares why CRPD decided to take this research on the road and what we hope to learn along the way.

Read more and see where we’re headed next: https://www.ruralmn.org/crpd-is-hitting-the-road/

09/30/2026

Where do Northwest Minnesota’s high school graduates go after graduation, and what helps keep them connected to the region?

CRPD’s latest Pathways After High School report takes a closer look at high school graduates, examining their paths through education and the workforce.

The findings offer new insight into what influences where graduates ultimately live and work and what that means for Greater Minnesota's future workforce.

Explore the research:

Understanding Where Graduates Go After High School

09/25/2026

What happens to Greater Minnesota’s high school graduates after they leave high school? Where do they go, what paths do they take, and what can those choices tell us about the future of our region’s workforce?

Join the Center for Rural Policy and Development for our Pathways After High School Roadshow, beginning with stops in Fergus Falls on Sept. 29 and North Mankato on Oct. 8.

The events will explore new CRPD research examining the workforce trajectories of Greater Minnesota’s high school graduates, including their paths into postsecondary education and the workforce and where they live and work in the years that follow.

FERGUS FALLS
Tuesday, Sept. 29
1–3 p.m.
Lakes Country Service Cooperative
Fergus Falls, Minnesota

NORTH MANKATO
Thursday, Oct. 8
1–3 p.m.
South Central College
North Mankato, Minnesota

Both events are free and open to the public. Learn more and register at https://www.ruralmn.org/events/

More Roadshow Stops (all 1–3 p.m.):

Oct. 20 – Blandin Foundation, Grand Rapids
Oct. 22 – Minnesota Discovery Center, Chisholm
Oct. 26 – Roseau Civic Center, Roseau
Oct. 27 – White Earth Tribal College, Mahnomen
Nov. 5 – People’s Energy Cooperative, Oronoco
Nov. 10 – Ridgewater College, Hutchinson
Nov. 12 – Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Worthington

09/24/2026

Missed our Pathways After High School webinar? You can now watch the full conversation online.

Presented in partnership with Sourcewell, the webinar explores CRPD’s new research following Greater Minnesota high school graduates and the different paths they take into postsecondary education and the workforce, and what those trends mean for the future of Greater Minnesota’s workforce.

Thanks to Sourcewell for partnering with us on this important conversation.

Watch it here:

https://vimeo.com/1213962277/9ee9dbbffa

09/22/2026

What happens to Greater Minnesota students after high school — and where do their education and career pathways take them?

In the latest episode of The Center of Everywhere, CRPD Vice President of Research & Operations Marnie Werner sits down with Senior Researcher Kelly Asche to discuss new research tracking the school and workforce trajectories of rural high school graduates across Minnesota.

Listen to Season 7, Episode 2: Pathways After High School:

New research is being published by the Center for Rural Policy and Development that examines the school and workforce trajectories of rural high school