North Dakota’s Next Generation of Civil Servants

(Adobe Stock via Prairie News Service)

( By Mike Moen. Prairie News Service) – Learning storm water management might not sound exciting to teens and young adults, but in one North Dakota city, college students are getting a taste of different municipal jobs and leaders say it will help future staffing levels.

Despite recruiting progress, local governments in the U.S. are bracing for a wave of retirements. Grand Forks is wrapping up its 10th year of an internship program to confront the challenges.

Noah Lund, a student at the University of North Dakota, is getting a firsthand look at a career in civil service, thanks to the city’s partnership with the school. A marketing major, Lund did social media work for the city’s fire department this summer.

“I’ve had an amazing experience being able to capture all the great things that they do,” Lund explained. “Including their training, all the community events that they (have) going on.”