How to Support Upskilling & Tech Education in Minnesota

Minnesota faces a paradox. The state is home to one of the nation's most robust technology sectors, with over 17 Fortune 500 headquarters and a tech industry that contributes more than $30 billion annually to the state economy. Yet Minnesota ranks dead last among all 50 states for offering public computer science education. Only 35% of the state's high schools offer any CS courses, compared to a national average of 57%.

This gap is not just an educational problem. It is a workforce problem, an economic competitiveness problem, and an equity problem. Closing it requires coordinated action from the people who have the power to make systemic change: legislators, business leaders, and community organizations.

This guide outlines concrete, actionable steps for each of these groups. Every recommendation is grounded in data and designed to be implemented within existing institutional frameworks.

The Economic Case for Tech Education Investment

Before addressing specific actions, it is worth understanding why tech education investment delivers outsized returns. The data is unambiguous.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data projects that software development roles will grow 25% nationally through 2031, far outpacing average job growth. In Minnesota specifically, the demand is acute: the state's healthcare technology, financial services, agritech, and manufacturing automation sectors all depend on a steady supply of qualified technical talent. Without a deliberate investment in homegrown talent, Minnesota companies will continue paying premium prices to recruit from coastal markets, or worse, will lose business to states that invested earlier.

For Legislators: Policy Actions That Move the Needle

1. Support the CS Education Advancement Act

Thirty-nine states have already adopted mandatory CS education standards. Minnesota is one of the remaining eleven that has not. The CS Education Advancement Act would bring Minnesota in line with the national trend while providing the funding needed to implement the mandate effectively, particularly in under-resourced rural districts.

2. Allocate broadband funding with an education mandate

Remote tech education, including events like Northland Hackathon, depends on reliable broadband access. Minnesota has made significant investments in broadband through the Border-to-Border Broadband program, but coverage gaps persist in rural areas. Legislators can accelerate impact by tying a portion of broadband funding to educational outcomes, specifically requiring that broadband expansion projects demonstrate improved access to online educational resources, including CS education platforms and remote learning events.

3. Create tax incentives for tech education sponsors

Minnesota can incentivize private sector investment in tech education through targeted tax credits. A state-level tax credit for companies that sponsor educational technology events, fund CS teacher training, or donate equipment to schools would leverage private capital to address the CS education gap without relying solely on public funding. Several peer states, including Colorado and Michigan, have implemented similar programs with measurable success.

4. Fund extracurricular CS programs, not just classroom instruction

Classroom CS education is essential, but it is not sufficient. Much of the most effective CS learning happens in extracurricular settings: hackathons, coding clubs, summer programs, and mentorship networks. Legislators should ensure that state education funding formulas recognize and support these programs, particularly for schools that serve low-income and rural communities where extracurricular resources are scarce.

For Businesses: Invest in Your Future Workforce

1. Sponsor events like Northland Hackathon

Companies that invest in Midwest tech talent early gain a structural advantage. Students who interact with a company's brand at a formative event like a hackathon develop brand affinity that persists through college and into their job search. Sponsoring companies also get early access to high-potential students through mentoring relationships, making recruitment more targeted and effective.

2. Offer employee volunteer days for mentoring

Technical professionals want to give back, but they need institutional support to do so. Companies that offer dedicated volunteer days, specifically for mentoring at tech education events, see benefits beyond community impact. Employee engagement data consistently shows that workers who participate in company-sponsored volunteer programs report higher job satisfaction and stronger loyalty. It costs very little to give an engineer a day off to mentor students; the return in goodwill, retention, and brand reputation is substantial.

3. Create internship pipelines connected to education events

The most effective way to convert hackathon enthusiasm into career readiness is to create structured pathways from event participation to professional experience. Companies can establish internship programs that explicitly recruit from hackathon alumni pools. This does not need to be complex. A simple commitment to interview a set number of Northland Hackathon participants each year creates a pipeline that benefits both the company and the students.

4. Donate equipment and software licenses

Many students, particularly those in low-income and rural communities, lack access to the hardware and software needed for CS education. Companies can donate retired laptops, fund software license grants for educational institutions, and provide free access to development tools for student programs. These donations are typically tax-deductible and have an outsized impact on communities where a single donated laptop can open a door for an entire family.

For Community Leaders: Build Local Tech Culture

1. Host local coding events

Community leaders, including library directors, community center managers, youth program coordinators, and civic organizers, are uniquely positioned to host coding events in their communities. A one-day coding workshop at a public library requires minimal resources: a room with internet access, a volunteer instructor, and basic promotional outreach. The impact is disproportionate to the effort, particularly in communities that have never had access to any technology education programming.

2. Partner with schools to fill the CS gap

In communities where schools do not offer CS courses, community organizations can partner with school administrators to provide supplementary programming. This might take the form of after-school coding clubs, weekend workshops, or facilitated participation in remote events like Northland Hackathon. Community organizations often have the flexibility and community trust that schools lack, making them ideal intermediaries for introducing new educational programming.

3. Donate equipment and advocate for broadband access

Community leaders can organize equipment donation drives, connecting businesses and individuals who have retired hardware with students and families who need it. They can also advocate for broadband expansion at the local level, attending city council and county board meetings to ensure that digital infrastructure is prioritized alongside roads and utilities.

Measuring Progress: Accountability Metrics

Investment without measurement is guesswork. The following metrics should be tracked at the state level to assess whether Minnesota is making progress on CS education and tech workforce development:

• Percentage of high schools offering CS courses: Currently 35%. The target should be 75% by 2030.
• Number of students completing a CS course annually: Tracking course completions, not just enrollments, ensures that access translates into outcomes.
• Geographic distribution of CS access: Rural and urban access should be tracked separately to ensure that progress is equitable.
• Number of student hackathon events statewide: Currently fewer than 10 per year. A target of 25+ by 2028 would bring Minnesota in line with peer states.
• Tech job vacancies filled by in-state graduates: The ultimate measure of pipeline success is whether Minnesota companies can hire the talent they need from within the state.

The Cost of Inaction

Every year that Minnesota delays investment in CS education is another graduating class of students locked out of the state's most dynamic and high-paying career sector. It is another year that Minnesota companies spend recruiting and relocating expensive coastal talent instead of hiring from their own communities. It is another year that the gap between Minnesota and its peer states grows wider.

The states that are investing now, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, will reap the benefits of their investment for decades. The question for Minnesota is not whether to invest. It is whether to invest now, while there is still time to catch up, or later, when the cost of falling behind becomes far more severe.

For questions about policy recommendations, sponsorship opportunities, or how to start a coding event in your community, contact the Northland Hackathon team at team@northlandhackathon.com. We are committed to working with anyone who shares the goal of making Minnesota a leader in tech education access.