BIEvery Day Genius – Public Utility Commission
BIEvery Day Genius – Public Utility Commission Watch the full interview here: The world of trades is more diverse than one may expect.
May 29, 2020
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Memorial Day with Big Ideas
As Memorial Day and the weekend approaches, we reflect on those who have given their lives so that we could live with more opportunity. Memorial Day is often a time of furniture sales, annual car liquidation events, and trips to the lake for the weekend. While we enjoy those past times, with half of our
May 21, 2020
Our own Briana featured on Motortrend’s Bitchin’ Boot Camp
We want to congratulate Briana Huhn for her awesome performance on the internationally streamed show: Bitchin’ Boot Camp! Of over 2,000 applicants, Briana was selected for the final 12. Check out how far she made it! Watch the full series: Q&A with Briana: Why is this important: The entire experience was important to me for
May 11, 2020
Protective plexiglass barriers in high demand
See video here: By Kelsey Barchenger | April 30, 2020 at 1:42 PM CDT – Updated April 30 at 1:42 PM NEW ULM, Minn. (KEYC) – Many local businesses are looking for ways to stay operational while keeping their workers safe, and that has some companies turning to glass shops for help. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the
May 4, 2020
Big Ideas Thanks our friends at Blue Demon Welding!
Appreciation post! @the_real_bluedini showed up with the @bluedemonweld dab pen for Chris. He has very limited mobility in his thumb and index finger on his left hand. With the limited mobility, he was unable to feed a rod… or so we thought! The pen made it easy and smooth to use the filler rod. Thank you @bluedemonweld for the great
April 29, 2020
A Growing group of car collectors, enthusiasts visit nursing homes in New Ulm
How great is this? Watch the Video here: By Gage Cureton | April 27, 2020 at 10:05 PM CDT – Updated April 27 at 10:42 PM NEW ULM, Minn. (KEYC) – A group of car collectors and enthusiasts hosts a weekly parade in New Ulm and its numbers have grown since it began a few weeks ago. Residents
April 29, 2020
BIG IDEAS SCHOLARSHIPS – Carter
What interests you about the trade you applied for the scholarship for? I have always had a big interest in the construction field of work. I like being active and hands on type of tasks so I really felt that the construction field would be a good field to pursue. I really enjoyed hearing from
April 19, 2020
What is Big Ideas Anyway?
What is Big Ideas Anyway? In 2016, after watching their two oldest children and friends approach their senior year of high school and consider their futures, Rebecca Fliszar and Mary Ann Christensen had four convergent realizations Inferiority: The significantly fewer high schoolers contemplating a trade program or two-year degree appeared to feel inferior to
April 16, 2020
Amazing things at Big Ideas with Chris
Check out our friend Chris’s video from Facebook. Please feel free to share or pass along. I’m looking to connect with fellow veterans who are transitioning out of the military or looking to change careers and enter a field in the skilled trades. Visit bigideasusa.org for more information or hop over to our Facebook Page. We provide
March 26, 2020
Minnesota Bases ‘My Pillow’ has shifted 75% of its production to create health care supplies
Another great example of a company using their trade skills to help. Minnesota based MyPillow has shifted 75% of its production to create health care supplies. Read the article here: https://bit.ly/39n4bxE
March 26, 2020
When the going gets tough, the tough get going!
It might sound cliché, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going! We want to acknowledge companies like UCU inc Suite Seats who have shifted their industrial sewing department to produce much needed medical equipment. Do you know of a business that is using trades to help the community? Help us share on our
March 25, 2020
Create a Promising Future in Manufacturing
What do you picture when you think of a manufacturing job? Long hours and overnight shifts in dark factories are common misconceptions that might scare you away from pursuing a career in manufacturing. This post is a wake-up call to inform you about the diverse array of manufacturing jobs that you can attain to build
October 3, 2019
2019 State Fair Recap
As we reflect on our first year as an exhibitor at the Minnesota State Fair, we are overcome with gratitude for our volunteers and all the wonderful people who stopped by our booth to fully support our mission to reintroduce the skilled trades to people of all ages. With over 2.1 million people attending the
September 19, 2019
Skilled Trade Education vs. Bachelor’s Degree
It is highly common for high school seniors to select a 4-year college program when they still have no idea what type of career will be right for them. In fact, one-third of college students change their major in the first three years of their program (NCES), and the average rate is 49% for post-secondary
September 5, 2019
The Simple Senior Checklist for Life After Graduation
The excitement is building for the incoming class of 2020 and these seniors are beginning to map out what they will do after graduation. The implication that you need to know exactly what you want to with the rest of your life by the time you are a senior can feel really overwhelming, but we
August 22, 2019
Meet Our Instructor: Eric Fliszar
At Big Ideas, Inc., we are very lucky to have passionate instructors who are passionate about their trade to teach our courses. In this post, we highlight our GMAW and SMAW Welding Courses Instructor, Eric Fliszar. We interviewed Eric to learn more about his love for welding and why he believes that exposure to the
August 8, 2019
Tips & Careers for DIY Woodworking
Despite the name, do it yourself (DIY) projects do not need to be done alone. You can always reference YouTube videos and different “How-To” guides for instructions, but there is another resource that you may not be aware of: your local lumberyard! In New Ulm, we have two local lumberyard/construction material providers: Puhlmann Lumber &
July 25, 2019
Life in the Trades
Careers in the trades vary from baking to plumbing, but one common thread connects them all: passion for what you do. Recently, we spoke with several local tradespeople to learn why they chose to pursue a career in the trades vs. the traditional 4-year university, what their typical day looks like, their education, and the
July 11, 2019
The Timeline and Benefits of Trade School
If you’re a recent high school graduate, or will graduate in a few years, you might be wondering what the difference is between trade school vs. the traditional 4-year undergraduate degree. As more drawbacks to pursuing a 4-year degree emerge (i.e., a lot of debt, difficulty finding a job, etc.), trade school is becoming a
June 20, 2019
Trade School Scholarships
As another school year comes to an end for high school students, many incoming seniors are beginning to seriously think about their future beyond high school. High school students are becoming more aware of the downfalls associated with a typical 4-year degree; i.e., a lot of student loan debt and difficulty of finding a job
June 6, 2019