As North Dakota moves into an era of new opportunities, something we can all feel excited about, one industry faces challenges in being able to compete for qualified staff.

I am one of the more than 4,500 people in the state who work with people with developmental disabilities. We have been trained and certified through a program at Minot State University. Also, like many other persons in this field, I have a four-year college degree. Our responsibilities are similar to those of a licensed practical nurse or a certified nursing assistant.

Many of us work two or three jobs to make ends meet. The average pay in this field is the same or less than for people working in fast foods. Not surprisingly, we have one of the highest turnover rates of any industry in our state. The reason for this is primarily low pay, working more than the normal 40 hours per week and a high rate of frustration.

We are dedicated to our profession, but many of us leave our jobs for better pay and better working conditions.

To the credit of our community providers, they do their utmost to improve our working conditions and pay, but they have not had any increase in funding for three years, despite annual inflationary increases.

There is a bill in the Legislature, HB1012, that would help bridge this wage gap and for which I would ask public support. We want to continue to do our best to improve the lives of those we serve.