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DEED Seeks to Align Minnesota Workforce and Business Needs
[July 01, 2014]

DEED Seeks to Align Minnesota Workforce and Business Needs


(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ST. PAUL, Minn., June 30 -- The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development issued the following news release: The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded more than $3.3 million in grants to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the College of St. Scholastica to train 4,482 current and new employees of 34 businesses.



The grants were awarded under the agency's Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program. The program works strategically with both businesses and educational institutions to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities and keep high-quality jobs in the state. In this grant round, the program leveraged about $6.8 million from partners.

"As we seek to address the future needs of our workforce in Minnesota, we are striving to better align our current workers with the demands of our businesses," said DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben. "To date, the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program has trained over 260,000 Minnesotans, and will continue to provide support for the evolving needs of our businesses statewide." Minnesota Job Skills Partnership grants Minnesota State University, Mankato, Firmenich in New Ulm - $49,697 Firmenich is the largest privately-owned company in the perfume and flavor business with more than 6,000 employees in 64 countries. Minnesota State College, Mankato will partner with the business to develop and deliver training for 93 employees at the New Ulm manufacturing location. Training will include Six Sigma Green Belt and leadership skills. New Ulm will be Firmenich's first plant worldwide to have achieved Green Belt Six Sigma status. As a result of the grant, Minnesota State College, Mankato will expand their Six Sigma and leadership courses.


Contact: Jan Bauer, Minnesota State University, Mankato, 507-389-1094 Alexandria Technical and Community College, Innova Industries in Fergus Falls - $49,754 Privately-owned Innova Industries, located in Fergus Falls, provides laser cutting, fabrication, welding, finishing and assembly for customers that include Case New Holland and Bobcat. Alexandria Technical and Community College will work with the business to develop training for 66 employees that will ensure Innova's continued success. Courses include Leadership Techniques and Accountability, Corrective Action, Root Cause Analysis and Problem Solving, Quick Response Manufacturing and Lean, Scheduling and Inventory Control Methods, Welding and Certification, Print Reading for Welders and Fabricators and Metrology Basics for Industry. In-house trainers will be developed to meet future Innova workforce needs.

Contact: Randy Wentzel, Alexandria Technical and Community College, 320-762-4552 Century College, Modernistic in Stillwater - $49,974 Family-owned Modernistic is a leading supplier of point-of-purchase signage and displays located in Stillwater. Century College will work with Modernistic to develop training for 82 employees that will provide them with the skills to respond and adapt to changing markets, exceed customer demands and continue growing the company. Modernistic will provide internships and part-time jobs to visual communications technology students from Century College.

Contact: Jeralyn Jargo, Century College, 651-779-3235 Century College, Advanced Molding Technologies in Circle Pines - $49,446 Advanced Molding Technologies is a privately-held injection molding company in Circle Pines. Customized training will ensure employees have the knowledge and ability to assemble products and operate sophisticated machinery in a highly regulated industry. Training will take place at the workplace and include Manufacturing Fundamentals, Injection Molding Procedures, Clean Room Procedures and cGMP (current good manufacturing processes).

Contact: Jeralyn Jargo, Century College, 651-779-3235 Saint Paul College, Gopher Resource in Eagan - $49,958 Gopher Resource Corporation does advanced recycling of lead-acid batteries, lead bearing wastes and related products. New and customized courses for 62 employees include Mechanical, Pneumatics, and Hydraulics Training, Training Within Industry (TWI) Job Instruction, Standard Work Process, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and Application of TWI Training to TPM.

Contact: Paul Dalton, Saint Paul College, 651-846-1429 Lake Superior College, HydroSolutions in Duluth - $22,112 HydroSolutions, located in Duluth, specializes in water jet cutting techniques. Lake Superior College and this locally owned manufacturing company will develop and implement a 104-hour Lean Manufacturing training program that will help all 12 employees work more efficiently and grow the business. The college will use the training for implementing Lean in other small companies.

Contact: Steve Wagner, Lake Superior College, 218-733-5934 MN West Community and Technical College, Polar Tank Trailers in St. Cloud - $255,984 Curriculum will be developed and delivered to 545 manufacturing, sales and engineering employees of one of the largest manufacturers of custom tank trailers in the United States. Training topics include Mass Customization, Lead Time Reduction, Robust Quality Control, Advanced Process Control, Leadership in Execution and Total Productive Maintenance.

Contact: Dawn Regnier, MN West Community and Technical College, 507-223-1313 Hennepin Technical College, Medtronic in Brooklyn Park and Plymouth - $226,089 Hennepin Technical College will work with Medtronic on the training of 359 employees at the Brooklyn Park and Plymouth plants which manufacture products under the Cardiac and Vascular division. Five new courses will blend adult education, cultural learning styles and technical writing. The college will increase their capacity to deliver training to diverse populations.

Contact: Cherie Rollings, Hennepin Technical College, 763-488-2731 North Hennepin Community College, Advancedcath in Eden Prairie - $230,000 The college and Advancedcath, a medical device company, will deliver customized courses to 100 current and 26 new employees that will build the company's capacity to streamline processes, reduce mistakes and errors and become flexible to respond to innovation within the industry, customer needs and government regulations.

Contact: Beth Schaefer, North Hennepin Community College, 763-493-0580 Summit Academy OIC, Mortenson Construction in Golden Valley - $200,000 A project between Mortenson Construction and Summit Academy OIC will provide 120 individuals over a two-year period training through their industry-recognized Pre-Apprentice Construction Program. Graduates from the training will have interviews with Mortenson and other hiring companies this November and be eligible to work in 2015.

Contact: Leroy West, Summit Academy OIC, 612-278-5240 Dakota County Technical College, Foldcraft Inc. in Kenyon and Burnsville - $173,976 Dakota County Technical College will deliver a training program for 118 current and 10 new employees working at the Kenyon and Burnsville facilities. The curriculum includes Industrial Sewing/Upholstery, Blueprint Reading, Math and Measurements for Technicians, Computer Skills, Leadership and Coaching, and Negotiation Skills. DCTC will gain expertise in upholstery and industrial sewing that will support professional development in the industry.

Contact: Marlo Miller, Dakota County Technical College, 651-423-8612 Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Metro Mold & Design Inc. in Rogers - $375,311 Metro Mold & Design is a family-owned mold manufacturing, precision machining, assembly and finishing company. Metro Mold & Design will work with Anoka-Ramsey Community College to develop 10 new and customized courses for 432 current and new employees that will help them meet increased production demands. As a result of the project, the college will add capacity that will benefit other precision manufacturing companies.

Contact: Stephen Jones, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 763-433-1683 Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Electric Machinery Company Inc. in Minneapolis - $300,000 Anoka-Ramsey Community College will work with Electric Machinery experts to deliver training to 231 current employees and 50 new employees focusing on Management and Leadership, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Cross Training, Manufacturing Software Applications, Trade Technical Skills, Engineering as a Second Language and CNC Operation. The workforce will become more competitive in the electrical generator industry as a result of the training.

Contact: Stephen Jones, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 763-433-1683 Minnesota State University, Mankato, Michael Foods in Minnetonka and Northern Star Co. in Chaska - $300,000 A customized training program will be delivered to 771 employees over a three-year period. Training will allow the company to increase productivity and meet customer demand; employees will acquire new skills, increase their marketability and have the opportunity to advance within the company. Training will be provided in the areas of process improvement, leadership and Mechatronics. Minnesota State University, Mankato will gain knowledge in the agricultural food processing industry and Mechatronics through the partnership.

Contact: Jan Bauer, Minnesota State University, Mankato, 507-389-1094 Minnesota State University, Mankato, Truck Bodies & Equipment International in Lake Crystal - $156,991 Truck Bodies & Equipment International consists of five leading manufacturers of dump bodies, landscape bodies, platforms, hoists and truck and trailer equipment and accessories. The company will partner with Minnesota State University, Mankato to develop customized training to 145 current and 75 new employees. Training will be provided in the areas of A3 Project Kaizen, Six Sigma, Leadership, and Welding. The training is expected to improve the company's efficiency and sustainability. Employees will acquire new skills that will increase their marketability and give them the opportunity to advance within the company.

Contact: Jan Bauer, Minnesota State University, Mankato, 507-389-1094 St. Cloud State University, Netgain in St. Cloud - $147,739 St. Cloud-based Netgain is a growing IT provider that focuses on the health care market. The partners will develop and deliver training for 84 employees on Healthcare in the United States, Building Business Communication Skills in the Healthcare Industry, Netgain Client Experience, Advancing Netgain Technical Knowledge and Skills, and Netgain Management/Leadership in Healthcare IT. Training will help Netgain remain competitive within the changing healthcare and IT industry and provide employees with career advancement opportunities.

Contact: Tammy Anhalt-Warner, St. Cloud State University, 320-308-4252 Rochester Community and Technical College, Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester - $247,844 Customized curriculum on Quality, Project Management, ISO 9000, and Healthcare Leadership will be developed and delivered to 1,197 Olmsted Medical Center employees in a range of occupations. Employees will be trained on critical topics that will assist Olmsted Medical Center with increased efficiencies and cost reductions, improved quality of services and profitability. Rochester Community and Technical College will gain capacity with the development of online learning.

Contact: Abbey Hellickson, Rochester Community and Technical College, 507-529-2736 The College of St. Scholastica, Human Development Center in Duluth - $77,603 The Human Development Center is the region's community mental health center with locations and services in four northeastern Minnesota counties. The college will work with the Human Development Center to develop and deliver training modules for clinical documentation of patient services and quality reporting of services and outcomes; training on documentation to meet new coding systems; and training on federal, state and county reporting requirements. Seventy-nine employees will be trained in this project that will allow Human Development Center to maximize their revenue.

Contact: Brooke Palkie, The College of St. Scholastica, 218-733-2245 Saint Paul College, Construction Consortium - $365,873 Sixteen construction industry partners, Saint Paul College, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, and the St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council will work as a collaborative to develop and implement the "Skills Trades Pipeline Project-Trades Up" project to prepare 140 individuals to enter apprenticeship programs. Recruitment will focus on lower-income women, minority groups and veterans. Under-represented populations will have greater access to opportunities in the construction trades, and Saint Paul College's capacity to train and certify trainees for quicker entry in the trades will be increased.

Contact: Cheryl Beaumier, Saint Paul College, 651-846-1438 DEED is the state's principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and our services, visit us at http://mn.gov/deed/. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/mndeed.

TNS 18DejucosGrace-140701-30FurigayJane-4783288 30FurigayJane (c) 2014 Targeted News Service

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