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College Awarded $100,000 Grant to Train Bio-Fuels Technicians(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) COON RAPIDS, Minn., Aug. 20 -- Anoka-Ramsey Community College issued the following news release: Stepping forward to meet the demand, Anoka-Ramsey Community College has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Minnesota Governor's Workforce Development Council to strengthen the local clean energy marketplace. The grant will train approximately 44 participants, selected from a target population of military veterans, displaced workers and incumbent employees, in a 12-month program that concludes in certification. The college is partnering with two local businesses. Participants in the grant's demand-driven training program will be qualified to work with them. SarTec Corp., an agricultural products producer with a home office in Anoka, Minn., developed a greener and cleaner process for producing biodiesel fuel and Ever Cat Fuels is implementing this patented technology at their biodiesel demonstration plant in Isanti County. "While Minnesota has shown progressive leadership incorporating renewable and clean sources of energy into its economy, there is broad state-wide agreement that the consumption of relatively scarce and toxic energy resources, especially foreign fossil fuels, continues at a high and unsustainable level," says college Director of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Funding, Donald Long. "The continued growth of locally produced, clean energy is critical for our future and, with the help of this grant, the state's bio-fuels industry will be poised to make a significant contribution toward that cleaner energy economy." It is anticipated that this grant training process, coupled with federal and state statutory incentives, will result in significant bio-fuels industry growth. A skilled and knowledgeable workforce is necessary to fill these positions and facilitate the development of the renewable bio-fuels industry in Minnesota. For Ever Cat Fuels alone a projected 625 to 2,000 new jobs will be created during the next five years. The grant-funded training of workers for these industries will be administered by Anoka-Ramsey Community College and coordinated by Professional Training Director, Stephen Jones. Multiple learning strategies will be used in the training including: * existing online courses * experiential lessons within production facilities * virtual tours of existing plants * instructor-led classroom activities * production control computer simulations * expert presentations from industry representatives An advisory board will provide guidance for curriculum refinement, selection of participants, delivery of learning activities and support for participant completion and job placement. The Minnesota Biodiesel Council and Minnesota West Technical and Community College faculty will provide additional program support. Training is expected to begin by late-September. "The grant meets two important needs in our Coon Rapids and Cambridge communities," says Jones. "First, the training will provide new skills and knowledge in the bio-fuels field to dislocated workers, qualifying them for employment in the bio-fuels industry. Second, our partners SarTec and Ever Cat Fuels will benefit by having a skilled and local workforce available to meet their growing qualified labor needs." Anoka-Ramsey has been providing 'green' training for several years with unprecedented success. Most recently, the college has worked with Len Busch Roses and the Dalco Co. to help them employ lean and green strategies resulting in positive impacts to the environment and their economic bottom line. For more information about the Minnesota Governor's Workforce Development Council grant, contact Anoka-Ramsey Community College Professional Training at 763-433-1200 or www.AnokaRamsey.edu/en/ProTraining.aspx. TNS C-NiskSa71- 100821-mv45-2964369 61MarlynVitin (c) 2010 Targeted News Service |