$2.7 Million in Workforce Development Grants Awarded by Minnesota Job Skills Partnership

ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded workforce development grants totaling $2.7 million under the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) to train 4,402 workers.

Under the partnership, educational institutions and businesses work together to secure MJSP funding. Businesses initially meet with an accredited educational institution to explain their training needs and to learn options. Once they agree on a plan, the educational institution contacts DEED to determine eligibility for a grant.

“The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership works to ensure that critical training for high-skill jobs is available to Minnesota workers," said Shawntera Hardy, who chairs the MJSP Board and is commissioner of DEED. "This is a win-win for Minnesota businesses remaining competitive and educational institutions offering advanced training."

The following grants were awarded:

Normandale Community College, ImmunoChemistry Technologies, LLC, Bloomington – $49,338

ImmunoChemistry Technologies is a specialized bioscience business. Nine employees – one a new hire – will receive customized training in ISO 9001, OSHA 10 Safety and Hazardous Material Handling, and internal auditor training.

Local contact: Deb Shirk, Normandale Community College, 952-358-9369

Century College, TLC Electronics, Mahtomedi – $49,975

TLC Electronics, a first-time applicant for MJSP funding, is a value-added manufacturer and distributor. Funding will enable the company to develop training in advanced technologies to expand their customer base to include medical device manufacturers. Training will be developed and delivered to 63 employees, 20 of them new.

Local contact: Monica Ramirez, Century College, 651-779-3235

Anoka-Ramsey Community, DecoPac, Inc., Anoka – $49,886

DecoPac is the world's largest supplier of cake decorations and cake decorating supplies. Fifty warehouse workers, leads, product support, and managers will receive training in Business Management Software; Customer Relationship Management System; SolidWorks Prototyping; Project Management; and Mentoring Lead Training.

Local contact: Matthew Salo, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 763-422-6116

Anoka-Ramsey Community College, M&M Machining, Elk River – $49,814

M&M Machining offers a line of matching options, including milling, turning, drill presses, exterior processes, finishing and Swiss machining for the military and medical and aerospace industries. All 37 employees – two of them new – will participate in Advanced Blueprint Reading and Inspection, Advanced Kaizen, and Problem Solving.

Local contact: Matthew Salo, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 763-422-6116

Anoka-Ramsey Community College; Toy-N-Around, Eden Prairie; and ATventure, Minneapolis – $44,834

Toy-N-Around and ATventure act as brokers between product producers and retail sellers. To expand employment and increase market presence, 22 account managers, business analysts, and executives will receive customized training in four areas: The Art of Brokerage, Elements of Logistics, Client Interfaces, and Multi-tasking in Fast Paced Environments.

Local contact: Matthew Salo, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 763-422-6116

Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Kraus-Anderson Construction, Minneapolis – $394,279

Kraus-Anderson is a contract builder of complex buildings and facilities. Five hundred employees representing occupations company-wide will receive customized training in four areas: Technology Training; Compliance and Certification Training; Field Management Training; and Micro Learning. Trainees will be required to access and use high-tech equipment and software. Training will be given at each of four Kraus-Anderson facilities or at a local educational institution.

Local contact: Matthew Salo, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 763-422-6116

Rochester Community and Technical College, Mayo Clinic, Rochester – $371,922

Mayo Clinic subject matter experts and Rochester Community and Technical College faculty will develop curriculum that will enable students to practice applying the technical skills required for the Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSP) certification, and to establish a base of employees who can apply cybersecurity principles and technical methods to workplace solutions. The new CISSP training program will consist of eight comprehensive modules that include both virtual live classroom and instructor-led lab components. A total of 130 employees will participate in the CISSP training with 30 taking the CISSP exam.

Local contact: Jennifer Wilson, Rochester Community and Technical College, 507-529-2736

South Central College, Daikin Applied, Faribault and Owatonna – $399,889

Daikin Applied will partner with South Central College to restructure Daikin's current new hire orientation to a more specialized orientation relevant to the specific position; provide basic skills training; train staff who will serve as in-house trainers; and implement structured on-the-job training. A total of 849 employees will receive training relevant to their position and cross-trained in multiple core skills. Selected individuals will complete a train-the-trainer class and assist in the design and implementation of structured on-the-job training.

Local contact: Tanja Stading, South Central College, 507-389-7392

Normandale Community College, Donaldson Company, Bloomington – $350,000

Through a partnership with Normandale Community College, a three-phase advanced manufacturing training and development program will be customized for 800 employees, 40 of them new. In phase one, trainees will receive awareness training about the organization, its strategic direction, diverse cultures, products and quality expectations. Phase two will help employees develop and apply skills in filtration technologies, quality foundations, Six Sigma, Lean, auditor fundamentals, innovation through continuous improvement, and project management. In phase three, learning will be reinforced and applied through facilitated sessions, coaching and practicum.

Local contact: Deb Shirk, Normandale Community College, 952-358-9369

Normandale Community College, Medtronic, Minneapolis – $397,557

Normandale Community College and Medtronic will develop a strategy to support advancement of Medtronic's information and data literacy. The three-tiered project will be delivered to 1,037 employees. Tier 1, Building an Ecosystem of Data Literacy, will provide context and understanding to the importance of data and equip workers with data skills and knowledge. Tier 2, Accelerating Healthcare Data Value through Data Science and Real World Activities, moves the learning to the next level of knowledge and skills development. Tier 3, Developing a Data Able Organization through Sustainability and Scale, will advance the learning to develop insight of data innovation and industry application.

Local contact: Brenda Dickinson, Normandale Community College, 952-358-8238

Finishing Trades Institute Upper Midwest, Construction Consortium – $325, 154

A consortium of four unionized companies – Swanson Youngdale, Minneapolis; Rainbow, Inc., New Hope; Empirehouse, Inc., Mounds View; and JB Nelson, Minneapolis – and Finishing Trades Institute Upper Midwest will create training using four new Virtual Reality Aerial Lift Training Simulators in conjunction with classroom and traditional training programs. Training for a total of 310 employees, 31 of them new, will include Orientation to Virtual Learning, AL Licensure Certification Instruction, and AL Retraining/Recertification Instruction. Six trainees will complete Train-the-Trainer.

Local contact: Patrick Rome, Finishing Trades Institute, 651-379-9600

MN State University, Mankato and Gentle Touch Health Initiative – $240,000

Gentle Touch Health Initiative operates independent, assisted living memory care and care suite properties in 40 Minnesota communities. Gentle Touch Health will partner with MN State University, Mankato to develop a training program for 605 employees that will include Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Competency, CPR certification for nurses, Value Stream Mapping for Health Care, Dementia Stimulation, and Leadership training. Trainees will receive CEUs for successful coursework completion.

Local contact: Louise Dickmeyer, MN State University, Mankato, 507-389-3283

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership works with businesses and educational institutions to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities and keep high-quality jobs in the state. The program has awarded $55.8 million since 2011 to train 66,844 workers and has leveraged $112.1 million in private funding.

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 its services, visit the DEED website or follow DEED on Twitter.