Contact: Katryn Conlin, Director of Communications
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For Immediate Release
Minnesota State College Southeast receives $399K Job Skills Partnership Grant to support advanced mechatronics and automation training
Red Wing, MN (July 17, 2024) -- Minnesota State College Southeast has received a state grant to create a new workforce development program in partnership with several area manufacturing companies.
This spring, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded a $399,827 Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership grant to the college, which will support advanced mechatronics and automation technologies on the Red Wing campus.
"We are very grateful to DEED for this partnership grant funding, which will help the college begin to launch the second year of our Mechatronics Technology Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Red Wing," stated Calvin Clemons, Director of Trade and Technology at Minnesota State College Southeast.
The partnership includes seven businesses: 3M Fall Protection, Ardent Mills, Food Service Specialties, Gemini, Hearth and Home Technologies, Intek Plastics, and Red Wing Shoes. The companies identified a common need for advanced mechatronics and automation training as their operations incorporate more automation and robotics technologies.
The college will build upon its existing one-year Foundational Mechatronics diploma program with advanced curriculum to develop a new 20-credit certificate in Automation Essentials, leading to the launch of a full second-year AAS degree program.
Participating businesses must partner with an accredited educational institution for Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership (MJSP) grants, which are awarded to the educational institution to develop and deliver custom training for the business. Programming covered by the grants includes onboarding and training new workers, upskilling current workers, promoting workforce diversity, defining career pathways, developing communication and leadership skills, and more.
"Workforce training programs help Minnesota workers develop new skills, while also helping employers build employee engagement and ensure workers have necessary skills for personal and organizational success," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "Minnesota's higher education institutions are excellent training program partners with proven track records in delivering effective, customized training programs for Minnesota businesses."
"We are very thankful for the opportunity to work with our seven industry partners," said Calvin Clemons. "And we are very excited to begin upskilling more than 70 of their employees in the critical field of automation starting this fall."
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About Minnesota State College Southeast
Located in the historic river towns of Red Wing and Winona, Minnesota State College Southeast is a community and technical college that provides a flexible, affordable, inclusive, and equitable college environment and offers a clear sense of direction to all students. College faculty and staff genuinely care about students' end goals, whether that be earning an academic award, transferring to university to complete a bachelor's degree, or attaining career skills. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of the Minnesota State system.