DEED announces…

Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced 14 workforce developments grants totaling over $2.5 million to eight Minnesota educational institutions that are partnering with Minnesota businesses to develop and deliver customized workforce training programs. Grantees expect to train more than 2,000 workers through these programs.

“Workforce training programs strengthen Minnesota’s economy by helping workers build their skills and lay the foundations for long-term success for businesses and Minnesota families. By creating a pool of trained program graduates, we can connect highly-skilled workers to careers in high-demand fields with family sustaining wages,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “Minnesota’s higher education institutions are essential partners in that work, with proven track records in delivering effective, customized training programs for Minnesota businesses.”

Participating businesses must partner with an accredited educational institution for these Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership (MJSP) grants, 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.

Since 2019, MJSP has awarded $47.5 million to train more than 47,000 workers and has leveraged $79.1 million in private funding.

Grants announced today include:

$466,977 to Normandale Community College for a partnership with Seagate Technology

Seagate Technology, with operations in Bloomington and Shakopee, is the world’s leading supplier of hard disk drives. Seagate will invest in a training program that will reduce turnover, mitigate the impact of retirements and create pathways for advancement at all levels. Normandale Community College will develop a training program for incumbent employees focusing on building skills in four areas: leadership and supervisor excellence, applied problem solving, operational excellence and improvement and data, automation and emerging technology skills. Participants completing the courses in operational excellence and improvement will be eligible to take the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) exam to become Certified Production Technicians.

$432,869 to the University of Minnesota for a partnership with Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific, a leading global medical technology company, needs to equip employees with AI-related and digital skills by integrating these capabilities into existing roles and prioritizing workforce retention. A partnership with Carlson School of Management will develop the AI Demystification Initiative, a three-part leadership development and business impact program designed to build strategic AI and analytics capability. The initiative consists of three integrated components: AI Project, Strategic Implementation and AI Operational Execution. Instruction will be delivered in classrooms, hands-on AI labs and structured faculty coaching. Upon completion, engineers and leadership will receive a certificate from Carlson Executive Education.

$357,637 to Hennepin Technical College for a partnership with Medtronic

Medtronic is a Minnesota-based global leader in healthcare technology. Medical device manufacturing is undergoing rapid automation and technological advancements, resulting in a growing skills gap in equipment maintenance for complex advanced robotic and automated systems. Hennepin Technical College will develop and deliver comprehensive automation robotics training to incumbent employees. Courses will include Automation Controls, Industrial Electricity and Electronics, Introduction to Robotics, Fuji Automatic Numerical Control (FANUC) and Fluid Power Motion Control and be fully or partially aligned with industry-recognized certification exams.

$300,000 to Century College for a partnership with Aprios

Aprios, headquartered in Brooklyn Park, is an employee-owned custom manufacturing company specializing in high-precision plastic injection molding and additive manufacturing. The company serves medical devices, industrial, filtration and aerospace markets. Century College will create a training program that will develop technical, operational and leadership capabilities across the organization. Classroom instruction will be combined with applied, workplace-based learning, incorporating theory, case studies, guided exercises and hands-on experience within Aprios’ manufacturing environment.

$260,000 to Normandale Community College for a partnership with Advanced Web Technologies

Advanced Web Technologies (AWT), headquartered in Minneapolis, specializes in custom labeling, packaging and precision converting solutions. AWT will partner with Normandale Community College to develop a scalable, equitable and sustainable training program to support the increasing complexity of the production, administration, supervisory and leadership roles of its workforce. Training will be delivered on-site through instructor-led sessions, cohort-based learning and applied, scenario-based exercises. Upon completion, trainees will receive Lean Six Sigma Certifications.

$200,000 to Hennepin Technical College for a partnership with Heliene USA

Heliene USA is a lead producer of solar photovoltaic modules with high-capacity manufacturing facilities located in Mountain Iron and Rogers. Heliene will partner with Hennepin Technical College and Minnesota North College to create a course to invest in consistent education and skill development at their facilities. The course will ensure all entry-level and existing employees have sufficient background to support growing production and troubleshooting needs, integrate safe, efficient and quality practices across all functions, and develop a minimum level of cross-functional knowledge. Training completion will result in hours-based certificates for each skill area with opportunities for credit-for-prior learning transfer for both colleges.

$135,626 to St. Cloud State University for a partnership with Park Industries

Park Industries, headquartered in St. Cloud, is a leading manufacturer of stone fabrication machinery. Park Industries wants to build a comprehensive, scalable workforce development system that expands training capacity, advances leadership capability, strengthens customer-facing effectiveness, and enhances workplace culture and safety. St. Cloud State University will develop a two-track training program consisting of Track One: Organizational & Workforce Development and Track Two: Sales & Customer Facing Excellence. All courses will be delivered in-person or online with interactive, scenario-based instruction and hands-on practice. Track One participants will earn industry-recognized HubSpot CRM and SMEI certifications.

$130,000 to Century College for a partnership with J&B Group

J&B Group, located in St. Michael, is a family-owned and operated cold chain provider of protein and deli products for a variety of supply chain needs. J&B wants to invest in a comprehensive, multi-phase leadership development strategy to address a skills gap in leadership competencies. The company will partner with Century College to develop a two-phased development and change capability initiative. Phase One: Accelerate Leadership Development Program will consist of instructor-led workshops focused on foundational leadership behaviors. Phase Two: Advanced Leadership Development & Succession readiness will focus on deepening leadership capability through the Leadership Mentoring Program, Self-Awareness & Leadership Assessments and ExperienceChange Simulation for hands-on practice in navigating realistic change scenarios.

$49,997 to Hennepin Technical College for a partnership with La Machine Shop

La Machine Shop, located in Ham Lake, is a family owned and operated precision machining contract manufacturer services. La Machine Shop is preparing to operate in a more regulated, defense-ready operating environment and needs to train its incumbent workforce for the transition. Hennepin Technical College will design a 38-hour training program with nine modules covering secure handling of controlled technical information, enclave-user workflows, paper CUI procedures, cybersecurity awareness, approved communication and subcontractor transfer practices, incident recognition and escalation, supervisor accountability and internal sustainment. Instruction will be delivered using a blended approach, including workshops, small groups, awareness-based instruction and scenario-based exercises.

$49,963 to Anoka-Ramsey Community College for a partnership with MRG Tool & Die

MRG Tool & Die is a family-owned small business in Faribault operating as a sole-source tool and die company specializing in close-tolerance metalworking. MRG wants to provide AI readiness training to transition its workforce and support effective integration of AI into core business operations. Anoka-Ramsey Community College, in partnership with MRG, will develop a twelve-month training program consisting of five courses totaling 40 hours of in-person instruction. Training will focus on building AI literacy across all occupational levels while piloting AI-driven projects that address specific business challenges.

$49,794 to Anoka-Ramsey Community College for a partnership with Mate Precision

Located in Anoka, Mate Precision Technologies specializes in work holding tooling devices and technologies for machinery, computers, peripherals, networking and electronic equipment industries. Mate wants to invest in workforce training to adopt, apply and integrate next-generation technologies within manufacturing processes and functions, including AI- and IT-based data analytics. Anoka-Ramsey Community College will develop a four-course training program totaling 44 training hours to be delivered in-person and on-site over a twelve-month period. Current employees will be selected for training from technical trades and manufacturing occupations.

$49,625 to Anoka-Ramsey Community College for a partnership with PE Services

PE Services, located in Eagan, delivers comprehensive civil engineering and construction services, including design and plan preparation, specification and plan review, construction oversight, and schedule analysis. The company also provides robust contract administration, project controls, and environmental compliance support. PE Services needs to train its workforce in AI as the company adopts AI-based tools to improve operational performance. In partnership with PE Services, Anoka-Ramsey Community College will develop a five-course training program totaling 48 training hours to be delivered in-person and on-site over a twelve-month period.

$49,000 to MN State Community & Technical College for a partnership with Alexandria Industries

Alexandria Industries designs and manufactures precision aluminum components. Partnering with Alexandria Industries, MN State Community & Technical college will provide customized training consisting of a 30-hour Serving Through Leadership Program for current and emerging leaders and a 15-hour Professional Development Program for employees across the organization. Training will strengthen leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, communication, professional development and organization culture, and be delivered through self-assessments, group discussions, reflection activities, team exercises, coaching conversations and real-world workplace applications. Participants completing training will receive certificates of completion.

$40,000 to Minnesota State University, Mankato for a partnership with Capstone

Capstone, headquartered in North Mankato, is an industry-leading publisher of children’s books and digital content provider for children and young adults. Capstone has identified AI as a key opportunity for increasing productivity, reducing manual work and accelerating workflows. MN State University, Mankato will provide AI training in two online courses: Foundations of AI Intelligence, 1.5 hours of interactive virtual delivery of key topics including ethical considerations, company policy and how to generate accurate and useful outputs, and Applied AI for Role- and Department-Specific Workflows, four hours of hands-on, role-specific training for integrating AI into daily workflows in content development, research, data analysis and communication.