The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced 14 workforce developments grants totaling over $2.5 million to eight Minnesota educational institutions, including Normandale Community College. The grants fund partnerships with Minnesota businesses to develop and deliver customized workforce training programs.
Normandale Community received two of the 14 grants for $726,977. The two grants are for partnerships with Minneapolis-based Advanced Web Technologies (AWT) and Seagate Technology in Bloomington.
"Normandale Community College plays a vital role in developing Minnesota's workforce, and our industry partnerships are a big part of that," said Normandale Community College President Pakou Yang. "Through our strong partnerships, we've created pathways to opportunity, strengthened businesses, and fueled economic growth. Normandale takes great pride in preparing learners for their career paths and serving as a trusted partner in building the workforce Minnesota needs to thrive."
Seagate Technology, with operations in Bloomington and Shakopee, is the world's leading supplier of hard disk drives. The $466,977 for a partnership with Seagate Technology will invest in a training program that will reduce turnover, mitigate the impact of retirements and create pathways for advancement at all levels. Normandale 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.
Advanced Web Technologies (AWT), headquartered in Minneapolis, specializes in custom labeling, packaging and precision converting solutions. Funding for the partnership with AWT is $260,000. AWT will partner with Normandale 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.
“We are grateful for DEED’s investment in Minnesota’s workforce and economic future,” said President Pakou Yang. “These grants expand access to training and career opportunities, strengthen regional talent pipelines, and help employers meet critical workforce needs. Together, the pathways we create will benefit individuals, businesses, and communities throughout our region and Minnesota.”
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, Normandale has been part of 10 workforce development grants since 2019 totaling over $2 million with companies such as AWT, Seagate, Dairy Queen, Mall of America and Polar.
During that timeframe, MN DEED has awarded $47.5 million to train more than 47,000 workers and has leveraged $79.1 million in private funding. In this latest round, grantees expect to train more than 2,000 workers through these workforce development programs.
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