MJSP Projects Funded - November 17, 2008

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Dakota County Technical College

Twin Cities Electronics Consortium (Aryshire Electronics, Dimation, Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems)

$389,849

Partnership

This project will assist four Twin Cities electronic manufacturing businesses with common training needs and will address worker shortages due to the retirement of highly skilled workers and the lack of skills in the current workforce.  Through MJSP funding, Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) will create a new and innovative soldering certification program.  Courses include Quality Inspection, Automated SMT, Total Process Control, and Soldering Skills in addition to five IPC certification courses.  A total of 511 employees from the participating businesses will receive training over the two-year grant period.  This project will benefit the participating companies by eliminating the need and costs associated with sending their employees out of state for training and certification.  DCTC will acquire a new soldering lab and curriculum specifically designed for the high-tech careers in the contract electronics manufacturing industry.

Contact:  Larry Raddatz, Customized Training Coordinator, Dakota County Technical College, 651-423-8276

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Dakota County Technical College

Uponor

$298,841

Partnership

Uponor Corporation, headquartered in Apple Valley is a world leader in radiant heating systems, PEX plumbing systems and residential fire safety systems.  A partnership with Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) will help the company meet the new government regulations for the installation of fire suppression systems in all new homes, which will go into effect in 2011.  Over a two-year period, training will be provided to 425 current and new employees.  Three key areas will be addressed:  1) Integrated Management Systems will bring together all employees under a central corporate quality process and control methodology that will allow them to compete in a global marketplace; 2) proactive technical skills training will improve the ability of the company’s workforce to produce, sell and distribute a new residential fire suppression system; and 3) promotion of a multi-culturally competent leadership and management team  will respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce.  Training and the integration of quality management systems will increase employee production and quality of products to ensure continued growth.  DCTC will gain a new Fire Safety Engineering Certificate program that is not currently offered in the state.

Contact:  Christine Pigsley, Associate Dean, Dakota County Technical College, 651-423-8602

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Sign-Zone, Inc.

$225,175

Partnership

This project will assist Sign-Zone, Inc. in reevaluating its various businesses and refocusing on building its most successful component, Showdown Displays which provides trade show display systems.  Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) will collaborate with Bemidji State University to provide training to 160 employees over a two-year period.  Customized courses, some which are web-based, include Management Systems; Marketing Sales and Services; and Train the Trainer.  Training will help eliminate employee skill gaps while supporting the company’s continued growth, increased sales and improved profitability.  As a result of this project, ARCC will add a specialty Charter Partner Certification training and a two-year Exhibit Design certificate to its curriculum.      

Contact:  Steve Jones, Director Customized Education and Training, Anoka-Ramsey Community College,  763-433-1683

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Ultra Machining Company

$269,088

Partnership

This project will assist Ultra Machining, a precision manufacturing company located in Monticello, to address the increasingly stringent and complex regulatory requirements of its customers.  Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) will develop curriculum to train 180 employees (of which, 58 are expected to be new hires) over a three-year period.  Six main training areas include regulatory, automation, systems, organizational capacity, technical, and train-the-trainer.  CEUs will document individual’s participation.  As a result of this project, employees will gain skills and knowledge that will help Ultra Machining to remain competitive and increase its customer base.  ARCC will add several new course offerings and at least one specialty certificate. 

Contact:  Jill Snippen, Director of Customized Education and Training, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 763-433-1228

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Pine Technical College

Gopher Motor Rebuilding, Inc.

$135,618

Partnership

Gopher Motor Rebuilding, located in Brooklyn Center, is a production engine remanufacturer specializing in domestic gas and marine engines.  Pine Technical College will provide training in three key areas to change its management system to a team based system and empower employees to improve processes and product quality; to train and cross-train production employees to shorten cycle times; develop a pull manufacturing system, and to eliminate non-value added waste; and to minimize the use of natural resources and reduce hazardous materials waste.  A total of 64 employees will receive training and college credit for courses that include Effective Change Through Visioning – X Matrix Policy, Managing for Daily Improvement, and Energy Usage Minimization.  As a result of this training, Gopher Motor will achieve greater profitability from new, more efficient systems implemented throughout the company.  Pine Technical College will develop several new credit courses including two “green” courses that will be applicable to other businesses in the future.

Contact:  Jason Spaeth, Dean of Customized and Continuing Education, Pine Technical College, 800-521-7463

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Pine Technical College

Sunrise Fiberglass Corporation

$76,722

Partnership

Sunrise Fiberglass is a make-to order job shop in Wyoming, MN that produces custom-molded fiberglass components and assemblies.  A partnership with Pine Technical College will address the changing needs and economic pressures of the marketplace by introducing Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) to Sunrise’s manufacturing strategy.  Over a two-year period, 50 employees gain new skills and industry certification via courses that include Principles of QRM, QRM for Gel Coating, and Certified Composites Tech.  The implementation of QRM will result in a substantial reduction in lead time, reduced defects and product cost and streamlined processes.  Pine Technical College will gain new capacity in QRM along with new QRM and marine composites curriculum.   

Contact:  Jason Spaeth, Dean of Customized and Continuing Education, Pine Technical College, 800-521-7463

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Itasca Community College

Deer River Healthcare Center

$171,713

Partnership

Deer River Healthcare Center (DRHC), located in Deer River, is an important provider of services in Itasca and Cass counties.  A partnership with Itasca Community College will provide Lean Health training to 240 employees over a two-year period.  The creation of three instructional videos will enhance the learning experience for present and future employees.  Training will allow the employees to build capacity and create efficiencies for improved customer services and increase resource management capabilities, which will help decrease and control the cost of healthcare in the area.   Itasca Community College will gain capacity in providing training for a multi-faceted healthcare organization, by working on this project with their educational partners in the Coalition for Continuous Improvement.

Contact:  Gail Anderson, Customized Training Rep., Itasca Community College, 218-327-4499

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

MN State College – Southeast Technical

Technical Die Castings, Inc.

$277,462

Partnership

Technical Die Castings, Inc. is a full service aluminum die casting facility located in Stockton.  This MJSP project will address the company’s high turnover rate and issues affecting profitability.  In collaboration with the North American Die Casters Association (NADCA), Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical (MSCST) will train 131 Technical Die Casting employees via courses that include Metal Melting and Handling and Die Casting Machine Safety.  Customized instruction regarding continuous quality improvement and problem solving will also be provided.  Training will help meet company goals and employees will receive certification in Level I Die Casting Tech and Level II Master of Die Casting Maintenance.  As a result of this project, MSCST will become the first certified NADCA center with the ability to serve as the State’s new training resource for the die casting industry. 

Contact:   Barb Breza, Dean of Continuing Education & Workforce Training, MSC-Southeast Tech, 507-453-2744

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

MN State College-Southeast Technical

Fairview Red Wing Health Services

$275,000

Partnership

Fairview Red Wing Health Services (FRWHS), located in Red Wing, is one of the largest not-for-profit health care systems in Minnesota.  MN State College-Southeast Technical (MSCST) will be collaborating with Anoka-Ramsey Community College for curriculum development and delivery of Complementary and Alternative Medicines.  In addition to several new continuing education courses, three new holistic credit programs will be developed – Certificate in Holistic Hospice and Palliative Care, Geriatric Health and Wellness Promotion, and Integrative Oncology.  A total of 700 FRWHS employees will receive training and earn CEUs for completed courses.  This project will provide workers with skills to create a new responsive healthcare environment which will improve both worker and patient satisfaction.  Both educational institutions will gain new capacity in the field of Integrative Health and Wellness and will strengthen their ability to respond to the needs of the healthcare industry in Minnesota.

Contact:  Barb Breza, Dean of Continuing Education & Workforce Training, MSC-Southeast Tech, 507-453-2744

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Enterprise Minnesota

Manufacturing Consortium (Douglas Machine, V-TEK, Personix)

$288,439

Partnership

Enterprise Minnesota will work collaboratively with three high precision manufacturers – Douglas  Machine of Alexandria, Personix of Shoreview, and V-TEK of Mankato  to develop and implement an on-line Lean Enterprise Certification Program (LECP) – the first of its kind in Minnesota.  Learning objectives will be achieved through the on-line program enhanced with simulation, along with on-site face-to-face kaizen activities customized to the specific needs of each business.  The project will serve 155 employees; selected participants will receive Lean Enterprise Certification.  The business partners will benefit by increasing their Lean capacity and participants will enhance their performance and career growth opportunities as a result of this project.  Enterprise Minnesota will benefit by having an on-line training product that can be marketed to other businesses.

Contact:  Deb Shirk, Director of Grants and Contracts, Enterprise Minnesota, 651-455-4217

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Normandale Community College

CIGNA HealthCare

$267,502

Partnership

CIGNA Health Solutions, headquartered in Eden Prairie, provides behavioral health care, health coaching, wellness programs, and lifestyle and disease management programs to more than 18 million people throughout the U.S.  A partnership with Normandale Community College will help CIGNA implement an Integrated Personal Health Team model.  Three primary training categories include Holistic Team Model; Applied Medical Health Skills; and Applied Behavioral Health Skills.   A total of 357 employees will receive training and earn CEUs for completed courses.  Training will help CIGNA to better respond to the challenge of building tomorrow’s health care system by making it easier for people to get the information, resources and personal attention they need to be healthy.  Normandale will gain new capacity in nursing and health sciences programs. 

Contact:  Ann Wagner, Program Director, Normandale Community College, 952-487-8426

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

North Hennepin Community College

Gyrus Medical, Inc.

$280,000

Partnership

Gyrus Medical is an international medical device manufacturing company located in Maple Grove, transitioning to high-tech manufacturing methods.  North Hennepin Community College will collaborate with Anoka-Ramsey Community College to provide training to 266 Gyrus employees to facilitate this transition.   Courses include English for Process Improvement, Autonomation training, and Train-the-Trainer.  Certificates of completion and visual technical manuals for future reference will be collaboratively developed.  This project will help Gyrus Medical develop the tools to create and sustain a multi-cultural continuous improvement effort, and help them adapt to a new, high tech environment.  Both educational institutions will gain educational capacity that can be replicated for other companies.   

Contact:  Jaime Simonsen, Dean of Adult Education and Training, North Hennepin Community College, 763-424-0887

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communications

St. Paul Pioneer Press, Duluth News Tribune, MN Newspaper Guild

$10,901

Partnership (Pre-Development)

This pre-development grant involves the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) and two partner news organizations who provide information to the public through their print, specialty and online products.  A cooperative effort between the SJMC, business partners and the Minnesota Newspaper Guild will develop a conceptual model that will lead to the development and delivery of three tracks of training for 321 editorial and advertising staff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Duluth News Tribune.  The curriculum will have direct applicability to the mission of the SJMC in both of its undergraduate journalism and strategic communication tracks. 

Contact:  Brett Carlson, Grants Administrator, University of Minnesota, 612-624-5599

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Rochester Community and Technical College

Mayo Clinic

$45,413

Partnership (Short Form)

In partnership with Rochester Community and Technical College, a Project Management training program will be developed to prepare 60 Project Managers and Systems Analysts for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam.  Courses that include Integration Management, Human Resources Management and Procurement Management will help Mayo trainees to gain a better understanding of Project Management processes and techniques.  This project will benefit the Mayo Clinic by improving their financial performance and increasing efficiencies, allowing them to remain competitive.  Rochester Community and Technical College will build new capacity in the PMP curriculum.

Contact:  Abbey Hellickson, Workforce Development Specialist, Rochester Community and Technical College, 507-529-2736

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

St. Paul College

Interscapes

$37,428

Partnership (Short Form)

Interscapes is a commercial interior design and contract furnishings firm located in north Minneapolis that produces custom designed wood cabinetry, primarily for commercial and office use.  St. Paul College will work with Interscapes to initiate a comprehensive manufacturing process improvement program to train 33 employees.  A  Lean Flow Basics course and various Lean Flow Events will help the company create greater efficiencies that will lead to higher profits.  This project will also allow St. Paul College to refine its Lean Manufacturing program services and its ability to identify and present training solutions to resolve manufacturing/production issues with a variety of companies.

Contact:  Joy Sommers, Customized Training Representative, St. Paul College, 651-846-1439

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

St. Paul College

St. Paul Stamp Works

$39,329

Partnership (Short Form)

St. Paul Stamp Works, founded in 1870, is a manufacturer of custom metal nameplates, labels, rubber stamps and a variety of other marketing devices.  Company challenges involving production lead times, costs and waste will be met through a partnership with St. Paul College and the implementation of Lean Manufacturing methodologies and the progression toward a more visual management system.  Forty-five employees will receive training via courses that include Lean Flow Basics and a 5S Event.  Three staff will be certified for Lean Flow Certification, which will enable them to lead other Lean initiatives over the long-term.  As a result of this project, the company will see reduced lead times and production costs along with reduced waste.  St. Paul College will continue to refine its Lean Manufacturing programs.

Contact:  Paul Dalton, Account Manager, St. Paul College, 651-846-1429

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Pine Technical College

Mid-Continent Engineering, Inc.

$49,395

Partnership (Short Form)

Mid-Continent Engineering, Inc., located in Minneapolis, is a manufacturing and project management company specializing in precision assemblies for the medical and aerospace industries.  This project with Pine Technical College, builds upon a previous successful MJSP grant by expanding the company’s Lean Manufacturing skills with the introduction of “Management in a Lean Environment”.  In addition to the customized Lean curriculum, the school will add capacity through the development of two new machine operation and preventative maintenance courses aimed at training employees on the company’s new Rail Guided Vehicle (RGV) machines.  Trainees will earn college credits for successful completion of training.  A total of 41 employees will receive training that will help Mid-Continent meet their goals of increasing sales revenue and making the company more competitive.

Contact:  Jason Spaeth, Dean of Customized Training, Pine Technical College, 800-521-7463

Grantee

Contributing Business(es)

Amount

Program

Pine Technical College

Metal-Matic, Inc.

$49,581

Partnership (Short Form)

Metal-Matic, Inc., located in Minneapolis, produces steel tubing which is marketed to the automotive, appliance, agriculture, construction and medical industries.  In a partnership with Pine Technical College, 47 Metal-Matic employees will receive training in Sales Forecasting, Demand Management, Sales Compensation Management, Supply Management, and Sales and Operations Plan Development.  Training will result in improved business plan performance through better management of demand and supply; reduced raw material, work-in-process and finished good inventories; increased customer service and improved throughput performance for key product lines. 

Contact:  Jason Spaeth, Dean of Customized Training, Pine Technical College, 800-521-7463