Campus News

Advanced Manufacturing Grant

10/01/14

The Minnesota Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (MNAMP) has been selected to receive a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for advanced manufacturing education throughout Minnesota. MNAMP is a state-wide Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) consortium that includes Minnesota West Community & Technical College. The consortium, which includes 12 MnSCU colleges and a Center of Excellence, is led by South Central College who applied for the grant on behalf of MNAMP and will be administering the grant’s execution.

The MNAMP consortium was created to help close the “skills gap” in the state by implementing a structure for advanced manufacturing education that emphasizes a standardized core curriculum, along with employer-driven apprenticeships and cooperative education opportunities. The grant project focuses on the fields of mechatronics, machining and welding. Participants will be able to earn stackable, portable industry-recognized credentials (certificates, diplomas, degrees), while simultaneously working in the industry. They will also be able to enter academic programs at multiple points based on assessment results that match individual skills.

The grant targets unemployed, underemployed and dislocated workers; incumbent workers; and other adult learners and underrepresented groups. Traditional students are also eligible. The program is expected to benefit more than 3,000 students and hundreds of manufacturing companies throughout Minnesota. Many Minnesota manufacturers, industry and workforce organizations have stepped up to partner with these colleges.

Minnesota West President Barbara McDonald states, “Minnesota West is excited to be a partner within the MNAMP consortium, working to close the “skills gap” under this TAACCCT grant opportunity. Our industry partners have identified the need for employees with industry recognized credentials in critical areas such as mechatronics, machining and welding. We thank our Dawn Regnier, Minnesota West’s Director of Customized Training, for her contributions to the grant application made possible through South Central College, and look forward to beginning this exciting work together serving our students and the region.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for Minnesota West Community & Technical College to align our manufacturing curriculum with national manufacturing standards particularly with the new Industrial Technology degree and the Welding and Machine Tool Certificate programs. The partnership is a win/win opportunity for building specialized skills for our workforce to secure highly skilled jobs that meet the needs of our manufacturing employers to propel growth and development throughout Southwest Minnesota,” comments Dawn Regnier, Director of Customized Training for Minnesota West.