Minnesota West Featured in ‘Training Today, Trades Tomorrow’ Documentary

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What started as a conversation in the fall of 2025 grew into an exciting opportunity to showcase the impact of technical and trade education in southern Minnesota.

In October 2025, Stringline Pictures, a Minnesota-based film production company, contacted Minnesota West while researching a documentary about vocational education and workforce development. Produced in partnership with KSMQ PBS in Austin, Minnesota, the project aimed to show how technical colleges help prepare students for in-demand careers while supporting local businesses and communities.

The completed documentary, Training Today, Trades Tomorrow: Technical Schools in Southern Minnesota, is now available online and includes Minnesota West faculty, staff, and students sharing their experiences and perspectives on hands-on learning and career-focused education.

As part of its research, Stringline Pictures wanted to learn more about Minnesota West's career and technical programs, employer partnerships, student outcomes, and growing career fields such as tech and trades, energy and healthcare. The goal was to tell an authentic story about how technical education is helping meet workforce needs throughout southern Minnesota.

The project officially kicked off in February 2026 when Minnesota West's team met with Stringline Pictures to begin planning the documentary. Together, they developed an outline and answered interview questions to help guide conversations and shape the final 30-minute production.

Minnesota West identified administrators, faculty, and staff who could speak about several key topics, including: The importance of technical and trade education, the affordability and value of career-focused education compared to many four-year colleges, and the history, growth, and community impact of Minnesota West.

The college also identified faculty, staff, and students from the Energy Careers, Allied Health, and Technical Trades programs to share their personal experiences and insights.

Throughout March, college leaders and instructors worked closely with the production team to identify stories, programs and career pathways that best represented Minnesota West. Faculty and administrators provided background information and answered questions ahead of filming to help create an accurate and meaningful story.

In early April, Stringline Pictures visited the Worthington, Canby and Granite Falls campuses to film classroom activities, hands-on training experiences and interviews with students and employees.

The filming took place during one of the busiest times of the academic year, making teamwork and coordination especially important.

A special thank you goes out to the Minnesota West employees who helped organize interview questions, manage release forms, build filming schedules and coordinate participants. The college also extends its appreciation to the instructors and students who adjusted their schedules to participate while balancing classes, labs, projects, finals and graduation preparations.

While the project required months of planning and collaboration, the result is a powerful look at the value of technical education and the opportunities it creates for students. Training Today, Trades Tomorrow highlights the dedication of Minnesota West employees who help prepare students for successful careers through hands-on learning and real-world experiences.

Minnesota West is proud to be part of this documentary and to help tell the story of how technical and trade education is shaping the future workforce of southern Minnesota. The college is grateful to everyone who contributed their time, expertise, and experiences to make the project a success.