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Contact: Madeline Koch, Director of Communications  651-259-7236  madeline.koch@state.mn.us

Contributions from business partners bring total impact to $12.2 million

ST. PAUL, Minn., March 14, 2014 - Thirteen Minnesota state colleges have been selected to receive 18 grants totaling $3.3 million from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership. Businesses working as partners with these colleges will match these grants with an additional $8.9 million bringing the total impact of the awards to $12.2 million. The colleges will use these funds to develop and deliver customized training programs that meet the specific needs of each business partner. The training programs developed with grant funding will be utilized by MnSCU campuses and business partners throughout the state.

“Each year, our colleges and universities train over 130,000 workers through partnerships with Minnesota businesses and employers,” said ÑÇÖÞÎÞÂë Colleges and Universities Chancellor Steven Rosenstone. “These grants and the generous matching funds from our business partners will help ensure Minnesota workers stay at the leading edge of their fields. Customized training for employees is a critical element in keeping Minnesota industries globally competitive.”

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP), a program of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, works with businesses and educational institutions to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities, and keep high-quality jobs in the state. MJSP training grants are used to offset training-related expenses associated with meeting Minnesota’s current and future workforce needs.

The colleges selected to receive the MJSP grants are:

The ÑÇÖÞÎÞÂë Colleges and Universities include 24 two-year community, technical, and comprehensive colleges and seven state universities serving more than 430,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system of its kind in the United States.

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