Riverland Community College involved in $3M training grant for manufacturing technicians
Riverland Community College is a partner in a regional center of excellence receiving nearly $3 million to educate and train manufacturing technicians.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ Manufacturing and Applied Engineering Center of Excellence is receiving the grant from the National Science Foundation. The center will use the four-year grant to:
- Work with K-12 schools to encourage more high school students to pursue manufacturing careers and prepare for manufacturing technician programs.
- Refine industry-driven curriculum so it better serves the manufacturing industry and anticipates future needs.
- Assess student learning to improve the program.
“This grant will help us advance our goal of increasing the quantity, quality and diversity of manufacturing technicians,” MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone said in a news release. “Employers from across the state tell us they are concerned about the shortage of skilled technicians. Meeting this need for highly skilled workers is vital to keeping Minnesota manufacturers competitive in the global marketplace.”
In addition to Riverland, the center’s 10 partners are Bemidji State University, Central Lakes College, Lake Superior College, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Northland Community and Technical College, Northwest Technical College, Pine Technical College, Saint Paul College, and St. Cloud Technical and Community College.