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December 2007
Tech Skill Training Programs get $3 Million in Legislative Support
A collaborative program supporting technical skills training at more than a dozen regional high schools and community colleges has received $3 million in funding from the 2007 Minnesota State Legislature.
The initiative will involve school districts covering International Falls, Deer River, Northland-Remer, Grand Rapids, Greenway-Coleraine, Floodwood, Hill City, Hibbing, Eveleth-Gilbert, Mesabi East, Virginia, Ely, Mountain Iron-Buhl and Chisholm area schools. The regional colleges involved include Rainy River Community College, Itasca Community College, Mesabi Range and Technical College, Vermillion Community College and Hibbing Community College.
Called the Applied Learning Initiative, the program was designed to foster an increase in the skilled labor in our region, while also creating more sophisticated technical programs at the community college level.
"This initiative was developed based on the results of a national workforce needs study", stated Dr. Donald J. Langan, Superintendent of International Falls School District. The study showed a serious decline in job-ready skilled workers, nation wide. However, Dr. Langan took the study one step further, meeting with area craft and union leadership who depend on the highly skilled employees to remain successful. "They reported a strong need for a solid pool of skilled, professional employees in the areas of construction, carpentry, electrical and maintenance" positions", stated Langan. "Not only are these career programs not attracting students, but through retirements and the aging workforce, we are losing our skilled workers at a much higher rate than new graduates can replace them".
Ladd Kocinski, instructor for the school district's Building Trades courses and local developer was instrumental in developing the philosophy behind this initiative. "I hope this is something that develops into a long-term program", stated Kocinski. With the Applied Learning Initiative, students can begin their technical training while still in high school and have those credits accepted and counted at the college level. Not only is this an obvious benefit to students, but it creates a natural feed into the enrollment numbers for colleges, as well.
Langan stated that the authors of the initiative tapped local union leaders for support and guidance as well. "The unions were willing to count some of the hours in the qualified training programs towards required apprenticeship hours".
The program will receive one million dollars a year for three years. The money will be distributed on a reimbursement basis. The administrators of each program will determine their unique needs, purchase the equipment on their own, and then submit documents to the initiative director for reimbursement. This was designed to insure that the funds are spent directly on items affecting the programs.
The Applied Learning Initiative will have a director, Mark Adams, to oversee the program. Adams began work with the initiative on November 21st. His office will be located in the center of the region in the Ironworld USA campus in Chisholm. The funds became available July 1st, but have not yet been tapped.
Langan's outlook was hopeful and realistic, "Our region grew from the talents of skilled workers. It will take years to regain the respect they deserve in our culture, but this is a tremendous program to do just that".
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