International Falls to Benefit from Minnesota Job Skills Partnership
Rainy River Community College receives $217,556 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to meet the current and future training needs of Boise Cascade LLC. Partnership is seen as an investment in future workforce of the area's largest employer.
January 26, 2007 - International Falls, MN - Rainy River Community College (RRCC) was awarded a $217,556 Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership grant by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to provide Industrial Maintenance training and other relevant technology and environmental training to the maintenance employees of Boise Cascade, LLC. Boise will also contribute over $400,000 to the project.
This training partnership between Boise and RRCC will develop RRCC's capacity to address the current and future training needs of the International Falls area's largest employer. Boise identified a need for employee development as they continue to lean their manufacturing organization to remain competitive in the global marketplace. In addition, the company is projecting numerous employee retirements in the next five to ten years. These retirements will create a skilled labor shortage in the Industrial Maintenance area.
The Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership grant will provide funding to RRCC to develop the training infrastructure that will ensure that Boise employees remain highly skilled and productive. The grant will allow the college to develop an Associate in Applied Sciences degree which will include basic college requirements in addition to coursed in electricity, mechanics, hydraulics, and welding.
This partnership between higher education, industry, and government will have a direct impact on the International Falls Area. Julie Schumacher, Customized Training Representative at Rainy River Community College heralds the program as significant to the community and Boise. "Boise Cascade LLC's success and growth in the global economy comes from the innovation and productivity of its workforce." Says Shumacher, "this partnership will build Rainy River Community College's capacity to provide cutting edge training to Boise's workforce today and develop the next generation of skilled industrial employees."
About the Koochiching Economic Development Authority (KEDA): KEDA was created by statute in 2000 as a joint powers development authority between the City of International Falls and Koochiching County. KEDA was created to centralize and coordinate the economic development efforts throughout Koochiching County. Its primary focus is on job retention, creation, and diversification. KEDA is the point of contact for businesses looking to start, expand, or locate in Koochiching and can assist in site selection, economic assistance, workforce information, and simplifying the process. For more info visit www.businessupnorth.com.
