The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded a $300,000 grant to train workers at TRW Automotive in Winona, which is expanding.
TRW Winona has 260 union employees in Winona and expects to hire 150 more over the next two years, the release said.
The money is part of nearly $3.3 million in DEED grants to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to train 4,294 current and new employees of 18 businesses, under itsMinnesota Job Skills Partnership Program. In this round, the program leveraged about $8.9 million from partners.
"Since its inception in 1983, the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program has helped more than 260,000 Minnesota workers gain new skills through customized training," said DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben. "In addition to the investment in our workforce, the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program also increases the long-term success of participating businesses statewide."
The $300,000 grant is to Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical, for jobs at TRW, which makes car parts, including control panels.
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Following significant investment in new production and test equipment, TRW Winona is one of the top contenders for major contracts from the top three U.S. vehicle manufacturers, according to a DEED press release.
The DEED funding will support training the new workers for the production floor and upgrade the skills of the existing workforce, DEED said.
Training certification includes credit-based degrees, diplomas, and hourly-based certificates. Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical will have enhanced curriculum relevant to other individuals and auto industry businesses as a result of the project.
In addition,Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical got a $270,257 grant to train workers at Duluth-based Benedictine Health System.
Benedictine employs 4,900 at 28 senior care facilities in Minnesota. The funding will be used to develop a new training program for Certified Care Partner, an emerging occupation. Training will greatly improve the skills of 277 Benedictine Health System employees who will be more marketable and have increased wages and employment opportunities as a result, DEED said.
