3M

Aligning training growth objectives

"Working with the college has really become part of our business strategy."

- Linda Isaacson, Organized Effectiveness Manager for 3M's Abrasive Manufacturing Organization

Location: Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, with plants in five other Minnesota cities

Industry: 3M is a global, diversified technology company with leading market positions in healthcare, safety, electronics, telecommunications, industrial, consumer and office and other markets.

The challenge:
To stay competitive in the many and changing markets it serves, 3M needs to provide a broad range of training for diverse employee groups.

The solution:
3M taps the training expertise of five colleges within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System to deliver an array of unique training. The system's colleges provide customized training to approximately 2,000 of 3M's Minnesota employees annually in areas ranging from manufacturing productivity to communications to emergency responsiveness.

3M, Stillwater facility, Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Award
3M is a $16 billion diversified technology company with operations in more than 60 counties and headquarters in St. Paul. Their facility in Stillwater provides design service and adhesive film production for the automotive industry. The company has constant need for training and retraining in order to assure high quality production and timely delivery. This project, designed in partnership with Anoka-Ramsey Community College, will train 280 production/printing/die-cutting/inspection and supervisors to help increase productivity, better understand products and their uses, and broaden employees perspective toward changes in management and company operations. The training will be totally customized to met 3M's unique needs but can be adjusted and replicated for other businesses in the community. $315,345 Partnership.

The results:

• New leadership created from within 3M
• Increased team effectiveness
• Improved safety
• Heightened sense of accountability and responsibility at all levels

The training program:
Alexandria Technical College is engaged in an eight-year training relationship with 3M's Abrasive Manufacturing Organization to provide organizational effectiveness training, including team and leadership development, change management, E-productivity, quality initiatives and project management for approximately 1,600 employees. The college co-developed a certification program designed to meet 3M organizational needs.

• Hennepin Technical College delivers a range of customized environmental, health and safety and OSHA compliance training to approximately 1,500 employees annually.
• Inver Hills Community College provides extensive training in computer network security, wireless networking and telecommunications to administrators at the company's world headquarters and is developing a Web-based chemistry course for research and development employees.
• Century College recently trained more than 250 employees in various areas including professional communication, certified quality engineering and CPR.
• Normandale Community College recently trained a group of manufacturing engineers on the application of statistical concepts for design products (Design for Six Sigma).

The training provided to 3M by five colleges within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System is as diverse as the many markets the company serves, providing the company with the flexibility it needs to stay competitive.

For example, 3M's Abrasive Manufacturing Organization is involved in an eight-year program with Alexandria Technical College that has resulted in a high degree of trust between the two organizations. The college and the company have entered into a confidentiality agreement that allows 3M to share sensitive strategic planning and business initiative information with the college to collaboratively develop and implement organizational effectiveness training.

Alexandria Technical College is considered an extension of 3M's Abrasive Manufacturing Organization, according to Linda Isaacson, organizational effectiveness manager.

"As we look ahead at training needs required to help us meet our growth objectives, it is very effective to be able to work with an organization that knows our business and embraces our vision," Isaacson said. "With assistance from Alexandria Technical College, we are creating and implementing training curricula that precisely address our needs." - Linda Isaacson

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