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August 19, 1999 - Dakota County Technical College Receives $390,969 grant

Dakota County Technical College has been awarded a $390,969 training grant from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership to upgrade the technical skills of 761 3M manufacturing maintenance workers. The new training program will improve the skills of workers who maintain and repair 3M's manufacturing equipment across the state. 3M plans to contribute $2.8 million to the training program.

Dakota County Technical College instructors will teach courses via interactive television at seven 3M manufacturing plants in Minnesota using innovative table-top training equipment developed by the school's instructors. The instructors will use motors, pneumatics, industrial sensors and mechanical drive systems to increase workers' skills. Each maintenance worker will gain hands-on experience and will meet the certification standards set by the National Skills Standards for Manufacturing.

"The critical advantage every manufacturing plant needs is a skilled and flexible workforce," said Morris J. Anderson, chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. "We at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities can provide that all-important workforce training, giving employers a competitive edge."

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is made up of 36 state universities, community and technical colleges and a campus in Japan. The system serves approximately 230,000 students a year with a fall 1998 enrollment of about 140,000.

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