Customized Workforce Education
In today's competitive business landscape, staying ahead often means investing in the growth and development of your workforce. However, navigating the world of training program design, delivery, and funding can be daunting. South Central College's Customized Workforce Education division has the expertise to develop tailored training programs and work with a variety of grant sources to offset the cost of workforce development.
Accessing Grant Funding: A Game-Changer for Area Businesses
For over two decades, SCC's Customized Workforce Education division has been instrumental in helping local businesses secure grant funding, totaling nearly $7 million through the Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership (MJSP). This program, led by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), strategically supports businesses and colleges in training Minnesota's workforce.
Leveraging MJSP Grants: A Win-Win Situation
MJSP grants, which can amount to up to $400,000, empower educational institutions like SCC to collaborate with businesses in developing new job training or retraining for existing employees. These funds cover various training-related costs, including curriculum development, instruction, and training materials. Businesses are required to match program funds on at least a one-to-one ratio, ensuring a shared investment in employee development.
The benefits of participating in the MJSP program extend to everyone involved. Employees gain access to critical training for high-skill jobs, businesses enhance their competitiveness by upskilling their workforce, and educational institutions like SCC expand their capacity to train future learners while strengthening partnerships with local businesses.
Success Story: Taylor Corporation's Precision Press
For the past 14 months, South Central College has partnered with Precision Press, a commercial printing company in North Mankato owned by Taylor Corporation, to train employees in order to foster mentorship and improve worker satisfaction. “I had the pleasure of working with Customized Workforce Education, specifically Tanja Stading, for a recent Minnesota Job Skills Partnership grant,” explains Nichole Bettner, a human resource professional for Taylor Corp.
“Tanja made the process seamless by ensuring she had a full understanding of the project's scope and goals and by providing guidance, suggestions, and resources. She was able to connect us to a top-notch grant writer and an industry-recognized consultant firm with award-winning authors and speakers. Our employees benefited from Tanja and her team’s commitment to providing the best service and experience, and I look forward to partnering again for another project in the future.”
Plan Ahead: Timing is Key
MJSP grant applications are accepted year-round, with approvals occurring two to three times yearly. Advance planning and collaboration with the educational institution are highly encouraged to maximize the benefits of grant funding opportunities.
Don't let training needs hold your business back. Take advantage of SCC's Customized Workforce Education division to access grant funding and develop tailored training programs that will elevate your workforce's skills and performance.
The deadline for the next round of MJSP grant applications is just a few weeks away.
Contact Tanja Sigurdson to discuss MJSP partnership opportunities.
Eric Weller has had his share of ambulance rides. As an EMT by trade, he worked at Mayo Clinic Ambulance for over 27 years. Today he is a highly recognized industry expert in the field of pre-hospital emergency care. With decades of experience working in the field, he uses his skills and expertise to coordinate first responder, EMT, and paramedic courses as part of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program at South Central College (SCC), and its recognized workforce division, Customized Workforce Education (CWE).
Weller has a practical teaching approach using relevant knowledge he’s learned throughout the years. He has a no-frills, down-to-earth teaching style that allows for more hands-on instruction while trying new things and adopting the latest technology. Advances in the industry continue to evolve with computers and rapid diagnostic capabilities including computerized machines for chest compressions and many other innovative tools.
CWE has been at the forefront of workforce education with customized, hands-on, advanced training for professionals and organizations of all sizes and industries. As technology advances and workplace methods and strategies improve, there comes a need for employers and employees to align with these changes through relevant and consistent training.
Weller facilitates training for a wide variety of subjects but working with frontline healthcare providers and organization leaders is his forte. “Employers and team members need to have the skills to keep themselves and others safe when an emergency happens,” said Weller. “We never know when disruptions will occur but being prepared and planning ahead ensures everyone knows what to do if there is an emergency.”
No one can ever predict emergencies which is why it’s important for everyone to get training in foundational first aid and CPR education. Today’s employers are now discovering the advantages of having all their employees go through such new or refresher training because it demonstrates a commitment to employee safety. Weller has become an expert in emergency preparedness and disaster preparation with training, exercises, and drills along with strategies and planning. Disaster drills allow hospitals or organizations of all sizes to test response capabilities to emergencies and to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Many SCC instructors still work in the field and have actual, cutting-edge experience. CWE provides professionals and career seekers with the knowledge and skills that connect their training to real-life work. Employers are changing their mindset that training is not only about workforce development but about workforce strategy. By investing in the latest training and education, employees have increased satisfaction, loyalty, and productivity. A more skilled and confident staff can do big things for a business's bottom line.
Change is the one constant in our society. As the world changes, the healthcare industry must evolve to meet new needs and expectations. The need for healthcare workers continues to grow. “We need people,” Weller said. “We need all levels of healthcare providers including an EMT for a local ambulance, a CNA at a nursing home, or a nurse at a clinic or hospital,” Weller says that students who are compassionate and patient with a desire to learn is all that’s needed to succeed in these roles.
If you are interested in learning more about the customized training opportunities available through SCC’s Customized Workforce Education, visit southcentral.edu/workforce or call 507-389-7203.
Customized Workforce Education (CWE) is a division at South Central College that has been providing workforce training for over 40 years.
Are you in charge of Safety at your facility? If so, you should have a Safety Professional in your corner!
Most small to medium-sized companies have a person in charge of safety (compliance) who is also expected to complete other tasks such as production, warehouse, maintenance, and/or Human Resources. Larger employers may have a full-time safety person but some of those folks have a limited safety (compliance) background. Education and training are important tools for informing workers and managers about workplace hazards and controls to avoid employee complaints to OSHA, citations, and injuries. Safety trainers at SCC’s Customized Workforce Education (CWE) allow you to have a professional in your corner to help bridge the gap between basic safety information and what you might find on a google search. Employers, managers, and supervisors may benefit from specific training that allows them to fulfill their leadership roles so the company can strongly compete with competitors.
When most people say “safety,” they really mean “compliance”, the basic requirements that need to be fulfilled to maintain a minimal status. Anything above that is more likely to be viewed by your employees as safety. Assess your organization’s safety climate through the eyes of your employees. Simply put, do you have a proven safety climate survey that your employees fill out to help management see what the current state of safety is? Your employees are the best gauge of this ever-changing metric and if you are not measuring it, you can’t possibly know what needs improvement. A safety professional can help you to implement a safety climate survey and consult with you on the best next steps.
Do you know what safety training is required initially, and annually, and do your supervisors know that they are the ones that need to ensure that all company and OSHA rules are being followed on the floor? A safety professional can work with your front-line supervisors to ensure they have a basic understanding of what rules need to be followed on a daily basis, and which employees have been trained to complete certain tasks. Through rules, regulations, interpretations, and case law, a safety professional can educate your front-line leaders so they can hold their direct reports accountable in the area of occupational safety. This of course drives down costs associated with injury, property damage, and citations. Assessment-based programs and OTI (OSHA Training Institute) classes like 510 and 511 are things that only a safety professional can deliver. Simply having access to these tools will give you a leg up in your industry.
Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know, and this is when it’s important to have a safety professional do a complete audit of your operations. Not an audit from a company that dabbles in safety (but specializes in uniforms, tools sales, or sling inspections), but a credentialed safety professional. If it’s time for you to get a complete audit done, seek out a safety professional who does them frequently and one who can help you create a strategic priority list. This list should include company policy, training requirements, inspection protocol, environmental, ergonomic, noise monitoring, respirator fit testing amongst other areas, and all physical plant issues.
Don’t go it alone! The credentialed safety professionals from CWE at South Central College have been onsite helping their clients for over 40 years. With four full-time professionals on staff, you can be assured that they will always be able to answer your questions, conduct training sessions and audits and provide you with peace of mind. Emails and phone calls are always welcome and we’re here if you just need that sounding board in a pinch.
If you are wondering “do they do ……..?” The answer is yes. If it involves safety, compliance, OSHA, MSHA, citations, audits, operator training, risk assessment, HAZ, etc. CWE does it, and at a high level of professionalism and expertise. Have questions? Just reach out!
More and more employers are working with South Central College’s Customized Workforce Education (CWE) to upskill employees so they can compete in today’s evolving workforce.
According to technological research and consulting firm Gartner, the pace of employee turnover is forecast to be 50–75% higher than companies have experienced previously, and the issue is compounded by it taking 18% longer to fill roles than pre-pandemic. Unless efforts are refocused on retention, managers will be unable to drive performance and affect change within their organizations.
One of the most critical keys to retention right now is upskilling to increase employee pay and responsibilities at work. In addition to improving retention, the total number of skills required for a single role is increasing by 6% annually, meaning that building critical skills within the workforce must be a top priority and developed quickly enough to meet the organization’s ever-evolving needs.
Non-credit certifications and workforce trainings are an efficient and effective way to build up a company’s workforce with the skills they need to meet production demands, as well as provide employees with an opportunity for professional development and career growth. And South Central College’s Customized Workforce Education division makes it easy for organizations to upskill their employees without the hassle of investing company time and energy to develop new trainings in-house.
From new supervisor skills and workplace communication to data analytics and certification exam prep, SCC’s workforce education courses are developed to meet organizational training needs while also being offered in a variety of formats to accommodate busy schedules and provide flexibility for working professionals. SCC’s expert trainers can even develop and lead a customized training program right at a company site.
In addition to upskilling and retaining current employees, organizations can also utilize SCC’s workforce education offerings to train new hires in the critical skills needed to fulfill their job duties. South Central College is forging an exciting new collaboration with Google and other national organizations to develop innovative pathways that will help adult learners gain transferable, job-ready skills for high-demand careers in data analytics, IT support, project management, UX design, and digital marketing. Employers in Southern Minnesota will be able to partner with South Central College to provide both new and longtime employees with these easily accessible, expert-developed trainings.
And finally, employees’ wellbeing should be taken into consideration when it comes to improving job satisfaction and retention, as well as increasing productivity. The Associated Press recently reported that untreated mental illness may cost companies up to $300 billion annually, and Harvard Business Review identified Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) – one of SCC’s newest workforce education offerings – as the most popular training program of its kind. MHFA participants learn to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health or substance use challenges among colleagues and direct reports on the job, and they’ll earn a 3-year certification from the National Council for Behavioral Health.
Customized Workforce Education can help you train, retain, and invest in your workforce.
