St. Cloud State, in partnership with Grede Casting and SCR (St. Cloud Refrigeration), earned a $300,000 training grant and $250,000 training grant respectively. These grants were awarded to St. Cloud State from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) recently under the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership.

As part of the grant, St. Cloud State is partnering with local industry companies to strengthen their workforce and will provide customized training to help them maintain their competitive edge in their industries and meet future demands.

Each company will acquire training customized to its specific needs and equipment in order to develop a workforce with cutting-edge knowledge and skills. Grede Casting, SCR and St. Cloud State will partner with St. Cloud Technical & Community College (SCTCC), Ridgewater Community College and Hennepin Technical College (HTC) to deliver customized training.

The grants are intended to have three outcomes:

Grede Casting is a Grede is considered one of the largest and top metal casters in the industry, operating 10 facilities across North America and employing a team of 3,800 workers. Currently, the St. Cloud operation employs 342 individuals. U.S. metal casting industry is a vital component of the manufacturing economy and requires increasingly advanced automation technology. Grede’s strategic initiative is to retain, attract and upskill their workforce with the new tools and technological skills needed.  

SCR (formerly St. Cloud Refrigeration) is the Midwest’s leader in commercial refrigeration, HVAC/R, building automation, food service design, installation, and maintenance. With divisions in St. Cloud, the Brainerd Lakes area, Duluth, Rochester, Mankato, and the Twin Cities, SCR serves customers throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.  A family owned and operated business, SCR plans to grow and train their employees with new technology and automation in the industry.

The MJSP supported training programs will continue to enhance and expand the current in-house training programs and develop new customized training programs to maintain these companies competitive edge in the automotive casting and HVAC/R industries.

St. Cloud State University’s Center for Continuing Studies partners with businesses to offer professional development, customized training, and host conferences and events. The St. Cloud State Center for Continuing Studies has partnered with 15 companies on grants totaling nearly $3.9 million since 2011 and serves over 4,500 employees with customized training.

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