We've been hearing it for a while now-the jobs are there, all that's missing are people qualified to fill them.
That problem may have a solution.
The news last week that Pequot Tool & Manufacturing was awarded a $109,670 grant to train employees in advanced manufacturing is a step in the right direction-an idea that should be applauded and encouraged in other areas of business throughout the state.
The grant is courtesy of the new Minnesota PIPELINE (private investment, public education, labor and industry experience) program, established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2014, and expanded in 2015, to support dual training and apprenticeship programs in Minnesota. The dual-training grant program helps employers and training providers deliver dual training to meet industry-developed occupational competency standards.
Pequot Tool will use the grant to support the training of incumbent workers as they further their skills, while also sustaining the hiring and training of new employees through an adult apprenticeship program.
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While the apprentices are paid full time with benefits, time will be set aside within every work week for dedicated instruction.
"This is the perfect match for adults who want to learn new skills, earn increased wages as their skills develop, but can't afford to be a full-time student," said said Pequot Tool's Human Resources Manager Deborah L. Hoel.
A liberal arts education is not for everyone. The types of opportunities offered with the Minnesota PIPELINE grants are an excellent opportunity for people who are looking to get into a technical career, develop marketable skills, have virtually no student debt, and a job with benefits. It's especially beneficial in a state where the unemployment rate is at 3.7 percent.
Perhaps these apprentices will become loyal employees who would feel a strong commitment to such a business because of the commitment that business made to them.
It's good for the economy and helps businesses desperate for trained people. We'd rather see taxpayer money be spent in this way instead of bailing people out of student loan debt.
