MnSCU Board of Trustees meeting to showcase workforce development

Posted: January 13, 2012

Contact: Doug Anderson, doug.anderson@MinnState.edu, 651-201-1426

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees meeting to showcase workforce development

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees will hold its Jan. 18 meeting at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) in Rosemount.

The meeting will highlight for the public and media how MnSCU system institutions, such as DCTC, respond quickly and effectively to business and industry needs for highly skilled workers. MnSCU partners with 6,000 businesses throughout the state to provide customized training and career education to 157,000 employees each year.

Members of the media are invited to accompany the board on a tour that will highlight several for-credit and noncredit programs. The tour will feature:

  • General Motors Automotive Service Education program (ASEP) – Trains highly specialized service technicians
  • Student demonstration of safety component training and airbag deploymen
  • Heavy Construction Technology program – Trains mechanics for heavy equipment maintenance for leading manufacturers
  • Representative from Ziegler Cat, exclusive Caterpillar Equipment Dealer in Minnesota
  • Nanotechnology program in partnership with the University of Minnesota – Educates students in manipulating ultra-small structures to improve medical, electronic, food and consumer products
  • Polymer demonstration by student
  • Wood Finishing program – A nationally recognized, short-term program that works especially well for nontraditional students. The instructor is certified by the Smithsonian Institution
  • Review of chemistry of design, lab tour, examples of student wor
  • Early Childhood and Youth Development progra
  • Review of how technology is infused into the classroom
  • Customized Training partnerships – MnSCU partners with 6,000 businesses throughout the state to provide customized training and career education to 157,000 employees each year
  • DCTC President Ron Thomas and representatives from Thomson Reuters, United Health Services and Ziegler will discuss their partnership
  • Several DCTC alumni will discuss how technical education prepared them for success in the workforce. In addition, MnSCU Board Chair Scott Thiss, Chancellor Steven Rosenstone and DCTC President Ronald Thomas will be available for interviews.


Where: Dakota Room, Dakota County Technical College, 1300 E. 145th Street, Rosemount, MN 55068

When: 10 a.m. – noon Wed., Jan. 18