We are thrilled to announce that Lou-Rich, along with Minnesota State University – Mankato (MSU) has been recently awarded over $330,000 through the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Grant. The program’s purpose is “to act as a catalyst between business and education in developing cooperative training projects that provide training for new jobs or retrain existing employees.”
To be applicable for the grant, a MN business has to partner with an accredited educational institution. Funds may be used for training-related costs or educational infrastructure improvements necessary to support businesses located or intending to locate in Minnesota. Lou-Rich and MSU began the process of applying for the grant in June 2022.
The grant money will be used to develop and deliver custom training to Lou-Rich employees over several years. The training will focus on Lean manufacturing and is being referred to as the “LR-MSU Lean Initiative.” Training is classified by MSU as high-tech or advanced training.
The first course MSU will be teaching is “Intro to Lean.” Once this course is finalized, professors from Minnesota State University – Mankato will come to Lou-Rich to conduct interactive 4-hour small group training sessions with employees. 7 different training topics have been identified, and courses will be created specifically to meet the needs of Lou-Rich. This training will help our shop floor employees gain a thorough understanding of Lean Manufacturing, further develop our lean culture, and give our employees a solid foundation to build upon for their future growth.
We are excited about this partnership with Minnesota State University – Mankato and the opportunity to invest in our employees’ professional development. This grant is an excellent opportunity to enhance our production processes, increase efficiency, and reduce waste.
For more information about the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership program, please visit their website at https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/.
