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WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS & TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Building Minnesota's Manufacturing Workforce

Minnesota's manufacturing sector continues to grow, evolve, and innovate. The demand for skilled, motivated workers has never been higher. MPMA is committed to strengthening the workforce pipeline by supporting students, job seekers, employers, educators, and training partners across the state. Our goal is simple: develop, connect, and advance the talent that keeps Minnesota manufacturers competitive and thriving.

Through hands-on programming, strategic partnerships, grants, and personalized support, MPMA provides direct pathways into high-quality manufacturing careers and helps employers train, retain, and upskill their team.

 

 

 

| K-12 Engagement | Individual Support & Career Navigation | Employer Training & Advancement Programs | Training Programs & Grant Navigation | MPMA Education Foundation
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K-12 Engagement & Career Awareness

MPMA works statewide to spark interest in manufacturing careers through experiences that make the industry tangible and exciting for young people.

  • School partnerships across Minnesota

  • Classroom presentation, hands-on activities, and interactive demos

  • Career fairs, educator engagement, and Manufacturing Month programming

  • Student exploration tools through the Manufacturing Pathways Portal.

  • Internship and mentorship opportunities.  

     

If you are interested in K-12 opportunities complete this form or reach out to MPMA Workforce Development team contact us for more information. 

Individual Support & Career Navigation

MPMA provides high-touch, personalized support to individual exploring or entering manufacturing careers. 

Our assistance includes:

  • Career exploration and guidance
  • Access to the Manufacturing Pathways Portal
  • Connections to community resources and wraparound supports
  • Help navigating training programs, grants, and short-term certificates
  • Placement assistance and follow up support
  • Continued communication and coaching throughout a job seeker's journey

If you are interested in learning more about MPMA support and career navigation, go to the Minnesota Manufacturing Pathways Portal for more information. 

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Employer Training & Advancement Programs

MPMA supports manufacturers through the Employment Advancement Program, in partnership with VisionOne High Performance Group. This initiative is designed to build internal capacity and strengthen workforce systems

Through this program, employers receive:

  • Support identifying workforce needs and priorities
  • Direct connections to training partners and funding
  • Tools to boost retention, onboarding, and leadership capacity
  • Access to small implementation grants
  • Workplace culture training through YMCA partners
  • Guidance on best practices and shared learning across the industry

If you are interested in the Employer Advancement Program please complete this form.

Training Programs & Grant Navigation

MPMA helps employers and individual access a wide range of training opportunities including:

 

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MPMA Education Foundation

The MPMA Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity that supports students entering manufacturing-related programs. The foundation is dedicate to supporting the next generation of Minnesota Manufacturers through scholarships, classroom resources, and hands-on learning opportunities.

What the Education Foundation Supports:

  • Post-secondary Scholarships for students entering manufacturing career related programs
  • Equipment and materials that strengthen technical education programs
  • Career exploration opportunities for K-12 students
  • Partnership with schools and training providers to expand access to high-quality career pathways

Contact Us


If you are a company interested in participating in any of the programs listed, contact us for more information.

For students interested in joining the manufacturing workforce, please visit our Manufacturing Pathways Portal for more career path information and to apply for scholarships. 

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WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM CASE STUDIES

Below are a few of the innovative ways that companies have approached workforce challenges.
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Advanced Research Corporation sees great benefits from apprenticeships and internships at all levels to develop very highly skilled teams. They partner with both a technical college and university and then combine those machinists and engineers into cross-functional teams that work closely. Engineers learn to run machines, and Machinists learn to solve complex problems.

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Heilux takes the approach of recruiting high school and college students, as well as students active in Scouts, with a high aptitude for problem-solving, work ethic, and leadership. They are organized in teams of two and allowed to set their schedules based on three different shifts. They leverage their need for “gamification” by challenging the teams to cross-train each other and compete for higher levels of productivity and quality. After 3 weeks, productivity increased by 300% over their regular full-time staff, shift leads rose up, and engagement increased.

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Continental Engineering and Manufacturing knows they can’t simply rely on hiring people with existing talent. Seeing workforce programs in existence, they specifically recruit inexperienced candidates based upon workforce programs they can feed them into. This allows them more freedom in recruiting and still the ability to develop high-skilled employees. They work with Eden Prairie High School in their Talon Robotics program to coach, mentor, and assist students, some of which become apprentices and employees of CEM.