Gov. Tim Walz today announced this week the recipients of nearly $20 million in grants to grow Minnesota's workforce through the Drive for 5 Workforce initiative, a new effort to prepare more Minnesotans for high-demand jobs in five occupational categories: technology, the trades, caring professions, manufacturing and education.
The Department of Employment and Economic Development's (DEED) Drive for 5 program provides grants to workforce training and business organizations. The grant recipients will train and place an estimated 1,200 Minnesotans over the next 15 months in high-demand jobs, benefiting an estimated 3,000 Minnesota businesses.
The industries selected to be part of Drive for 5 are projected to be high-growth in the years ahead and provide family-sustaining wages for workers, defined as having a median hourly wage at or above $19.46. Drive for 5 will benefit Minnesotans who want to join the labor force in these in-demand fields and who need training and employment assistance. It will benefit Minnesota's economy by preparing people for in-demand careers and meeting the needs of employers.
The Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council -- with locations in Marshall, Montevideo and Worthington – was named a $600,000 Drive for Five grant program awardee.
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