Senator Mark Koran (R-North Branch) today celebrated an announcement by Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development that Rosenbauer America, a custom fire truck manufacturer in Wyoming, Minn, will partner with Hennepin Technical College for skills training thanks to a $391,213 grant award.

The grant is part of $1.4 million in workforce development funding awarded to six Minnesota educational institutions partnering with local businesses. The funds will help develop and deliver customized employee training programs.

“I am beyond excited to see Rosenbauer receive this grant,” Sen. Koran said. “It will allow Rosenbauer America to continue developing a highly skilled workforce that can meet the complex needs of modern firefighting. It’s great news for the employees at Rosenbauer, for our community, and for Minnesota.”

The Rosenbauer-Hennepin partnership will provide technical, operational, and leadership skills training for 223 new and current workers at Rosenbauer’s Wyoming plant.

The training programs covered by the grants help companies recruit and retain workers, while providing employees with essential skills. Partnering with schools allows businesses to leverage teaching expertise when tailoring the training.

The Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership has awarded $29.3 million in grants since 2019 to train over 30,500 workers, leveraging $62.7 million in private funding. The next application deadline is Jan. 22, 2024.