CLC to use $274,000 grant for training

STAPLES - Central Lakes College received a $274,000 grant from the state Department of Employment and Economic Development's Minnesota Job Skills Partnership to support lean and technical training for employees of Lakewood Health System, Staples.

The three-year training collaboration includes MJSP, Lakewood Health System and Central Lakes College.

"Lakewood Health System's staff will be more effective in treating patients and containing costs, as a result of lean training," said Dan McElroy, DEED Commissioner and MJSP Board Chair, in a news release. "Central Lakes College's capacity to create and deliver health care training will be expanded to include other heath care organizations."

Lean training in the health care environment focuses on eliminating waste and identifies steps that add value to the entire health care delivery process.

Central Lakes College will collaborate with Alexandria Technical College to deliver customized classroom and online lean courses, such as Foundations of Lean; Workplace Organization and Visual Workplace; Process Mapping; and Project Mentorship for more than 850 Lakewood employees.

Central Lakes College's nursing faculty will also work with St. Cloud Technical College to deliver 11 new, for-credit courses in Training for Level III Trauma Designation; Acute Cardiac Life Support; Pandemic/Emergency Preparedness; Infection Control; Information Technology Net System; and Universal Health Care Training. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physicians, emergency medical technicians and administrators will receive lean training or upgrade existing technical skills.

For more information on the grant, contact Rebecca Best, Dean of Educational Services, Business and Industry Center, Central Lakes College, 855-8143 or e-mail rbest@clcmn.edu.

The MJSP offers technical, financial and job training assistance to businesses, communities, educational institutions and workers. The board brings businesses with specific education needs together with educational institutions to design customized training programs.

CLC has a customized training department at its Brainerd and Staples campuses.