YOUTH SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM
The pandemic has , of course , affected all things throughout the world , including the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry ’ s Youth Skills Training Program ( YST ), but according to Program Manager Rich Wessels , all of the components of the program have continued to be offered .
“ We continue to provide very worthwhile programs , meaningful programs that are serving students and employers throughout the state in the high demand , high growth industries ,” he said . “ I ’ m very proud of that , and the work the partnerships have continued to do to really be flexible and pivot .”
2021 marked the final year of the program paid for with a $ 100,000 grant awarded to the VHEDC to develop and implement paid learning opportunities in a variety of industries for students ages 16 and over . The program , which just wrapped up in June 2021 , was executed as a partnership between the White Bear Lake Area School District , the Mounds View , Roseville , North St . Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale , and Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School Districts , area manufacturers and Ramsey County .
During the 2020-2021 school year , participating students received classroom instruction and safety training . In the summertime , many of them participated in paid work experiences in the automotive and manufacturing industries .
“ Fairway Collision & Automotive , Fedtech , MME Group , Inc ., Walser Polar Chevrolet , Walser Polar Mazda , Quanex Building Products , Westfall Technik , Teamvantage and Empire House Inc ., all had YST student learners working at their companies in the summer of 2021 ,” said Wessels . “ Students rotated through multiple companies , which allowed them to see a variety of work environments , experience the services offered and products made at each company and discover a wide variety of potential future careers .”
Courtesy : Mounds View School District
Courtesy : White Bear Lake Area Schools
YST , which was founded in 2017 , provides students with related classroom instruction , safety training , industryrecognized credentials and paid work experience in the industries of advanced manufacturing , agriculture , automotive , health care and information technology . The program is designed to expose students to high demand jobs that don ’ t necessarily require a four-year degree .
During the summer of 2021 , the White Bear Lake Area Schools had seven students involved in internships . Four of the students interned in the area of manufacturing at MME Group , Inc ., Team Vantage and Westfall Technik , Inc ., formerly known as Moldcraft .
“ MME Group was great because they offered additional hours for our students , and two of the four said yes to continuing to work for the rest of the summer ,” said Jenny Moore , Career
Courtesy : Mounds View School District
Courtesy : Roseville Area High School
Pathways Coordinator for White Bear Lake Area Schools .
Three White Bear Lake Area School District students completed internships at the following automotive businesses : Fairview Collision and Automotive , Walser Polar Chevrolet and Walser Polar Mazda . Two of the three ended up getting full time jobs after their internships ended .
“ We had one female student get offered a job at Walser Polar Chevrolet as a lube tech and she is still working there today ,” said Moore . “ Another student , a 2021 male graduate who really wanted to go into auto body , finished his Fairway Collision and Automotive internship on a Friday and was offered fulltime work the following Monday . Things could not have gone better for these students — and our employers ,” said Moore .
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