Pilot project draws trainees from Swanson & Youngdale and Rainbow, Inc.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded a $49,570 grant from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program (MJSP) to the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest (FTI-UM) to train 40 Minnesota workers on a new Blasting and Painting Virtual Learning (VL) process.
The grant will fund entry-level training for employees of Swanson & Youngdale (S&Y) of Minneapolis and Rainbow, Inc. of New Hope.
IUPAT member Scott Corsiatti uses SimSpray Abrasive Blasting Module on his last day of apprentice training at PDC 30. Using video game technology, Corsiatti wears a helmet to see his progress as he “blast” away old paint, rust and corrosion on a virtual panel. His progress is shown on the computer monitor.
“This Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program grant will help Swanson & Youngdale and Rainbow reskill their current employees using a virtual learning process that is not available anywhere else in the state,” said DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben. “In the long term, the project will also help the companies retain their customer base.”
Forty apprentices from S&Y and Rainbow, Inc. will participate in the two-year project at FTI-UM, which will include classroom instruction, workshops and hands-on virtual paint and sandblast exercises.
S&Y provides commercial, industrial and specialty paint services for industrial, commercial and government organizations. Rainbow, Inc.’s services include full containment systems, abrasive blasting, fireproofing and specialized painting.
The MJSP works strategically with businesses and educational institutions to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities and keep high-quality jobs in the state.
DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and our services, visit us at the DEED website (http://mn.gov/deed) or go to our Twitter account (http://twitter.com/mndeed).