Training and grant opportunities announced by Printing Industry Midwest

Minneapolis, Minn. – Printing Industry Midwest (PIM), the not-for-profit trade organization representing the Midwest’s leading print service providers, announced that through its advocacy efforts, the employment position of “press operator” has been identified as a high-growth, high-wage occupation by the Minnesota PIPELINE Program at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.

As of April 1, 2019, print service providers with Minnesota-located operations will be eligible to apply for PIPELINE grants up to $6,000 per trainee. Grant applications must be submitted by May 17, 2019. These dual-training grants are available through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and provide funding for employers to create new and expand existing dual-training initiatives. The training curriculum for Press Operators will be provided by Printing Industry Midwest through its new Production Technician Apprentice Program now in development, scheduled for release late Summer 2019.

“This designation provides PIM and its members an opportunity to build new strategic programs and partnerships and opens the door to funding streams to develop the print industry’s future workforce,” said Steve Bonoff, PIM president. “We thank the team at the Minnesota PIPELINE Program for recognizing the importance of the press operator position to the more than 1,000 print service providers in Minnesota and to those seeking careers in the $7 billion Minnesota print industry.”

The Minnesota PIPELINE (Private Investment, Public Education, Labor and Industry Experience) Program is an innovative approach to address current and future workforce needs. PIPELINE supports employers in creating or enhancing a competency based dual-training approach where workers receive a combination of related instruction strategically paired with on-the-job training.

“We are excited to partner with Print Industry Midwest to create a dual-training model for print press operators that will meet workforce and business needs of the printing industry and benefit the employees who take advantage of this new training opportunity,” said Dan Solomon, PIPELINE Program consultant.

“While academic institutions offering print-based curriculums have declined in our region, our members are hungry for new recruits,” said Kris Davis, PIM director of education. “This partnership will spur development and growth in print-specific training programs and be a catalyst for developing new talent for the industry. In the coming months, PIM will offer new training programs with print-related instruction that will lead enrollees to an industry-recognized credential.”

For more information or to access the PIPELINE grant application as of April 1, 2019, visit www.pimw.org/employment or contact Kris Davis at 612.400.6208 or via email at [email protected].