Quality Ingredients Corporation Kicks Off Two-year Training Initiative

Quality Ingredients Corporation, a Burnsville-based food ingredient supplier, has partnered with Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) on a two-year training initiative. DCTC will provide technical skills training to 55 existing and 20 new employee-owners working in Minnesota, thanks to a Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Grant in the amount of $115,332.

22 Feb 2013 --- Quality Ingredients Corporation is one of the largest 100% ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) companies in Minnesota, and places a priority on employee-owner development and continuous improvement. With their expertise in spray drying technology, the company transforms liquids into stable powders for the food and nutrition industries. A recent expansion reflects their strong growth; they are in the process of adding 20 new positions in their Burnsville, Minnesota facility as the company doubles its capacity there. “This grant is a wonderful validation of our efforts to make development opportunities available to every employee-owner, and our intent to make our operation better and better every day,” says Isabelle Day, CEO of Quality Ingredients Corporation. “Our partnership with DCTC brings us the customized training support we need for our rapidly growing team. We are delighted to receive this grant!”

"We are pleased to provide this critical training for Quality Ingredients as they expand operations,” said Patrick McQuillan, DCTC Dean of Continuing Education and Customized Training. “We have extensive experience working with food manufacturers, which is valuable as we customize training to match QIC’s processes.” A portion of the training is developed for hybrid delivery, with theory delivered in an online format and labs delivered on site. “Maintenance staffing tends to run very lean for manufacturers, which doesn’t leave a lot of time to schedule everyone for face-to-face training,” McQuillan said. “This grant will allow us to develop a Systems Troubleshooting course in hybrid format. We are working toward this goal for all of our mechatronics training offerings.”

The official grant signing takes place at the Quality Ingredients Corporation headquarters on Thursday, February 21, and training is expected to begin in the 2nd quarter of 2013. The company is also pursuing a similar training grant for its Marshfield, Wisconsin-based employee-owners through the Workforce Advancement Training Grant (WATG) program of Wisconsin.

Celebrating more than 25 years of service to the food industry, Burnsville, Minnesota-based Quality Ingredients is a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company leveraging expertise in drying technology to create proprietary and custom powdered ingredient systems as well as contract spray drying and blending services for food processing companies across North America and beyond. Please visit www.qic.us for more information.

DCTC's Customized Training staff members are experienced in grant administration. Over the past 20 years, DCTC has received and executed tens of millions of dollars in local, state and federal grants to support workforce development in Minnesota. Since 2000, Dakota County Technical College has partnered with over 60 Minnesota businesses administering more than $12 million in MJSP training grants.

Dakota County Technical College's Customized Training division specializes in offering training and consulting services in the following areas: Business & Management, Computers & Technology, Health Care, Manufacturing & Trades and Transportation & Safety. DCTC guides companies through comprehensive training and development programs that bridge all work types and positions – enabling employers to provide a cross-company/cross-department focus and message, with the flexibility of using multiple formats.