The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board (MJSP) recently awarded a Low Income Worker Grant of $81,048 to SOAR Career Solutions, a Duluth-based nonprofit. The two-year grant provides training for 40 people at Lake Superior College in the medical office assistant and over-the-road truck driving programs. Students will develop entry-level job skills sought by area employers.

A grant-signing ceremony with MJSP, SOAR and LSC officials will be held on the campus Thursday.

A key challenge employers face today is finding candidates who have both the required technical skills and the soft skills required to perform a productive day’s work on a continuous basis.

“These funds will improve our ability to help low income residents to become self-sufficient and increase their incomes,” said Rebecca Ellenson, executive director of SOAR Career Solutions. “The training funded through this grant will lead directly into jobs with livable wages and advancement opportunities.”

This state grant builds on prior worker training successes that SOAR Career Solutions, Lake Superior College, and the Duluth Workforce Center established through previous MSJP Low Income Worker grants and other training awards.

"Our partnership with SOAR Career Solutions and MJSP continues to provide low-income individuals a chance to improve their job skills, their self-confidence, and their financial well-being by training for jobs that are in demand in the area," said Steve Wagner, executive director of LSC Workforce Development and Customized Training.

Features of this worker training include:

• Courses offered as certificate programs to allow for flexible scheduling to accommodate the needs of the target population.

• Input from employers with identified needs for job applicants trained in these programs has been included in the overall program design.

• Other financial resources have been secured to provide the pre-employment, post-employment and support services needed by the target population to be successful in the training and in the workplace.

Based in Duluth, SOAR Career Solutions is a nonprofit employment services organization whose innovative programs use a personalized team approach to serve people at all levels of career and personal development.

The Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership (MJSP) Board evaluates grant applications for all MJSP training programs and makes grant awards to partnering businesses and educational institutions. The MJSP Board also has statutory authority over the state and federal Dislocated Worker Program, which provides training and services to laid-off Minnesota workers who meet specific eligibility requirements.

Lake Superior College is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

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