Central Minnesota Jobs & Training outlines local training, meat processing and CDL initiatives

Representatives from Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services (CMJTS) briefed the Kandiyoi County Board of Commissioners on July 17 about local workforce programs and employer supports.

Leslie Watoitz, CMJTS development manager, said Bridget Paulson is the county’s primary business services contact. CMJTS offers one‑on‑one consultations with employers, on‑the‑job training (OJT) wage reimbursement, an incumbent‑worker program renamed “talent development,” and youth summer camps that expose students to trades and health care careers.

Paulson said a USDA grant supports a pilot meat‑processing training pipeline in partnership with Ridgewater College and Bridgewater College’s agriculture program, allowing local students to access meat processing classes without tuition cost. She described a recent local employer, Happy Halal Clean Chickens, which opened in June, that has four employees on OJT wage reimbursement through the grant.

CMJTS also supports employer‑sponsored CDL training; Paulson said three local employers (Hague Kubota, Hague Implement and Marcus Construction) have grants to support roughly six employees in Ridgewater’s CDL program, with a typical cost of about $7,000 per person reimbursed to employers.

Watoitz and Paulson said CMJTS is exploring a pilot registered apprenticeship with Wilmer High School to support staff and new hires entering special education roles and said they run outreach programs in multiple languages to connect jobseekers to openings. They asked commissioners to promote CMJTS events; the organization also seeks golfers and sponsors for a September 18 fundraiser at Pebble Creek.