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MState outlines new credentialed training, IT, healthcare and drone programs for regional employers
Summary
MState’s Workforce Development Solutions described plans to add NIMS-recognized credentials for industrial maintenance, expand IT and healthcare noncredit training, pilot a flooring program, and explore drone training with Region 5.
Sean Collins, director of Workforce Development Solutions at MState, used the Otter Tail County quarterly convening to introduce new and expanded noncredit training aimed at aligning local worker skills with employer needs.
Collins said WDS is modernizing programs, expanding marketing and custom training, and seeking to be the region’s leading custom training provider. "We want to get a good understanding of what employers actually need," Collins said, describing work to tailor training to employer equipment and goals.
Amy of the MState WDS team outlined MState’s integration of National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) standards into industrial maintenance and precision-manufacturing offerings. "We’re going to layer it with this nationally recognized credential," Amy said, describing hands-on, assessment-based training that validates competencies for employers.
Collins described short-term initiatives across sectors: developing noncredit IT certificates (system administration, cybersecurity, web/software), launching a sterile processing technician certification and a culinary dietary manager program for long-term care settings, and piloting CNA training in high schools. He also said WDS is working with the Floor Covering Education Foundation and the Red River Valley Homebuilders Association to launch flooring-installation training (carpet, hardwood, tile, resilient flooring) targeted for winter 2026–27.
On emerging technology, Collins said WDS is collaborating with the Region 5 Development Commission to explore drone training, starting with the Part 107 remote pilot certification and potentially expanding to Part 108 beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. He asked participants to complete a brief workforce survey to help shape the program.
Collins encouraged employers to contact WDS about custom training and emphasized the noncredit unit’s ability to rapidly spin up tailored classes. He noted WDS was featured in Great Places to Work magazine and offered follow-up contact information and slides for attendees. No formal votes or actions were taken during the presentation.
