Senator Amy Klobuchar made stops in all 87 Minnesota counties during her re-election campaign. One stop just before election day was Waconia High School, where the senator visited science and technology classrooms and spoke with participants in the “Teachers in the Workplace” program, a partnership involving the Waconia Chamber of Commerce, the Minnesota Chamber, School District 110 and area businesses.
“We highlighted the partnerships that have been formed in areas of healthcare, manufacturing and business,” said Christine Fenner, business relationship consultant for Waconia Public Schools. “These projects are meaningful not only to help with the skills gap and workforce shortage in Minnesota but also to introduce students to occupations in high demand.”
“Economic success depends on advanced technology and workers who have specialized skills to get the job done,” Sen. Klobuchar said during her visit. “The programs and classes we saw today are all about creating opportunities for students and meeting employer and workforce needs. And it’s a model we should be embracing on a broader scale to ensure we are preparing young people for the jobs of tomorrow that our businesses are creating today.”
“When Senator Klobuchar’s office contacted us, we were more than happy to show her around as we would for any legislator wanting to see the great work we do in Waconia Public Schools,” added District 110 superintendent Pat Devine. “As we walked around Waconia High School to see all the learning happening, I was full of pride in watching our awesome students demonstrate their knowledge of entrepreneurship and engineering design.”
Partnerships
Here is a glimpse of some of the business partnerships in the Waconia School District. The partnerships involve a range of activities including events, facility tours, client projects and internships.
Health care
Ridgeview Medical Center
Auburn Homes
Manufacturing
Sackett-Waconia Manufacturing
ElkayCompanies
TMC Industries
Nordic Components
Applied Vacuum
Yeager Machine
Local small business
Mackenthun’s Fine Foods
Hardware Hank
Vandy’s Grille
Waconia Food Shelf
Waconia Performing Arts
Safari Island Community Center
Other
Carver County Historical Society–partnerships in history and special education
Arts- Projects, partnerships and events with local artists
Partnerships with design and retail businesses
In addition to ongoing projects and tours, a number of guest instructors visit classrooms to teach on a specific subject within their industry, such as law enforcement, education, finance, health care, engineering, human services, cybersecurity, graphic arts, construction, business, hospitality and more.
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