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FAIRMONT -- The city-owned Southern Minnesota Educational Campus has been fairly empty since Presentation College let its lease expire in June 2019, but that may be changing soon. Iowa Lakes Community College of Estherville is exploring the possibility of using the SMEC building as a workforce training site and wants to hear from area business owners.
"It would just be training, the non-credit training," said Jolene Rogers, executive director of community and business relations at ILCC. "We would work with businesses to do custom training, short-term training programs that benefit them."
Businesses can offer their input during a pair of sessions on Nov. 19. One will be held in the lower level of SMEC, and the other will be a virtual forum. Contact Linsey Preuss, Fairmont economic development coordinator, at (507) 238-3925 to secure a spot or for more information.
Fairmont City Administrator Cathy Reynolds contacted Rogers last summer about the potential for ILCC to use the SMEC building.
"We toured the facility, and it's a beautiful, beautiful building. We talked about what could happen," said Rogers, whose job is to oversee non-credit or workforce training.
"We're still in the exploratory stages. That's what these discussion forums are all about. We'll be there to listen and to answer questions. We want to listen to the businesses about their needs and what they would be willing to commit to."
ILCC has been expanding its workforce training with Minnesota businesses, either going to the companies or hosting their employees on campus.
"Companies are willing to invest in their people, to retain those people, so our training programs have really continued to grow," Rogers said. "The unemployment rate is low so if you get a good employee and want to keep him or her, we've found the best way is to invest in their training. They feel valued at the company because it's kind of an honor to get to go to training."
One of ILCC's popular training programs is for supervisors who have been promoted.
"They used to work beside their co-workers, but now they're a team leader so they have a different relationship with those same employees. Sometimes that's a difficult transition to make," Rogers said.
Sessions involving role play to practice the skills help make these new leaders more comfortable in their new roles.
In another part of their teaching spectrum, ILCC also offers some four-day immersion sessions for highly technical skills, such as robotics and electrical.
Rogers is eager to hear what the needs are for Fairmont area businesses.
"I have no idea what they are going to tell me, what they're interested in for training," she said. "We don't have a magic recipe for anything, but together, through discussion, we can find something that can will work."