OHE Awards $4.87 Million to Minnesota Businesses to Support Employee Training

Today, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) announces the 2026 recipients of the Dual Training Grant. In total, $4.87 million was awarded to 71 Minnesota businesses and five regional organizations that represent multiple employers. The funds will allow companies in high-demand industries to fund dual training programs for 867 employees.

“The impact of these grants goes far beyond employee training,” OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said. “From building the next generation workforce in high-demand industries to providing the training necessary for Minnesotans to start a career and support their family, each award represents an investment in the future of our state.”

Industries eligible for Dual Training Grants include advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, information technology, child care, transportation, and legal cannabis. Grantees can receive up to $150,000 for related instruction costs, of which a single dual trainee can benefit from up to $6,000 for their training. Those costs include tuition, fees, books, and materials.

In addition, a grantee can receive up to $15,000 for trainee support costs like transportation, mileage, lodging, meals, tutoring services, translation services, preparatory course, interpreter services, and/or accessibility services.

“Earn-and-learn approaches like Dual-Training Pipeline are successfully bringing together structured on-the-job training with related technical instruction to achieve economic success for workers and businesses,” DLI Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach said. “The grants support career pathways that help families across Minnesota.”

Since 2019, OHE has awarded 455 Dual Training Grants to support businesses across the state. This represents an investment of over $28.6 million to advance the training of 4,169 employees.

2026 Dual Training Grant recipients:

• Aircorps Aviation, Bemidji 
• Allina Health, Minneapolis 
• Alomere Health, Alexandria 
• American Crystal Sugar Company, Moorhead 
• Annandale Health & Community Services, Annandale 
• Apple Tree Dental, New Brighton 
• Beacon Embedded Works, Eden Prairie 
• Bedford Industries, Worthington 
• Beehive Homes of Lakeville, Lakeville 
• Behrens Manufacturing, Winona 
• C.A.R.E. Clinic, Red Wing 
• Cassia, Minneapolis 
• Center For Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Duluth 
• CentraCare Health System, Saint Cloud 
• Children’s Dental Services, Minneapolis 
• Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis 
• Community Dental Care, Saint Paul 
• Cornerstone Montessori School, St. Paul 
• Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, Crosby 
• Daikin Applied Americas, Faribault 
• Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation, Eagan – This is grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 7 different employers. 
• Discovery Place Early Learning Center, Thief River Falls 
• Essentia Health, Duluth 
• Fair Meadow Nursing Home, Fertile 
• Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis 
• Food Service Specialties, Red Wing 
• Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, Saint Paul 
• Grand Village, Grand Rapids 
• Greater Bemidji, Bemidji – This grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 16 different employers. 
• Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, Minneapolis 
• HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis 
• Ichor Systems, Sauk Rapids 
• In Control, Minneapolis 
• Intek Plastics, Hastings 
• IPS Cranes, St. Paul 
• JBS, Worthington 
• Jord Bioscience, St. Paul 
• Kalina Dental, Mankato 
• Kids Haven, Buffalo 
• Lake Region Healthcare, Elbow Lake 
• Madison Avenue Dental, Mankato 
• Midwest Manufacturers Association, Alexandria - This grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 16 different employers. 
• Mindful Wellbeing, Minneapolis 
• Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association, Minneapolis - This grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 22 different employers. 
• MME Group, Vadnais Heights 
• Montessori American Indian Childcare Center, Saint Paul 
• New Horizons Academy, Plymouth 
• North Mankato Family Dentistry, North Mankato 
• North Memorial Health Care, Minneapolis 
• Orthotic Care Services, Minneapolis 
• Our Lady of Peace, Saint Paul 
• Perham Health, Perham  
• Pike Lake Dental, Duluth 
• Pollard Dental Care, Sleepy Eye 
• Post Consumer Brands, Northfield 
• Ready, Set, Smile, Minneapolis 
• Rebound, Inc., Minneapolis 
• Ridgeview Medical Center, Waconia 
• River City Therapy Center, Red Wing 
• rms Company, Minneapolis 
• Sanco Enterprises, Shoreview 
• Sappi Cloquet, Cloquet 
• Sonnet Montessori And Child Care, Prior Lake 
• Stevens Community Medical Center, Morris 
• Switchback Medical, Brooklyn Park 
• Tafco Equipment Company, Blue Earth 
• Tall Pines Family Dentistry, Bemidji 
• The Aagard Group, Alexandria 
• The Bridge Autism Clinic, Minneapolis 
• Touchstone Mental Health, Minneapolis 
• Two Rivers Enterprises, Holdingford 
• UMC, Monticello 
• United Taconite, Forbes 
• University Aviation Association, Memphis - This grant was awarded to an organization that represents an employer in Minnesota and will support the training of one Minnesota based employee. 
• University Of Minnesota, Minneapolis 
• Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center, Plymouth 

Total amount awarded: $4,869,563.00.