Local College, Sappi Paper Mill Awarded $350,000 Job Skills Grant

At Sappi Fine Paper, many of their aging work force are retiring at a rate of ten percent. 

With the held of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community college, they’re rolling out a new plan so they don’t lose on-the-job training. 

Since 1989, paper has been a valuable commodity in Cloquet. 

While their workers haven’t been around that long, many at Sappi Fine Paper are ready to retire. 

“With the younger generations coming in now, this is a pretty overwhelming, daunting place”

So with the help of the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, the school and business applied for a grant which would help Sappi capture the expertise of their aging workforce. 

“You’ve to capture that knowledge and give them that back bone, if you will, of hey, I know what I’m doing. I got this information at my fingertips and I can be successful,” said Mike Schultz, Sappi Cloquet Managing Director. 

The partnership received a $350,000 grant from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program. 

“It’s a benefit to the workers, it’s a benefit to Minnesota businesses, and it’s a huge benefit to Minnesota colleges and universities,” said Paul Moe, MN Job Skills Partnership Director. 

Sappi will match the grant dollar for dollar and then some. 

“I think it’s one of our key functions that we should be able to work together. for a business to be able to tell us for a business to be able to tell us their needs and for us as a college to see if can provide the needs they have,” said Larry Anderson, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College President. 

Producing nearly 1,000 tons of product a day,  it’s a great partnership that looks good on and off paper. 

Sappi employs around 700 people at their plant in Cloquet. 

The new training system will also utilize the brand new sound and video production studio at the college.