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Contact Information

For additional information on Customized Training and Continuing Education programs that can help your company, please contact

Kathy Schwantes
Dean, Customized Training and Continuing Education
Phone: (320) 222-5206
E-Mail: Kathy.Schwantes@ridgewater.edu

111 Hassan St SE
Hutchinson MN 55350
Phone: (320)234-4223
Fax: (320)234-4240

TRAINING & EDUCATION

Customized Training Technical Trade and Industry Organizational Development Supervisory Management Program Environmental Health and Safety Training Computer Training Workforce Skills/Basic Education
Hutchinson’s own Ridgewater College is a community & technical educational institution offering more than 100 programs in transfer education, transfer options & technical education. For business, Ridgewater College has a variety of training programs designed to help you maximize the return of your greatest asset – your employees. For the professionals in your company Ridgewater offers programs in Leadership and Organizational Development where they can learn interpersonal skills, process improvement techniques, quality improvement and other important competencies. Ridgewater also offers technical and industrial courses designed to enhance the skills and productivity of your workforce. Trained specialists will assess your company’s specific needs and custom design a program to meet your budget and schedule. Instruction can be provided in a manner that best suits your company: • On-site at your business • At one of Ridgewater’s two campus locations • At a mutually agreed upon community location • On-line
Customized Training A company’s employees are its greatest business asset and provide the most significant opportunity for improved performance. Instead of spending time, effort and dollars on training that is not bringing the needed results, it may be time for an up-front analysis of what can and should be expected from that investment. The Center for Customized and Continuing Education can provide assistance in the development of a training plan tailored to your company’s business goals. The focus of the Center for Customized and Continuing Education is on building long-term relationships with business and industry, playing a significant role in helping companies position themselves for the future through its services. A trained specialist will help assess your needs and design a program to meet your objectives within your budget and time frame. Ridgewater Consultants will assist with the following: • Document the work that people do with a job task analysis and job description. • Assess work skills related to job requirements. • Establish performance improvement measures. • Define performance objectives • Determine if training or some other intervention will bring improved results. • Develop or adapt existing curriculum to your specifications. • Sustain your improvement effort through train-the-trainer programs. • Develop customized multi-media training aids – CD or DVD – to support your internal    training. • Measure results using improvement measures established prior to training. • Other services as requested. Back to Top
Technical Trade and Industry
The Center for Customized and Continuing Education can provide your employees with industrial technology skills, hands-on experience and expert in-depth instruction. Courses are taught in “smart” classrooms or well equipped labs by industry specialists and can be held either on-campus or on site. Day, evening and Saturday classes are available to fit your work schedule.

Some of the many courses available:

The Center for Customized and Continuing Education provides a foundation of one-on-one interpersonal skills plus additional enhancement techniques that support team initiatives, quality improvement and process improvement efforts. The focus is on leadership challenges that companies face in today’s more fluid, less centrally controlled organizations.

Some courses and services available:

• Assessment		• Personal Development
• Documentation		• Team Building
• Strategic Planning		• Diversity
• Systems Thinking		• Cross-Functional Work Teams
• Process Improvement		• Continuing Education Units
• Leadership & Management Skills		• Licensure Requirements
• Processional Development		• Sexual Harassment
• Human Resource Management		• Marketing
•  Continuous Development
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Supervisory Management Program Ridgewater’s Supervisory Management Program is designed to train individuals who are currently employed in supervisory positions or individuals who aspire to those positions. The program develops the skills and knowledge needed to advance within the organization. Course work helps the individual develop a wide range of skills including human relations, communication, problem solving and leadership. The program meets the special needs of working people in that course materials can be applied directly to the individual’s job. Classes are conveniently scheduled for working adults during evening and weekends on campus, within companies, and in communities throughout the area. Program Features: • Designed for managers, manager trainees and employees with increasing    responsibilities. • Designed to refine professional and personal management skills. • Based on real management experiences to meet the needs of today’s workplace. • Provides an opportunity to lay out an individual education plan ° Choose individual courses in a variety of management topics ° Earn a Supervisory Leadership Certificate. ° Earn a Quality Certificate ° Earn a Human Resources Development Certificate. ° Earn life work experience credits. Participants will learn to: • Improve their performance • Learn to work more effectively in a team setting • Enhance their leadership skills • Energize their work team • Build & control their career direction. Back to Top
Environmental Health and Safety Training A thorough understanding of environmental and safety regulations is vital for the health of a company. Fines or lawsuits could be a major blow to any organization. The Center for Customized and Continuing Education offers courses in a wide variety of health and safety topics. Instructors have years of experience in their specialty areas and can provide assistance in the interpretation and development of company plans and response actions to meet OHSA compliance and other safety regulation mandates. Course Examples:
• Area Noise Testing • Basic Electrical • Blood Borne Pathogens • Competent Person for Excavation • Confined Space Entry/Rescue • CPR • Defensive Driving • Employee Right to Know • Fall Protection • Fire Extinguisher Operation • First Aid • Fork lift • Hazardous Waste • HAZMAT • HAZWOPER Additional assistance to companies will include: • OSHA Audit • Assistance understanding regulations • Fit testing respirators		• Lockout/Tagout • Material Safety Data Sheets • MN AWAIR Program • Personal Protective Equipment • Recordkeeping Requirements • Safety Plan Development Service • OSHA 10 Hour for Construction Industry • OSHA 10 Hour for General Industry • OSHA 30 Hour for Construction Industry • OSHA 30 Hour for General Industry • Qualitative & Quantitative Fit Testing • Respirator • Scaffold Erectors • Soil Sampling • Trenching   Back to Top
Computer Training The Center for Customized and Continuing Education provides quality computer training in English or Spanish to enable an organization to get the maximum productivity from a most important business tool – the computer. Training can be provided on-site with Ridgewater’s portable computer lab which is equipped with fourteen laptop computers to bring PC training right to your company. Course Examples:
• Introduction to Computers • Windows OS • Internet Basics - World Wide Web • Computer Graphics • AutoCAD • Pro/Eng • CNC • Others by request		• Microsoft Office Suite ° Word ° Excel ° PowerPoint ° Access ° Outlook Back to Top
Workforce Skills / Basic Education Every company has employees who are in need of essential basic education skills necessary for effective growth as an employee. In partnership with area adult basic education programs, the Center for Customized and Continuing Education can provide solutions to the basic skills issues which adversely impact bottom-line productivity. The objective is to provide a learner-centered program that is individualized and practical. The goal is to create a delivery system for educating individuals in need of upgrading basic skills for the workplace. Course Examples: • Math: through basic algebra • Reading: literal, interpretive and applied comprehension through high school levels • Writing: descriptive and evaluative • English as Second Language: listening & speaking skills • Spanish classes for business & industry A complete listing of Ridgewater’s Occupational Spanish offerings can be downloaded here: Occupational Spanish Offerings