Workforce Development scholarship available

Minnesota West Community & Technical College — Minnesota West will be awarding 10 $2500 scholarships for the fall 2019 term. These scholarships are targeted for Minnesota residents who are majoring in high-demand occupations in the areas of advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, and information technology programs. For additional information, scholarship application and a complete list of eligible programs visit http://www.mnwest.edu/workforce-development-scholarship. The Workforce Development Scholarship application deadline is March 1.

The scholarships, initially funded by a $1 million appropriation from the 2017 Minnesota Legislature, are available to new students entering associate degree, diploma, or certificate programs in high-demand sectors of Minnesota’s economy at any of the 30 Minnesota State community and technical colleges. Programs that qualify for the scholarships are in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, and information technology.

For more information contact us at www.mnwest.edu or 800-658-2330.

Conway graduates from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Erin Conway of Marshall was among the more than 1,900 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee commencement exercises, Dec. 16 in Milwaukee.

Conway graduates from the School of Information Studies, MLIS — Master of Library and Information Science.

Minnesota West Nursing program prospers

Minnesota West Community & Technical College — The Minnesota West Nursing program is proud to announce grant funding, collaboration, renovation, and accreditation visit in 2019.

The Minnesota West Community and Technical College nursing program has secured $48,000 in funding through two grants set to begin in the spring of 2019.

The Minnesota State Faculty Development diversity grant called Culturally Relevant Teaching Praxis in Nursing Education in collaboration with SMSU, and MSU Mankato’s nursing departments for $10,000 is a project in which faculty are involved in this learning, teaching, and training in the spring of 2019.

The Foreign Born Nursing Student Success grant for $38,000 was awarded from the MN Legislature and uses the Zander curriculum to deliver nursing student success techniques to nursing students. The awarded amount will begin in Spring 2019 and continues through spring 2020.

In addition to increased grant funding opportunities, the partnership between SMSU and Minnesota West continues to expand; this partnership has been an asset in meeting the mission of both academic settings, and the students served by these institutions. Most recently, a collaboration including a memorandum of understanding was developed and SMSU now provides an RN to BSN Early Entry Program to nursing students served by Minnesota West. Nursing students in the Minnesota West Professional Nursing (RN) Associate Degree Program are provided with an expanded application timeframe to the SMSU RN to BSN Program, to allow students to apply at the beginning of the Minnesota West Professional Nursing (RN) Associate Degree Program. The strengthened partnership and RN to BSN Early Entry Program are ways that SMSU and Minnesota West strive to meet the healthcare workforce needs in our region.

While striving to meet healthcare and educational needs in the region the New Simulation Center on the Pipestone campus is slated for renovation of the nursing labs to being in spring 2019. Along with renovations on the Pipestone Campus $10,000 in equipment has been secured for clinical experience and virtual simulations beginning spring 2019.

The Practical Nursing Program is looking forward to hosting the MN Board of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) in February 2019. The Minnesota West Nursing Department strives to be a strong partner and educational leader while serving the students and filling healthcare needs in the region.

“I am very proud of the students and instructors that strive for excellence in the nursing programs at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. These honors and significant achievements tell a story about the quality education we have in our communities,”said Dawn Gordon, dean of Nursing and Sciences.