The terms of the state funding require that employers monitor the progress of training and also contribute cash or in-kind donations to help pay for it. In recent months, Northwest employees have attended Inver Hills courses on subjects such as security, telephony and wireless technologies. Every four months during the grant cycle, the state requires employers to fill out forms on the shortcomings and strengths of the training.

Peterson, who leads a workgroup of nine employees supporting IP routers and switches at Northwest, says the college has been very responsive to suggestions. "Also, the employees have found it bene-ficial," she says. "They are developing a whole new skill set, and they are skills Northwest is going to need."

Establishing a feedback loop

The grant-writing process has created a feedback loop in which employers can be in regular contact, not only about how the training is going, but also about upcoming business needs, says Jim Mc-Cormick, manager of IT training programs at Inver Hills. Based on strong employer interest, his next grant proposal involves developing a comprehensive IP telephony program.

McCormick also solicits input on upcoming courses' content. "We were considering offering two Cisco IP telephony classes, but one employer asked about including Avaya or Nortel equipment, so we have to think about adding those," he says. "They also suggested IP video training."