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
- Grant amount: $60,000
- Allina Health, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $150,000
- Alomere Health, Alexandria
- Grant amount: $42,000
- American Crystal Sugar Company, Moorhead
- Grant amount: $165,000
- Annandale Health & Community Services, Annandale
- Grant amount: $52,800
- Apple Tree Dental, New Brighton
- Grant amount: $63,195
- Beacon Embedded Works, Eden Prairie
- Grant amount: $29,260
- Bedford Industries, Worthington
- Grant amount: $12,000
- Beehive Homes of Lakeville, Lakeville
- Grant amount: $28,600
- Behrens Manufacturing, Winona
- Grant amount: $44,000
- C.A.R.E. Clinic, Red Wing
- Grant amount: $48,609
- Cassia, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $118,800
- Center For Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Duluth
- Grant amount: $66,000
- CentraCare Health System, Saint Cloud
- Grant amount: $150,000
- Children’s Dental Services, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $52,800
- Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $30,000
- Community Dental Care, Saint Paul
- Grant amount: $90,000
- Cornerstone Montessori School, St. Paul
- Grant amount: $26,400
- Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, Crosby
- Grant amount: $165,000
- Daikin Applied Americas, Faribault
- Grant amount: $12,000
- Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation, Eagan – This is grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 7 different employers.
- Grant amount: $65,000
- Discovery Place Early Learning Center, Thief River Falls
- Grant amount: $39,600
- Essentia Health, Duluth
- Grant amount: $163,086
- Fair Meadow Nursing Home, Fertile
- Grant amount: $79,000
- Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $120,000
- Food Service Specialties, Red Wing
- Grant amount: $12,000
- Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, Saint Paul
- Grant amount: $6,600
- Grand Village, Grand Rapids
- Grant amount: $79,200
- Greater Bemidji, Bemidji – This grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 16 different employers.
- Grant amount: $150,000
- Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $66,000
- HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $120,000
- Ichor Systems, Sauk Rapids
- Grant amount: $46,200
- In Control, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $6,000
- Intek Plastics, Hastings
- Grant amount: $26,400
- IPS Cranes, St. Paul
- Grant amount: $6,000
- JBS, Worthington
- Grant amount: $165,000
- Jord Bioscience, St. Paul
- Grant amount: $19,800
- Kalina Dental, Mankato
- Grant amount: $14,880
- Kids Haven, Buffalo
- Grant amount: $12,000
- Lake Region Healthcare, Elbow Lake
- Grant amount: $39,600
- Madison Avenue Dental, Mankato
- Grant amount: $6,600
- Midwest Manufacturers Association, Alexandria - This grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 16 different employers.
- Grant amount: $165,000
- Mindful Wellbeing, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $30,000
- Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association, Minneapolis - This grant was awarded to a regional organization that represents 22 different employers.
- Grant amount: $165,000
- MME Group, Vadnais Heights
- Grant amount: $6,600
- Montessori American Indian Childcare Center, Saint Paul
- Grant amount: $13,200
- New Horizons Academy, Plymouth
- Grant amount: $165,000
- North Mankato Family Dentistry, North Mankato
- Grant amount: $30,000
- North Memorial Health Care, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $165,000
- Orthotic Care Services, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $13,200
- Our Lady of Peace, Saint Paul
- Grant amount: $33,000
- Perham Health, Perham
- Grant amount: $26,000
- Pike Lake Dental, Duluth
- Grant amount: $13,200
- Pollard Dental Care, Sleepy Eye
- Grant amount: $6,600
- Post Consumer Brands, Northfield
- Grant amount: $52,800
- Ready, Set, Smile, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $26,400
- Rebound, Inc., Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $118,635
- Ridgeview Medical Center, Waconia
- Grant amount: $60,000
- River City Therapy Center, Red Wing
- Grant amount: $36,000
- rms Company, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $48,000
- Sanco Enterprises, Shoreview
- Grant amount: $39,600
- Sappi Cloquet, Cloquet
- Grant amount: $33,000
- Sonnet Montessori And Child Care, Prior Lake
- Grant amount: $46,200
- Stevens Community Medical Center, Morris
- Grant amount: $26,400
- Switchback Medical, Brooklyn Park
- Grant amount: $21,000
- Tafco Equipment Company, Blue Earth
- Grant amount: $49,498
- Tall Pines Family Dentistry, Bemidji
- Grant amount: $6,600
- The Aagard Group, Alexandria
- Grant amount: $150,000
- The Bridge Autism Clinic, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $6,600
- Touchstone Mental Health, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $92,000
- Two Rivers Enterprises, Holdingford
- Grant amount: $47,600
- UMC, Monticello
- Grant amount: $66,000
- United Taconite, Forbes
- Grant amount: $66,000
- 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.
- Grant amount: $165,000
- University Of Minnesota, Minneapolis
- Grant amount: $165,000
- Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center, Plymouth
- Grant amount: $66,000
Total amount awarded: $4,869,563.00.