DETROIT LAKES, MINN. — Dec. 03, 2019 — BTD Manufacturing, a custom metal fabrication manufacturer, has been named a dual-training employer by Minnesota’s Private Investment, Public Education, Labor and Industry Experience Program, or PIPELINE. The dual-training program pairs a classroom-style curriculum with structured on-the-job learning to give employees an accelerated path to certification in a variety of areas, including welding, CNC and quality. 

“This is a great way for us to continue to invest in our Minnesota residents and the talent we already have here at BTD,” said Al Carlson, BTD vice president of HR, Talent Management and Leadership Development. “We want to provide our people with a solid career path, not just a place to work.”

The PIPELINE Program awards businesses in the state grants to train and certify employees with skills that would otherwise take months to achieve. Sixteen BTD employees at the Detroit Lakes and Lakeville locations have participated in the dual-training program since its start in October. The employees contributed 80 hours over two weeks in both classroom and hands-on training on-site to earn their American Society of Welders certification. The employees are able to put their new skills to work right away and ensure the quality of BTD products continues to meet the highest standards. 

“Many of our customers are training and certifying their employees with the same credentials,” said BTD president, Paul Gintner. “This is just one more way we can align with our client’s expectations to continue to provide high-quality metalwork.”

The PIPELINE Program works alongside many of BTD’s existing employee enrichment initiatives and programs, including BTD University, the company’s online learning portal. The portal is used in conjunction with Tooling U-SME, a web-based learning resource for manufacturing roles. The online tools, which are geared specifically to metal fabrication, are a convenient way for operators to develop their skills on specific equipment regardless of the time of day or location. 

“Our goal is to get our employees thinking long term and how all the resources can help them determine where they want to go next and what their future holds,” Carlson said. “It benefits employees, customers and the company as a whole.” 

BTD has implemented the PIPELINE Dual-Training Program at its two Minnesota locations and looks forward to implementing a similar program at its Illinois and Georgia locations. 

Named 3rd on The Fabricator’s FAB 40 list in 2019, BTD continues to invest in people, processes, and technology to provide first-class service to world-class brands while valuing their team members and the communities in which they live. Their success shows in more than 1,300 employees who work in BTD locations in Detroit Lakes, Minn., Lakeville, Minn., Dawsonville, Ga., Buford, Ga., and Washington, Ill.