MINNEAPOLIS—International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ), a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and leader in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, announced today that together with Normandale Community College (Normandale), they have received a $300,000 training grant. The grant, awarded by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) grant program, is administered through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). MJSP aims to develop skills in Minnesota's workforce to keep and grow jobs in the state.

IDQ President and CEO, Troy Bader, stated, “As the QSR industry becomes more competitive and consumers’ expectations continue to evolve, it is imperative that we focus on training and developing our workforce. Collaborating with Normandale allows us to give our employees the high-quality, specialized training they need to understand the unique complexities of our business and to continue to deliver on our promise of creating positive memories to all who touch DQ.”

IDQ and Normandale will work together to develop and implement three categories of training courses. The first courses focus on preparing the organization to learn by building foundational knowledge. The next group of courses will help the organization develop customized processes and enhance employee skills in such areas as data analytics, lean process methodology and project management. The final group of courses center on helping IDQ sustain learning by preparing coaches and trainers within the organization.

“We are excited to partner with IDQ. They are one of Minnesota’s most iconic and well-loved companies,” said Normandale Community College President, Joyce Ester. “Normandale takes great pride in our work with local and regional businesses. This project is another example of how a grant through DEED will enable the college to design learning programs which will support growth and innovation for the employees and the organization.”

What are Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) grants?

The Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership (MJSP) program is part of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (https://mn.gov/deed/). MJSP works with businesses, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations in Minnesota to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities and keep high-quality jobs in the state. The goal is to target short-term training for full-time employment in the growth sectors of the state’s economy.



MJSP grants are offered through a variety of programs to offset training-related expenses incurred by business, industry, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to meet current and future workforce needs. Learn more at: https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/training-grant/.

How much MJSP grant money was awarded and what are the expectations to fulfill the grant requirements?

MJSP awarded International Dairy Queen (IDQ) and Normandale Community College (Normandale) a $300,000 training grant. MJSP requires grant recipients to provide in-kind contributions that match MJSP funds on at least a one-to-one ratio. Costs that constitute a basis for matching contributions include: Training personnel, non-training personnel, training space, training materials and supplies, and other costs which include trainee wages for paid time to participate in training.



Who will the grant serve?

Normandale project staff and instructional faculty will collaborate with the IDQ corporate executive team, human resources and training staff to initially deliver targeted and customized training for IDQ employees in Minnesota. This includes employees based at the brand’s Franchisee Support Center (Bloomington, Minn.) and managers from the brand’s two Minnesota-based corporate restaurants (Edina, Minn. and Richfield, Minn.) Some funds are also allocated for developing “train-the-trainer” opportunities and the creation of online versions of the trainings after the initial classes have been offered.



Why is this training grant necessary?

Restaurants are a driving force in Minnesota’s economy. Minnesota’s estimated sales at restaurants in 2017 was $9.7 billion, or 4% of Minnesota’s GDP. Also, the national quick-service restaurant (QSR) landscape is rapidly changing. This means that, to remain competitive, IDQ must adjust internal processes, constantly improve employee skills and create better employee awareness of the changing marketplace. Prior to the grant application, IDQ leaders completed an Organizational Effectiveness Survey to identify areas within its organization most in need of attention and investment, to optimize its future growth and success. The new training program was designed as a direct response to this advisement from IDQ leaders as well as additional analysis by Normandale and IDQ.



What is the timeframe of the grant?

The grant was awarded on March 5, 2019 and will run through Oct. 31, 2021.



What type of training will be provided?

The program will provide targeted training on topics including customer/franchise experience and journey mapping, lean thinking and methodologies, value stream mapping, change concepts, process management, project management, data analytics and the competitive landscape for quick-service restaurants.



How will the grant be administered?

Training content will be developed collaboratively by Normandale and IDQ. It will be delivered by professional business educators employed by Normandale and/or identified and approved by Normandale. Some IDQ staff will also be in involved in the development and delivery of some classes. The program will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will focus on preparing the organization to learn and delivering foundational principles. Content will be available to all employees. Phase 2 will focus on applying learnings and employee skill-building in key areas. This phase will be available to key leaders and employees working in/on identified business processes and projects. Phase 3 will allow for the sustained, future delivery of key training to all IDQ employees.



Additional Information:



International Dairy Queen

International Dairy Queen Inc., (IDQ), based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ), Orange Julius of America (OJA), Dairy Queen Canada (DQC) and Unified Supply Chain, Inc (USCI). Through its subsidiaries, IDQ develops, licenses and services a system of more than 7000 locations in the United States, Canada and more than 24 other countries. IDQ is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. For more information visit DairyQueen.com or follow the Dairy Queen® brand on social media @DairyQueen.



Normandale Community College

Normandale Community College, in Bloomington, Minn., enrolls nearly 15,000 students each academic year. Normandale is a member of the colleges and universities of Minnesota State, which includes 30 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving approximately 375,000 students. It is the third-largest system of two-year colleges and four-year universities in the United States. Information about educational opportunities offered by Normandale Community College is available by calling (952) 358-8201 or visiting www.normandale.edu.



Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is the state's principal economic development agency. DEED programs promote business recruitment, expansion, and retention; international trade; workforce development; and community development. https://mn.gov/deed/



Contacts



Marlene Kadlec

Corporate Communications

International Dairy Queen

Marlene.kadlec@idq.com

952.830.0206

www.dairyqueen.com

Follow us on social media @dairyqueen



Steven Geller

Director of Media and Public Relations

Normandale Community College

Steven.Geller@normandale.edu

952-358-8954

www.normandale.edu