ST. PAUL, MN, May 2, 2006

In cooperation with the State of Minnesota and Dakota County School District 196 Adult Basic Education Office, Ergotron is offering its Eagan, MN personnel an opportunity to learn English as a Second Language free of charge.

Ergotron’s diverse employee base includes native Hmong, Vietnamese, Laotian, and Spanish speaking people. Ergotron was awarded a grant from the State of Minnesota to help their employees learn English on site at their world headquarters in Eagan. The goal of the program is to create a bridge for better communication between managers, supervisors, employees and co-workers. The class provides instruction in spoken and written English and also provides an opportunity for class members to increase their general understanding of the more difficult English language connotations and regional colloquialisms.

Ergotron is matching 25% of the grant with in-kind contribution. Each participant receives a certificate upon successfully completing the program. To date, twelve employees have graduated from the program. Ergotron is already seeing increases in employee productivity and quality-driven process improvements, as well as better dispute resolution and interaction between all employees. For more information on this program, please contact Carrie Grossman at 651-365-6645.