What is Lean Manufacturing?

Lean manufacturing or lean production - the philosophy of continually reducing waste in all areas and in all forms; an English phrase coined to summarize Japanese manufacturing techniques (specifically, the Toyota Production System).

Create a Career Ladder for your Employee

The Manufacturing Technology Associates Degree program for the working adult provides the student various certificate options to choose from to customize the A.S. degree program for his/her specific employment needs. The certificate options currently in place include Lean Manufacturing/Continuous Improvement, Production Inventory Management, Manufacturing Principles, and Supervisory Leadership.

To enroll in these credit-based certificates, students must be employed full-time at a manufacturing plant.

To learn more about our work with business, check out these projects:

Machinewell Inc., Grygla, Minnesota
Polaris Industries, Roseau, Minnesota

Employer Arranged Cohort Model

This program is designed for Manufacturing companies that are interested in having their employees attend college-level classes while doing continuous improvement projects within their organization, with Northland College Custom Training faculty as project mentors. This certificate program is now available on-line, as well as in an on-site cohort model for your company. Maximum class size per company learning cohort is 20 employees. Employment at a manufacturing company is a program requirement.

Recommended Sequence Table

Sequence	Lean Maufacturing Courses	Credits
#1	Principals of Lean Manufacturing (MANF 2520)	2
#2	Faculitating Teams in a Manufacturing Environment (MANF 2540)	3
#3	Total Quality Systems and SPC in a Manufacturing Environment (MANF 2505)	3
#4	Value Stream Mapping (MANF 2530)	2
#5	Principals of Supervision in a Manufacturing Environment (MANF 2550)	2
#6	Introduction to Cellular Manufacturing (MANF 2311)	3
#7	Production and Operation (MANF 2510)	2

Accelerated Co-Hort Model:

2 credits classes will run for 6 weeks
3 credit classes will run for 9 weeks

Upon successful completion of the 7 courses listed above, your employees will be given a Certificate in Lean Manufacturing from Northland Community and Technical College. This certificate can be utilized in your employee's pursuit of an Associate of Science degree in Manufacturing Technology , a degree program that is designed to be offered for employed learners at their worksite. It is a one-of-a kind program in Manufacturing Technology in the Minnesota State College and University System.

Call us for more information regarding contract costs and starting your employees on a continuous improvement learning journey.

Contact Information

James Retka
Manufacturing Specialist
Tel: (218) 683-7055