Report: 87 Percent Of Former Quad/Graphics Workers Found New Jobs

ST. CLOUD - A majority of the workers who lost their jobs when Quad/Graphics closed have been retrained, and have found new careers. That's according to a report released by Stearns-Benton Employment & Training.

Executive Director Tammy Biery says the two-and-a-half year program cost $438,000, and served 142 former workers.

The report says there have been 123 successful exits to the program, meaning a worker has been re-employed. That's a replacement rate of 87 percent. Their average hourly wage is nearly $16 - 89 percent of their previous wage.

Some examples of training provided were truck driving, nursing assistant, and accounting.

Other services provided by Stearns-Benton Employment & Training included career counseling, job search assistance, and resume writing.

The retraining project began when Quad/Graphics closed in August of 2014, and it officially wrapped-up at the end of December.