Saint Paul College offers fast-track cannabis certification to join the workforce
ST. PAUL, Minn. — In Minnesota's growing cannabis industry, it helps to have a "higher" education. Saint Paul College is now offering certification programs to give prospective employees a competitive edge.
After recreational cannabis was legalized on Aug. 1, it opened up a whole new world of job opportunities for Minnesotans.
That's where Saint Paul College says they can help.
Program Manager, Brady Malecha, says they're helping prospective cannabis industry employees build their skillset.
"We're trying to take away as many barriers as we can for folks to get into this field," said Malecha, "We are looking to help, not only inspire, but train that next level of workforce for the cannabis industry, as the industry evolves and starts to grow."
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Saint Paul College joined forces with Green Flower, a cannabis education company, to launch three cannabis certification courses.
- Cannabis retail specialist: working directly with customers to help them find the right product for what they need
- Cannabis cultivation specialist: growing the plant, the botany side of the business
- Product development: understanding dosages and the different forms cannabis comes in
"We just opened all three of those certificate courses last week, and it's what we call 'rolling enrollment,' so anyone can come and sign up at any point now," said Malecha.
Not only will students wrap up this 9-week program fully certified, but they will also get placed into a job portal, similar to Indeed, that will help you land a job in the industry quicker.
"We are there for that whole entire process up until the job interview and the application itself," said Malecha.
Most cannabis degrees are under a 2 to 4-year college plan, which can start at $8,000 and go up from there.
Saint Paul College says they're trying to remove that financial barrier.
READ MORE: Here are the new Minnesota laws taking effect Jan. 1, 2024
"Each certificate is $750, and we do have payment plans as well," said Malecha.
While recreational retail in Minnesota could be more than a year away still, people can use this certification to jump into the medical cannabis industry right now.
You only need to be 18 or older to get this certification. The courses are all online and you can start at any time of the year.
To learn more, click here.