The Imagine Group Receives First-Ever DE&I Grant from the State of Minnesota
Company seeks to usher in a new era for broadening diversity, equity, and inclusion across the print and visual communications industries
The Imagine Group, a leading provider of visual communications, today announced that it has been awarded a grant by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) under the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Program. The grant, the first-ever dedicated solely to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) training, will be used to develop a DE&I curriculum in conjunction with Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Anoka Technical College.
The curriculum developed as a result of the grant will provide access to a wealth of tools, knowledge, and resources for Imagine employees, which will help widen the path for career advancement, no matter the employee’s background. The various training modules and activities will focus on raising awareness, increasing workplace diversity, and explaining how Imagine can support career paths for diverse candidates, from individual contributors to managers and above.
“The awarding of this grant not only underscores our commitment to DE&I, but also represents a bold step forward for our company, and our industry, to build a more diverse and inclusive culture, one in which our employees can thrive,” said Chris Cavanaugh, CEO of Imagine. “We know that DE&I initiatives help employees feel supported, included, and inspired. It also helps companies better relate to the people and communities they serve. We are proud to be the first in our industry to take such groundbreaking measures to design the more equitable and inclusive workplace we aspire to.”
To kick off the initiative, Imagine hosted a grant signing event on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at its Minneapolis, Minnesota facility, with special guests including Steve Grove, commissioner of the DEED and the chair of the MN Job Skills Partnership Board, and Donald Lewis, vice president of finance and administration, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, and Anoka Technical College. The signing marked the beginning of a new chapter that Imagine hopes will bring meaningful changes across the print and visual communications industries.
To commemorate it's landmark DE&I grant, Imagine welcomed guests from the State of Minnesota, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Bellwether Consulting, and several clients to its Minneapolis location.
“We are excited to see Imagine prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion into their job training and are thrilled to provide this grant to help make it a reality,” said Grove. “The DEED training grant program is designed to expand employment opportunities and keep high-quality jobs in the state. With record workforce shortages and a dynamic economic climate, that’s more important now than ever before.”
The MJSP Program focuses on providing training for both new and existing employees of participating businesses throughout Minnesota by partnering with educational institutions, like Anoka-Ramsey Community College.
“We are thrilled to be working with Imagine to develop critical training around DE&I,” added Lewis. “We are confident that this type of work will result in a more equitable workplace and more career opportunities within a dynamic organization like Imagine.”
About Imagine
Imagine is an industry-leading provider of visual communications solutions. As a trusted partner to the world’s most successful brands, Imagine designs, produces, and delivers beautifully crafted print and digital solutions that inspire action and get results. From concept to consumer, our end-to-end solutions include creative design, pre-media, décor, commercial print, store signage, specialty packaging, out of home, fulfillment, and kitting. Learn more at theimaginegroup.com.
