ALEXANDRIA, Minn. – Senator Amy Klobuchar was on a tour of Minnesota visiting innovative businesses, schools and with city officials; Alexandria Technical and Community college was one of 14 stops.

She was calling it an “Innovation Tour” to emphasize the importance of maintaining a competitive edge in this rough economy. She said staying innovative will create more jobs, and she thinks technology-focused programs do that. 

“This country needs to be a country that makes things again,” Klobuchar said. “That exports to the world. That thinks, that invents, that is the way we get out of this economic slump.”

Klobuchar said Alex Tech was a great example of innovative education. She said the success rate of job placement after graduation was encouraging during times of increased unemployment.

“96 percent of people that graduate from here go on to get jobs in their fields,” Klobuchar said. “That’s what is so impressive, what we want to see more of in our country.”

Klobuchar will end her tour on January 18 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This meeting will allow people to share information and exchange ideas with the Senator.