State Grant Pairs FSI International and DunwoodyInstitute to Train High-Tech Workers.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2000

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) today presented a grant for $400,000 to Dunwoody Institute, who will partner with FSI International (Nasdaq: FSII) to develop Internet-based, on-demand training programs over

The MJSP is a state funding organization that links education to industry with the goal of creating more job opportunities in Minnesota. This program is designed for FSI's Surface Conditioning Division, which manufactures wafer cleaning equipment for the semiconductor industry. FSI will benefit from the collaboration by developing more skilled engineers, technicians and manufacturing production individuals to increase its competitiveness in the rapidly changing semiconductor industry.

Dunwoody, one of ten nationally recognized "Institutions of Excellence," is the oldest technical training institution in the Midwest. The partnership will help Dunwoody improve its knowledge base in high technology and expand its methodologies in web-based training as it fulfills its educational commitments to the community. Since all hours are billed to MJSP at cost, Dunwoody will not directly profit from the program.

"The partnership with FSI is a natural fit," said Frank Starke, president of Dunwoody Institute. "Dunwoody's mission is to provide leading-edge technological education with a vision to be Best-In-Class, and FSI is a Best-In-Class world leader in technology and in certain manufacturing processes.

"This grant will not only help position Dunwoody to better support Minnesota's technology leaders, but it will increase our knowledge base in applied technologies and enhance our ability to provide on-demand, leading-edge training wherever and whenever it's needed," he added.

"This is an exciting opportunity for FSI, Dunwoody and the state of Minnesota," said Joel Elftmann, FSI's chairman of the board and a member of Dunwoody's board of trustees. "Minnesota, with its strong engineering base and other technological resources, has unlimited potential to become a significant participant in the dynamic semiconductor industry. Training programs like this will help to more efficiently prepare a skilled work force that we need to bring high-technology jobs to the state."

The program will immediately benefit FSI. Because Minnesota has a limited base of semiconductor manufacturers, it can be difficult to hire experienced individuals, creating the need for FSI to train new hires about the industry and give them product-specific knowledge.

Training several new employees a week drains valuable resources from the existing work force. With Internet-based, self-paced training, employees can learn job requirements independently, from anywhere they have access to the Internet, which results in reduced trainer assistance. FSI expects to train approximately 250 existing SCD employees and all future SCD new hires using these programs.

Dunwoody will develop more than 50 one- to six-hour training modules on identified topics, based on input from FSI resources. Examples of topics that will be covered are electro-static discharge, cleanroom protocol, robotic safety, ISO 9001, basic electronics, blueprint reading and training for a new fusion welding process. FSI's in-kind contribution will include employee time and experience, and equipment.

The first training module was delivered in January 2000. Modules will continue to be delivered, as completed, over the remaining period of the grant.

FSI International, Inc. is a leading global supplier of processing equipment used at key production steps to manufacture microelectronics. The company develops, manufactures, markets and supports products used in the technology areas of microlithography, surface conditioning and spin-on-dielectrics. FSI International's customers include microelectronics manufacturers located throughout North America, Europe, Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

Additional information on FSI International can be obtained by accessing its homepage at http://www.fsi-intl.com.

Additional information on Dunwoody can be obtained by accessing its homepage at www.dunwoody.tec.mn.us.