HF 4043

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/19/2018 03:13pm

A bill for an act
relating to economic development; extending funds available for a workforce
development training program; amending Laws 2017, chapter 94, article 1, section
2, subdivision 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Laws 2017, chapter 94, article 1, section 2, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. Workforce Development

$

31,498,000

$

30,231,000

Appropriations by Fund
General	$6,239,000	$5,889,000
Workforce Development	$25,259,000	$24,342,000

(a) $500,000 each year is for the
youth-at-work competitive grant program
under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.562.
Of this amount, up to five percent is for
administration and monitoring of the youth
workforce development competitive grant
program. All grant awards shall be for two
consecutive years. Grants shall be awarded in
the first year. In fiscal year 2020 and beyond,
the base amount is $750,000.

(b) $250,000 each year is for pilot programs
in the workforce service areas to combine
career and higher education advising.

(c) $500,000 each year is for rural career
counseling coordinator positions in the
workforce service areas and for the purposes
specified in Minnesota Statutes, section
116L.667. The commissioner of employment
and economic development, in consultation
with local workforce investment boards and
local elected officials in each of the service
areas receiving funds, shall develop a method
of distributing funds to provide equitable
services across workforce service areas.

(d) $1,000,000 each year is for a grant to the
Construction Careers Foundation for the
construction career pathway initiative to
provide year-round educational and
experiential learning opportunities for teens
and young adults under the age of 21 that lead
to careers in the construction industry. This is
a onetime appropriation. Grant funds must be
used to:

(1) increase construction industry exposure
activities for middle school and high school
youth, parents, and counselors to reach a more
diverse demographic and broader statewide
audience. This requirement includes, but is
not limited to, an expansion of programs to
provide experience in different crafts to youth
and young adults throughout the state;

(2) increase the number of high schools in
Minnesota offering construction classes during
the academic year that utilize a multicraft
curriculum;

(3) increase the number of summer internship
opportunities;

(4) enhance activities to support graduating
seniors in their efforts to obtain employment
in the construction industry;

(5) increase the number of young adults
employed in the construction industry and
ensure that they reflect Minnesota's diverse
workforce; and

(6) enhance an industrywide marketing
campaign targeted to youth and young adults
about the depth and breadth of careers within
the construction industry.

Programs and services supported by grant
funds must give priority to individuals and
groups that are economically disadvantaged
or historically underrepresented in the
construction industry, including but not limited
to women, veterans, and members of minority
and immigrant groups.

(e) $1,539,000 each year from the general fund
and $4,604,000 each year from the workforce
development fund are for the Pathways to
Prosperity adult workforce development
competitive grant program. Of this amount,
up to four percent is for administration and
monitoring of the program. When awarding
grants under this paragraph, the commissioner
of employment and economic development
may give preference to any previous grantee
with demonstrated success in job training and
placement for hard-to-train individuals. In
fiscal year 2020 and beyond, the general fund
base amount for this program is $4,039,000.

(f) $750,000 each year is for a competitive
grant program to provide grants to
organizations that provide support services for
individuals, such as job training, employment
preparation, internships, job assistance to
fathers, financial literacy, academic and
behavioral interventions for low-performing
students, and youth intervention. Grants made
under this section must focus on low-income
communities, young adults from families with
a history of intergenerational poverty, and
communities of color. Of this amount, up to
four percent is for administration and
monitoring of the program. In fiscal year 2020
and beyond, the base amount is $1,000,000.

(g) $500,000 each year is for the women and
high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional jobs
grant program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 116L.99. Of this amount, up to five
percent is for administration and monitoring
of the program. In fiscal year 2020 and
beyond, the base amount is $750,000.

(h) $500,000 each year is for a competitive
grant program for grants to organizations
providing services to relieve economic
disparities in the Southeast Asian community
through workforce recruitment, development,
job creation, assistance of smaller
organizations to increase capacity, and
outreach. Of this amount, up to five percent
is for administration and monitoring of the
program. In fiscal year 2020 and beyond, the
base amount is $1,000,000.

(i) $250,000 each year is for a grant to the
American Indian Opportunities and
Industrialization Center, in collaboration with
the Northwest Indian Community
Development Center, to reduce academic
disparities for American Indian students and
adults. This is a onetime appropriation. The
grant funds may be used to provide:

(1) student tutoring and testing support
services;

(2) training in information technology;

(3) assistance in obtaining a GED;

(4) remedial training leading to enrollment in
a postsecondary higher education institution;

(5) real-time work experience in information
technology fields; and

(6) contextualized adult basic education.

After notification to the legislature, the
commissioner may transfer this appropriation
to the commissioner of education.

(j) $100,000 each year is for the getting to
work grant program. This is a onetime
appropriation and is available until June 30,
2021.

(k) $525,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the YWCA
of Minneapolis to provide economically
challenged individuals the job skills training,
career counseling, and job placement
assistance necessary to secure a child
development associate credential and to have
a career path in early childhood education.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(l) $1,350,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the Minnesota
High Tech Association to support
SciTechsperience, a program that supports
science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM) internship opportunities for two- and
four-year college students and graduate
students in their field of study. The internship
opportunities must match students with paid
internships within STEM disciplines at small,
for-profit companies located in Minnesota,
having fewer than 250 employees worldwide.
At least 300 students must be matched in the
first year and at least 350 students must be
matched in the second year. No more than 15
percent of the hires may be graduate students.
Selected hiring companies shall receive from
the grant 50 percent of the wages paid to the
intern, capped at $2,500 per intern. The
program must work toward increasing the
participation of women or other underserved
populations. This is a onetime appropriation.

(m) $450,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for grants to Minnesota
Diversified Industries, Inc. to provide
progressive development and employment
opportunities for people with disabilities. This
is a onetime appropriation.

(n) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Resource, Inc.
to provide low-income individuals career
education and job skills training that are fully
integrated with chemical and mental health
services. This is a onetime appropriation.

(o) $750,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the Minnesota
Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs to administer
a statewide project of youth job skills and
career development. This project, which may
have career guidance components including
health and life skills, is designed to encourage,
train, and assist youth in early access to
education and job-seeking skills, work-based
learning experience including career pathways
in STEM learning, career exploration and
matching, and first job placement through
local community partnerships and on-site job
opportunities. This grant requires a 25 percent
match from nonstate resources. This is a
onetime appropriation.

(p) $215,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for grants to Big Brothers,
Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities for
workforce readiness, employment exploration,
and skills development for youth ages 12 to
21. The grant must serve youth in the Twin
Cities, Central Minnesota, and Southern
Minnesota Big Brothers, Big Sisters chapters.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(q) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to YWCA St.
Paul to provide job training services and
workforce development programs and
services, including job skills training and
counseling. This is a onetime appropriation.

(r) $1,000,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to EMERGE
Community Development, in collaboration
with community partners, for services
targeting Minnesota communities with the
highest concentrations of African and
African-American joblessness, based on the
most recent census tract data, to provide
employment readiness training, credentialed
training placement, job placement and
retention services, supportive services for
hard-to-employ individuals, and a general
education development fast track and adult
diploma program. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(s) $1,000,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the
Minneapolis Foundation for a strategic
intervention program designed to target and
connect program participants to meaningful,
sustainable living-wage employment. This is
a onetime appropriation.

(t) $750,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Latino
Communities United in Service (CLUES) to
expand culturally tailored programs that
address employment and education skill gaps
for working parents and underserved youth by
providing new job skills training to stimulate
higher wages for low-income people, family
support systems designed to reduce
intergenerational poverty, and youth
programming to promote educational
advancement and career pathways. At least
50 percent of this amount must be used for
programming targeted at greater Minnesota.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(u) $600,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Ujamaa Place
for job training, employment preparation,
internships, education, training in the
construction trades, housing, and
organizational capacity building. This is a
onetime appropriation.

(v) $1,297,000 in the first year and $800,000
in the second year are from the workforce
development fund for performance grants
under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.8747,
to Twin Cities R!SE to provide training to
hard-to-train individuals. Of the amounts
appropriated, $497,000 in fiscal year 2018 is
for a grant to Twin Cities R!SE, in
collaboration with Metro Transit and Hennepin
Technical College for the Metro Transit
technician training program. This is a onetime
appropriation and funds are available until
June 30, 2020.

(w) $230,000 in fiscal year 2018 is from the
workforce development fund for a grant to the
Bois Forte Tribal Employment Rights Office
(TERO) for an American Indian workforce
development training pilot project. new text begin This is a
onetime appropriation and is available until
June 30, 2019. Funds appropriated the first
year are available for use in the second year
of the biennium.
new text end

(x) $40,000 in fiscal year 2018 is from the
workforce development fund for a grant to the
Cook County Higher Education Board to
provide educational programming and
academic support services to remote regions
in northeastern Minnesota. This appropriation
is in addition to other funds previously
appropriated to the board.

(y) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Bridges to
Healthcare to provide career education,
wraparound support services, and job skills
training in high-demand health care fields to
low-income parents, nonnative speakers of
English, and other hard-to-train individuals,
helping families build secure pathways out of
poverty while also addressing worker
shortages in one of Minnesota's most
innovative industries. Funds may be used for
program expenses, including, but not limited
to, hiring instructors and navigators; space
rental; and supportive services to help
participants attend classes, including assistance
with course fees, child care, transportation,
and safe and stable housing. In addition, up to
five percent of grant funds may be used for
Bridges to Healthcare's administrative costs.
This is a onetime appropriation and is
available until June 30, 2020.

(z) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the Nonprofits
Assistance Fund to provide capacity-building
grants to small, culturally specific
organizations that primarily serve historically
underserved cultural communities. Grants may
only be awarded to nonprofit organizations
that have an annual organizational budget of
less than $500,000 and are culturally specific
organizations that primarily serve historically
underserved cultural communities. Grant funds
awarded must be used for:

(1) organizational infrastructure improvement,
including developing database management
systems and financial systems, or other
administrative needs that increase the
organization's ability to access new funding
sources;

(2) organizational workforce development,
including hiring culturally competent staff,
training and skills development, and other
methods of increasing staff capacity; or

(3) creation or expansion of partnerships with
existing organizations that have specialized
expertise in order to increase the capacity of
the grantee organization to improve services
for the community. Of this amount, up to five
percent may be used by the Nonprofits
Assistance Fund for administration costs and
providing technical assistance to potential
grantees. This is a onetime appropriation.

(aa) $4,050,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for the
Minnesota youth program under Minnesota
Statutes, sections 116L.56 and 116L.561.

(bb) $1,000,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for the
youthbuild program under Minnesota Statutes,
sections 116L.361 to 116L.366.

(cc) $3,348,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for the "Youth
at Work" youth workforce development
competitive grant program. Of this amount,
up to five percent is for administration and
monitoring of the youth workforce
development competitive grant program. All
grant awards shall be for two consecutive
years. Grants shall be awarded in the first year.

(dd) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for the Opportunities
Industrialization Center programs.

(ee) $750,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Summit
Academy OIC to expand its contextualized
GED and employment placement program.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(ff) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to
Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota and its
partners. The grant shall be used to continue
the FATHER Project in Rochester, Park
Rapids, St. Cloud, Minneapolis, and the
surrounding areas to assist fathers in
overcoming barriers that prevent fathers from
supporting their children economically and
emotionally. This is a onetime appropriation.

(gg) $150,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for displaced homemaker
programs under Minnesota Statutes, section
116L.96. The commissioner shall distribute
the funds to existing nonprofit and state
displaced homemaker programs. This is a
onetime appropriation.

(hh)(1) $150,000 in fiscal year 2018 is from
the workforce development fund for a grant
to Anoka County to develop and implement
a pilot program to increase competitive
employment opportunities for transition-age
youth ages 18 to 21.

(2) The competitive employment for
transition-age youth pilot program shall
include career guidance components, including
health and life skills, to encourage, train, and
assist transition-age youth in job-seeking
skills, workplace orientation, and job site
knowledge.

(3) In operating the pilot program, Anoka
County shall collaborate with schools,
disability providers, jobs and training
organizations, vocational rehabilitation
providers, and employers to build upon
opportunities and services, to prepare
transition-age youth for competitive
employment, and to enhance employer
connections that lead to employment for the
individuals served.

(4) Grant funds may be used to create an
on-the-job training incentive to encourage
employers to hire and train qualifying
individuals. A participating employer may
receive up to 50 percent of the wages paid to
the employee as a cost reimbursement for
on-the-job training provided.

(ii) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for rural career counseling
coordinator positions in the workforce service
areas and for the purposes specified in
Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.667. The
commissioner of employment and economic
development, in consultation with local
workforce investment boards and local elected
officials in each of the service areas receiving
funds, shall develop a method of distributing
funds to provide equitable services across
workforce service areas.

(jj) In calendar year 2017, the public utility
subject to Minnesota Statutes, section
116C.779, must withhold $1,000,000 from the
funds required to fulfill its financial
commitments under Minnesota Statutes,
section 116C.779, subdivision 1, and pay such
amounts to the commissioner of employment
and economic development for deposit in the
Minnesota 21st century fund under Minnesota
Statutes, section 116J.423.

(kk) $350,000 in fiscal year 2018 is for a grant
to AccessAbility Incorporated to provide job
skills training to individuals who have been
released from incarceration for a felony-level
offense and are no more than 12 months from
the date of release. AccessAbility Incorporated
shall annually report to the commissioner on
how the money was spent and the results
achieved. The report must include, at a
minimum, information and data about the
number of participants; participant
homelessness, employment, recidivism, and
child support compliance; and training
provided to program participants.