1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to employment; appropriating money for a 
  1.3             transitional employment training project. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.6      $800,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  1.7   Southeast Asian Collaborative in Hennepin county for an 
  1.8   "intensive intervention" transitional employment training 
  1.9   project to move refugee and immigrant welfare recipients into 
  1.10  unsubsidized employment leading to economic self-sufficiency, to 
  1.11  be available until June 30, 2005.  One of the five partners in 
  1.12  the collaborative shall be chosen as the fiscal agent by the 
  1.13  commissioner of human services.  The primary effort must be on 
  1.14  intensive employment skills training, including workplace 
  1.15  English and overcoming cultural barriers, and on specialized 
  1.16  training in fields of work which involve a credit-based 
  1.17  curriculum.  For recipients without a high school diploma or a 
  1.18  GED, extra effort shall be made to help the recipient meet the 
  1.19  "ability to benefit test" so the recipient can receive financial 
  1.20  aid for further training.  During the specialized training, 
  1.21  efforts should be made to involve the recipients with an 
  1.22  internship program and retention specialist.  A minor amount of 
  1.23  the grant may be used for other efforts to make the recipient 
  1.24  families more self-sufficient as provided within TANF rules.