1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to employment; appropriating money for grants to encourage women to 
1.3 	enter nontraditional careers.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION; GRANT ELIGIBILITY.
 1.6 	$....... is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and 
1.7 	economic development for grants to nonprofit organizations for programs that encourage 
1.8 	and assist women to enter nontraditional careers in the trades and in manual and technical 
1.9 	occupations. The appropriation is available until June 30, 2009.
1.10 	To be eligible for a grant under this section, a program must include at least one of 
1.11 	the following:
1.12 	(1) outreach to girls and women through public and private elementary, junior high 
1.13 	and high schools, appropriate community organizations, or existing state and county 
1.14 	employment and training programs. The outreach must consist of general information 
1.15 	concerning opportunities for women in the trades, manual, and technical occupations, 
1.16 	including specific fields where worker shortages exist and specific information about 
1.17 	training programs offered. The outreach may include printed or recorded information, 
1.18 	hands-on experiences for women and girls, presentations to women and girls, or ongoing 
1.19 	contact with appropriate staff; or 
1.20 	(2) assistance for women to enter careers in the trades and technical occupations 
1.21 	as follows:
1.22 	(a) training designed to prepare women to succeed in nontraditional occupations, 
1.23 	conducted by the grantee or in collaboration with another institution. The training shall 
1.24 	cover the knowledge and skills required for the trade, information about on-the-job 
2.1 	realities for women in the particular trade, physical strength, and stamina training as 
2.2 	needed, opportunities for developing workplace problem-solving skills, and information 
2.3 	about the current and projected future job market and likely career paths;
2.4 	(b) assistance with child care and transportation during training, job search, and the 
2.5 	first two months of employment for low-income women;
2.6 	(c) job placement assistance during and for at least two years after completion of 
2.7 	the training program; and 
2.8 	(d) job retention support. This may take the form of mentorship programs, support 
2.9 	groups, or ongoing staff contact for at least the first year of placement in a job after 
2.10 	completion of training, and should include access to job-related information, assistance 
2.11 	with workplace issues resolution, and access to advocacy.
2.12 	Approved programs must be accessible to MFIP-S participants and other low-income 
2.13 	women. Factors that contribute to accessibility include: (i) affordability of tuition 
2.14 	and supplies; (ii) geographic proximity to low-income neighborhoods, child care, and 
2.15 	transportation routes; and (iii) flexibility of hours per week and duration of program to be 
2.16 	compatible with family needs and the need for employment during training.
2.17 	All state-funded employment and training programs shall include information about 
2.18 	opportunities for women in nontraditional careers in the trades and technical occupations.

2.19 	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 2.20 	Section 1 is effective July 1, 2007.