1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to workforce training; creating a FastTRAC adult career pathway 
1.3 	program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes, chapter 116L.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [116L.99] MINNESOTA FASTTRAC ADULT CAREER PATHWAY 
1.7 	PROGRAM.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Creation. There is created the Minnesota fast training, resources, 
1.9 	and credentialing adult career pathway program, hereafter referred to as FastTRAC.
1.10 		Subd. 2.Purpose. FastTRAC is an interagency adult career pathway initiative to 
1.11 	increase the number of adults with postsecondary credentials in high-demand occupations 
1.12 	that lead to liveable wages.
1.13 		Subd. 3.Administration; leadership committee. The commissioner shall provide 
1.14 	administration and oversight of FastTRAC. The commissioner shall establish a FastTRAC 
1.15 	leadership committee which must include the department, Department of Education-Adult 
1.16 	Basic Education, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System Office (MnSCU), 
1.17 	Office of Higher Education, Department of Human Services, Department of Labor and 
1.18 	Industry, state and local partners, and employers deemed necessary by the commissioner. 
1.19 	The leadership committee must develop and maintain interagency collaboration activities 
1.20 	and provide advice and program guidelines to the commissioner and the local program 
1.21 	partners.
1.22 		Subd. 4.Program design. FastTRAC is designed to use an adult career pathways 
1.23 	framework for delivering education, training, and employment services to participants. 
1.24 	This framework requires programming and policy alignment across the Department 
2.1 	of Education-Adult Basic Education, WorkForce Center System, MnSCU, and other 
2.2 	programs operated through the Department of Human Services and other state agencies 
2.3 	and offices that have related programming. FastTRAC local program partners must also 
2.4 	collaborate with employers, business and industry organizations, and community-based 
2.5 	organizations that provide training and employment services.
2.6 		Subd. 5.Program implementation. The leadership committee must ensure that 
2.7 	FastTRAC programs become standard options offered through state education and 
2.8 	training systems by assisting local program partners to overcome policy and other barriers 
2.9 	to FastTRAC program approval and delivery. Local program partners must utilize all 
2.10 	available integrated data capabilities and provide this data to the leadership committee to 
2.11 	follow participant progress and outcomes across education and employment programs.
2.12 		Subd. 6.Required local program partner. (a) For the purpose of this section, a 
2.13 	local program partner is defined as the organization that performs the service functions 
2.14 	under this section and is responsible for the delivery of outcomes under this section. 
2.15 	A local program partner may have relationships with other organizations that provide 
2.16 	assistance, but the local program partner remains solely accountable for outcomes.
2.17 	(b) A local program partner must include representatives from all of the following:
2.18 	(1) the Department of Education-Adult Basic Education;
2.19 	(2) employers;
2.20 	(3) MnSCU two-year institutions; and
2.21 	(4) workforce development system partners, including community-based 
2.22 	organizations, workforce investment boards, tribal nonprofit organizations, and the 
2.23 	department.
2.24 	(c) A local program partner may be formed to address any of the program guidelines 
2.25 	established by the leadership committee. The leadership committee shall provide a 
2.26 	standard form that local partners must use to apply for FastTRAC funding and assistance.
2.27 		Subd. 7.Services provided. (a) A FastTRAC local program partner must provide 
2.28 	three service components to participants:
2.29 	(1) contextualized instruction;
2.30 	(2) career development; and
2.31 	(3) support services tailored to adults and delivered through collaboration of partners 
2.32 	and in a manner appropriate for the needs and circumstances of the participant.
2.33 	(b) Contextualized instruction must be provided that integrates industry and 
2.34 	occupational knowledge with basic reading, math, and language skills by having 
2.35 	Department of Education-Adult Basic Education instructors and MnSCU postsecondary 
3.1 	career and technical education instructors provide integrated instruction, including any 
3.2 	bridge curricula needed to enroll in a postsecondary program.
3.3 	(c) Workforce development system partners must provide career development 
3.4 	services that include work culture, exploration, and planning within a career area, job 
3.5 	placement, and job retention services.
3.6 	(d) Other support services must be provided by WorkForce Center System, and 
3.7 	must be tailored to each participant and provide the participant with the information and 
3.8 	wraparound assistance needed to transition across education and training programs and 
3.9 	achieve stable career pathway employment with a liveable wage. Examples of support 
3.10 	service include, but are not limited to, assisting participants with finding eligible public 
3.11 	assistance programs, gas cards, bus cards, or child care. Whenever possible the local 
3.12 	program partners shall ensure that existing funding streams such as MFIP are used to 
3.13 	provide any services under this section.
3.14 		Subd. 8.Participant eligibility. (a) An eligible FastTRAC participant must meet 
3.15 	the requirements of the Department of Education-Adult Basic Education program under 
3.16 	section 124D.52. 
3.17 	(b) In addition to the requirement in paragraph (a), an eligible participant must be 
3.18 	assessed, using a nationally recognized assessment, and found to have either insufficient 
3.19 	college readiness or work readiness.
3.20 	(c) Participants must enroll in the FastTRAC program using a form supplied by 
3.21 	the local program partner.
3.22 		Subd. 9.Accountability and outcome measures. (a) All FastTRAC local program 
3.23 	partners must administer assessments consistent with program requirements to place 
3.24 	participants into the appropriate courses and to measure progress. All local program 
3.25 	partners must use quantitative and qualitative data tracking systems to collect and analyze 
3.26 	key information about FastTRAC participants and graduates. This information must be 
3.27 	provided to the leadership committee for review under paragraph (c).
3.28 	(b) Local program partners must evaluate participants on all of the measures in 
3.29 	this paragraph.
3.30 	(1) Basic skills acquisition: Whether a participant has attained a NRS educational 
3.31 	functioning level (EFL) gain as adopted by the Department of Education-Adult Basic 
3.32 	Education.
3.33 	(2) Program retention: Whether the participant partook in the duration of the 
3.34 	program, including information on attrition, identification of program challenges, or 
3.35 	other barriers to program retention.
4.1 	(3) Credential attainment: Whether the participant attained an industry-recognized 
4.2 	certification, not to include a work readiness certificate, but including a certificate, 
4.3 	diploma, or degree with academic credit from a MnSCU institution.
4.4 	(4) Job placement in career field: Whether the participant obtained employment in 
4.5 	an occupation related to FastTRAC education and training.
4.6 	(5) Job retention: Whether the participant maintained employment for 12 months 
4.7 	after job placement.
4.8 	(6) Wage progression: Preprogram and postprogram completion of a survey, annual 
4.9 	report, or data match, that indicates increased earnings after job placement.
4.10 	(7) Continuation of career pathway training: Whether the participant enrolls in 
4.11 	next level of career pathway coursework.
4.12 	(8) Attachment to funding stream: Whether the local program partner is able to 
4.13 	follow participants through publicly funded programming, such as MFIP, state dislocated 
4.14 	worker assistance, and food support.
4.15 	(9) Participant satisfaction and other process goals as defined by the local program 
4.16 	partner.
4.17 	(10) Employer involvement and feedback at the local level.
4.18 	(c) If the leadership committee determines that the evaluation criteria in paragraph 
4.19 	(b) are not sufficiently met, it retains the authority to reconsider funding opportunities to 
4.20 	the local program partner.

4.21 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA FASTTRAC ADULT CAREER 
4.22 	PATHWAY PROGRAM.
 4.23 	$4,500,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2013 from the general fund to the 
4.24 	commissioner of employment and economic development for the FastTRAC program 
4.25 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.99. Up to ten percent of the appropriation may 
4.26 	be used by the leadership committee to provide FastTRAC leadership, oversight, and 
4.27 	technical assistance to the FastTRAC program, including:
4.28 	(1) guidelines and local requirements establishment;
4.29 	(2) local program review and approval;
4.30 	(3) technical assistance and staff development;
4.31 	(4) program evaluation and fiscal monitoring;
4.32 	(5) resource identification and development;
4.33 	(6) state agency collaboration and alignment; and
4.34 	(7) other duties as established by the commissioner.