HF 2722

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 01/31/2022 10:38am

A bill for an act
relating to workforce development; appropriating money for workforce
development; amending Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 10, article 1,
section 2, subdivision 3.

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

Section 1.

Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 10, article 1, section 2, subdivision
3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. Employment and Training Programs

37,185,000

36,935,000

Appropriations by Fund
General	7,421,000	7,421,000
Workforce Development	29,764,000	29,514,000

(a) $500,000 each year from the general fund
and $500,000 each year from the workforce
development fund are for rural career
counseling coordinators in the workforce
service areas and for the purposes specified
under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.667.

(b) $750,000 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.

(c) $2,546,000 each year from the general fund
and $4,604,000 each year from the workforce
development fund are for the pathways to
prosperity competitive grant program. Of this
amount, up to five percent is for administration
and monitoring of the program.

(d) $712,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund 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 and employment placement in
information technology;

(3) training and employment placement within
trades;

(4) assistance in obtaining a GED;

(5) remedial training leading to enrollment
and to sustain enrollment in a postsecondary
higher education institution;

(6) real-time work experience in information
technology fields and in the trades;

(7) contextualized adult basic education;

(8) career and educational counseling for
clients with significant and multiple barriers;
and

(9) reentry services and counseling for adults
and youth.

After notification to the chairs and minority
leads of the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over jobs and economic
development, the commissioner may transfer
this appropriation to the commissioner of
education.

(e) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for new text begin workforce training. In
the first year, this appropriation shall be
divided equally among the new text end current Minnesota
affiliates of OIC of America, Inc. deleted text begin This deleted text end new text begin In the
second year and beyond, this new text end appropriation
shall be divided equally among the deleted text begin eligible
centers. deleted text end new text begin following organizations:
new text end

new text begin (1) American Indian OIC;
new text end

new text begin (2) HAP;
new text end

new text begin (3) Latino Economic Development Center;
new text end

new text begin (4) Northwest Indian Community Development Center; and
new text end

new text begin (5) Summit Academy OIC.
new text end

(f) $1,000,000 each year is for competitive
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.

(g) $1,000,000 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
parents, 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
five percent is for administration and
monitoring of the program.

(h) $750,000 each year from the general fund
and $3,348,000 each year from the workforce
development fund are 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.

(i) $875,000 each year is for a grant to the
Minnesota Technology Association to support
the SciTech Internship Program, a program
that supports science, technology, engineering,
and math (STEM) internship opportunities for
two- and four-year college students and
graduate students in their fields 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 200 students must be
matched each 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
among women or other underserved
populations. This is a onetime appropriation.

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

(k) $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.

(l) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for performance grants
under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.8747,
to Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota and its
partners. The grant shall be used to continue
the FATHER Project in Rochester, Park
Rapids, St. Cloud, St. Paul, 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.

(m) $350,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for performance grants
under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.8747,
to the International Institute of Minnesota for
workforce training for New Americans in
industries in need of a trained workforce. This
is a onetime appropriation.

(n) $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, must be 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 sources. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(o) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for grants to the Minnesota
Grocers Association Foundation for Carts to
Careers, a statewide initiative to promote
careers, conduct outreach, provide job skills
training, and grant scholarships for careers in
the retail food industry. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(p) $250,000 the first year is from the
workforce development fund for a grant to the
ProStart and Hospitality Tourism Management
Program for a well-established, proven, and
successful education program that helps young
people advance careers in the hospitality
industry and addresses critical long-term
workforce shortages in that industry.

(q) $375,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund 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.

(r) $700,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Comunidades
Latinas Unidas En Servicio-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.

(s) $700,000 each year is 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. This is a onetime
appropriation and funds are available until
June 30, 2024.

(t) $475,000 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.

(u) $650,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for performance grants
under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.8747,
to Avivo to provide low-income individuals
with career education and job skills training
that is integrated with chemical and mental
health services. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(v) $300,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the Hmong
American Partnership, in collaboration with
community partners, for services targeting
Minnesota communities with the highest
concentrations of Southeast Asian 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.

(w) $125,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the Hmong
Chamber of Commerce to train ethnically
Southeast Asian business owners and
operators in better business practices. Of this
amount, up to $5,000 may be used for
administrative costs. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(x) $225,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for Minnesota Family
Resiliency Partnership programs under
Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.96. The
commissioner, through the adult career
pathways program, shall distribute the funds
to existing nonprofit and Minnesota Family
Resiliency Partnership programs. This is a
onetime appropriation.

(y) $1,175,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for a grant to
Summit Academy OIC to expand their
contextualized GED and employment
placement program and STEM program. This
is a onetime appropriation.

(z) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant 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 Big
Brothers Big Sisters chapters in the Twin
Cities, central Minnesota, and southern
Minnesota. This is a onetime appropriation.

(aa) $400,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Ujamaa Place
for job training, employment preparation,
internships, education, training in vocational
trades, housing, and organizational capacity
building. This is a onetime appropriation.

(bb) $150,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for performance grants
under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.8747,
to the YWCA of St. Paul to provide job
training services and workforce development
programs and services, including job skills
training and counseling. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(cc) $700,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Youthprise
to give grants through a competitive process
to community organizations to provide
economic development services designed to
enhance long-term economic self-sufficiency
in communities with concentrated East African
populations. Such communities include but
are not limited to Faribault, Rochester, St.
Cloud, Moorhead, and Willmar. Youthprise
must make at least 50 percent of these grants
to organizations serving communities located
outside the seven-county metropolitan area,
as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section
473.121, subdivision 2. This is a onetime
appropriation.

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

(ee) $150,000 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.

(ff) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to EMERGE
Community Development for the
Cedar-Riverside Opportunity Center and its
on-site partners to address employment and
economic disparities for low-income
unemployed or underemployed individuals
who are primarily East African. Funds must
be used for operations and administrative costs
of the site in support of career pathways and
certified credentials, workforce readiness,
financial readiness, and employment
placement and retention services. This is a
onetime appropriation.

(gg) $1,000,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for a grant to
Propel Nonprofits to provide capacity-building
grants and related technical assistance to small,
culturally specific organizations that primarily
serve historically underserved cultural
communities. Propel Nonprofits may only
award grants to nonprofit organizations that
have an annual organizational budget of less
than $500,000. These grants may be used for:

(1) organizational infrastructure
improvements, 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) creating or expanding partnerships with
existing organizations that have specialized
expertise in order to increase capacity of the
grantee organization to improve services to
the community.

Of this amount, up to five percent may be used
by Propel Nonprofits for administrative costs.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(hh) $300,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Better Futures
Minnesota 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. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ii) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the
Juxtaposition Arts Center to provide job
training and workforce development services
for underserved communities. This is a
onetime appropriation.

(jj) $275,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Workforce
Development, Inc., to provide career
education, wraparound support services, and
job skills training in high-demand
manufacturing 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 the
Owatonna and Steele County area. 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
Workforce Development, Inc.'s administrative
costs. This is a onetime appropriation and is
available until June 30, 2023.

(kk) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Pillsbury
United Communities to provide job training
and workforce development services for
underserved communities. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(ll) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to 30,000 Feet,
a nonprofit organization, to fund youth
apprenticeship jobs, after-school
programming, and summer learning loss
prevention for African American youth. This
is a onetime appropriation.

(mm) $250,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for the getting
to work grant program. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(nn) $500,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to Project for
Pride in Living to provide job training and
workforce development services for
underserved communities. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(oo) $1,000,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for competitive
grants to organizations providing services to
relieve economic disparities in the African
immigrant 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. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(pp) $250,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to the Center for
Economic Inclusion for a strategic intervention
program designed to target and connect
program participants to meaningful,
sustainable living-wage employment. This is
a onetime appropriation.

(qq) $300,000 each year is from the workforce
development fund for a grant to YMCA of the
North to provide job training and workforce
development services for underserved
communities. This is a onetime appropriation.

(rr)(1) $1,000,000 each year is from the
workforce development fund for grants to
assist internationally trained professionals in
earning the professional licenses required to
do similar work in Minnesota. The
commissioner shall work with local workforce
development boards to award these grants and
shall give preference to efforts to assist
professionals in occupations where there is
unmet local need for that profession's skills.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(2) Eligible uses of grant funds may include
but are not limited to:

(i) subsidizing the cost of training for or taking
required licensing examinations;

(ii) providing instruction in English as a
second language;

(iii) supportive services that increase the
success rate of individuals seeking licensing;
and

(iv) connecting newly licensed individuals
with appropriate employment.

(3) By February 15, 2024, and each February
15 in an even-numbered year thereafter, the
commissioner shall submit a report to the
chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees with jurisdiction over
workforce development on the use of grant
funds and program outcomes. At a minimum,
the report must include:

(i) the number of new professional licenses
facilitated by the program;

(ii) information on the employment outcomes
of individuals supported by the program; and

(iii) any other quantifiable measures of
success.