1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to economic development; appropriating money for a grant to the Owatonna 
1.3 	Learn to Earn Coalition to help the Owatonna and Steele County region grow and 
1.4 	retain a talented workforce.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION; OWATONNA LEARN TO EARN COALITION.
 1.7 	$1,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
1.8 	of employment and economic development for a grant to the Owatonna Learn to Earn 
1.9 	Coalition to help the Owatonna and Steele County region grow and retain a talented 
1.10 	workforce. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2025. Of this 
1.11 	amount:
1.12 	(1) $20,000 is to conduct a comprehensive local needs assessment to examine current 
1.13 	and future workforce needs in the region. The coalition shall retain a consultant and utilize 
1.14 	state demographer resources to involve education, business, and community stakeholders 
1.15 	to guide the high school's career pathways, the college's programs of study, and the businesses 
1.16 	support of work-based learning programs that help them recruit, develop, and retain a vibrant 
1.17 	workforce to keep the regional economy strong;
1.18 	(2) $900,000 is to develop educational learning spaces with state-of-the-art equipment 
1.19 	and student support services in high-demand career pathway programs. Of this amount, 
1.20 	$306,000 is to equip the new Owatonna High School's Industrial Technology classrooms 
1.21 	with state-of-the-art equipment to introduce students to high-skill, high-wage, technical 
1.22 	careers, and $594,000 is to equip the Owatonna Riverland Community College Campus 
2.1 	with state-of-the-art instructional equipment to offer credit and noncredit technical programs 
2.2 	in automation robotics engineering technology and information technology; and
2.3 	(3) $80,000 is to create learn to earn opportunities for students and employers by engaging 
2.4 	employers in the Owatonna community to offer tuition reimbursement or scholarships and 
2.5 	part-time work and school schedules to employees who agree to continue their education 
2.6 	while working for them.