1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to workforce training; creating Minnesota opportunity training grants; 
1.3 	appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. MINNESOTA OPPORTUNITY TRAINING GRANTS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The Office of Higher Education must develop 
1.7 	and implement the Minnesota opportunity training grant program to provide financial 
1.8 	assistance to adults who enroll in and complete short-term education and training 
1.9 	programs to meet the workforce needs of high-demand occupations paying livable wages. 
1.10 	The office must establish procedures for determining program and applicant eligibility 
1.11 	and for awarding grants. Eligible programs include those for which credit is offered and 
1.12 	noncredit courses or programs.
1.13 		Subd. 2.Eligibility. An applicant is eligible to be considered for a grant under this 
1.14 	section if the applicant is a Minnesota resident who has graduated from high school or 
1.15 	is 18 years of age or older and has been accepted into a training program that meets the 
1.16 	requirements under subdivision 3.
1.17 		Subd. 3.Program requirements. Grants awarded under this section must be 
1.18 	used for a maximum of two semesters or the equivalent of training at a Minnesota State 
1.19 	Colleges and Universities System institution. Training must be for an occupation that is 
1.20 	classified as having long-term demand, as measured by average or above average growth 
1.21 	rates and current demand indicators of at least four stars as designated by the Minnesota 
1.22 	Department of Employment and Economic Development's Occupations in Demand 
1.23 	analysis. In addition, training must be for an occupation in which the average wage is 
2.1 	175 percent of the federal poverty guideline for a family of three. The training must be 
2.2 	designed to be completed in the equivalent of no more than two semesters of study.
2.3 		Subd. 4.Awards. With state appropriations made specifically for these grants, 
2.4 	the office must award $2,000 grants to up to 2,000 eligible applicants for training and 
2.5 	education in the top programs at a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities institution 
2.6 	that meet the wage, growth, and length of study criteria in subdivision 3. Grants may be 
2.7 	awarded to individual applicants or to participating programs for the benefit of eligible 
2.8 	applicants.
2.9 		Subd. 5.Reports. An institution that provides training and education to Minnesota 
2.10 	opportunity training grant recipients must annually report for three years, as required by 
2.11 	the office, on outcomes for grant recipients, including but not limited to job placement and 
2.12 	wages. The office must provide an annual summary report on the grants to the committees 
2.13 	of the legislature responsible for higher education and workforce development.
2.14 		Subd. 6.Sunset. Except for the reporting requirements in subdivision 5, this section 
2.15 	expires June 30, 2013.

2.16 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.17 	$4,000,000 in fiscal year 2013 is appropriated from the general fund to the Office of 
2.18 	Higher Education for the Minnesota opportunity training grants under section 1.