1998 Minnesota Statutes

     256J.49 Employment and training services; definitions. 

    Subdivision 1.    Scope.  The terms used in sections 
 256J.50 to 256J.72 have the meanings given them in this section. 

    Subd. 2.    Domestic violence.  "Domestic violence" 
 means: 

    (1) physical acts that result, or threaten to result in, 
 physical injury to an individual; 

    (2) sexual abuse; 

    (3) sexual activity involving a minor child; 

    (4) being forced as the caregiver of a minor child to 
 engage in nonconsensual sexual acts or activities; 

    (5) threats of, or attempts at, physical or sexual abuse; 

    (6) mental abuse; or 

    (7) neglect or deprivation of medical care. 

    Subd. 3.    Employment and training services.  
 "Employment and training services" means programs, activities 
 and services that are designed to assist participants in 
 obtaining and retaining employment. 

    Subd. 4.    Employment and training service provider.  
 "Employment and training service provider" means: 

    (1) a public, private, or nonprofit employment and training 
 agency certified by the commissioner of economic security under 
 sections 268.0122, subdivision 3, and 268.871, subdivision 1, or 
 is approved under section 256J.51 and is included in the county 
 plan submitted under section 256J.50, subdivision 7; 

    (2) a public, private, or nonprofit agency that is not 
 certified by the commissioner under clause (1), but with which a 
 county has contracted to provide employment and training 
 services and which is included in the county's plan submitted 
 under section 256J.50, subdivision 7; or 

    (3) a county agency, if the county has opted to provide 
 employment and training services and the county has indicated 
 that fact in the plan submitted under section 256J.50, 
 subdivision 7. 

    Notwithstanding section 268.871, an employment and training 
 services provider meeting this definition may deliver employment 
 and training services under this chapter. 

    Subd. 5.    Employment plan.  "Employment plan" means a 
 plan developed by the job counselor and the participant which 
 identifies the participant's most direct path to unsubsidized 
 employment, lists the specific steps that the caregiver will 
 take on that path, and includes a timetable for the completion 
 of each step. 

    Subd. 6.    Federal participation standards.  "Federal 
 participation standards" means the work participation standards 
 as specified in title I of Public Law Number 104-193, the 
 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act 
 of 1996. 

    Subd. 7.    Intensive English as a second language 
 program.  "Intensive English as a second language program" 
 means an English as a second language program that offers at 
 least 20 hours of class per week. 

    Subd. 8.    Job counselor.  "Job counselor" means a 
 staff person employed by or under contract with the employment 
 and training services provider who delivers services as 
 specified in sections 256J.50 to 256J.55. 

    Subd. 9.    Participant.  "Participant" means a 
 recipient of MFIP-S assistance who participates or is required 
 to participate in employment and training services. 

    Subd. 10.    Provider.  "Provider" means an employment 
 and training service provider. 

    Subd. 11.    Safety plan.  "Safety plan" means a plan 
 developed by a victim of domestic violence or a person 
 continuing to be at risk of domestic violence with the 
 assistance of a public agency or a private nonprofit agency, 
 including agencies that receive designation by the department of 
 corrections to provide emergency shelter services or support 
 services under section 611A.32.  A safety plan shall not include 
 a provision that automatically requires a domestic violence 
 victim to seek an order of protection, or to attend counseling, 
 as part of the safety plan. 

    Subd. 12.    Suitable employment.  "Suitable employment" 
 means employment that: 

    (1) is within the participant's physical and mental 
 abilities; 

    (2) pays hourly gross wages of not less than the applicable 
 state or federal minimum wage; 

    (3) meets health and safety standards set by federal, state 
 and county agencies; and 

    (4) complies with federal, state, and local 
 antidiscrimination laws. 

    Subd. 13.    Work activity.  "Work activity" means any 
 activity in a participant's approved employment plan that is 
 tied to the participant's employment goal.  For purposes of the 
 MFIP-S program, any activity that is included in a participant's 
 approved employment plan meets the definition of work activity 
 as counted under the federal participation standards.  Work 
 activity includes, but is not limited to: 

    (1) unsubsidized employment; 

    (2) subsidized private sector or public sector employment, 
 including grant diversion as specified in section 256J.69; 

    (3) work experience, including CWEP as specified in section 
 256J.67, and including work associated with the refurbishing of 
 publicly assisted housing if sufficient private sector 
 employment is not available; 

    (4) on-the-job training as specified in section 256J.66; 

    (5) job search, either supervised or unsupervised; 

    (6) job readiness assistance; 

    (7) job clubs, including job search workshops; 

    (8) job placement; 

    (9) job development; 

    (10) job-related counseling; 

    (11) job coaching; 

    (12) job retention services; 

    (13) job-specific training or education; 

    (14) job skills training directly related to employment; 

    (15) the self-employment investment demonstration (SEID), 
 as specified in section 256J.65; 

    (16) preemployment activities, based on availability and 
 resources, such as volunteer work, literacy programs and related 
 activities, citizenship and English as a second language 
 classes, or participation in dislocated worker services, 
 chemical dependency treatment, mental health services, peer 
 group networks, displaced homemaker programs, strength-based 
 resiliency training, parenting education, or other programs 
 designed to help families reach their employment goals and 
 enhance their ability to care for their children; 

    (17) community service programs; 

    (18) vocational educational training or educational 
 programs that can reasonably be expected to lead to employment, 
 as limited by the provisions of section 256J.53; 

    (19) apprenticeships; 

    (20) satisfactory attendance in general educational 
 development diploma classes or an adult diploma program; 

    (21) satisfactory attendance at secondary school, if the 
 participant has not received a high school diploma; 

    (22) adult basic education classes; 

    (23) internships; 

    (24) bilingual employment and training services; 

    (25) providing child care services to a participant who is 
 working in a community service program; and 

    (26) activities included in a safety plan that is developed 
 under section 256J.52, subdivision 6. 

    HIST: 1997 c 85 art 1 s 39; 1997 c 200 art 6 s 1 1998 c 407 
 art 6 s 90