2005 Minnesota Statutes

     116L.13 Program requirements. 

    Subdivision 1.    Marketing and recruitment.  A 
 qualifying consortium must implement a marketing and outreach 
 strategy to recruit into the health care and human services 
 fields persons from one or more of the potential employee target 
 groups.  Recruitment strategies must include: 

    (1) a screening process to evaluate whether potential 
 employees may be disqualified as the result of a required 
 background check or are otherwise unlikely to succeed in the 
 position for which they are being recruited; and 

    (2) a process for modifying course work to meet the 
 training needs of non-English-speaking persons, when appropriate.

    Subd. 2.    Recruitment and retention incentives.  
 Employer members of a consortium must provide incentives to 
 train and retain employees.  These incentives may include, but 
 are not limited to: 

    (1) paid salary during initial training periods, but only 
 if specifically approved by the board, which must certify that 
 the employer has not formerly paid employees during the initial 
 training period and is unable to do so because of the employer's 
 limited size, financial condition, or other factors; 

    (2) scholarship programs under which a specified amount is 
 deposited into an educational account for the employee for each 
 hour worked, which may include contributions on behalf of an 
 employee to a Minnesota college savings plan account under 
 chapter 136G; 

    (3) the provision of advanced education to employees so 
 that they may qualify for advanced positions in the health care 
 or human services fields.  This education may be provided at the 
 employer's site, at the site of a nearby employer, or at a local 
 educational institution or other site.  Preference shall be 
 given to grantees that offer flexible advanced training to 
 employees at convenient sites, allow workers time off with pay 
 during the work day to participate, and provide education at no 
 cost to students or through employer-based scholarships that pay 
 expenses prior to the start of classes rather than upon 
 completion; 

    (4) work maturity or soft skills training, adult basic 
 education, English as a second language instruction, and basic 
 computer orientation for persons with limited previous 
 attachment to the work force due to a lack of these skills; 

    (5) child care subsidies during training or educational 
 activities; 

    (6) transportation to training and education programs; and 

    (7) programs to coordinate efforts by employer members of 
 the consortium to share staff among employers where feasible, to 
 pool employee and employer benefit contributions in order to 
 enhance benefit packages, and to coordinate education and 
 training opportunities for staff in order to increase the 
 availability and flexibility of education and training programs. 

    Subd. 3.    Work hour limits.  High school students 
 participating in a training and retention program shall not be 
 permitted to work more than 20 hours per week when school is in 
 session. 

    Subd. 4.    Collective bargaining agreements.  This 
 section shall be implemented consistent with existing collective 
 bargaining agreements covering health care and human services 
 employees. 

    HIST: 1999 c 245 art 10 s 6; 1Sp2001 c 1 art 3 s 23; 1Sp2001 c 
 9 art 6 s 4; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113