St. Paul - Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced the Minnesota Forward Tech Training Competitive Grant award recipients, who were selected for their innovative approaches to diversifying the tech sector in Minnesota. The five grantees are being awarded a total of just over $2.5 million to implement in-person and virtual tech skills training – along with employment placement – to approximately 500 people statewide.

Grantees have committed to providing technical and workplace skills training along with one-to-one career counseling, mentorship, paid work experience and on-the-job training for participants. Grantees will reach out to Minnesotans who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, as well as economically disadvantaged people across the state, offering training opportunities that best match the needs of the job seekers and the employers in their communities. Participants must be eligible for the Dislocated Worker program.

"Tech jobs requiring the type of training offered through this grant program are high in demand. And securing employment in tech can put people on a career pathway to high-paying positions in the field," said DEED Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors. "Obtaining these tech skills can help Minnesotans find employment with family-sustaining wages, which is critical to reducing economic disparities in our state."

Positions in computer and mathematical occupations pay on average $101,920 per year – which is 57% higher than the average of all wages in Minnesota, according to 2022 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Data.

DEED issued a request for proposals last October for the Minnesota Forward Tech Training Competitive Grants. The following organizations have been awarded funds:

• Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis - $750,000
• Minneapolis Community and Technical College - $390,000
• National Able Network - $736,913
• Somali Community Resettlement Services of Olmstead County - $385,000
• Workforce Development, Inc. - $300,000

The Governor and Lieutenant Governor have several proposals in the One Minnesota budget related to training for employment in technology careers. These include:

• $30 million over the next biennium to support the Drive for 5 Workforce Fund. This initiative will prepare a workforce to enter five of the most critical fields in the state with high-growth jobs and the potential for earning family-sustaining wages: technology, caring professions, education, manufacturing, and trades.
• $60 million over the next biennium to support employment services and training to bring workers who are often overlooked, particularly People of Color, into the workforce in family-sustaining wage careers. Jobs requiring tech skills are in-demand and have the potential for high wages.
• Learn more about workforce development-related proposals in the One Minnesota Budget.