Grantmaking at DEED is in full gear this summer. Since the Legislature passed the Jobs Bill at the end of June, our workforce development team has been reviewing the legislation so that we can distribute funds to our partners and get Minnesotans connected to training and good-paying jobs as quickly as possible.

The Jobs Bill included a mix of direct appropriations and competitive grant funding for adult and youth workforce development programs. We started administering the $34 million in direct appropriations so that organizations can begin the process to receive state funds to support their work. We also started developing the Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the competitive grant programs.

The Jobs Bill included new programs and increased funding for some of our signature programs, providing more than $28.4 million for competitive grant funding for adult and youth workforce training.

Our state’s ability to match a talented workforce with available and high-growth jobs has always been critical, but with the pandemic receding and the economy picking back up, it’s more important than ever. We went to the Legislature with a message about the importance of equity, performance, innovation, efficiency and transparency. These goals have driven our efforts to modernize the workforce system.

We have many partners involved in building and training the workforce of the future, and we know that DEED can be a good partner by having a clear timeline for our RFP process, a straightforward set of metrics and criteria for evaluation, and a solid plan in place for making grant decisions.

There is a lot at stake for Minnesotans seeking jobs in today’s economy. And the impact of the pandemic hit Black, Indigenous, and people of color in Minnesota the hardest. That fact, on top of a history of systemic racism and exclusion across education, health, and housing, means that we need a new way of doing things, to target solutions into the areas where they are most needed.

Our adult workforce competitive grant RFPs will go out in two phases: Beginning today, the Pathways 2 Prosperity (P2P), Southeast Asian Economic Relief, and African Immigrant Community programs will be released. The second phase will include Women in High-Wage, High-Demand, Non-Traditional Jobs; and Adult Support Services and will open August 9th.

The African Immigrant Program is new this year and modeled on the Southeast Asian Economic Relief program. Both programs will fund services that relieve economic disparities in their respective communities through workforce recruitment, development, job creation, assistance to smaller organizations to increase capacity, and outreach.

Based on feedback and input from our grantees and community partners, we are excited to announce changes that create three distinct programs within the P2P program. We think the changes will create more access and choice for individuals seeking job training, more access for partner organizations to apply for the funds, and more clarity about the results we are seeking.

Pathways to Prosperity grant funds will be released through three RFPs focusing on a participant’s career pathways and allowing for providers to deliver clear paths to a career no matter which level of educational attainment the participant currently holds. The three programs are On-Ramp to Career Pathways, Bridge to Career Pathways, and a P2P Individualized Training Program. The three programs will emphasize educational attainment, coupled with navigation services and barrier removal, and employer partnership to increase mobility, employability, and skills leading to higher wages.

Listening to our grantees, nonprofit partners and community leaders has always been important to us at DEED. We want to understand the reality of our partners on the ground who are invested in our communities and their success. What we heard was that the performance management and metrics could be improved.

So we are excited to announce that DEED will enhance its review and evaluation of program performance by focusing on key performance measurements of: Job Placements, Wage Rate, Job Retention and Credential Attainment. DEED believes that these four critical performance indicators, along with quality demographic data, will highlight the comprehensive work our partners perform, and it will provide reliable data on the effectiveness and efficiency of the funded programs, and thereafter help with making future program and funding decisions.

We are committed to a transparent grantmaking process, and we’ve written about our changes to our grants management and RFPs to be a better partner. As part of this process, we are recruiting volunteer community members to serve on our review panels. We are looking for people with some experience as a job seeker, or background in training, education, youth development, or workforce. We will provide training and a small stipend to eligible volunteers. You can learn more and apply here.

All of our workforce competitive grants are posted online as they are released, and we will continue to provide updates so that our partners understand the RFP process and how to apply. It’s a busy time for all of us, but I know that working together, we can make a difference. The programs funded through this Jobs Bill are designed to get people back to work and get Minnesota on a path toward a more equitable economy.

With all our partners, we are investing in Minnesota workers, to meet their needs, through expanded and innovative programming and supportive services. It is true that BIPOC communities bore more than their fair share of hardships during the pandemic – more than 50% of Black workers in Minnesota applied for unemployment insurance and remained unemployed longer than others. With the state’s investment in these new programs, we can build an inclusive recovery that works for all Minnesotans.