July 2018 Partner Express Newsletter


A hand holds a sparkler with an American flag

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!


Dislocated Worker Video

The Minnesota Dislocated Worker program has a new video! Please feel free to share with clients and your personal networks.


TAA Updates

Petitions certified to date in 2018

o   93655 Allete—Cohasset, MN

o   93837 Artesyn Embedded Technologies—Eden Prairie

o   93459 Ascena Retail Group (Maurice)—Duluth

o   93501 Boyd Coffee—various locations

o   93667 Cargill Meat Solutions Corp—various locations

o   93507 Cherrington Enterprises—Clarissa, MN

o   93621 DaVita Clinical Research—various locations within metro

o   93704 Electrolux Major Appliances-Freezer Division—St Cloud, MN

o   93735 Hutchinson Technology Inc—Hutchinson, MN

o   93560 Nilfisk—Brooklyn Park, MN

o   93637 Optum Health—various locations

o   93480 Quad Graphics—Waseca, MN

o   93692 Quantum Spatial—Maple Grove, MN

o   93778 SL Montevideo Technology—Montevideo, MN

o   93613 Zareba (Woodstream)—Ellendale, MN

Denied petitions

o   93780 International Bildrite—International Falls, MN

o   93628 Northstar Aerospace—Duluth, MN

o   93490 LSC Communications—Long Prairie, MN

o   93475 Vyaire—Plymouth, MN

Petitions still under investigation

o   93904 Digi International—Eden Prairie, MN

o   93905 Ditech Financial LLC—St Paul, MN

o   93890 MICO Inc—North Mankato, MN

o   93823 SSAB—Roseville, MN

Fall Training-now called TAA Roundtables

Minnesota TAA is going on the road! Watch for upcoming training near you. Roundtables will be held around the state between mid-September to early November. More information to follow.

Completion TRA Reminder

Completion TRA, an additional period of up to 13 weeks of income support, is payable only if TAA eligible customers are participating in full-time TAA-approved training and have exhausted all rights to Basic TRA and Additional TRA. Assuming the customers meet the other TRA eligibility requirements (regular submission of grades and training progress reports), they may qualify for up to 13 weeks of Completion TRA during the final 20 weeks of training.

Waivers without Training Plans

DW Counselors please have customers contact you every 30 days for a waiver review and be sure to case note in WF1 the person’s work search activities and the progress they have made toward completing a training application.

Summer Breaks in Training

If there is a break between Spring and Summer terms, a break within the Summer term, or a break between Summer and Fall terms, the customer is eligible for TRA during the break only if it is less than 30 days in length (this excludes weekends and holidays.)

For examples, see “TRA Eligibility during Summer Breaks” document on the Counselor Forms and Tools page at     the following link https://mn.gov/deed/assets/tra-eligibility_tcm1045-252364.pdf


Grants and Policy Update

    New Policies Now Posted for Public Comment

    New and updated policies for the Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult programs have been posted to DEED’s policy website.

    Policies can now be found under “Adult (WIOA)” and “Dislocated Worker (WIOA & State)”. You may need to update any links you have saved to navigate to the new policies. We are still working to update relevant links and attachments to the policies, which will be posted very shortly (for example, reference to laws, links to related policies, etc.). Additional policies will be added for comment as they are developed. If you have requests for policies or templates, please let us know. We are hoping to have the Dislocated Worker website updated with all relevant content from the Provider Roundtables soon. Policies open for public comment are marked “Draft!”.

    Policies for Comment – Comment Period Open Until 7/31/2018

    Click “Send a Comment…” at the bottom of the draft policy to provide feedback during the comment period. These policies are not considered active until after the public comment period closes, but may be retroactive back to July 1, 2018.

    Adult (WIOA)

    1.      Definition of Self-Sufficiency and Income Exclusions

    2.      Incumbent Worker Training Programs

    3.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Allowable Activities

    4.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Data Entry Timeliness

    5.      WIOA Adult Eligibility and Priority of Service

    Dislocated Worker (WIOA & State)

    1.      Definition of Self-Sufficiency and Income Exclusions

    2.      Dislocated Worker Cost Category Definition and Waiver Policy

    3.      Dislocated Worker Eligibility Policy and Definitions

    4.      Incumbent Worker Training Programs

    5.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Allowable Activities

    6.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Data Entry Timeliness

    New or Updated Policies Not Requiring Public Comment

    Policies that are not posted for public comment include only minor updates or clarifications, or include information that cannot be changed (for example, the new negotiated statewide performance standards included in the Performance Standards policy). However, please let us know if you have questions or concerns on these policies by contacting Chelsea Georgesen (Chelsea.s.georgesen@state.mn.us) or Amy Carlson (amy.carlson@state.mn.us).

    Adult (WIOA)

    1.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Grant Submission Schedule and Review Process

    2.      Performance Standards

    3.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Exit Policy

    Dislocated Worker

    1.      Mass Layoff Projects and the Competitive Process

    2.      Performance Standards

    3.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Exit Policy

    4.      WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Grant Submission Schedule and Review Process

    How to Use the New “Pre-Vocational Services” and “Work Readiness Services” Activities
    Beginning in PY18/FY19, Dislocated Worker/WIOA Adult planning documents have included two new activities under Career Services. In Pre-Vocational Services (Form 4 - Activity plan) you should enter the number of participants participant in workshops on topics like resume writing, interviewing techniques, online job searches, LinkedIn, networking, career exploration or interest assessments. Job Clubs and Career Fairs are also considered pre-vocational services. These pre-vocational services should be coded as Individualized Career Services and should be reported using cost category 857 on RPRs/FSRs.

    Another new category that you might want to utilize is Work Readiness Services/Workforce Preparation Activities (Form 4 - Activity Plan.) These activities are designed to help an individual acquire a combination of basic academic, critical thinking, digital literacy, and self-management skills. These include services that build competencies in:

    • Utilizing resources;
    • Using information;
    • Working with others;
    • Understanding systems;
    • Skills necessary for successful transition into and completion of postsecondary education or training, or employment; and
    • Other employability skills that increase an individual’s preparation for the workforce

    Work Readiness Services include OSHA 10 trainings, CPR/First Aid classes, some ServSafe® courses, basic computer classes, and other short-term courses that do not end in a credential and are not industry-specific. Work Readiness Services are considered Career services unless they are part of an Integrated Education and Training Program, which is a service approach that provides adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation for the purpose of educational and career advancement. Work Readiness Services should be coded as Individualized Career Services and should be reported using cost category 857 on RPRs/FSRs.

    Pre-Vocational and Work Readiness Services will soon be available for tracking in Workforce One. Additional guidance will come from Amy Carlson in the near future.


    Performance Updates

      Reminder about PY18 Changes Related to Data Entry and Performance

      • Individual funding streams in Workforce One for each PY18 WIOA Adult, WIOA DW, and State DW WDA and SLIG allocation will be activated on July 5.
      • New WF1 activities: Work Readiness Services and Pre-vocational Services, which will allow better tracking of these types of career services.
      • Recoding of the Non-Credential Training activity, which under WIA was a catchall to track all training services that wouldn’t end in a credential as well as other intensive services. As of July 1, 2018 this activity will accurately track only the trainings that require Measurable Skill Gains but do not end in a credential. (See the Allowable Activities Policy for additional information on this related to what falls into this category and where to charge these costs.)

      Measurable Skills Gain Report Now Live in WF1
      The MSG Report is now live in WF1. HOWEVER, please note that it will currently only return results on WIOA certified credentialed training activities, not all activities requiring MSGs. WF1 and program staff are working on recoding the system to correct this error. We will let you know when it has been updated. 


      Cameron Macht

      Corner On The Market

      With Cameron Macht 

      Regional Analysis & Outreach Manager
      Minnesota Dept. of Employment & Economic Development
      cameron.macht@state.mn.us
      320-441-6596

      Nontraditional Occupations

      Although the gap is narrowing, there are still slightly more males than females in the labor force in Minnesota. According to Census Bureau data, in 2016 males held about 52 percent of jobs, meaning the other 48 percent of workers were females. While the overall distribution is relatively equal, there are significant differences in what men and women do for work.

      Not surprisingly, men are much more likely to work in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations and production, transportation, and material moving occupations; while women are much more likely to be employed in service, sales and office occupations (see Table 1). 

      Minnesota Occupational Groups by Gender

      These gender differences become even more obvious at a more detailed level. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 98 percent of speech-language pathologists are female; while 98 percent of bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists are male. Students and jobseekers of either gender might see these male/female splits and feel discouraged from pursuing a career in these fields based on their gender, even if they have skills or interests in these areas.

      Rather than limiting options, though, career planners can encourage jobseekers to consider nontraditional careers. Regardless of gender, pursuing a job that matches a person’s strengths can lead to greater job satisfaction and economic rewards. Career planning should take into account all options.

      A nontraditional occupation is defined as any occupation in which women or men comprise less than 25 percent of the total workforce. Though they may not seem like realistic possibilities due to the traditional gender roles, many of these occupations offer high wages, which may make them even more attractive for jobseekers. In fact, nine of the top 10 nontraditional occupations for women earned over $20 per hour in Minnesota, as did seven of the top 10 nontraditional jobs for men.

      For example, women who might be interested in becoming an electrical power-line installer and repairer could expect a median hourly wage of $40.11 per hour in the state; while men who would consider being a dental hygienist could earn $35.27 per hour at the median! What’s more, both of those occupations require a vocational award or an associate’s degree, which can be gained at several community and technical colleges in the state.

      While almost all of the nontraditional occupations for women can be started with a high school diploma and some on-the-job training or a vocational award; all but one of the nontraditional jobs for men require postsecondary education, including four that need a bachelor’s degrees or higher (see Table 2).  

      Top 10 Nontraditional Occupations by Gender

      Success Story

      Photo of Tom by a truck

      Tom, Dislocated Worker, NEMOJT

      I want to thank all the people from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic and Development for all of the assistance I received to help through my transition in life.  I was permanently laid off after 10 years of employment and am grateful for the opportunity to learning a new skill with a much better paying new job and future.

      At my age, getting a Class A CDL seemed like a good choice, and I really had no other options for funding.  At first I was overwhelmed with school (17 credits), but getting assistance with my tuition and other expenses greatly helped me focus on my school work.  During my first two weeks of schooling, I was having a hard time adapting and was facing dropping out-until your program.  Once I was able to not worry about facing a huge bill and focus on my studies, I ended up on the Dean’s List! I truly feel that without the help of the Dislocated Worker Program I would have been overwhelmed.

      In my previous occupation, it took my ten years to move from $6.65 to $10/hr and now after four months of school, my starting wage is $16/hr. I want to give a special thanks to Dena Edstrom for always making me feel okay about asking for help.  There’s a lot more I could say, but really all I can say is thank you sincerely!


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      UNIT DIRECTORY

      Jackie Buck-Director of Employer Services (Rapid Response), 651-259-7598
      Nancy Omondi-Director of Adult Programs (WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, TAA, and Career Pathways), 651-259-7525

      Rapid Response
      General RR Contact, 651-259-7537
      Marla Beaty-TAA Liaison, 218-259-1380
      Mo Malin-Senior Specialist, 651-259-7535
      Liz McLoone-Labor Liaison, 651-259-7145 
      Jason Wadell-Senior Specialist, 651-259-7552
      Mee Yang-Senior Specialist, 651-259-7548

      Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult Programs Team
      Chelsea Georgesen – Supervisor, 651-259,7508
      Amy Carlson – Performance Lead, 651-259-7542
      Karen Backlund – Monitor, 651-259-7559
      Monica Weber – Grants Specialist Senior, State Grants, 651-259-7560
      Claudia Ursulescu Kracht – Grants Specialist Senior, Federal Grants, 651-259-7532

      TAA
      General TAA Contact, 651-259-7543 or 888-234-1330
      Sarah Saito-TAA Supervisor, 651-259-7546
      Cindy Boyle-Senior TAA Specialist, 651-259-7551 
      Jennifer Anderson-TAA Specialist, 651-259-7690
      Mary Garcia-TAA Specialist, 651-259-7553
      Laurie Larson-TAA Specialist, 651-259-7681
      Thomas Sommer-TAA Specialist, 651-259-7585
      Jackie Umlauf-TAA Specialist, 218-739-7560
      Olajide Williams-TAA Specialist, 651-259-7431
      Trade Readjustment Allowance, 651-296-3644 or 877-898-9090 (ask for TRA Specialist)