October 2018 Partner Express Newsletter

Office of Adult Career Pathways

The Office of Adult Career Pathways is pleased to be joining Partner Express. The Office of Adult Career Pathways coordinates and manages the following grants:

Federally Funded:

  • Legacy Career Force (Demo Grant)
  • Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).

State Funded:

  • Adult Career Pathways competitive grants:
    -Capacity Building
    -Pathways to Prosperity (P2P)
    -Southeast Asian Economic Disparities Relief (SE Asian)
    -Support Services
    -Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA)
  • Displaced Homemaker Program (DHP)
  • MN Legislative Direct Appropriations
  • SNAP 100% and 50/50 grants.

Under Construction:
We are currently hiring and we look forward to introducing new staff soon. We thank you for your patience!

Updates:
The competitive “Capacity Building” grant was awarded to Greater Twin Cities United Way. They are currently in the subgrantee selection process.

The “Legacy Career Force” Demo grant is geared towards adults 55 and over at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). DEED’s “Statement of Work” is currently with DOL, awaiting approval. Four grantees will be invited to submit budgets and workplans to DEED: Anoka County, Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA), City of Duluth, and Washington County.

Please Remember: 
Reimbursement Payment Requests/Financial Status Reports are due for each month, by the 20th of the following month. Please send your RPRs/FSRs in monthly, even if there is no spending. Populate the fields with $0.00. (A significant number of P2P grantees have not yet sent in an RPR/FSR.) Thank you for your assistance!


Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult Update

The Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult team is expected to grow in number in the coming future. For now, you can contact Claudia Ursulescu Kracht, Claudia.ursulescu.kracht@state.mn.us with any questions regarding grants. Claudia is, for now, our only staff member working with State DW, WIOA DW and WIOA Adult grants.

To avoid any extra delays on any grants processes, please review any documents prior to sending them to us.

We hope to have new staff joining our team as soon as possible, but in the meantime, we apologize for any delays! 


TAA Updates

  • Recent petition certifications:
    -94057 - Great Lakes Polymer Technologies LLC, Albert Lea
    -93823 - SSAB Minnesota, Roseville

TAA Fall Roundtable Tour
Watch for a newsflash with dates, locations, and registration details coming soon!

Announcing Mohamed Farah, TAA Specialist
TAA welcomed Mohamed Farah to the TAA team on September 19th. He has a Business Administration degree and previously worked as an MFIP Counselor. He’s also worked abroad and has a passion for IT. Mohamed is already a terrific asset to the TAA team!

TAA Training Application—things that can be missed or that delay approval
If the customer completes the form separately from the Dislocated Worker Counselor, then the DW Counselor should review carefully to make sure all elements are addressed. A good application should not be more than 25 pages (this does not include the assessment.)

Applicant Information

  • The address should be complete including City and Zip Code.
  • Fill in the complete employment start and end dates.

Data Privacy Authorization

  • This area has been updated per unemployment requirements—please review carefully with customer. (This is coming on the new training application form.)

Employment History

  • Labor Market Information (LMI) source Career Profile at https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/cpt/Search – use regional/state info only. TAA only needs wage and demand statisticsmust attach copy to training plan. Should only be about 3 pages at most.
  • LMI should reflect trade affected job
    -If the stats are healthy then TAA will question why the customer needs training unless it is focused on additional certifications that will enhance existing skills
    -When selecting LMI, do not use any categories that end with “all other.”

Work Search

  • Complete the Work Search table.
    -Do not attach job ads
    -Table is to consist of actual jobs the customer has applied for and the results
    -This is not required if the customer is currently working in a job that is not “suitable.” (If suitable, then the customer is not eligible for Training at this time.)

Future Employment Outlook

  • Labor Market Information (LMI) source Career Profile at https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/cpt/Search  – use regional/state info only unless willing to relocate. If considering relocation, then ONET can be used but data must still reflect the state of possible relocation. TAA only needs wage and demand information statistics – must attach copy to training plan. Should only be about 3 pages at most.
  • If seeking a credential, a few job ads can be provided that show the credential as either preferred or a requirement.
  • Regarding prior experience, additional information is requested for both the yes and no answer.

Future Employment

  • Complete the Future Employment Table.

Additional Information

  • Please clarify with the customer that TRA may not last throughout training. This is a perfect time to contact TRA when meeting with the customer to ask for specifics regarding the customer as they have access to the client’s UI profile.
  • DW Counselors, please make sure that you initial the box that you have discussed possible TRA exhaustion with the customer.

Checklist

  • Review carefully.
  • TAA needs either an acceptance letter from the training institution or course registration in order to approve training.
  • If a list of required items is submitted along with the training application, make sure it is on school letterhead and has a current date.
  • The resume uploaded and printed from MinnesotaWorks so that TAA knows the customer has registered with MinnesotaWorks.
  • IEP should also be noted in WF1 as either uploaded or paper copy on file or TAA cannot approve the training application.
  • Copy of a completed standardized assessment. This assessment must be documented by the Dislocated Worker Counselor on the Individual Employment Plan (IEP). (This is coming on the new training application form.)
  • Submit a waiver along with the training application if the customer is within 26 weeks of either petition certification or layoff date whichever is later, or if customer is more than 30 days from the training start date.

TAA Policies

  • Customer should review all policies.

Dislocated Worker and WIOA Adult Performance Update

Chart of Program Year 2017 Annual ReportProgram Year 2018 and 2019 State Performance Standards

Reminder: You can find information regarding the threshold for performance failure the Department of Labor will apply at a state level within Page 9 of TEGL 9-17 “Methodology for Assessing Actual Results against Adjusted Levels of Performance”. TEGL 10-16 attachment 9 will show you how the average indicator score is calculated.


Karen

Success Story 

Karen-AEOA

Karen came into our Dislocated Worker Program after working 14 years working in the hotel industry as a general ledger clerk earning $13.55 per hour.  Her main goal was to immediately find gainful employment after getting laid off.  She did work some part time hours in a fast food restaurant but that would not sustain her.  Not sure which direction she should look, Karen did the CAPS, COPS, COPES and the results of that brought her right back to the area she had just been employed - working with numbers.  Together with her counselor they moved forward and designed a combined resume.  

After much time trying to find a job and going on several interviews, these activities did not result in being offered suitable employment.  Being a widow, the staff at AEOA discussed the Displaced Homemaker Program with Karen and she decided she would participate in that program.  After completion of the program Karen was hired at Great Lakes Electric as a bookkeeper earning more than her previous employment.


UNIT DIRECTORY

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

Adult Career Pathways Team
Claire Nelligan - Supervisor - 651-259-7573
Lynn Dahn - Employment and Training Program Coordinator, SNAP 100% - 651-259-7529
Mimi Daniel - Grant Coordinator, P2P, SNAP 50/50 - 651-259-7581
Taryn Galehdari - Employment and Training Program Coordinator, SCSEP, DHP, WESA, SE Asian, Support Services - 651-259-7540
Amy Miller - Monitor - Legislative Direct Appropriations and Capacity Building - 651-259-7575
Vacant - Monitor
Vacant - Grant Coordinator
Vacant - Grant Coordinator

Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult Programs Team
Vacant – Supervisor
Amy Carlson – Performance Lead, 651-259-7542
Claudia Ursulescu Kracht – Grants Specialist Senior, Federal Grants, 651-259-7532
Thomas Sommer-TAA Performance and Financials Specialist, 651-259-7585
Vacant – Monitor
Vacant – Grants Specialist Senior, State Grants, 

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Team
General TAA Contact, 651-259-7543 or 888-234-1330
Sarah Saito - Supervisor, 651-259-7546
Cindy Boyle - Senior TAA Specialist, 651-259-7551 
Olajide Williams - Senior TAA Specialist, 651-259-7431
Jennifer Anderson - TAA Specialist, 651-259-7690
Mohamed Farah - TAA Specialist, 651-259-7505
Mary Garcia - TAA Specialist, 651-259-7553
Laurie Larson - TAA Specialist, 651-259-7681
Jackie Umlauf - TAA Specialist, 218-739-7560
Trade Readjustment Allowance, 651-296-3644 or 877-898-9090 (ask for TRA Specialist)

Rapid Response Team
General RR Contact, 651-259-7537
Jason Wadell - Coordinator, 651-259-7552
Marla Beaty - TAA Liaison, 218-259-1380
Liz McLoone - Labor Liaison, 651-259-7145 (on leave through January 2019)
Mee Yang - Senior Specialist, 651-259-7548