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Proposals
On June 5th, the Office of Adult Career Pathways (ACP) posted Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for four grants for SFY20 and SFY21: Pathways to Prosperity (P2P); Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA); Southeast Asian; and Support Services. Applications are being reviewed. Once reviewers submit scores to ACP, ACP will tally the scores and send recommendations to the commissioner. Award announcements are anticipated in early September.
New Summary Report Available on WorkForce One
The Grant Information Summary report has been updated and is available in WorkForce One under “Reports.” The new format will provide comprehensive “at a glance” information on progress toward key grant outcomes and the grant overall. Over the next month, we will be updating individual funding streams to provide the reference data for use in the report. Please contact your coordinator if you have any questions.
Minnesota Residency
In order to be eligible for services through Adult Career Pathways Education and Training Grants, a prospective participant must document residence in Minnesota with a valid Minnesota ID, Minnesota driver’s license, or Tribal ID with a Minnesota address. If the prospective participant does not have one of these, residency may be documented by an approved photo ID AND an approved document.
Approved photo IDs include: a driver’s license, state ID or learner’s permit issued by any state; a U.S. Passport; U.S. Military or Veteran ID; any Tribal ID (with name, signature, and photo); Minnesota university, college, or technical college ID; or a Minnesota high school ID.
Approved documents include the following, under a participant’s name and with a Minnesota address: a bill, account or start-of-service statement due or dated within 30 days of application for solid waste, sewer, electric, gas, water, phone, TV, internet, banking or credit card, or rent or mortgage statement; a residential lease or rent agreement valid at time of enrollment; or a current student fee statement.
Incentives and Stipends
Guidance on the use of incentives and stipends has been posted to the Adult Career Pathways webpage. It can be viewed: https://mn.gov/deed/assets/incentive-stipend_tcm1045-392897.pdf
SNAP 50/50
Through a collaborative effort between the Department of Human Services and DEED, Adult Career Pathways (ACP) grantees can claim reimbursement for certain services provided to participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) 50/50 Reimbursement allows ACP grantees to request 50% reimbursement for allowable expenses while servicing SNAP E&T participants. Administrative costs, program costs and support services are all allowable cost categories. ACP will be looking at engaging more grantees in SNAP E&T 50/50 in the future. If you are interested, or have questions, please contact Ann Meyers at ann.meyers@state.mn.us.
Cost-Category Spending
Adult Career Pathways (ACP) grantees for State Fiscal Year 20 (SFY20) and for SFY21 must limit spending within each cost category to the amount shown in their work plan for that year. If, by the end of the third quarter (March 31), it appears that some cost categories will be underspent while other cost categories will be depleted before the end of the grant year, grantees may submit a request to modify the contract to change the cost categories or to extend the date. Any modification must be received and processed before the end of the grant year on (June 30).
TAA Updates
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Petitions
- Pending DOL’s investigation
- 94627 - Toppan Merrill, St Paul
- 94780 – Target Corporation, Minneapolis
- 94871 – Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Eagan
- 94930 – Trouw Nutrition USA, Willmar
- 94916 – United Healthcare, Minnetonka
- 94911 – Fidelity Information Services, Woodbury
- 94941 – Delta Air Lines, Inc., Atlanta, GA
- 94962 – X-Cel Optical Company, Sauk Rapids
- 94996 – Navico, Minneapolis
- 94992 – CoreLogic Solutions, LLC, Bloomington
- Certified by DOL
- 94970 – Hamon Deltak, Inc., Plymouth
- Denied by DOL
- 94699 – The Mosaic Company, Plymouth
TAA Fall Roundtable Survey – Your Voice is Important
TAA is offering DW counselor training, a.k.a. technical assistance, through “roundtables” this fall. The TAA Roundtables will take place in the metro area as well as location in greater MN. Please stay tuned for an invite to take a short survey letting TAA know what content you would like covered. Hearing from you will help TAA tailor the Roundtable training. Thanks in advance for your participation.
Department of Labor (DOL) Monitoring
Minnesota TAA/TRA/DW was monitored by U.S. Department of Labor, July 29-August 2. DOL will provide DEED with a monitoring report within 45 days after the visit. We will then update our policies and procedures as appropriate. We are thankful and appreciate the timely responses from providers who were asked to send Dislocated Worker files for review by DOL.
TAA Application Tip: Waiver
TAA is providing tips for each section of the training application in recent editions of Partner Express. August’s tip is related to the waiver.
A waiver protects a person’s TRA benefits. It’s required within 26 weeks of a customer’s layoff date or certification date, whichever is later. It is also required if a person is outside 30 days of starting training.
A waiver does not have to be accompanied by a training plan, however it is understood that a customer is interested in attending training to warrant the payment of Basic TRA. If TAA accepts a waiver without a training plan, TAA fully expects that a training plan is forthcoming.
To receive Basic TRA Benefits: customers are required to continue completing a work search while in waiver status, and must keep a written record of their work search and provide it to the unemployment insurance program upon request.
With the waiver, DW should include an IEP that expresses interest in training and:
- What sort of training the participant is focused on or;
- What steps the participant intends to take in order to discern an occupational goal.
Waivers require a review every 30 days by the Dislocated Worker Counselor. During that 30-day review, DW needs to document updates in WF1 to ensure the customer is progressing toward enrollment in training.
Examples of documentation that would be admissible at each 30-day waiver review are:
- Interest assessment results
- Communication to DW of actual interests
- Documented communication with professors/industry professionals about the field
- Research as to which institution offers the occupational skills training
- A chart showing which courses are needed, providing research of what occupational goal they would like to pursue
- A letter of acceptance from the training institution
Dislocated Worker Counselors should email the waiver and IEP to the TAA general mailbox (deed.taa@state.mn.us)
Topics you’d like addressed?
The Partner Express is a resource designed with you in mind. If you have suggestions on topics you’d like TAA to address, please let us know! We are here to help: deed.taa@state.mn.us or call 651-259-7543. Applications, news, resources, and forms are available on the Counselor Portal: https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/dislocated-worker/counselors/
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