Partner Express -March 2020

Partnership Express Header 2018

Adult Career Pathways Updates

SFY 20 extensions and SFY 21 grants
During the second week of February, Adult Career Pathways (ACP) sent all P2P, WESA, Southeast Asian, and Support Services SFY 20 grantees instructions and planning documents for requesting extensions of the time to complete their SFY 20 work plans. Due to the delay between the legislative appropriations and execution of the contracts, ACP is offering all competitive grantees a 90-day extension. With this extension, the SFY 20 grants would expire September 30, 2020. Grantees must still submit a request to extend grants, but they do not need to explain why an extension is needed. A grantee may choose to request a longer extension. However, requests for extensions beyond September 30 must be justified and will be strictly scrutinized. Requests to extend beyond June 30 must be submitted by March 9, 2020.

A grantee who opts for the 90-day extension now may later submit an additional request to extend beyond September 30. All additional requests must be submitted no less than 30 days before the scheduled expiration of the grant.

Adult Career Pathways (ACP) sent all ACP SFY 20 grantees instructions and planning documents for their SYF 21 grants. Grantees must submit their planning documents for SFY 21 by Friday, April 3.

While these dates may seem early, due to the number of grants that DEED’s financial area will be processing prior to the end of the SFY 20 fiscal year, they are requiring that we have all paperwork to them by May 1st in order to ensure completion by June 30. Because competitive grant awardees began working no sooner than November, we are not expecting that many changes from SFY 20 work plans and budgets will be necessary, so planning should go fairly quickly for grantees.                                                                                           

SFY 18-19 P2P grants
SFY 18-19 P2P grants which were extended through June 30, 2020 will be ending. State law prevents ACP funding for these grants to be continued beyond that date. MJSP funding is not mandated to end, but will not be extended further. This will free up these funds for MJSP to put toward other projects.

Employment Retention Activity
The activity “retention” actually refers to employment retention. A participant should not remain in “retention” indefinitely; generally, “retention” is a 90-day period unless otherwise specified in your work plan. During this period, the participant’s case manager is required to continue to have live contact with the participant at least once every 30 days. Interactive contact means that both the participant and the case manager contribute to a dialogue, whether in person, by phone, skype, email, or mail.

Contact during retention must be case noted. We have requested a Workforce One upgrade so that required employment information within the Retention activity can be pulled from the information entered within the Employment Activity. Check the next Partner Express for an update.

Eligibility for Southeast Asian grants
ACP has received a number of inquiries about who is eligible to participate in Southeast Asian grants. Southeast Asian grants are awarded to organizations proving services to relieve economic disparities in the Southeast Asian community through workforce recruitment, development, job creation, assistance of smaller organizations to increase capacity, and outreach. We consulted with DEED’s legal and legislative staff. Only individuals who are Southeast Asian or of Southeast Asian descent are eligible to participate in Southeast Asian grants.

Case management WF1 training
In January, ACP coordinators completed a round of trainings to assist grantees in entering case management data into Work Force One. Trainings were held in Minneapolis, West St. Paul, Bemidji, Rochester, Duluth, and Mankato. ACP undertook these trainings because we have found that grantees are sometimes uncertain about how or what data to enter for case management. Thus, there is often no information that contact took place or little information about what happened during contact. We hoped by providing statewide training to:

  • increase grantees’ comfort with Work Force One generally,
  • increase utilization of the case notes facility specifically, and
  • build relationships with grantees to increase their comfort level in seeking technical assistance.

Topics to Address?

If you have questions or particular topics you would like ACP to address in the Partner Express, please send your suggestions to your grant coordinator.

TAA Updates

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Petitions

Here’s the link to check the status of petitions with U.S. Department of Labor https://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/petitioners/taa_search_form.cfm

  • Pending DOL’s investigation
    • 95627 – Toppan Merrill, St. Paul
    • 95096 – Infor.com, St. Paul
    • 95285 – DEE Inc., Crookston
    • 95306 – CenturyLink, Minneapolis
    • 95331 – Tenneco (Federal Mogul), Lake City
    • 95375 – Henkel Corp., Chanhassen
    • 95377 – Modern Tool Inc., Coon Rapids
    • 95412 – Bluestem Brands Inc., St. Cloud
    • 95423 – MNStar Technologies Inc., Grand Rapids
    • 95440 – Gerdau Ameristeel, Duluth
    • 95467 – Canadian National, Proctor
    • 95536 – Johnson Controls, Plymouth
    • 95533 – The Semling-Menke Company, Inc (Semco)
    • 95539 – U.S. Bank National Association
    • 95559 – Allianz, Minneapolis
    • 95561 – Pace Industries, Arden Hills (On-site leased workers)
    • 95570 – Hutchinson Technology, Hutchinson
    • 95581 – Blue Cross Blue Shield, Virginia (Additional worker groups)
    • 95615 – Restwell Mattress Company, Eden Prairie
    • 95616 – Sleep Number Corporation, Minneapolis
    • 95720 – Seneca Foods Corporation, Rochester
    • 95703 – HED Cycling Products, Roseville
    • Landis Gry
    • Thermo Fisher Industries
  • Certified by DOL
    • 95466 – Accenture, Minneapolis
  • Denied by DOL
    • 95210 – Quad Graphics Inc., Shakopee
  • Upcoming or recent information sessions
    • 95298 – Smith & Nephew (March 4)
    • 93735 – Hutchinson Technology Inc. (March 10-11)
    • 95466 – Accenture (March 19)

DOL Monitoring Implementation
As a response to Department of Labor (DOL) monitoring, regarding effectiveness and efficiency of operations, specifically involving the use of TAA funds as the primary source of funding, TAA is changing the way we track eligible customers. This includes every customer that the Dislocated Worker (DW) program serves who’s eligible under any TAA petition whether or not that person is accessing TAA benefits/services. In an effort to more effectively record instances of TAA/Dislocated Worker co-enrollment, there will be a new activity in WF1 titled “TAA Co-Enrollment (Non-Training)” and a new status titled “DW enrolled-TAA eligible.” This will also allow for TAA to better track all the hard work that DW providers do while assisting customers enrolled in the DW program and eligible for TAA. In April, TAA will update providers with specific guidance after the WF1 release and TAA tests the updates. Additionally, TAA is exploring ways to assist with the cost of assessments and translation services for TAA eligible customers per DOL’s guidance.

Let us determine if a person is eligible to apply for TAA
If a customer is seeking TAA services and doesn’t meet the “usual” Dislocated Worker program eligibility requirements, please contact TAA (or have the person contact TAA) for TAA to determine if the person is eligible to apply for TAA benefits. Some customers have recently contacted TAA stating they were turned away from DW providers because they’re currently working. In order for the customer to retain their right to appeal, please allow TAA to determine if the person meets the Definition of Suitable Employment and/or if the customer is eligible to apply for other TAA benefits, such as RTAA.

Pilot program with TAA staff at a local office
TAA started a pilot program for a TAA Specialist to temporarily work in the St Cloud CareerForce location two days/week to meet the needs of customers affected by the large Electrolux and Xcel Optical layoffs. We’re three weeks in, and have heard great feedback all around.

Gas card incentive at TAA informational sessions
TAA’s goal is to increase attendance at TAA informational sessions. One initiative, which was approved by DOL, is an incentives gas card pilot. The project will run all of 2020 and provide each TAA-eligible customer who attends a scheduled informational session with a $50 gas card (or equivalent transit card). Please echo our message to customers that these sessions are worth attending!

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/