September 2021

Adult Programs Communication

Partner Express monthly newsletter – email deed.taa@state.mn.us if you would like to subscribe

Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult Programs:

Disaster Relief Grants / Special Grants:

• OMNI grantees only: will now be able to answer the opioid questions within the WF1 Adult program enrollment screens.
• Both OMNI and COVID grantees: will now see the DWG funding streams within the dropdown list to select when opening any WF1 Adult program activities.
• Please contact program staff with any questions: connell@state.mn.us or rita.apaloo@state.mn.us

Monthly Financial Status Report (FSR) / Monthly Reimbursement Payment Request (RPR):

• Due 20 days after month end. For example, the June RPR (June 30 end date) is due July 20.
• Report accrued monthly expenditures.
• A monthly RPR/FSR is required even if no funds were expended.

Quarterly Progress Report (QPR):

• Due 30 days after quarter end. For example, the Quarter 1 report (September 30 end date) is due October 30

Performance:

Program Year (PY) 2020 Quarter Four (Q4) Performance Outcomes compared to Negotiated Goals

Attached you will find the performance outcome spreadsheets for Total Dislocated Worker, State Dislocated Worker, WIOA Dislocated Worker, DWG, and WIOA Adult programs. These are best when printed landscape, in color, and on 11x17 size paper.

Performance goals based on WlOA negotiated standards for PY2020

• Color Key:
  • Blue are the negotiated performance standards
  • Green means the set goal was met or exceeded
  • Yellow means at least 50% of the goal was met
  • Red means less than 50% of the goal was met
• Served is all participants accessing the program during the actual program year (real-time)
• Getting a Job results based on exits July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 except those exited with exclusion. This indicator measures each exiter's employment status during the 2nd quarter after exiting the program. Formula: Percent of employed exiters divided by all exiters during the reporting period.
• Keeping a Job results based on exits January 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019 except those exited with exclusion. This indicator measures each exiter's employment status during the 4th quarter after exiting the program. Formula: Percent of employed exiters divided by all exiters during the reporting period.
• 2nd Quarter Median Earnings results based on exits July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 except those exited with exclusionary reason and those showing zero earnings. This indicator measures the median earning during the 2nd quarter after exiting the program.
• Credential Attainment results based on exits January 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019 except those exited with exclusionary reason and those who did not attend credential type training. This indicator measures the percent of participants who received a credential after attending training.

PY19 Mass Workforce One (WF1) Activity Closure Results:

The PY19 Mass Closure event was completed in August 2021. Individual Dislocated Worker and WIOA Adult providers were emailed a provider specific spreadsheet showing all their cases involved in this closure as well as instructions for correcting any errors found during this process. Below are the results of this event and the guidance provided for correcting cases with errors.  The deadline to make these corrections expired on August 30, 2021.

For errors found that prevented activity closures in the PY19 Mass Closure

These cases did not have copied activities with valid funding streams within them after 06/30/2021.

1. The staff responsible for WF1 data entry must copy all PY19 funded activities for all services the participant continued receiving after 06/30/2021

• The start date of the copied activity must have the start date of 07/01/2021; and
• An active PY20 or PY21 formula funding stream selected within them                           

2. The staff responsible for WF1 data entry must close all PY19 formula funded activities with the end date of 06/30/2021

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:  UPDATE on “Pending Exit” type Activities

Cases with “Employed, Pending Exit” and “Pending Exit, Other” activities will now automatically exit the Dislocated Worker or Adult program they are enrolled in 90 days following the start date of these activities if a pending exit is also entered on the program sequence. Nothing further needs to be done on these cases unless the participant returns for additional services (not follow-up services) within the 90-day window.

New data entry procedure for the “Employed, Pending Exit” and “Pending Exit, Other” activities

After your participant alerts you that they are no longer in need of services.

Reminder: If the participant is exiting to employment, inform them of their eligibility for 12 months of follow-up services and case note the discussion.

1. Close all open activities on the case record with the date your participant informed you they were no longer in need of services
2. If your participant is exiting the program due to employment
   • Open the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity using the date of this conversation as the activity’s start date
   • Go into the participant’s “Exit Summary” screen and select the program sequence you are case managing
     • Enter all exit details on the case and click “Save Exit as Pending”
   • Nothing further needs to be done on the case (unless your local policy requires you to perform additional tasks, or the participant returns during the 90-day window for additional services)
   • Shortly after 90 days has expired following the start date of the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity the case will be automatically exited from the program

3. If your participant is exiting to anything other than employment
   • Open the “Pending Exit, Other” activity using the date of this conversation as the activity’s start date
   • Go into the participant’s “Exit Summary” screen and select the program sequence you are case managing
     • Enter all exit details on the case and click “Save Exit as Pending”
   • Nothing further needs to be done on the case (unless your local policy requires you to perform additional tasks, or the participant returns during the 90-day window for additional services)
   • Shortly after 90 days has expired following the start date of the “Pending Exit, Other” activity the case will be automatically exited from the program

If the participant returns for additional services (not follow-up services) during the 90-day window

1. You will need to open an activity that best represents the additional service provided to the participant
   • The start date of this activity will be the date they returned to you with the request for additional services
   • The end date will be the last day the additional service is provided to the participant
2. You will then need to consider how long the additional service will continue
   • If the additional service will continue for more than one day, delete the pending exit type activity from the program sequence.
     • When the participant is finished receiving the additional service, follow the steps within the previous section of this article titled “New data entry procedure for the “Employed, Pending Exit” and “Pending Exit, Other” activities”
   • If the additional service will only continue for one day
     • Close the additional service activity with the same date as you entered for the start date
     • Edit the start date for the pending exit type activity by entering the same date as you used for the additional service activity’s end date
   • Nothing further needs to be done on the case (unless your local policy requires you to perform additional tasks, or the participant returns during the 90-day window for additional services)
   • Shortly after 90 days has expired following the start date of the pending exit type activity the case will be automatically exited from the program

Should you have any performance or data entry questions, please contact the Federal Adult Programs Performance Coordinator, Amy Carlson, at amy.carlson@state.mn.us.

Adult Career Pathways (ACP)

Legislative Direct Appropriation Grants/ Competitive Grants SFY20/21

• State Legislators finalized the budget that determines SFY22-23 ACP program budgets. Open solicitations and FAQs can be viewed on DEED’s contracts page at: https://mn.gov/deed/about/contracts/open-rfp.jsp
• The ACP Team’s new Minnesota Tech Training Pilot Program awardees have been announced and the team is excited to bring this new program to the portfolio of trainings being offered throughout the state.

SNAP E&T 50/50

The ACP team continues to work with our eight SNAP E&T 50% Reimbursement Grantees for SFY21 providing 50% reimbursement on expenses already incurred through ACP’s Pathways to Prosperity and MN Family Resiliency Partnership (DHP) programs.

MN Family Resiliency Partnership (formerly known as Displaced Homemaker Program)

Information about the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership program can be found on DEED’s ACP webpage at https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/find-a-job/targeted-services/homemakers/. 

ACP Guides

ACP’s Operations Guide is now available from the ACP home page. The Guide documents current practices for ACP.  The ACP Team meets monthly to discuss suggested additions, modifications, and other changes to the guide and update as necessary. It does NOT include measures implemented in response to COVID-19, which are listed separately.

Adult Career Pathways Workforce One

Effective July 1, 2021 Pay for Performance Direct Appropriations grants:

Participants enrolled in Pay-for-Performance Legislative Direct Appropriations may not be co-enrolled with any other Employment & Training program under DEED oversight, such as Pathways to Prosperity, WIOA, or Dislocated Worker. Participants may not exit successfully from one DEED grant and consecutively enroll into a Pay-for-Performance Direct Appropriation. The only exception to this policy is co-enrollments with the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership program.

REMINDER: Be sure to deactivate all Workforce One access for staff that are no longer working within your programs. To do so, simply send the Workforce One team an email (workforceone.deed@state.mn.us ) informing them of the update.

ACP webpage: https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/adult-career-pathways/ . 

ACP Grantee Spotlight

This month, the ACP Team would like to spotlight Change, Inc.  

During these challenging times, organizations and agencies across the state continue to creatively assist participants and support families as they navigate this new environment. Change Inc.’s comprehensive support services include daily meals, health benefits enrollment, translation, transportation, mental health counseling, literacy development, special education classes, and individual/group/family therapy offered on-site and in-home. They provide all academic and social-emotional supports in-house, and in addition partner with multiple community agencies and education institutions to offer diverse technical opportunities. They have found this approach very benefical in keeping their student retention rate high.

For more information, please visit their website at www.thechangeinc.org/gap-school.html.

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)

Reversion 2021

On July 1, 2021, the TAA Program reverted to a modified version of the Trade Reform Act of 2002. Any workers covered under a Petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance filed on or after July 1, 2021, would be covered by this modified version. Current customers and people who are eligible under an older petition continue to receive the benefits under the appropriate law of their petition. Nearly all of our current customers are covered by 2015 Law and their services/benefits will not change.  

One of the major changes is the deadline for a person to submit a waiver or training application to protect Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) benefits. Under Reversion 2021, there is an 8/16 week deadline: the customer must have a waiver or training application approved within 8 weeks of petition certification or 16 weeks from layoff to protect TRA benefits (see page 5 of Operating Instructions, Attachment A) https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=6175.

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           

Recently certified

• 96901 – Bedford Industries, Worthington
• 97031 – McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc., Plymouth
• 97093 – Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis
• 97092 – Marmon Foodservices Technologies, Inc. d.b.a. Silver King, Minneapolis
• 96860E – Synchrony Bank, Saint Paul
• 98030 -- *The Coleman Company, Sauk Rapids

Pending DOL investigation

• 96977 – Rest Assured Mattress Co. Inc., Rochester
• 98010 – **Miken Sports, Caledonia
• 98026 – **Southern Graphic Systems Inc., Minneapolis

 *certified under Reversion 2021

**if certified workers would be covered under Reversion 2021

ETPL Administration and Monitoring

Can I support a course that is part of a client’s degree program if the program is listed on the ETPL?

Generally, yes. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities do not submit for-credit course files, they only submit programs.

If we listed unique courses for all our state’s eligible training providers, career explorers would have to sift through over 100,000 listings. It’s overwhelming. It’s generally the degree that is the recognized postsecondary credential, and generally a series of courses build into a degree. VERY FEW of a program’s courses include recognized postsecondary credentials as stand-alone courses. WIOA guidance preferences supporting credential attainment, in this case, the completion of the degree.

The “WIOA logic” here for documentation is – my client is enrolled in the WIOA certified degree program, working to attain their degree (i.e. the recognized postsecondary credential). My client is taking the courses required to make the progress towards and/or complete the degree. My client’s ‘success’ is completing the degree, then obtaining sustainable employment.

If you have questions about what would be relevant to put into the case file to document the classes as progress/completion of the degree, such as a Measurable Skills Gain, a few good people include Amy Carlson (amy.carlson@state.mn.us) or Lensa Idossa (lensa.idossa@state.mn.us) from the ETP team and/or Linda Skogen (linda.skogen@state.mn.us) from the monitoring team.

My client is interested in a program at a local training provider. The training provider has a few programs in the Career and Education Explorer, but I this tool does not have the training program my client is interested in. Can I support this training program?

Please email the ETPL Administrator at etpl.deed@state.mn.us with information about the program that is not currently listed – we’re happy to reach out and invite the school to the list this training if the program meets the eligibility criteria. Remember - approval happens for ETPL at the program or course level!

Newer to the ETPL and navigating WIOA Title I training? Please find link to our extended counselor FAQ!

Labor Market Information 

By The Numbers

Unemployment rates climbed quickly for young workers over the past year and a half, as the pandemic recession impacted youth that were employed in customer facing service sector jobs. While this increase in unemployment is not good by any measure, it is by far not the worst on record. Youth unemployment reached 21.5% during the peak of the Great Recession in 2011. The Great Recession clearly hit young workers harder than the pandemic recession, but why is that?

A major reason teen employment was not hit harder during the pandemic recession is that there was so much dynamism in the labor market during this period in exactly the sectors in which teens are most likely to work. Once businesses were allowed to reopen, even at reduced capacity, many had to rebuild their workforces as some workers had already moved on to other jobs, were no longer available to work, or chose to leave the labor force temporarily until work conditions were safer. This opened work opportunities in exactly the industries where teens are most likely to be qualified for jobs: Leisure and Hospitality and Retail Trade. Almost 120,000 teens took advantage of these job opportunities in 2020.

Table 1: Teen Share of Industry Workforce, Hourly Wages, and Hours Worked, Minnesota, Second Quarter 2020

Source: Quarterly Employment Demographics, DEED (mn.gov/deed/data/data-tools/qed)

As employers build back to pre-pandemic employment levels throughout 2021, teens are likely to be able to find employment in the sectors listed in Table 1 as well as other sectors of the economy including Health Care and Social Assistance, Transportation and Warehousing, and Construction. Based on the best available data, DEED forecasts that Minnesota employers will hire 440,000 workers over the next year as they rebuild their workforces post-pandemic. This includes nearly 70,000 in food preparation and serving occupations, 43,000 in sales and related occupations, and nearly 30,000 in personal care and service occupations, the types of jobs in which teens are most likely to find work.

For employers, teens can be extremely reliable, flexible workers who are quick to learn new skills. As a result many employers value them highly as workers. But beyond meeting immediate staffing needs, employers should also think of summer hiring as an opportunity to build their workforce pipeline. Helping teens see each industry as a viable career option can help in the long run. Offering summer internships, apprenticeships, or on-the-job training opportunities to teens can help build a pipeline of workers and help establish relationships for the future. Getting in touch with local high schools is a good place to start the process.

To read the entire article and learn some useful tips for recruiting teens, go to https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/publications/review/march-2021/youth.jsp

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