March 2023
 Adult Career Pathways
Team Updates
The ACP Provider Training List for SFY22-23 is now posted! Categorized by industry sector, this is a list of projects funded through DEED’s Employment and Training Division, Adult Career Pathways during SFY22-23. Each provider listed is linked to their website for easy referral. Please reach out to Jenilee Drilling (Jenilee.drilling@state.mn.us) if updates or changes need to be made to the list.
Over the past few months, the ACP Coordinators have updated and posted information to the ACP Webpage to better assist ACP Grantees as they manage ACP programs:
- An instruction guide to complete the quarterly reports
- Program Operations Guide
- ACP EDS Document Types
- Information on Getting or Changing WF1 access
- ACP Cost Category Guidance (now including Guidance on the Use of Incentives and Stipends and the Documentation Needed to Support Outreach Activities policies)
- Documentation Needed to Support Participant Eligibility
We encourage Grantees and interested organizations to check out the DEED Competitive Grants and Contracts page for SFY24-25 programs. The site posts all outgoing grants and open-ended PT services. Each solicitation includes a brief description of work and a link to its Request for Proposals (RFP). Sign up to receive emails when new opportunities are listed. Also another suggestion is to watch the legislative sessions as you can see what is being proposed and if/when it gets funded.
We continue to encourage grantees to begin preparing for the end of COVID waivers. Please be sure to review the current waivers and reach out to your Coordinator if you have any questions.
FREE MARKETING!! The ACP team has partnered with CareerForce MN to give our Grantees the opportunity to post their free trainings on the CareerForce website; https://www.careerforcemn.com/training-programs . This is an excellent opportunity to market your courses to the thousands of users that visit the site every month. Feel free to reach out to the CareerForce help desk at careerforce@state.mn.us to request access or any additional assistance.
MN Family Resiliency Partnership (Federally known as Displaced Homemaker Program)
The MN Family Resiliency Partnership (MFRP) assists individuals who have spent a substantial number of years in the home providing homemaking services and have been dependent upon the financial support of another. For more information about the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership program check out DEED’s ACP webpage.
SNAP E&T 50/50
The SNAP E&T project can provide additional, unrestricted funds to your organization when partnered with your ACP Grant. If you serve SNAP recipients within your ACP program and are interested in more information about adding the SNAP E&T 50% Reimbursement program to your organization, please contact Ann Meyers at ann.meyers@state.mn.us.
Workforce One- ACP Programs
REMINDER: Providers are required to enter all Workforce One data within 15 days of the occurrence. When determining past performance, it is important that each Grantee enter data in Workforce One in a timely manner. If you need further assistance with your data entry or are seeing discrepancies in your data, please reach out to your Program Coordinator.
Adult Career Pathways Guides
The ACP Operations Guide has been updated for February and posted to the ACP home page. If you have any suggestions for the guide, please submit those to your Grant Coordinator.
Please contact your Adult Career Pathways Grant Coordinator directly with any questions regarding Adult Career Pathways Programs.
 Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult Programs
Policy Updates
- There are now two separate policies (WIOA and DW specific).
- All partners are required to update their DW Eligibility Policy to align with the updated policies.
- A recording of the policies review webinar, held on Feb 1st and 2nd, is available.
- Changes were made to Workforce One to update the eligibility screen.
- Updated policies are live on MN DEED website:
- Additional Links:
DOL Monitoring Visits
- Opioid National Dislocated Worker Grant – March 20, 2023
- RETAIN – May 2-3, 2023
Converting Layoffs Into Minnesota Businesses (CLIMB)
Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board (MJSP)
- The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Board will be meeting on March 6, 2023, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. All MJSP meetings are open to the public. Learn more.
- SLIG Preliminary Performance and recommendations will be made.
Re-entry Pilot Grant
- Official Announcement coming soon
- All applicants will be receiving official notification of award or non-award.
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
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Grants Performance Management System (GPMS)
- GPMS all grantee training was conducted on 01/31/2023. A follow up Technical Assistance Session (GPMS Live Office Hours) was officially launched on 02/15/2023. Going forward the GPMS Team will host bi-weekly GPMS Live Office Hours Sessions to provide additional Technical Assistance. Invitations will be sent out soon.
- Please visit the GPMS site at WorkforceGPS for all GPMS training recordings, GPMS e-newsletters, other GPMS resources and related materials. The FAQ is a great resource for questions and answers already covered. Remember to always check it out when you have a question just in case it is already answered.
- A second GPMS training session is planned to take place around the second week of March 2023, stay tuned for the official announcement before end of February 2023.
- GPMS Tip: Eligibility date is the date the applicant was determined eligible, not the date of the data entry.
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PY 2022 participant and host agency customer satisfaction surveys
- The PY 2022 participant and host agency customer satisfaction surveys will be launched in the late winter of 2023. Alerting participants and host agencies to expect the survey is the key to getting a good response rate. Sub-grantees should now begin (if haven’t already) to tell participants and host agencies that the surveys will be going out around the beginning of March 2023 and that they may be selected to receive a survey. Remember to explain to participants and host agencies that:
- The survey responses are private and will not be used in any way that identifies the respondents, the completed surveys will be returned to The Charter Oak Group in a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope
- No one will see any individual responses
- The responses will be used to help make the program better
- It is very important to the sub-grantee that everyone complete the surveys.
Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN)
- MN RETAIN continues to scale its efforts across Minnesota. >850 people have enrolled!
- Success Story:
- Mason was an assistant director of health services for an assisted-living facility when he was admitted to the Mayo Clinic after a serious car accident. The RETAIN program was created for people like Mason, who faced a lengthy recovery that would delay his return to work.
- “After six months working with RETAIN, I am now a director of nursing, making almost double what I made at the time of the accident.”
- Click to read Mason’s full success story.
- Do you or someone you know have an injury or illness that affects their work? Visit com to see if RETAIN could help!
Questions from the Field
QUESTION 1: We have experienced a couple of enrollments where the applicant identifies as non-binary, uses the pronouns they/them, and changes their name (not legally) to a non-gender-specific one. How can we ensure our programs can be more respectful and supportive, e.g., using the "legal" name to verify identity and what must be listed on the IEP to match the legal name.
ANSWER 1: We are not aware of an official DOL policy or guidance on this topic, but this is a good opportunity to examine the information collected and stored on forms and in case management systems. Any program applicant/participant should be able to request that they be addressed in interactions and communications by their preferred name and pronouns, even in the absence of a legal name change. Program application paperwork should include preferred name. It is important to look at your local intake process to avoid situations such as this. In addition, a case note should be entered in WF1 documenting the participant’s preferred name and pronouns.
QUESTION 2: Do participants need to be exited as soon as they obtain employment?
ANSWER 2: No. Exiting the program should be on a case-by-case basis. There is nothing disallowing a participant from receiving continued services after they obtain employment as long as they are justifiable. For example, many people need support services during their first months of employment because they haven’t received steady paychecks yet.
Recommendation: Communicate with the participant when they notify you about their employment opportunity to discuss any open activities on their case.
- If they are currently receiving a service needed to secure their employment such as completing a training program ask them the following:
- If they will be able to support the training on their own or if their new employer will be assisting with the costs of training moving forward.
- Provide them a self-addressed stamped envelope and request they mail you the completed credential/transcript as soon as they receive it.
- Discuss their eligibility for Follow-up Services during the 12 months following their program exit date (case note this discussion).
- Close all activities on their WF1 case record and open the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity with the date you were informed of their new employment.
- Enter all details required in the WF1 Exit Detail screen and save the exit as “Pending”.
- 90 days after the start date of the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity, the WF1 system will automatically exit the case using the information entered in the Exit Detail screen retroactively to the start date of the pending activity.
- If the participant returns for additional services (commonly Support Services), provide the service (if the request meets your local policy justification) and
- edit the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity’s start date to the new last date of service and
- case note the service provided and the pending exit activity’s extension.
- If they need continued assistance from the program in order to complete the required training, this will qualify as a service being provided that extends their program exit date.
- Inform the participant they will need to maintain compliance with all program requirements, policies, and rules during the time they are enrolled (including communication requirements, IEP updating, and timely submittance of requested information).
- Continue serving the participant as normal.
- If they are not currently receiving a service needed to secure their employment
- Discuss their eligibility for Follow-up Services during the 12 months following their program exit date (case note this discussion).
- Close all activities on their WF1 case record and open the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity with the date you were informed of their new employment.
- Enter all details required in the WF1 Exit Detail screen and save the exit as “Pending”.
- 90 days after the start date of the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity, the WF1 system will automatically exit the case using the information entered in the Exit Detail screen retroactively to the start date of the pending activity.
- If the participant returns for additional services (commonly Support Services), provide the service (if the request meets your local policy justification) and
- edit the “Employed, Pending Exit” activity’s start date to the new last date of service and
- case note the service provided and the pending exit activity’s extension.
Please email all requests, reports, and technical assistance questions to the Dislocated Worker Federal Adult Programs general email at dwfaprograms.deed@state.mn.us
 Performance Updates for Dislocated Worker and WIOA Adult
Program Year (PY) 2022 Quarter Two (Q2) 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.
 If needed in alternative format, please contact Amy Carlson.
 If needed in alternative format, please contact Amy Carlson
- Performance goals based on WlOA negotiated standards for PY2022
- 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) July 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
- Getting a Job results based on exiters July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 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 exiters January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 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 exiters July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 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 exiters January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 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.
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.
 Trade Adjustment Assistance
Department of Labor Monitoring Visit
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is tentatively scheduled to monitor Minnesota TAA in August. TAA will provide details as we receive information from DOL.
Program Restoration
TAA program restoration was included in the FY23 omnibus bill. Department of Labor will release a TEGL which will guide states on the next steps. Previous Partner Express newsletters include articles related to the phased termination that the TAA Program entered on 7/1/22.
Petitions
Petitions can still be filed, but DOL’s investigation is paused until the TEGL is released. 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
Filed after July 1
- Torax Medical, St Paul
- Turck, Inc., Plymouth
- Ball Corp, St Paul
- Nordson Medical, Eagan
Please email all questions and customer applications to the Trade Adjustment Assistance general email at deed.taa@state.mn.us
 Monitoring
Scope of Monitoring Reviews
When conducting a compliance review, DEED monitors will review the programmatic, financial, and administrative activities of your grant program. The review may be conducted onsite or by a desk review (virtual). Below is a summary of the scope of monitoring that will occur during a review.
Program Monitoring. The program review includes, but is not limited to, the evaluation of grantee and sub-recipient program services provided to eligible individuals pursuant to the grantee work plan, related federal and state requirements, state policies and guidance, and Uniform Guidance. If grantee subawards grant funds to subrecipients and/or contractors, the program review will include a review of the subcontracts as well as a review of grantee’s monitoring of subrecipients/subawards.
DEED reviews program participant records to:
- Ensure only eligible participants are enrolled and applicable eligibility documentation is collected and properly recorded.
- Ensure participant records include pertinent forms and
- Confirm appropriate and adequate case notes are documented ensuring continuity from time of application through completion of services.
- Verify all relevant participant data and services are accurately and timely recorded within Workforce One (WF1).
- Ensure implementation of services are in accordance with grantee workplan.
Financial and Administrative Management. The financial and administrative management review includes but is not limited to the evaluation of the grantee’s and sub-recipient’s administrative and financial policies and practices according to applicable federal and state legislation. A financial reconciliation is also conducted, which includes a review of the grantee’s Financial Status Report (FSR)/Request for Reimbursement Report (RPR) and a sampling of source documents, which are compared with the grantee’s general ledger to ensure they support the grant expenses reported.
If you have questions about Monitoring content, please email shannon.rolf@state.mn.us
 CareerForce
American Indian OIC experiences increased interest in Takoda Institute training programs thanks to CareerForce Training Program Finder
Since the American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center (AIOIC), run by President and CEO Dr. Joe Hobot, started posting its Takoda Institute training sessions on the Training Program Finder on CareerForceMN.com in January 2022, the organization has seen an increase in DEED-funded training program inquiries and enrollments. Because staff members are tracking where people find out about AIOIC no-cost training programs, they were able to determine that a substantial number of those inquiring about training programs found out about them through CareerForce.
“We have seen a double-digit increase in interest,” said Kimberly Ben-Haim, director of the Takoda Institute. “We have seen a significant increase in enrollments, particularly in Digital Marketing and Project Management.”
Kimberly has guidance for other training program providers who currently aren’t listing their training opportunities on the CareerForceMN.com Training Program Finder: “The time that it takes to enter the information on the website is worth it. We have been able to share our offerings with so many more people, even if they don’t enroll. Now we have more people who know about what we do and can share our opportunities with their friends, family and coworkers.”
In late 2021, the Training Program Finder went live on CareerForceMN.com. Then in early 2022, CareerForce staff starting send out a weekly training program email to 100,000+ job seekers in the metro area. AIOIC’s Takoda Institute isn’t the only training program provider that has seen a boost in inquiries and enrollments. Avivo and other partners have as well. Find out more about listing your no-cost training opportunities on the Training Program Finder on CareerForceMN.com.
Contact the CareerForce Information and Assistance line at 651-259-7500 or careerforce@state.mn.us if you have questions.
 Labor Market Information
Minnesota’s unemployment rate ticked up to 2.5% in December, on a seasonally adjusted basis. It was the fifth consecutive monthly increase, after over two years of steady decline. The number of unemployed grew to 78,220 workers, and the number of employed decreased to 2,996,259 workers. The labor force grew to 3,074,476 workers, and the labor force participation rate held at 67.9%. You can see our progress in recovery from the pandemic recession on our Economic Recovery Dashboard.
And as the economy continues to recover, several new trends are emerging across the state. Our regional analysts have put together a new set of blogs for February focusing on various demographic and economic trends, including domestic out-migration in the Twin Cities, wage growth in Central and Northwest, and industry employment shifts in Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest. For more information, please reach out to your local Regional Analyst!
If you have questions about Labor Market Information, please email deed.lmi@state.mn.us
This newsletter is meant for DEED Grantees, Providers, and Employment Counselors. We want this e-Newsletter to meet your needs! We encourage you to send your comments and suggestions to deed.taa@state.mn.us.
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