August 2024

Updates

The Office of Adult Career Pathways is soliciting applications for:

• Funding Capacity Building to eligible Minnesota community-based organizations to increase their capacity to provide workforce services and related training to historically underserved communities of color or low-income communities through the Targeted Populations Capacity Building Competitive Grant. Applications will be accepted on a continual basis until all funds have been awarded.
• Funding Diversity and Inclusion training to eligible Minnesota small businesses to increase their ability to engage, hire, and retain people of color in a variety of roles through the Targeted Populations Diversity and Inclusion for Small Employers Competitive Grant. Applications will be accepted on a continual basis until all funds have been awarded.

We encourage Grantees and any interested organization to visit the DEED Competitive Grants and Contracts webpage and review all outgoing grants.

• The Adult Career Pathways team was recently announced as one of the Governor’s One Minnesota Equity Implementation Champion Award recipients!
• Congratulations to all the awardees of the Targeted Populations Workforce grant and the Clean Economy Equitable Workforce grant!

Quarterly Reports – Due Dates

Quarterly reports are due the 30^th of the month following the end of the quarter. See below for the report due dates:

• October 30
• January 30
• April 30
• July 30

Program-specific report templates are available on the webpage under Adult Career Pathways Programs. If you need assistance, please connect with your Grant Coordinator. If needed, we have also posted Quarterly Report Instructions.

Adult Career Pathways Guides

The ACP Workforce One User Guide, ACP Operations Guide, and Cost Category Guidance have been updated and posted to the ACP home page.  Changes are noted below:

• ACP Operations Guide
  • Updated Support Services section to include guidance for Getting to Work participants requesting car repairs
  • Added bullet to the Privacy Information Section for further clarification
• Cost Category Guidance
  • Added transportation bullet to the Support Services section to include guidance on ridesharing
• ACP Workforce One User Guide – General updates made

Grantee Spotlight

Repowered is an industry leader in electronics recycling and refurbishing. One of the largest collectors of e-waste in the state of Minnesota, this Twin Cities-based organization has processed more than 40 million pounds of electronics—all while adhering to the highest standards of data security.

In addition to their proven track record of providing seamless electronics recycling services for businesses and organizations of all sizes, they are also a social enterprise that provides jobs and training for persons facing barriers to employment. Repowered believes that everything and every person has value.

Each year, Repowered provides hundreds of thousands of employment hours and nearly a million dollars in wages, as well as practical experience for adults facing barriers to employment, preparing them to be more valuable employees with expanding futures. Many individuals have experience in the justice system or are in recovery from addiction.

Their impact includes extensive job training that leads to living wage employment; responsible electronics recycling and refurbishing that lessens the harmful effects of pollution in our environment; and refurbished electronics that make technology affordable for our community.

Please contact your Adult Career Pathways Grant Coordinator directly with any questions regarding Adult Career Pathways Programs.

Formula Funds – WIOA Adult, WIOA DW and State DW

• PY24FY25 Workplans
  • Grantees should receive approved workplans for authorized signature soon, if they haven’t already gotten them.
• Quarterly Progress Report
  • Reports for quarter ending June 2024, are due as of July 30. Please report on all active grants.
• Monthly Financial Status Report (FSR)/Monthly Reimbursement Payment Request (RPR):
  • Due the 20th day of the month following the preceding month- For example, the July RPR/FSR is due August 20th.
  • Report accrued monthly
  • A monthly RPR/FSR is required even if no funds were

• Grant Status Meeting

The Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult Programs (DWFAP) team is happy to announce the rollout of a new grantee-specific Grants Status Meeting, to allow us to connect one on one with providers. This is designed to provide opportunities for listening, discussion and collaboration, we hope that these sessions will help to proactively address issues, provide additional support, and enhance program success. 

Focus areas will include reviewing the following information for active WIOA Adult, WIOA DW, and State DW grants:

• • • Financials – actual (RPRs/FSRs) and quarterly plan (PSP budget table)
    • PSP Participant and Activity Plans
    • WF1 Grants Information Summary Report

An email regarding the grant status meeting was sent out to providers on 07/25/2024 with details.

Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board (MJSP)

• The next Board meeting will be held on October 28, 2024.
• Supplemental Funding Requests are due 30 days before the meeting.

Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) 

PY 2024 Updates  

• The PY 2024 Authorized Positions were uploaded to GPMS. All provider allocations were also updated in in GPMS as required by due date July 19,2024.     
• The minimum wages by county will be used to generate customized modified positions for all grantees and sub-grantees. The Modified Positions will then be loaded into GPMS. 

GPMS Training Series - 2023 

https://scsep-help.com/gpms-documents/

This link has all the GPMS Handbook modules for SCSEP data collection, plus most up to date GPMS use guide.

GPMS Training Series - 2023 

https://olderworkers.workforcegps.org/resources/2024/02/01/15/32/GPMS-Training-Series-2023

This page has links to all the GPMS training events from the year 2023.

GPMS vLive Office Hours 

https://olderworkers.workforcegps.org/resources/2023/02/17/20/54/GPMS-Office-Hours-vLive  

This page will be your resource for all the materials and recordings generated by the GPMS Office Hours series.

Reminders:

Quarter Progress Narrative Reports (QPNRs):

QPNRs are to be submitted by the 30th date of the month following the end of the quarter. Quarter four QPNR will be due on July 30^th for quarter ending June 30th.

If you have any outstanding report/s, please ensure that you submit it as soon as possible. Submission of reports contributes to overall provider performance.

Requests for Reimbursements (RPRs) or Financial Status Reports (FSRs):

Providers are reminded that Requests for Reimbursements (RPRs) or Financial Status Reports (FSRs) are due every 20th date following the month of expenditure. To ensure timely processing and avoid payment delays, it is essential for providers to submit RPRs/FSRs promptly, even if they do not have any expense claims for that period.

Check out the updated SCSEP web page for information and resources. We’ll continue to update the page as needed.

Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) 

• MN RETAIN enrollment is open again as of 7/8/2024!
• If you or someone you know have an injury or illness that affects work? Visit mnretain.com to see if RETAIN could help.

You can find additional information and resources here: Office of Dislocated Worker and Federal Adult Programs website.

Please email all requests, reports, and technical assistance questions to the Dislocated Worker Federal Adult Programs general email at dwfaprograms.deed@state.mn.us.

PY2022 Allocation and PY2021 Reallocation Closeout for the Dislocated Worker (DW) and WIOA Adult (AD) Programs.

Reminder: PY2022 allocations and PY2021 reallocations expired on June 30, 2024.

All Workforce One (WF1) cases showing these funding streams within an open activity need your attention.

If the participant continued receiving a service previously supported by PY2022 allocations or PY2021 reallocations after June 30, 2024, a new activity needs to be opened for each continuing service the participant moved forward receiving.

Reminder: All Dislocated Worker and WIOA Adult program year formula allocations (small layoff grants/WIOA Adult allotments) remain active for two years.

• PY2022 = July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024
• PY2023 = July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025
• PY2024 = July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026

This means, their new activity will need a PY2023 or PY2024 formula grant selected within them depending on your agencies budget. PY2024 allocation funding streams will be activated as soon as those contracts are executed through DEED’s Fiscal team.

IMPORTANT PY22 ALLOCATION & PY21 REALLOCATION WF1 CLOSEOUT INFORMATION

• All activities with a PY2022 allocation or PY21 reallocation selected within them cannot have a start date after June 30, 2024. They must also have an end date no later than June 30, 2024.
• If any participant will continue receiving a service captured in an activity that is currently showing a PY2022 allocation or PY21 reallocation supporting that service financially, that activity needs to be copied within the participant’s WF1 activity detail screen.
  • The new activity will need a start date of July 1, 2024.
  • An active funding source (PY2023 or PY2024) will need to be selected within them as the grant financially supporting the continued service.
• To help in this funding source transition
  • Amy Carlson will mass close all currently open PY2022 funded activities with an end date of June 30, 2024, which means you will only need to open/copy the old activities.
    • If you want to close the old activities yourself with a date no later than 06/30/2024, that is perfectly fine.
    • If you choose not to close them yourself, it will be taken care of for you.
      • This mass activity closure will begin August 1, 2024.
    • If there are cases without open activities on record showing an active grant as the funding source, the mass closure will not work for those cases.
      • Any cases that show they cannot be included in the PY2022 activity closure will be emailed to the management team for the COFFR funding the case.
        • This communication will include directions on how the case manager needs to correct their data.
      • Shortly after July 1, 2024, new funding streams will be added to your dropdown lists for PY2024 allocations.
        • The date these new funding streams will be available is dependent on when PY2024 contracts are in place.
          • Your management teams will be alerted as soon as your agency’s PY2024 funding streams are available in WF1.

Local Area PY24/25 WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Performance Negotiation Update:

• Local Workforce Development Area Leadership teams received an email on July 12, 2024, requesting they submit their top 3 meeting timeslots to carol.bisbee@state.mn.us and amy.carlson@state.mn.us by July 25, 2024.
• On July 22, statewide leadership teams received the following information to assist them with their proposed goals as well as during their negotiation conference calls:
  • Three Excel documents:
    • One Proposal Spreadsheet with the following information included/requested per indicator.
      • (Informational) details on the state’s negotiation with the Department of Labor.
      • (Informational) agreed upon state goals for PY24/25.
      • Local Area Statistical Adjustment predictions for PY24/25.
      • Local area actual PY22 achievements and their numerator/denominators
      • Two blank fields per indicator for local areas to enter their PY24 and PY25 proposed performance standards.
    • Deadline to submit back to amy.carlson@state.mn.us and carol.bisbee@state.mn.us by 5:00pm, August 9, 2024.
      • One WIOA Adult Statistical Adjustment Model (LSAM) with four tabs that include the following:
        • Local Area specific 2^nd Quarter Employment LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
        • Local Area specific 4^th Quarter Employment LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
        • Local Area specific 2^nd Quarter Median Earnings LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
        • Local Area specific Credential Attainment LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
      • One Dislocated Worker Statistical Adjustment Model (LSAM) with four tabs that include the following:
        • Local Area specific 2^nd Quarter Employment LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
        • Local Area specific 4^th Quarter Employment LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
        • Local Area specific 2^nd Quarter Median Earnings LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
        • Local Area specific Credential Attainment LSAM displaying the predicted outcome for the area.
      • Five Adobe PDF documents with important information for local area leadership teams:
        • The PY24/25 Negotiation Timeline and Procedures.
        • Information on what each column is and where proposed goals need to be entered.
        • Information on why LSAMs are needed, what LSAMs are, and what data was used to create the PY24/25 LSAMS.
        • DEED’s Adult and Dislocated Worker proposals to the DOL.
        • DOL’s negotiation confirmation letter detailing all the agreed upon goals for PY24 and PY25.
      • A Zipped folder containing Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 11-19 Change 1 and its attachments, which explains the required local area negotiation tools and acceptable factors for negotiating.

Request for TA Event Topics:

Please email Usha.Valappil@state.mn.us with technical assistance topics your team is interested in receiving. These topics should relate to Workforce One (WF1), the Career and Education Explorer (CEE) that houses the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL), Case management techniques, Outreach Practices, Co-enrollment, and/or Performance Accountability.

Should you have performance or data entry questions, please contact the following Performance Team members.

• Thomas Sommer at etpl.deed@state.mn.us: Eligible Training Provider List Administrator.
• Mohamed.Farah@state.mn.us: Case Management and Workforce One Technical Assistance.
• Usha.Valappil@state.mn.us: Evaluation Liaison: case management techniques and outreach procedures.
• Rasha.Ahmed@state.mn.us: Data extraction, reporting, and tool creations.
• Amy.Carlson@state.mn.us: All Other (Performance Accountability Supervisor).

Technical Assistance was held July 15 – 16

• Torax Medical, St Paul – submission DATE.
• Turck, Inc., Plymouth
• Ball Corp, St Paul
• Nordson Medical, Eagan
• Optum, Hopkins
• United Language Group, Minneapolis
• Cubik Promotions, Burnsville
• Sleep Number, Minneapolis
• Tescom Corporation, Elk River
• BCS Automotive, Winona
• Copeland Cold Chain, Eden Prairie
• Arcserve, Eden Prairie
• Haarslev Processing Technology, Perham
• Premier Glass USA, LLC, Osseo
• United Healthcare, Duluth

Please email all questions and customer applications to the Trade Adjustment Assistance general email at deed.taa@state.mn.us.

The June issue of Minnesota Economic Trends has been published, providing a report on the “State of the State”. This includes 6 regional articles, as well as an article explaining the updated Cost of Living in the state and the start of a new series on emerging Green Jobs in our economy:

Minnesota Cost of Living Update

Despite inflation falling from the peaks set in 2022, the current rate still surpasses the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Certain goods and services are experiencing continued price hikes, while others are holding steady but remain elevated compared to previous years. All of these increases are factored into the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development's newly released Cost of Living study. 

Green and Clean Employment in Minnesota: A Starting Point

Developing a cleaner and more environmentally sustainable economy will generate new jobs, change the skills required of existing jobs and reduce demand for other jobs. This article provides an overview of green and clean employment in Minnesota and defines commonly used terms.

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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