March 2026
ACP Team News
Thank you to all who attended one of the ACP Onboarding Sessions during the month of February! We were very excited to connect with so many grantees face-to-face! The onboarding sessions were facilitated in partnership with Employment & Training’s Fiscal and Monitoring teams, and we appreciate the partnership.
The PowerPoint presentation and recording from the February 27th virtual training will be posted on the ACP webpage by mid-March.
The Adult Career Pathways (ACP) team is updating its comprehensive provider map featuring organizations funded by DEED’s Office of Adult Career Pathways. Each organization should complete one survey, including only the programs funded by ACP for SFY 2026/2027. Participation is encouraged, but optional. If you have not done so already, please submit the survey no later than Thursday, March 5th.
Survey link: https://forms.office.com/g/Hcs0B0rmFw
Tips/Tricks/Reminders
Authorized Signature Form
If you are a new grantee with DEED or if your organization’s authorized signatory for RPRs and/or contracts has changed recently, please submit an updated Authorized Signature Form. This will prevent delays in contracting and processing reimbursements.
Co-Enrollments
ACP encourages braided funding and collaboration between agencies to coordinate participant services whenever possible. If a participant is already enrolled in an ACP program and a second agency is considering co-enrollment, the second agency is responsible for exploring and documenting the rationale for co-enrollment. This justification must be clearly noted in the participant’s intake case note.
Reminder:
As a reminder, all participants enrolled in any SFY24/25 ACP program MUST be appropriately exited from Workforce One (WF1) upon the completion of the grant. In order for your organization to capture outcomes for these participants, all participants must be exited from Workforce One (WF1) enrollment within 45 days from the expiration of the grant contract.
All FINAL RPR/FSRs are due by the 20th of the month following the month in which costs were incurred.
If you have not yet submitted the FINAL RPR for any grants that ended December 31, 2025 (or earlier), please do so as soon as possible to avoid losing the ability to request reimbursement for those program funds.
Adult Career Pathways Webpage
Check out the ACP home page for resources and tools to assist in the management of ACP Grants.
ACP Successes
We'd love to learn about the amazing work you're doing and how it is positively impacting the lives of individuals throughout the State of Minnesota! To submit a success story, please fill out this brief ACP Success Stories Form.
Alejandro pursued welding for one simple reason: stability. While working as an industrial painter, he saw welders earning higher wages and decided to invest in his future. He enrolled in the Welding Program at Minnesota West’s Jackson campus while working part time at Mountain Power Hydraulics.
With support from family, a flexible employer, and assistance through DEED ACP’s Transformative Career Pathway Workforce grant via Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council, Alejandro gained the tools and guidance he needed to succeed.
Along the way, he discovered a passion for welding and excelled in his program, graduating with high honors and a 3.89 GPA.
Today, Alejandro wors as a welder at Mountain Power Hydraulics, earning $22 per hour with a clear path to $25, plus benefits including a 401(k) match. He’s no longer living paycheck to paycheck. He’s building a future.
“I’m especially grateful for the workforce center,” Alejandro shared. “They gave me the tolls I needed to accomplish my dream.”
Now financially stable and confident in his skills, Alejandro is looking ahead to a lifelong career built on perseverance, support, and believing in himself.
Please contact your Adult Career Pathways Grant Coordinator directly with any questions regarding Adult Career Pathways Programs.
 Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
As a SCSEP provider, your role in maintaining accurate and complete participant data is critical. Beginning July 2026, DEED will implement continuous data validation in compliance with U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requirements under TEGL 23-19, Change 3. This means providers must ensure timely and accurate documentation in GPMS, adhere to source documentation requirements, and promptly address any data discrepancies. Your cooperation will help strengthen program integrity and improve performance outcomes.
Historically, SCSEP has conducted annual data validation to identify areas needing oversight, improvement, and technical assistance. Moving forward, data validation will occur continuously throughout the year, enhancing accountability and data reliability.
Data validation is a critical component of SCSEP, ensuring the accuracy, validity, and reliability of program data. Its primary purposes are to:
- Verify that performance data reported to DOL is valid, accurate, and reliable.
- Identify anomalies and resolve issues that could lead to inaccurate reporting.
- Improve program performance accountability through validation results.
- Define source documentation requirements for common data elements.
MJSP Board Meeting for March 2026
The next MN Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Board meeting will be held on Monday, March 2, 2026 from 11:00am to 2:00pm. MJSP Board meetings are open to the public, more information is available on the web page.
WIOA State Plan
Minnesota’s WIOA 2024-2027 Combined State Plan modifications are now open for public comment. WIOA requires the Governor to submit a State Plan every four years to the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor. The proposed modifications are now open for a 30-Day Public Comment Period, closing March 16, 2026. The WIOA 2024–2027 Combined State Plan Modification includes modifications from the following programs, and a summary of changes can be found on the GWDB website:
- Title I of WIOA: the Adult program, the Dislocated Worker program, and the Youth program;
- Title II of WIOA: the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act program;
- Title III of WIOA: the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service program (authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended by title III); and
- Title IV: the Vocational Rehabilitation program (authorized under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by Title IV).
- Career and technical education programs authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
- Employment and Training programs under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (programs authorized under section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)(4)))
- Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers programs (activities authorized under chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.))
- Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program (programs authorized under 38, U.S.C. 4100 et. seq.), and,
- Senior Community Service Employment program (programs authorized under title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.))
If you would like to provide comments on the draft WIOA Combined State Plan Modification for 2024-2027, please share your comments on the State Plan draft via email to State.Plan.WIOA@state.mn.us. Please note that your comments will be public, meaning they may be shared in future publications or communications related to WIOA planning.
Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN)
The Minnesota Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (MN RETAIN) will be hosting a Summit on April 24, 2026, titled From Challenge to Opportunity: A Collaborative Approach to Worker Absenteeism. This Summit is intended for healthcare professionals, employers, insurers and HR professionals seeking more information about the importance of retaining workers, Return-to-Work/Stay-at-Work best practices, and Minnesota’s new Paid Leave program. Register for free by visiting www.mnretain.com.
If needed in an alternative format, please contact dwfaprograms.deed@state.mn.us
Reminders
- Monthly Financial Status Report (FRS)/Monthly Reimbursement Payment Request (RPR):
- Due the 20th day of the month following the preceding month-end. For example, the September RPR/FSR (September 30 end date) is due October 20.
- Report accrued monthly expenditures.
- A monthly RPR/FSR is required even if no funds were expended.
- Quarterly Progress Report:
- QPRs are due on the 30th day of the month following the end of the quarter, a QPR report is required for all active grants, even if no funds were expended.
- Reports for Quarter ending 12/31/25 were due January 30, 2026. Please report on all active grants.
Please email all requests, reports, and technical assistance questions to the Dislocated Worker Federal Adult Programs general email at dwfaprograms.deed@state.mn.us.
 We understand that the increased federal presence in Minnesota is creating new challenges for many of our grantees and the participants we serve. You’re not alone in navigating these changes, we’re here to support you.
If you have questions about your program or wonder whether adjustments can be made to better meet community needs, reach out to your program coordinators. They can help you explore options and find solutions that work for your organization and the communities you serve.
Compliance Tip: Monthly Fiscal Best Practices (Before Monitoring Notification)
To stay audit-ready and ensure compliance:
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Review your agency’s documented policies and procedures regularly.
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Ensure the program director understands cost categories and actively manages the grant budget.
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Hold monthly meetings between program and finance teams to review grant expenditures.
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Reconcile general ledger (GL) expenditures with cost categories in submitted reimbursement requests (RPRs).
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Maintain documentation: Keep all receipts and source documents with submitted RPRs.
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Label clearly: Indicate on source documents which expenditures are charged to the DEED grant.
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Verify alignment: Compare WF1 support services report with cumulative GL totals and RPR/FSR cost category totals (Column D).
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Match amounts exactly: RPR/FSR amounts billed to DEED must match actual expenditures and GL to the penny.
If you have questions about Monitoring content, please email shannon.rolf@state.mn.us.
 Training Program Finder
Use the CareerForce Training Program Finder to market your training opportunities!
We’re making it easier for you to get started using this helpful tool. Now providers new to the Training Program Finder just need to fill out this form to get your training programs listed.
The Training Program Finder page gets thousands of views a month
Partners using this tool to promote their training programs have told us they’ve seen an increase in enrollment. We need more providers to use this valuable tool!
If you have a training program not listed in the Training Program Finder, what are you waiting for?
The Training Program Finder is a great opportunity for partners who offer occupation-based training programs to market upcoming opportunities that will assist job seekers on their career pathway. Content added must be for no-cost-to-the-customer training, such as:
- Drive for 5 training programs
- Pathways to Prosperity training programs
- Other state-funded training programs
- Training programs funded by cities, counties, or local workforce development boards
- Training programs funded by foundations and other non-profits
Check out the Training Program Finder on CareerForce.MN.gov—and make sure to add your no-cost training opportunities to this easily searchable listing today!
Contact the CareerForce Information and Assistance line at 651-259-7500 or careerforce@state.mn.us if you have questions.
 In the December issue of Minnesota Economic Trends, our writers examine the High-Quality Jobs Framework and the benefits of implementing job quality efforts, the gender divide in trades careers, small business contributions to Minnesota’s economy and the shifting demographics of Minnesota’s workforce.
The Measure of a High-Quality Job
In a tight and changing labor market, job quality is becoming a competitive advantage. This article describes the Governors Workforce Development Board’s High-Quality Jobs Framework and explains how implementing job quality efforts can help employers attract and retain workers while strengthening Minnesota’s long-term workforce.
Small Shops Shaping Minnesota
Small businesses, defined here as those firms with fewer than 20 employees, are the foundation of Minnesota’s economy. In 2023, these firms represented nearly 89% of all establishments and employed 17.8% of the state’s workforce.
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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