St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced $11.2 million for job skills training, work readiness, internships, work experience, on-the-job training and job placement for Minnesotans.

Through DEED's Transformative Career Pathways program, the agency partners with training providers across the state to help members of underserved communities prepare for and find family-sustaining employment. Providers expect to serve more than 2,000 Minnesotans through the grants announced today.

"Helping people gain the skills they need to find employment with the possibility for wage growth is life changing," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "The grants announced today will serve Minnesotans with multiple barriers to employment – a key part of our mission to empower the growth of Minnesota's economy, for everyone."

"Many employers in key industries – particularly health care – continue to face labor force shortages," said DEED Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development Marc Majors. "Identifying talented candidates and connecting them with strong trainings with industry-recognized certifications will help employers meet their labor needs. These training programs and services are good for workers, employers and our state's economy."

The Transformative Career Pathways program focuses on skills training and support services to bring populations of workers who have been historically overlooked and often face multiple barriers to employment – particularly people of color and people from low-income communities – into the workforce at family-sustaining wages. This is the program's second grant round.

The Immigrant Development Center in Moorhead received a $700,000 Transformative Career Pathways grant last year. So far, the first cohort of participants has completed the Center's Manufacturing Bootcamp and Forklift Certification training, and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program is underway. The Center also organized an employer connection event as part of the program to facilitate direct hiring opportunities upon certification. The Center will start a Medication Administration training course later this year. More training sessions will follow.

"The feedback from our current CNA participants has been very positive, with several asking us to add more health care certifications," said Tolu Afolabi, the Center's Chief Operations Officer. "This suggests the program is successfully creating pathways for career advancement in health care."

Transformative Career Pathways Workforce Training Grantees:

• AccessAbility, Inc., serving the Twin Cities Metro - $400,000
• African Career Education and Resources, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $350,000
• African Economic Development Solutions, serving the Twin Cities Metro -$750,000
• Asian Media Access, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $500,000
• Avivo, serving the Twin Cities Metro -$300,000
• CAIRO MN, serving the St. Cloud area -$330,000
• CAPI USA, serving the Twin Cities Metro- $330,000
• Community Action Duluth, Serving the Duluth area - $250,000
• Dunwoody College, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $350,000
• Emerge Community Development, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $750,000
• Global Fatherhood Foundation, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $200,000
• Goodwill Easter Seals of Minnesota (GESMN), serving the Twin Cities Metro - $350,000
• Green New Deal Housing, serving northeastern Minnesota - $200,000
• International Institute of Minnesota, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $261,518
• Isuroon, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $300,000
• Karen Organization of Minnesota, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $400,000
• Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $562,382
• Milestone Community Development, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $250,000
• Minnesota Training Partnership, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $505,000
• Minnesota Valley Action Council, serving southern Minnesota - $500,000
• Neighbors, Inc., serving the Twin Cities Metro - $450,000
• New Vision Foundation, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $500,000
• Project for Pride in Living, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $750,000
• Smart North, serving Minnesota - $55,000
• Twin Cities R!SE, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $375,000
• True North Goodwill, serving northern Minnesota - $350,000
• YWCA Minneapolis, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $165,000
• YWCA St. Paul, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $748,600

DEED also awarded $1.2 million in Transformative Career Pathways Capacity Building grants to help organizations build their capacity to serve individuals from high-unemployment, low-educational attainment or low-income communities. DEED will accept applications for the final round of capacity building grants until March 31, 2025. Find out more.

Transformative Career Pathways Capacity Building Grantees:

• AccessAbility, Inc., serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Advocating Change Together, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• African Economic Development Solutions, serving the Twin Cities Metro, - $49,000  
• American Indian OIC, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Asian Media Access, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Avivo, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• CAIRO MN, serving the St. Cloud area - $49,000  
• CAPI USA, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Community Action Center of Northfield, serving the Northfield area - $49,000  
• Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $48,998  
• Elpis Enterprises, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $37,800  
• Fahan Organization, serving the St. Cloud area - $49,000  
• Family Rise Together, serving the Duluth area - $49,000  
• Green New Deal Housing, serving northeastern Minnesota - $49,000  
• Health Commons Minnesota State University Mankato Foundation, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Higher Works Collaborative, serving the St. Cloud area - $49,000  
• Hmong American Partnership, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Minnesota Tech for Success, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• NAMI Minnesota, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $29,000  
• Pan Asian Arts Alliance, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• South Sudanese Foundation, serving the Moorhead area - $49,000  
• Start Diversity, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Twin Cities R!SE, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000  
• Ultimate Success Insight, serving the St. Cloud area - $49,000  
• Wallin Education Partners, serving the Twin Cities Metro - $49,000