The project produced two applications -- the Eligible Training Provider Portal and the Career and Education Explorer -- to create a streamlined user experience for Minnesotans and the 1,000+ job counselors who serve them to move seamlessly from education searches to occupation searches.

The Eligible Training Provider Portal is a web-based data entry portal, built in-house, used by over 300 Minnesota training providers and institutions to enter program, course and apprenticeship offerings that are eligible for state and federal funding assistance. The data entered by training providers is then displayed to users through the Career and Education Explorer.

The Career and Education Explorer is a web-based search and display tool, built in-house, used by job counselors, job seekers, and employers to review education offerings and related occupation information.

The team included developers, a database administrator and a project manager from MNIT, the product owner, and subject matter expert from DEED.

Using Agile Scrum methodology to manage the project, the team met each morning to review tasks completed the day before, discuss the work to be done that day, and any impediments getting in the way of that work. This constant communication among technical staff and business partners allowed for immediate business feedback, maximized productivity and fostered a great team culture.

The IT project manager and business product owner together reported team progress to stakeholders through monthly sprint reviews. This led to ongoing stakeholder feedback and acceptance at each stage of development, and allowed for iterative scope revaluation with project sponsors.

The project team worked with several other agencies to accomplish the goals of the project, and the core project team itself included members of both MNIT and two divisions within DEED (Labor Market Information and Workforce Coordination), creating a true partnership that was essential to the success of the project.

The team also worked with the Office of Higher Education (OHE) to acquire data and ensure that education data in the tools remained in sync with data produced by OHE. The team also worked with the Department of Labor and Industry to ensure that apprenticeship information met DLI standards. Finally, the team worked with the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities staff to ensure that the field requirements in the bulk data import files submitted by large institutions met the requirements in the WIOA law without placing an undue burden on the school.

The ETPL Provider Portal and the Career and Education Explorer bring together previously separate education and occupation data from multiple state agencies, training providers, and departments within DEED to create a seamless user experience.

The product owner for the ETPL Provider Portal and Career and Education Explorer stated:

"The secure ETPL Provider Portal and public Career and Education Explorer maintain Minnesota’s Eligible Training Provider List and helps people all across the state explore careers and find related education, or explore education and find related careers, thus bridging the gap between educational and occupational opportunities and crucially helping Minnesota comply with the letter and spirit of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act."