The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has 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.”

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. Part of its program is certified nursing assistant (CNA) training program.

Transformative Career Pathways Workforce Training Grantees include some disability service providers. Others will train people for health care careers. They are:

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

Transformative Career Pathways Capacity Building Grantees:

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