DEED awards more than $1.4 million in grants to colleges for employer workforce development projects
November 14, 2023
St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced 11 workforce development grants totaling over $1.4 million to six Minnesota educational institutions that partnered with Minnesota businesses to develop and deliver workforce training programs addressing those employers' specific needs.
"Workforce training programs help employers with their labor recruitment and retention efforts and provide employees with essential skills and career development opportunities," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "Partnering with educational institutions is an effective way to deliver these programs because they help employers customize training opportunities and leverage teaching staff expertise."
Participating businesses must partner with an accredited educational institution for these Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership (MJSP) grants, awarded to the educational institution to develop and deliver custom training for the business. Programming covered by the grants includes onboarding and training new workers, upskilling current workers, promoting workforce diversity, defining career pathways, developing communication and leadership skills and more.