Purpose

Provide a one-time state funding mechanism to support youth job skills and career development across Minnesota. The project aims to help young people gain education access, jobseeking skills, and hands-on work experiences, with a focus on career exploration and pathways, including STEM, through a statewide program administered by a partner organization.

Main Provisions

• Funding and recipients:
  • Appropriates $1,250,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $1,250,000 in fiscal year 2027.
  • Source: Workforce Development Fund.
  • Purpose: To fund a grant from the commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) to the Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs.
• Program goals and activities:
  • Administer a statewide project of youth job skills and career development.
  • May include career guidance components such as health and life skills.
  • Design to encourage training and assist youth in early access to education and jobseeking skills.
  • Provide work-based learning experiences, including career pathways in STEM.
  • Support career exploration, matching, and first job placement.
  • Facilitate these activities through local community partnerships and onsite job opportunities.
• Match requirements:
  • The grant requires a 25% match from nonstate resources.
• Nature of appropriation:
  • These are one-time appropriations.

Funding, Administration, and Oversight

• Administration: DEED to administer the grant to the Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs.
• Oversight: Program is designed and implemented through a statewide partnership framework with local community partners and onsite opportunities.

Changes to Existing Law

• No changes to existing statutes are specified. This is an appropriation to fund a new or expanded youth job skills program rather than a statutory amendment.

Impact and Rationale (Plain-language)

• Why this is being done: To expand opportunities for Minnesota youth to gain necessary job skills, education access, and real-world work experience.
• How it works: Money is provided to DEED to grant a statewide program run by the Boys and Girls Clubs to deliver training, work-based learning, and job placement services, with local partnerships and a STEM-focused pathway option.
• Financial structure: It is a one-time investment with a required nonstate funding match of 25%.

Relevant Terms

• workforce development fund
• commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED)
• Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs
• youth job skills
• career development
• career guidance
• health and life skills
• early access to education
• jobseeking skills
• work-based learning
• career pathways
• STEM
• career exploration
• career matching
• first job placement
• local community partnerships
• onsite job opportunities
• 25 percent match
• nonstate resources
• one-time appropriation
• fiscal years 2026 and 2027

Relevant Terms - workforce development fund - DEED - Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs - youth job skills - career development - health and life skills - work-based learning - STEM - career pathways - first job placement - local partnerships - onsite opportunities - 25% match - nonstate resources - one-time appropriation - fiscal years 2026 and 2027