DEED secures funding to support young Minnesotans with disabilities in the workforce

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KTTC) – On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced that it had received a federal grant to prepare low-income youth and young adults ages 16-24 who have disabilities to complete post-secondary education and successfully transition into the workforce.

Minnesota is one of four states to receive this grant.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy provided $12 million to DEED through an Equitable Transitions Model (ETM) grant that will support a five-year program of intensive case management services, including career pathways programming that begins with career exploration activities and advances to credentials attainment, skills acquisition, work-based learning, paid work experiences and, ultimately, jobs in the adult labor force.

“With near-record low unemployment, Minnesota employers are looking for new ways to find workers who can fill positions in high-growth industries,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “Preparing young people with disabilities to thrive in the labor force is part of DEED’s mission to empower the growth of Minnesota’s economy, for everyone.”

DEED’s program will include targeted outreach to young people participating in the Social Security Administration’s ‘Ticket to Work’ program which help to ensure that participants continue to receive benefits and services as they explore opportunities toward financial independence and self-sufficiency.

“For young people with disabilities in Minnesota, education and employment outcomes lag behind their counterparts who do not have disabilities. This is especially true for youth with disabilities from communities of color and Indigenous communities,” said Marc Majors, DEED Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development. “Post-secondary credentials are a gateway to economic stability, so innovative strategies are needed to support these young people in attaining equivalent outcomes.”

DEED is partnering with the PACER Center in the Twin Cities metro area and four Greater Minnesota workforce development organizations –Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Programs, Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council and South-Central Workforce Council– as the service providers. These five partners cover 53 Minnesota counties.

The program is expected to serve 237 case-managed youth in Greater Minnesota and 310 parents and families through the PACER Center.

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