Five partnerships awarded new Youth Skills Training grants

Five partnerships have each been awarded $95,000 Youth Skills Training (YST) grants to develop and implement paid-learning opportunities for students 16 years of age and older.

The grants are part of a new Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (YST@DLI) program, which was signed into law in 2017 with bipartisan support, to create and provide employment training for student learners ages 16 and older in high-growth, high-demand occupations.

"These grants allow high schools, businesses and community organizations to work together to train students and create skilled workers for their communities," said Ken Peterson, DLI commissioner.

YST@DLI grants will be awarded to the following partnerships, who represent 13 school districts and more than 50 employer partners in manufacturing, health care and information technology.

• Goodhue County Collaborative

• Hutchinson TigerPath Initiative

• Twin West Youth Skills Training Program

• White Bear Lake Area Schools and Cerenity Senior Care

• Winona Chamber's REACH Initiative

• Grant money can be used to create programs, recruit students and employers, provide training, transport students and pay for student certifications.

Twenty-five local partnerships throughout the state applied for pilot program grant funding. These partnerships involved more than 60 school districts and more than 100 employers in four different industries. A second round of YST@DLI grant applications will open in fall 2018.

About YST@DLI Program

The YST@DLI Program develops partnership programs at a local level, which are then implemented in cooperation with employers and schools, to provide classroom instruction and paid learning opportunities in industries such as manufacturing, information technology, health care and automotive.

For more information about the Youth Skills Training Program or grant opportunities, contact Rich Wessels at 651-284-5184 or yst.dli@state.mn.us.