Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Jim Oberstar and Tim Walz announced that Minnesota will receive $18.7 million to create jobs and train unemployed workers in industries that are being transformed by technology and innovation.

The grants are funded through the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).

“The Recovery Act’s investments are making a positive difference in the lives of America’s working families,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.  “The Recovery Act funded grants announced today will ensure thousands of workers across the nation can receive high-quality training and employment services, which will lead to good jobs in health care and other industries offering career-track employment and good pay and benefits.”

“Strengthening Minnesota’s workforce is critical to our state’s economic recovery,” said Klobuchar. “These projects will stimulate innovation and invest in Minnesota workers so they can get back on their feet and enter careers in new, emerging industries.”

“We have got to get our economy working again for Minnesota’s middle class,” said Franken.  “Minnesotans are resilient, and in this tough economic period we have a lot of strength to draw from. These grants will provide help to our health care sector and high-growth emerging industries - some of the areas we’ll rely on most to turn our financial situation around.”

"While Minnesota's statewide unemployment rate is 7.3 percent, jobless rates in our rural counties are in the double digits," said Oberstar.  "The Recovery Act is sustaining existing jobs and creating new ones in Pine County, where unemployment is 11.1 percent.  It will also create new career opportunities for people who are out of work."

“This news is one more example of the positive impact the Recovery Act is having on southern Minnesotan’s lives,” said Walz. “Not only will this funding create immediate jobs for program instructors, it will ensure that students and workers will have access to the training that will help them get high-paying jobs in new sectors of our economy. This will have a positive economic impact on our communities for a long time to come.”

The DOL-ETA grant projects address current and forecasted workforce shortages, and focus on preparing workers for employment in high growth industries that are projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy.  Funds are anticipated to develop a pipeline of credentialed healthcare workers, support local partnerships in integrated job placement, and advance individuals along a defined career pathway.  

Grants will go to the following recipients:

South Central College:  $4,500,000
American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center:  $5,000,000
MN State Colleges & Universities DBA Pine Technical College:  $4,230,000
Northland Community and Technical College:  $4,990,000