Located in:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
States that include TANF in the Combined State Plan must outline how the State will meet the requirements of section 402 of the Social Security Act including how it will:
l. Indicate Whether the State Intends to Assist Individuals to Train For, Seek, and Maintain Employment (section 402(a)(1)(b)(v) of the Social Security Act)— (1-2)
1. Providing Direct Care in a Long-term Care Facility (as Such Terms Are Defined Under Section 1397j of This Title); or
2. In Other Occupations Related to Elder Care, High-demand Occupations, or Occupations Expected to Experience Labor Shortages As, Determined Appropriate by the State for Which the State Identifies an Unmet Need for Service Personnel, And, if So, Shall Include an Overview of Such Assistance.
Current Narrative:
This Initiative provides grants to collections of local partners to operate as part of the state’s employment services system, and is available to low income families on public assistance to comply with their work requirements. At the end of the training, MFIP participants are considered to be work-ready for the Universal Health Care classification that allows entry to the local long-term care facilities as Certified Nurse Assistants with a focus on elder care. While in the training, they are considered Adult Basic Education (ABE) students and part of the work activities focus on retention by reducing barriers to successful employment once the training is complete.
More specifically, the Department is providing access through its annual MFIP Innovations Funds to fund Adult Career Pathways programs focusing on Universal HealthCare Worker in Older Adult Services Certificate training as a tool for integrating adult basic education, non-credit occupational training, and for-credit postsecondary degree and certificate programs, with credentials embedded into these pathways that “stack” toward degrees over time.
The lead state agencies in the FastTRAC Adult Career Pathway Alliance include the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota Department of Education Adult Basic Education Office, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Other key state level collaborators include Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, the Office of Higher Education, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Minnesota Workforce Council Association, and the Governor’s Workforce Development Council.