Located in:
c. 3. Describe How Funds Will Be Used to Promote Preparation for High-skill, High-wage, or High-demand Occupations and Non- Traditional Fields. (section 122(c)(18))
Current Narrative:
Both the Minnesota Department of Education and the Office of the Chancellor are committed to promoting the preparation for nontraditional training and employment. A State level staff member has assigned responsibilities in the area of nontraditional training and employment as part of her full-time assignment.
Professional development and technical assistance as well as fiscal support are provided.
Efforts at the State level under Perkins IV will target specific career clusters and will be collaborative among staff from MDE, Office of the Chancellor and Department of Employment and Economic Development. Also, the local application requires Perkins IV recipients to submit goal(s), strategies, measure(s) and outcome target(s) for preparation for nontraditional training and employment. These activities are designed to have a direct positive impact on the accountability measures for completion of career and technical education programs that lead to nontraditional training and employment. Minnesota has allocated $60,000 toward this effort. Minnesota also participated with a large team in the 2008 State Technical Assistance Academy pertaining to nontraditional participation and completion, and joined the network of states under the STEM Equity Pipeline operated by the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity.
Minnesota became a participating state in the Great Lakes Girls collaborative project in March 2009, which is one of six regions providing a repository of networks and resources through the National Girls Collaborative Projects in Washington.
National labor market information has been utilized to identify nontraditional occupations. These occupations will then be matched with lists of high-skill, high-wage and high-demand occupations, and with new and emerging industries in Minnesota that provide, or lead to, wages at a level that promote economic self-sufficiency. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Office of the Chancellor is conducting research to identify high-skill, high-wage or high-demand career pathways. As part of this research, nontraditional occupations will be an additional determining factor.