Employment Training Program

							           Steve Erbes, State FSET Director
Brian Paulson, Community Impact Manager
What It Does and How It Works
PURPOSE AND INTENT

 Increase access and utilization of employment training
 services amongst food support recipients

 Increase use of food support
BACKGROUND
 FSET is an initiative of the Food and Nutrition Service
  division of the United States Department of
  Agriculture

 Established in the late 1980’s

 Funding is appropriated to states on a federal fiscal
  year

 States’ have flexibility to design and carry out program
  activities guided by federal rules
BACKGROUND
 States submit annual plans to FNS outlining program
 delivery and participant base to be served

 States can choose delivery areas and defer work
 requirements for certain mandatory populations

 States are required to operate an FSET program
 whether or not federal funds are available
MATCH vs. FORMULA Programs
 Minnesota operates a formula FSET program in 59
  counties across the state.

 Allocations are sent annually to participating counties
  base on their level of ABAWDS for the past year

 In addition, they receive a support service allocation

 Counties submit annual plans to the state
MATCH PROGRAM
 Partnership with the City of Minneapolis

 The state provides 50% reimbursement for allowable
 staff and support service costs for individuals who are
 Food Support eligible

 Minneapolis using local tax revenue as its match base


 The match the state provides comes from federal
 financial participation (FFP) from FNS
Targeted Populations
   Able-bodied adults with out dependents (ABAWDS)
    •   These individuals are between the ages of 18-50
    •   Have no dependents under the age of 18
    •   Are not receiving cash assistance


   All other non-cash assistance individuals between
    the ages of 18-65
Recent Policy Changes
Effective 1/1/2009, Minnesota received a statewide waiver
which allowed us to waive the program participation
requirements for ABAWDs

What This Means …
     A waiver from program limitation
     Required participation
Allowable Activities
 Job search
 Job club
 Short term training
 Adult Basic Ed or GED
 ESL
 Work Experience
 High School Completion
 Other approved activities related to work
Support Services
                      Transpor-
                        tation




     Clothing
                  Services                  Car
                   That                   Repairs

                  Support
                Employment
                   Goals
                                    Vision
           Uniforms
                                  correction
Heading Home Employment Pilot
Heading Home Employment Pilot
 Project Overview

 Purpose of the Project

 Goals and Objectives

 System Enhancement
Project Overview
                    Leveraged
                     Funding




       Holistic,                  Cross-Sector
                   Opportunity
      Integrated                 Collaboration
                     Centers
       Services




                    Work Keys
Purpose of the Project
Integration of Service Delivery – housing and
employment
                         Housing
                         Outcomes
                         (Rapid Re-
      Target             housing)
                           12 Month
      Population:          Housing and
      Homeless             Employment
      Singles              Retention
                          Employment
                          Outcomes
Project Partners
Service Delivery          Funders
 Catholic Charities       City of Minneapolis
 Goodwill Easter Seals    FSET (USDA)
 Lifetrack Resources      United Way
 Project for Pride in     Workforce Solutions
  Living
 Saint Paul ABE
 Saint Stephen’s
 MN Workforce Centers
Goals and Objectives
 Increased resources to serve target population
 De-emphasize geographic boundaries
 Greater coordination/integration
 Determine viability of FSET match as source for future
 funding


           Better Outcomes for
           Participants
Further System Enhancements
 Shared Database – WorkforceOne
 Hedgehog Concept
 Applicability of FSET Match to other projects
 Effectiveness of paired services/program evaluation
  plan
 Food support utilization
Implications
 Viability as a future funding source
    This project and others
 Leveraging additional local resources
 Shared functions to support collaboration
 Collocation of Services
Questions?
 Steve Erbes, State FSET Director (MNDEED)
   steve.erbes@state.mn.us
 Brian Paulson, Community Impact Manager (Greater
 Twin Cities United Way)
  paulsonb@unitedwaytwincities.org