Over $3.1 million in workforce grants were available statewide in Minnesota last fall. Southern Minnesota took advantage of $600,000. By comparison, our northeast region was not awarded any of the available $3.1 million because there were no applications, despite the severe workforce shortages affecting our area.
Already extreme, these shortages are only expected to intensify over time due to a coming shortage in the talent pipeline. The causes of this upcoming shortage are many but they include an increasingly tight job market and an outflux of retiring Baby Boomers leaving the workforce faster than younger workers can replace them.
This year, a wide variety of grants and training programs are available once again to aid the process of hiring and training employees. Some of these grants can also fund earn-as-you-learn dual training, apprenticeships, certifications, and more.
The application process is by and large simple. In some cases, all it takes is a two page form. Find details and contact information for major grants to be aware of within our region HERE.
