Requests for Supplemental Funding to Serve Small Layoffs

DISLOCATED WORKER

Summary
At the request of the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Board, staff with the Dislocated Worker program recommend a process improvement to provide additional evaluation criteria for grantees’ requests for supplemental small layoff funding.The Board can continue to receive applications prepared by local providers on a rolling basis that include the request for additional funds and the anticipated number of additional participants to be served. A representative from the organization may present their application and take questions from board members. The Board may approve the request on a voice vote. The Dislocated Worker program grants team then executes a budget modification for the additional funds if approved by the Board.

Relevant Laws, Rules, or Policies
Minnesota Statutes 116L.17 State Dislocated Worker Program

Minnesota Statutes 116L.02-116L.03 Minnesota Skills Partnership Program and Board

Effective Date
3/6/2017

Last Updated
3/6/2017

Contact
Chelsea Georgesen,
Tel651.259.7508
Fax651.215.3842
TTY651.296.3900

Policy

Action
Recipients of additional funding to serve individuals impacted by small layoffs must use the funding in accordance with their justification. For example, if a provider approaches the board seeking additional funding for training for existing or new customers, that funding should be dedicated to the training cost category. DEED staff will verify the use of this funding, and will report on it at future meetings.

Procedure

The following criteria shall be used by the MJSP Board when evaluating the merits of requests for additional small layoff funding. Supplemental funding requests would be available to both providers and the Small Layoff Independent Grant recipients (SLIGs).

Demonstrated Need vs. Plan – Established Evaluation Guidelines (These are not pass/fail criteria.)

Data Point to Demonstrate Need / Evaluation Guidelines / 
Current enrolled participants compared to State DW, Federal DW and WIOA Adult plans

Federal WIOA DW program enrollment
State DW program enrollment
Any additional State DW program enrollment
Number enrolled in any discretionary funding that serves dislocated workers (i.e. Sector Partnership National Dislocated Worker Grant)

/ Fewer than 20 percent of planned participants have not been enrolled at the time of request
Current accrued expenditures and obligations for the present fiscal year, broken down by cost category

Federal WIOA DW program funding
THIS WOULD INCLUDE ANY TRANSFERRED FUNDING
State DW program funding
Any additional State DW program funding
Any discretionary funding to serve dislocated workers (i.e. Sector Partnership National Dislocated Worker Grant)
Administrative cost percentage of current expenditure

Should include verification of expenditure rate between reporting periods / Less than 30 percent of funds remaining unobligated at time of request
Current accrued expenditures for the preceding fiscal year (grantees have two years to spend)

Federal WIOA DW program funding
THIS WOULD INCLUDE TRANSFERRED FUNDING
State DW program funding
Any additional State DW program funding
Any discretionary funding to serve dislocated workers (i.e. Sector Partnership National Dislocated Worker Grant)
Administrative cost percentage of current expenditure.

Should include verification of expenditure rate between reporting periods / Less than 10 percent of total funds remaining unobligated at time of request (can vary by cost category)
History of supplemental funding requests by provider compared to all other providers (year and total request)

DEED will populate this information for reach request

/ Past granted requests would not disqualify a provider from receiving additional funding
Metrics for existing small layoff grant including:

Average cost per participant
Demographics of program participants
Number served
Number exited
Number currently enrolled

Not to exceed $4,500 average cost per participant
Remaining points are more subjective and more for informative purposes

Explanation of additional need is specifically related to initial planning assumptions / DW program staff will provide verification for the board.
Local labor market information supports the request / DW program staff will provide verification for the board.
Additional need should be contextualized with needs of current and future customers (i.e. if more customers need training, the funding should be dedicated as such) / DW program staff will provide verification for the board.
Information required under statutory requirements are met (116L.17, subdivision 2c):
Following the initial allocation, the board may consider additional allocations to provide services to individual dislocated workers. The board’s decision to allocate additional funds shall be based on relevant economic indicators including:
The number of substantial layoffs to date / Requestor will provide in an attached narrative
Notices of substantial layoffs for the remainder of the fiscal year / Requestor will provide in an attached narrative
Evidence of declining industries / Requestor will provide in an attached narrative with labor market information
The number of permanently separated individuals applying for unemployment benefits by workforce development area / (Will provide if available)
The number of individuals exhausting unemployment benefits by workforce development area / (Will provide if available; this information is surprisingly difficult to obtain)
The board must also consider expenditures for allocations to workforce development areas under paragraph (b) made during the first two quarters of the fiscal year and federal resources that have been or are likely to be allocated to Minnesota for the purposes of serving dislocated workers affected by substantial layoffs of plant closings (this is covered above).
Application for additional funding received by DW program staff at least 30 days prior to the quarterly MJSP board meeting to ensure sufficient time for verification. / DW program staff will verify for the board.
Applications for transfers of funding between WIOA Dislocated Worker and WIOA Adult must be received and approved by DEED PRIOR to receipt and approval of requests for supplemental small layoff funding. / DW program staff will verify for the board.