Jobs program gets grant

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Dislocated Worker Program was awarded a $5.5 million grant to provide job training and related services for about 1,800 unemployed Minnesotans who are receiving training or on waiting lists for training.

The National Emergency Grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

"This is important funding that will help unemployed workers to retrain and find new careers," said DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy in a news release. "The Dislocated Worker Program is a key part of our strategy for putting Minnesotans back to work and keeping the state economy healthy."

The grant will be administered by 11 entities that provide Dislocated Worker Program services in the state: Anoka County Job Training Center, Dakota-Scott Workforce Services, Hennepin County Training and Employment Assistance, Northeast Minnesota Office of Job Training, Ramsey County Workforce Solutions, Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Programs Inc., Southeastern Minnesota Workforce Development Inc., Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council Inc., Stearns-Benton Employment and Training Council, Washington County Workforce Center and the Winona County Workforce Council.