Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to establish a grant for developing a pretraining program aimed at preparing individuals for roles as direct support professionals in Minnesota. This initiative is designed to meet the educational needs of potential workers in this field, with a focus on increasing workforce capacity and diversity.

Main Provisions

• Grant Allocation: The bill proposes appropriations from the general fund for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support the Minnesota Ethnic Providers Network in developing this program.
• Curriculum Development: Funds are designated for creating a curriculum tailored to the specific needs of individuals pursuing careers as direct support professionals.
• Workforce Readiness Training: The program will provide training to prepare individuals entering the direct care and support services sector.
• Recruitment Expansion: Efforts will be made to expand recruitment strategies to enhance the workforce capacity, with particular attention to reaching diverse and underrepresented communities.
• Collaborative Efforts: The initiative aims to work alongside community-based organizations, educational institutions, and service providers to ensure the long-term development of a strong workforce for direct support professions.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill introduces new funding specifically for the purpose of developing a training program for direct support professionals. It seeks to enhance the direct care workforce through educational support and increased recruitment from diverse communities, which is a shift towards more inclusive workforce development policies.

Relevant Terms

• Direct Support Professionals
• Pretraining Program
• Workforce Readiness
• Recruitment
• Diversity
• Community Organizations
• Educational Institutions
• Minnesota Ethnic Providers Network