Dislocated Worker (WIOA & State)

Requests for Supplemental Funding to Serve Small Layoffs

Summary
Dislocated Worker providers are encouraged to request supplemental funding to serve individuals impacted by small layoffs when local participant demand outpaces available funding. This policy establishes the criteria which will be used by the MJSP Board when evaluating the merits of requests for additional small layoff funding. Supplemental funding requests will be available to both providers and the Small Layoff Independent Grant recipients (SLIGs).

Relevant Laws, Rules, or Policies
Dislocated Worker statutes in Minn. Stat. 116L.17
Minnesota Job Skills Partnership authority throughout Minn. Stat. 116L

Effective Date
4/14/2017

Last Updated
10/30/2017

Contact
Lensa Idossa, lensa.idossa@state.mn.us
Tel   651.259.7508
Fax  651.215.3842
TTY  651.239.6390

Policy

Providers requesting additional funding to serve individuals impacted by small layoffs must provide sufficient justification for their request and must use the additional funding in accordance with their justification. A key component of the justification should demonstrate the increased demand for services in the local area, and how the requested funding will best meet these needs. DEED staff will verify the appropriate use of this funding, and will report on it at future meetings.

Requests must be received by DEED staff at least 30 days prior to the Board meeting date.

Procedure

The following criteria will be used by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Board when evaluating the merits of requests for additional small layoff funding. A provider does not need to meet or exceed all criteria in order to request supplemental funding, however the Board may choose to not approve supplemental funding for providers who cannot demonstrate sufficient need. Supplemental funding requests are available to both providers and the Small Layoff Independent Grant recipients (SLIGs). Requests must be received by DEED staff at least 30 days prior to the MJSP Board meeting date. Providers may submit the request to the Dislocated Worker Grants Coordinator via email using the attached spreadsheet (link below), and must include a separate, written narrative that includes the total amount of funding requested, total number of participants to be served, and addresses the following statutory requirements when available and applicable:

The number of substantial layoffs to date,
Notices of substantial layoffs for the remainder of the fiscal year,
Evidence of declining industries,
The number of permanently separated individuals applying for unemployment benefits by workforce development area, and
The number of individuals exhausting unemployment benefits by workforce development area.

Demonstrated Need vs. Plan – Established Evaluation Guidelines

(These are not pass/fail criteria.)

Data Point to Demonstrate Need	Evaluation Guidelines
1. Number of participants currently enrolled by each funding stream (based on WF1 enrollment) compared to planned participants through most current quarter by each funding stream (based on submitted work plan). For example: WF1 shows 80 participants enrolled in State Dislocated Worker through the most recent quarter compared to 100 planned participants for the entire grant. This would meet the 80% enrollment requirement.	At least 80% of total planned participants for the current program year have been enrolled at the time of the request.
2. Current accrued expenditures and obligations for the present fiscal year, broken down by cost category and by funding stream. For the purposes of this policy, "obligations" are inclusive of known staff and administrative commitments, whether or not those expenditures are recorded on a provider's monthly RPR or FSR. Providers must include any federal funding that was transferred between WIOA Adult and WIOA DW programs. For example: A provider transferred $100,000 from their WIOA Adult to their WIOA DW grant for a total of $200,000. Current accrued expenditures and obligations show $140,000 committed through the most recent quarter. This would meet the 70% funding requirement. Providers should include verification of expenditure rate between reporting periods	At least 70% of total grant funds are obligated or expended.
3. Current accrued expenditures and obligations for the preceding fiscal year (grantees have two years to spend grant funds), broken down by cost category and by funding stream. For the purposes of this policy, "obligations" are inclusive of known staff and administrative commitments, whether or not those expenditures are recorded on a provider's monthly RPR or FSR. Providers must include any federal funding that was transferred between WIOA Adult and WIOA DW programs. For example: A provider shows $135,000 in obligations and expenditures of their previous year's State Dislocated Worker grant. The total grant amount was $150,000. Even if not all individual cost categories are 90% expended, if the total grant amount is at least 90% expended, it meets the 90% requirement.	At least 90% of total funds are expended or obligated at the time of the request.
History of supplemental funding requests by provider (year and total request)	History of requests is to track demand in a given local area year-to-year and is not used to evaluate the merits of the current request. Providers will not be penalized for past requests.
Metrics for existing small layoff grant including: Average cost per participant Number served Number exited Number currently enrolled	- Not to exceed $4,500 average cost per participant
Justification of increased participant demand is supported by local labor market information or other supporting documentation.	-
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)	Cost category spending should be reflective of request and justification.
Information required under statutory requirements are met (116L.17 subd. 2(c)): 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 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).	Note: this requirement applies to current year funding and excludes any carry-over funding for previous grant years.
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.
Providers must notify DEED of any intent to transfer funds between WIOA Dislocated Worker and WIOA Adult within the next six months at the time of the supplemental funding request. Transfers must be requested according to DEED's Transferability of Funds policy.	DW program staff will verify for the board.

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