2024 Dual Training Grant application is now open

Nearly 3,000 Minnesotans have received on-the-job training through grant

3/12/2024

 

St. Paul, Minn.— Today, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education announced that the 2024 Dual Training Grant application is open. Grants are awarded to employers to support training in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, information technology, child care, transportation, and legal cannabis industry occupations. To date, 2,992 Minnesotans have earned credentials through Dual Training Grant funded programs.

“Dual Training Grants allow Minnesotans to earn while they learn and help Minnesota employers meet their workforce needs”,” Minnesota Office of Higher Education Commissioner Dennis Olson said. “With the expansion of the grant to include child care, transportation, and the legal cannabis industry, I am excited to see more Minnesotans benefit from the program.”

Approximately $5 million in Dual Training Grants is available for grants to employers throughout the state this year. Grant funds are used to support the related instruction component of a dual-training program. The dual-training model pairs on-the-job training with formal related instruction to create a robust learning environment – resulting in skilled employees, also known as dual trainees, and an enhanced company culture. New for 2024, employers can apply for up to $15,000 (or 10% of the requested grant amount) for dual trainee support costs like transportation, tutoring, and translation. During the 2023 legislative session, eligibility for the grant was expanded to include child care, transportation, and the legal cannabis industry.

An additional $1 million per year investment was also made by the Legislature and Governor Walz to make Dual Training Grants to legal cannabis industry employers. An application for eligible legal cannabis employers is expected to open in April.

OHE partners with Dual-Training Pipeline at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) to help employers meet their workforce needs by creating earn-and-learn programs for employees. 

“Pairing on-the-job training with related education is helping employees advance their careers, gain new skills and credentials and also helps employers meet their workforce needs” said Nicole Blissenbach, DLI commissioner. “We are excited to continue to expand and promote this training model and partner with the Office of Higher Education to create more earn-and-learn dual training opportunities.”

New Report Shows Impact of Dual Training Grants

Since program inception in 2017, OHE has awarded 378 Dual Training Grants. Of the 378 grants, 251 have been awarded to companies located outside of the metro, with 127 being awarded in the metro. View an archive of grant recipients.

According to the 2024 Dual Training Grant Report, the breakdown of grants by industry is:

• 227 grants have been awarded to companies in advanced manufacturing,
• 112 grants have been awarded to companies in health care,
• 30 grants have been awarded to companies in information technology, and
• 9 grants have been awarded to companies in agriculture.

Of the 2,992 trainees who have benefitted from the program:

• 1,704 received trained in advanced manufacturing,
• 942 received training in health care,
• 300 received training in information technology, and
• 46 received training in agriculture.

The Dual Training Grant program has proven to be beneficial for employers and trainees, helping employers meet their workforce needs while trainees earn a wage and attain credentials in high-need, high-growth occupations. After 12 months of beginning a dual-training program, dual trainees reported an average wage of $24.77 per hour.

If you are an employer interested in applying for a Dual Training Grant, please visit the OHE website for information. A proposal writing workshop will be held on March 15 at 9:00 a.m. This workshop will be recorded and made available online.