DEED expands youth workforce programs in Southern Minnesota

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded new funding to expand youth workforce training across Minnesota.

DEED’s Youth at Work Opportunity Grants Program supports youth of color, youth with disabilities, and young people who are economically disadvantaged or at risk.

The program will connect youth ages 14 to 24 with paid work experience, job-readiness training and exposure to in-demand careers.

In southern Minnesota, the South-Central Workforce Council and the Southwest Private Industry Council will use the funding to strengthen career services across 23 counties.

The program supports internships, training opportunities and skill-building activities such as résumé writing, interview preparation and workplace readiness.

The councils expect to serve about 124 youth over the next year.

Young people in the nine counties of south-central Minnesota can contact the Minnesota Valley Action Council for more information, while youth in the 14 counties of southwest Minnesota can reach out to the Southwest Private Industry Council.

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