Committee advances HF2039, amended, to fund Minnesota Youth Program for ages 14–24

A legislative committee advanced House File 2039, as amended, which would fund the Minnesota Youth Program (MYP), a statewide program that distributes dollars to local workforce area boards to provide paid work experience and career advising for youth ages 14 to 24.

The committee approved amendment A1.1 by voice vote after Representative Greenman moved the amendment. Committee chairs and members then heard testimony from workforce boards and program participants about the program’s effects and needs. No roll-call vote on final passage of HF2039 is recorded in the provided transcript.

Nicole Swanson, director of the Anoka County Job Training Center and representing the Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards, told the committee that “young people are able to access paid work experience” through MYP and that the program helps participants “learn while earning a paycheck” and explore career options. Swanson said local workforce development boards and community organizations used last year’s legislative increase to expand placements and services but that the program’s state investment “had not increased above $4,000,000 since 2003.” She also said federal youth funding has been subject to cuts, increasing the importance of state support.

Aiden Grama, a participant in the Rochester WDI youth program funded by MYP, described hands-on training in construction and leadership growth, saying, “This experience within the Minnesota Youth Program has given me understanding on what my fit in the world of work might be.”

A sponsor identified in the transcript as the bill’s representative told the committee that “4,000 youth were gainfully employed through this program last year” and that about “40,000 youth benefited from the in-school outreach and training,” and promised to distribute a comprehensive annual report to members. The sponsor also said MYP supplements wages for young workers; employers may add to the base amount paid through the program.

Committee discussion was brief; committee leadership noted limited time and asked testifiers for short remarks. A recorded video testimony could not be played during the hearing and was sent to committee members instead. The transcript does not record a final committee vote on HF2039 itself or next steps for a floor or appropriations action.

If HF2039 proceeds, the bill would continue state-directed distribution of funds to local workforce area boards that place youth in paid work experiences and provide career advising and training across Minnesota.