Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears request for two-year $750,000-per-year appropriation for Project for Pride in Living workforce programs
Summary
Senate File 26-60 requests $750,000 in FY2026 and $750,000 in FY2027 from the Workforce Development Fund to support Project for Pride in Living's (PPL) job training and workforce development services, especially for unemployed or underemployed Minnesotans; the bill was laid on the table for possible inclusion after testimony.
Senate File 26-60, sponsored by Sen. Clare Mohammed, would appropriate $750,000 in FY2026 and $750,000 in FY2027 from the Workforce Development Fund to Project for Pride in Living (PPL) to support job training, career pathway programs and workforce development services for unemployed or underemployed Minnesotans.
Sen. Clare Mohammed described the appropriation as a one-time direct appropriation to strengthen PPL’s capacity to provide scalable training and career pathways into high-demand sectors including finance, government, health care and information technology. “PPL has been a leader in the Twin Cities, creating career pathways in collaboration with public and private sector employers to meet local workforce needs,” Mohammed said.
Antonio Cardona, PPL’s vice president of career readiness, told the committee PPL operates at the “intersection of housing and jobs,” managing 1,600 units of affordable housing and integrated workforce solutions. He said PPL’s programming extends beyond the Twin Cities into Greater Minnesota and that the requested funds would allow work outside DEED grant categories and provide flexibility to innovate.
Jason DeCoteau, a PPL program graduate, described his pathway through PPL’s Merck Alternative School, subsequent work and leadership opportunities, and credited PPL with helping his professional development and job readiness. Committee materials cited 333 job placements and about 90 participants “in the pipeline,” though witnesses clarified timeframes: the 27 diplomas referenced in materials covered about the prior year-and-a-half ramp-up and pipeline figures pertain to various program tracks.
Committee staff recorded the fiscal impact: $750,000 in FY2026 and $750,000 in FY2027 from the Workforce Development Fund (one-time appropriations). The committee adopted an A1 amendment and laid Senate File 26-60 on the table for possible inclusion; no final appropriation was enacted at the hearing.
Discussion vs. decision: the hearing was informational and preparatory; the committee did not enact funding into law during the session.
