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MDI seeks continued funding for "Unified Work" training for people with disabilities
Summary
Minnesota Diversified Industries told the committee its Unified Work initiative delivers soft-skills and virtual reality job experiences to Minnesotans with disabilities and seeks one-time and/or ongoing funding to continue scaling the program.
Eric Black, president and CEO of Minnesota Diversified Industries (MDI), and Jean Eglinton, MDI vice president of employment services, told the Senate Jobs Committee that the organization's "Unified Work" initiative provides employment training, virtual reality work experiences and an online learning management system for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Black said MDI employs nearly 500 people statewide with more than half of its workforce identifying as people with disabilities. "Last year, we ended our employment with 499 employees, and over 50 percent of those employees were individuals with disabilities," he said. He added MDI no longer pays piece-rate or minimum wage for roles and that state funds have financed training staff and accommodations that improved productivity.
Jean Eglinton said the program scale-up funded by a prior one-time appropriation reduced per-class delivery costs by about 60% since 2023; the bill requests a $250,000 one-time appropriation to hire staff, expand curriculum and VR experiences and build a more engaging learning management system.
Senators thanked MDI for past results and expressed concern about the size of the request given tight budget conditions. Senate File 2452 was laid over for possible inclusion.
