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Committee hears testimony supporting Hired’s career pathway funding proposal; House File 718 laid over
Summary
Nonprofit Hired and employer partners described their job-placement and retention work for low-income and underemployed Minnesotans; the committee laid House File 718 over for possible inclusion in a future bill.
Julie Brecki, president and CEO of the workforce nonprofit Hired, told the committee that Hired served 4,300 people last year and placed 1,250 jobseekers with an average placement wage of about $27 per hour. Brecki asked the committee to support a direct appropriation to continue Hired’s career-pathway training and to fund job-retention services that provide individualized coaching and wraparound supports.
Elizabeth (Liz) Trotnick, a project coordinator at Medtronic and an employer partner, said the company’s pilots with Hired reduced on-the-job training time and improved retention for manufacturing operator roles. Trotnick said Hired organizes outreach, job-readiness training, barrier alleviation and credentialing that has reduced Medtronic’s on-the-job training time by roughly one week and improved retention for second- and third-shift employees.
Representative Zalesnikar said Hired’s programs address persistent worker shortages and help connect low-income job seekers to family-sustaining jobs, and the committee laid House File 718 over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.
Members asked about alignment with existing competitive grant programs at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Representative Lee Pinto and others encouraged Hired to explore DEED grant opportunities in case the Legislature moves toward competitive grants rather than direct appropriations.
House File 718 was laid over for possible inclusion; no committee vote to advance beyond layover occurred.
