Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Technology Training topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Urban League Twin Cities seeks workforce funding to expand Urban Tech and career pathways
Summary
Senate File 14‑65 requests workforce appropriations to support the Urban League Twin Cities’ workforce pathways, including Urban Tech programs and industry credential cohorts; committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
Senate File 14‑65, carried by Sen. Scott Champion, requests Workforce Development Fund appropriations to sustain and expand the Urban League Twin Cities’ workforce solutions, including the Urban Tech program and industry‑specific career pathways in IT, construction, health and green energy sectors.
Marquita Stevens, president and CEO of the Urban League Twin Cities, told the committee the organization is marking its centennial and that the requested funds would support industry‑specific cohorts (cybersecurity, AI, project management, help desk, data analytics) and staff expansion to meet enrollment targets. Fiscal staff reported that the Urban League received $400,000 in FY2025 from the workforce development fund and that Senate File 14‑65 proposes $400,000/year in FY2026 and FY2027 as one‑time Workforce Development Fund appropriations.
Testimony included program participant Willie Cardell Williams, who described the Urban League as a resource that helped him obtain employment and encouraged entrepreneurship. Stevens said the Urban Tech program has a track record of industry certificates and placements and that expanded funding would allow the Urban League to raise class size, increase certifications and deepen employer connections.
Committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
