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Bloomington seeks $300,000 for youth internship and year‑round workforce programming
Summary
The city of Bloomington asked the Senate Jobs Committee for $300,000 to expand its Bloom program, a paid internship and career‑exploration initiative for 16‑ to 24‑year‑olds who face barriers to employment; city officials said last year 15 youth participated and this year they have 29 secured slots and hope to expand.
Senate File 1410 would appropriate $300,000 to the city of Bloomington to expand the Bloom workforce internship program and related year‑round workforce services.
Advocates and city staff told the Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Development that Bloom combines employer‑paid internships, career exploration and training to connect young people ages 16 to 24 with local employers. Kim Berger, Bloomington community development director, said the program targets youth who face barriers to employment and partners with local employers including Seagate, Polar Semiconductor, Larkin Hoffman, Wilderness Inquiry and TKDA.
The program, administered by the city's Port Authority, uses employer wages to pay interns while requested state funds would pay staff and programmatic costs, Holly Masick, Port Authority administrator, said. Masick told the committee Bloom doubled in size from its second year and has more than twice as many applicants as intern spots available; she said Bloomington currently has 29 secured intern spots and aims to reach 30 openings this summer.
Senators asked about local investment and program costs. Berger said Bloomington committed to a temporary staff position in 2025 and has invested more than $120,000 for staff this year plus roughly $40,000–$60,000 in professional development and program costs over two years; she offered to provide exact figures to the committee administrator. A fiscal analyst said the requested appropriation would be available through 06/30/2028 under the bill’s language and did not identify a fiscal challenge with that availability period.
Committee members asked about program design and equity goals. Berger and Masick said outreach focuses on young people attending school in Bloomington or living in Bloomington, and that referrals come from guidance counselors, Normandale Community College, local high schools and organizations such as Hired. Senator Mohammed and others described the program as similar to Minneapolis’ Step Up model, which places employer‑paid interns and emphasizes employer engagement.
Senator Mann closed by asking members to support the request. The committee laid Senate File 1410 over for possible inclusion.
Bloom program proponents told the committee they expect private sector wages for interns to leverage “hundreds of thousands” in employer investment because employers pay intern wages directly, while state funds would support staffing and program operations.
