Pathways Program
The Pathways Program, which is a Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Program activity, acts as a catalyst between business and education in developing cooperative training projects for individuals who are at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines or who are making the transition from public assistance to the workforce.
Grants are awarded to accredited Minnesota public and/or private educational institutions with businesses as partners; all projects must have at least one educational institution and one business working together. Preference is given to projects that provide employment with benefits and projects with defined career paths. Funds may be used for training-related costs or educational infrastructure improvements necessary to support businesses located or intending to locate in Minnesota. Requests for wage subsidies and tuition reimbursements are ineligible. Up to $400,000 per grant can be awarded for a project. A cash or in-kind contribution from the contributing business must match program funds on at least a one-half to one ratio. Projects average twelve months to three years in duration. Costs are paid on a reimbursement basis. A short-form application is also available for grants of up to $50,000.
The MJSP Board awards the grants. Normally, several grant rounds are held each year. Grant application deadlines are posted on the MJSP Board web page and are also published in Minnesota's State Register. Interested businesses should contact their local accredited Minnesota educational institution to inquire about the possibility of submitting a grant application.
For more information, see:
- Application Deadlines - listed on the MJSP Board Calendar of Events and the State Register
- Fact Sheet [PDF] - a one-page marketing piece about the Pathways Program
- Or contact the Job Skills Programs Office