Council Members present:
Roger Hale	Gordon Aanerud
Jeralyn Jargo (for Morrie Anderson)	Wendy Brower
Alice Negratti (for Jerry Carlson)	Representative Karen Clark
Jan Cuccia	Charles Cutler
Wayne DeBruin	Michael Dolan
Mary Haug	Rod Haworth
Dan Smith (for Christine Jax)	Ginny Karbowski
Senator Arlene Lesewski	Jennie Lightfoot
David MacKenzie	Richard McFarland
Bob Niemiec	David Olson
Chuck Johnson (for Michael O'Keefe)	Ernest Owens
Sandra Peterson	Steve Tufenk
Earl Wilson
Council Members absent:	Council/Committee Staff present:
Morrie Anderson	Kathy Sweeney
Tracy Beckman	Dan Smith
LaDonna Boyd	Jeralyn Jargo
Bernard Brommer	Chuck Johnson
Jerry Carlson	Jeanne Berg
Jean Eaton
Don Gerdesmeier
Christine Jax
Senator Steve Murphy
Michael O'Keefe
Representative Jim Rostberg
Guests present:
Joe Crowe - Quality Career Services
Bonnie Elsey - Minnesota Department of Economic Security (MDES)
Shelly Franz - WomenVenture
Howard Glad - Minnesota Department of Economic Security (MDES)
Lee Helgen - Minnesota Workforce Council Association
Tom Hesse - Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Tracey Muhich - St. Paul Workforce Development Council
Libby Starling - Minnesota Department of Economic Security (MDES)
Bruce Steuernagel - Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU)
Cairie Thomas - Legal Services Advocacy Program
Jason Walsh - Affirmative Options

Call to Order & Announcements:

The meeting was called to order by Roger Hale, the Council Chair, at 9:05 AM. There were no announcements made.

Approval of Agenda:

Mr. Hale asked for any changes or additions to the agenda for today's meeting. There were no changes or additions mentioned. Mr. Hale called for a motion to approve the agenda for the June 9, 2000 Council meeting. Ernest Owens/Mary Haug moved the Council approve the June 9, 2000 meeting agenda. Motion carried.

Mr. Hale called for a motion to approve the February 11, 2000 Council meeting minutes. Jennie Lightfoot/Mary Haug moved the Council approve the February 11, 2000 Council meeting minutes. Motion carried.

Self-Sufficiency Committee Report (for 2/16/00 & 4/19/00):

Mary Haug, the Committee Chair, was called on by Mr. Hale to present the Self-Sufficiency Committee's report. Ms. Haug indicated that the Committee has met once (4/19/00) since the full Council last met in February. The Committee also held its second meeting to take public input on 2/16/00. She referred the Council to the Committee documents that were contained in their meeting packets for their review which consisted of the 4/19/00 meeting minutes and a summary of the two meetings held to take public input.

Ms. Haug reported the following:

• The common theme that has developed from the recent public input meeting(s) and Committee discussions is that: "The whole person needs to be served in getting a person into the labor market."

• The Committee has discussed the question: "Who do we serve with the limited dollars available?" The general consensus of the Committee is that we need to emphasize the hardest to serve and those on welfare.

• Dislocations continue to be an important issue. The number of dislocated workers has been quite steady over the last several years, even as the economy has made steady gains by other measures.

• The Committee's work is far from done. The Self-Sufficiency Committee is scheduled to meet next on May 17, 2000.

At the close of Ms. Haug's report, Bob Niemiec distributed to the Council for their information a document entitled "Public Comment on Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Minnesota" dated June 2000. The document summarized the public comments received at a 2/2/00 public forum on Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Minnesota that was sponsored by the State Rehabilitation Council and MDES's Rehabilitation Services Branch to solicit information about the state's VR service needs.

Life Long Learning Committee Report (for 4/7/00 & 5/19/00):

In the absence of the Committee's Chair, LaDonna Boyd, Charles Cutler, the Committee's Vice Chair, was called on by Mr. Hale to present the Life Long Learning Committee's report. Mr. Cutler indicated that the Committee has met twice (4/7/00 and 5/19/00) since the full Council last met in February. He referred the Council to the Committee reports that were contained in their meeting packets for their review.

Mr. Cutler reported the following:

• The Committee is: (1) working on enhancing awareness that there are good jobs available; and (2) wrestling with knowledge and awareness issues.

• Committee recommendations from their 5/19/00 meeting: (1) Explore the enhancement of such programs as tax credit for life long learning experiences of individuals; tax incentives for support of life long learning experiences by businesses, child care grants, revised access to financial aid to meet the needs of life long learners; and (2) Strongly support the need for science, math, and technical competencies at the K-12 level as presented by the "Building Minnesota's Talent Project" and convey this to the GWDC's Education to Employment Committee. There is a need to have a certain level of competency that employers can rely on.

• Customized remote education is being dealt with by the Committee. Increased access through customized training will be discussed at the Life Long Learning Committee's next meeting which is scheduled for July 21, 2000.

At the close of Mr. Cutler's presentation there was brief discussion on ISEEK and the need to make sure that tools like ISEEK are in the hands of all students, teachers, etc. Mr. Hale suggested that Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, headed up by David Olson, work on getting information out on ISEEK to the local communities. Mr. Hale also asked if Education Minnesota, headed up by Sandra Peterson, could work on publicizing ISEEK and getting word out on ISEEK training for teachers. Ms. Peterson suggested that perhaps information on ISEEK could be incorporated in teacher training.

Senator Arlene Lesewski commented that we need to continue outreach in local communities and mentioned the Schwan's Company program that is being offered in the Lake Wilson area which will be help keep some young farm families in southwestern Minnesota. She suggested looking at Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) programs and the Head Start program. Commissioner Earl Wilson mentioned the outreach efforts to communities that will be coming out of the recent Governor's Workforce Development mini-cabinet report. Mr. Hale emphasized that there is a need to push the tools that are out there in the local community at the present time.

Workforce Development Committee Report (for 2/25/00, 3/24/00 & 6/2/00):

Wayne DeBruin, the Committee Chair, was called on by Mr. Hale to present the Workforce Development Committee's report. Mr. DeBruin reported that the Committee had met three times (2/25/00, 3/24/00 and 6/2/00) since the full Council last met in February. He referred the Council to the Committee reports that were contained in their meeting packets for their review.

Mr. DeBruin reported the following:

• At the 2/25/00 meeting MDES staff outlined two Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) for the committee to take action on. The first, a state level MOU, dealt with the partners within the Minnesota WorkForce Center System to accomplish certain tasks that will assist the System to operate effective and efficient employment and training programs. The committee passed a motion approving this first MOU and recommending that the full Council also approve the intentions and language within the MOU. The second MOU was a sample for use between the partners of the local WorkForce Council. The purpose of this MOU is to establish an agreement among the partners concerning their respective roles and responsibilities for implementation of provisions found within WIA. The Committee approved all points within the second MOU except for the language found within the forth area of the MOU entitled "Period of Performance", and suggested that some of the wording be re-worked by staff to reflect less confining language.

• At the 3/24/00 meeting staff presented the committee with revised language for the "Period of Performance" area of the second MOU that was discussed at the 2/25/00 committee meeting. After a brief review of the revised language, the Committee passed a motion approving the second MOU (indicated in the above paragraph) with the revised language requested by the Committee and recommending the full Council also approve the intentions and language within this MOU.

• At the 3/24/00 meeting MDES staff explained to the committee the issues regarding the Customer Satisfaction area under Title I. The general guidelines for the standards were provided by USDOL in December 1999. These guidelines discuss issues such as the minimum requirements for customer services, levels of performance, surveys, methodologies, etc. After reviewing the outline of the Title I Performance Standards/Customer Satisfaction documents, the Committee passed a motion supporting the implementation of the Title I Performance Standards/Customer Satisfaction and recommending approval by the full Council.

• At the 3/24/00 meeting MDES staff presented the committee with highlights of the recently completed WIA Unified Plan. Staff outlined the planning process of both the WIA Transitional and Unified Plans, providing explanations of each. April 6, 2000 was the date for the official submittal of the plan to USDOL, and they will have 90 days to review and comment on the plan. The Committee passed a motion approving the WIA Unified Plan process and recommending approval by the full Council.

• At the 6/2/00 meeting MDES staff explained to the Committee that they have been given the authority by Roger Hale, the GWDC Chair, and MDES Commissioner Earl Wilson to recommend approval of items related to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) for the GWDC. The local WIA plans and the status of performance negotiations as related to Adult and Dislocated Worker programs were the subjects of the 6/2/00 meeting. Staff clarified for the committee that the Workforce Development Committee does have to review key WIA planning processes including Local Plans and make recommendations to the full GWDC and the Governor or his designee. The staff recommendation was to move forward to ensure that all local areas are funded for this program year (7/1/2000 - 6/30/2001), and to work with the local areas whose plans are not complete. After discussion, the Committee passed a motion recommending approval of MDES and DTED to move forward with funding all 16 local service areas and recommending approval by the full Council.

• The Workforce Development Committee will not meet again until after the planned August 31 Executive Committee meeting.

After brief discussion by the Council, Roger Hale called for a motion to approve the Workforce Development Committee's five action items/recommendations relating to WIA (that are bolded and underlined above). Dick McFarland/Jennie Lightfoot moved the Council approve the Workforce Development Committee's five recommendations relating to WIA (that are bolded and underlined above). Motion carried.

Earl Wilson congratulated Wayne DeBruin and his committee for the work they have done in reviewing the local plans.

Kathy Sweeney indicated that guidance from the Department of Labor on getting the state plan out was very, very late which made MDES's and the committee's work on the state plan and local plans difficult. Ms. Sweeney mentioned that the National Association of State Workforce Investment Policy Council Chairs, of which Roger Hale is a member, will be meeting later this summer and discussing the reduction of the unnecessary pressures and burdens placed on the states by the Department of Labor, etc. Mr. Hale requested that staff put together specific recommendations for him to bring up at the Association's meeting, i.e., dealing with USDOL, etc.

Education to Employment Committee Report (for 2/25/00 & 6/2/00):

In the absence of Tracy Beckman, the Committee Chair, Mr. Hale called on Ernest Owens, the Committee Vice Chair, to present the Education to Employment Committee Report. Mr. Owens reported that the Committee has met twice (2/25/00 and 6/2/00) since the full Council last met in February. He referred the Council to the Committee reports that were contained in their meeting packets for their review.

Mr. Owens reported the following:

• The committee has three initiatives that they are looking at, and one is what the role of K-12 education is. At the 2/25/00 committee meeting discussion focused on the Mini-Cabinet report on workforce development. Particular concern was raised regarding recommendations in the report to discontinue several grant programs supporting workforce preparation in the K-12 school system and to shift some of this responsibility to the workforce centers.

• At the 6/2/00 meeting, staff reviewed for the committee the background of the grant application for the supplemental funding application under School-to-Work. Minnesota is eligible for approximately $1.25 million in non-competitive funding to sustain School-to-Work. Minnesota's supplemental funding application has not yet been submitted for federal approval, but the support of the GWDC is sought as part of the application process. Local/regional partnerships will be eligible to apply for supplemental funds that support sustainability. Four specific areas are targeted to be addressed by the supplemental funds and they include: (1) inclusion of all learners; (2) industry skill standards; (3) bringing to scale efforts in career awareness and exploration; and (4) evaluation models, with special emphasis on data-driven systems.

  After considerable discussion, the Committee passed a motion giving unanimous support to bringing the supplemental funding application to the June 9 GWDC meeting for endorsement.

• At the 6/2/00 meeting mention was made of a redrafted position paper supporting the Minnesota Graduation Standards. The Committee did not have sufficient time to discuss the paper in depth, and will discuss it at its next meeting.

After Mr. Owens' report, there was brief Council discussion and comments about STW funding and the supplemental funding application under School-to-Work. Dan Smith (CFL) indicated he would prepare a brief summary of information on the evaluation of STW and the contents of the application and distribute it to the Council for their information.

Jennie Lightfoot stated her support for moving ahead with submitting the supplemental funding application. Earl Wilson/Gordon Aanerud moved that the Council approve staff moving forward with the supplemental funding application under School-to-Work in order to meet the scheduled submission date, and have further information on this at the Council's next meeting. Motion carried.

Business Development Committee Report:

Dick McFarland, the Committee Chair, was called on by Mr. Hale to present the Business Development Committee's report. Mr. McFarland reported the following:

• The Committee has not met since the last full Council meeting in February. The committee will resume meeting in the next month or so.

• As a follow-up to the skill sets identified by the companies surveyed earlier and the inventory of employment & training programs completed by MDES recently, we now need to determine what programs are working. The Committee needs some direction on where to go from here. (Earl Wilson commented that much of this is covered in the recommendations spelled out in the Governor's Mini-Cabinet report on workforce development.)

Update on Governor's Mini-Cabinet Report:

Mr. Hale called on Earl Wilson for an update. Commissioner Wilson reported that the Governor's Workforce Development Mini-Cabinet reconvenes on Tuesday, June 13. Out of the Mini-Cabinet's workforce development report a legislative package on workforce development will be prepared and introduced by the Governor's Office in the 2001 legislative session.

Work on the legislative package will be done over the summer. The legislative package will be brought to the GWDC for their review.

Lee Helgen of the Minnesota Workforce Council Association asked for clarification about the timeline for when the GWDC will provide input on legislation that comes out of the mini-cabinet report. Commissioner Wilson responded that the timeline on the GWDC's review and comments on the legislation needs to be worked out with the Governor's Office. Staff are not sure at this point whether it would be pre- or post-...before or after the Governor submits his legislative initiatives to the 2001 Legislature.

Mr. Hale stated he would like to recommend that the GWDC have the opportunity to provide counsel on legislation that comes out of the mini-cabinet report before it goes to the 2001 Legislature.

Legislative Update:

Mr. Hale called on Earl Wilson for an update. Commissioner Wilson reported that it was a very active 2000 legislative session especially in light of the fact that the session was supposed to deal only with capital bonding items. Items passed concerning workforce development included:

• One-time appropriation of $150,000 for the Alien Labor Certification Program at MDES.
• Study on Locating WFCs on MnSCU Campuses, Where Appropriate.
• Appropriation of $100,000 to DTED for a grant to Kanabec County to install an elevator in a county building in Mora to make the building accessible. This building will house a WorkForce Center when accessible.
• One-time appropriation of $750,000 to DTED for regional labor force assessment grants.
• One-time appropriation of $200,000 to Minnesota Planning for grants to Regional Development Commissions to support planning work on behalf of local units of government.
• Several technology grants - to expand Internet access in rural Minnesota; E-Business Institute; and Distance-Work Projects.
• One-time appropriation of $837,000 for Summer Youth Employment programs.
• One-time appropriation of $200,000 for the Youthbuild program.
• Appropriation of $3 million for construction or rehabilitation of early childhood learning and child protection facilities.
• Changes the funding source for the Displaced Homemaker Program from the general fund to the Workforce Development fund.
• Regarding Dislocated Worker Support Services, changes the maximum amount of support services funding from 10 percent to 15 percent of a grant, with the exception that the Commissioner may raise this limit to 20 percent if deemed essential for a specific grant.
• Regarding Dislocated Worker Eligibility Expansion, adds a provision to the dislocated worker program eligibility requirements, allowing certain self-employed farmers and ranchers to be served through a pilot project that is authorized until July 31, 2003.
• Canceling unspent 1997 Pathways money and clarifying 1999 money does not cancel.
• Restricting eligible recipients of Job Skills Partnership grants.
• Regarding Adult Basic Education Program (ABE) Performance Tracking System, requires each ABE program to develop and implement a performance tracking system by July 1, 2000 to comply with the federal WIA and serve as a way of assessing the effectiveness of ABE programs.
• Regarding ABE Memorandum of Understanding with WFCs, requires each approved ABE program to develop a memorandum of understanding with the WorkForce Centers located in its service delivery area.
• Use of TANF reserve creates a number of new initiatives relating to employment and training, including approximately $75 million for three years for local intervention initiatives.
• The Dislocated Worker Program, both state and federal, will be transferred from MDES to DTED on July 1, 2000.

One last legislative item Commissioner Wilson pointed out was that there were initiatives that came out of both the Senate and the House during the 2000 session to form a legislative group to study the Moe Report, the Mini-Cabinet Report on Workforce Development, and the Gunther Report (Inventory on Employment & Training Programs).

For further information on any of the above legislative items, interested parties can contact Lynne Batzli, MDES's legislative liaison, at 651/297-3731.

New Business:

GWDC Appointments/Reappointments - Mr. Hale called on Kathy Sweeney for a report. Ms. Sweeney indicated that the terms of nine members on the GWDC expire on June 30, 2000. A list of the GWDC members whose terms expire on June 30 and the categories they represent was distributed to the Council along with a MDES news release announcing the GWDC vacancies and that applications are being accepted by the Secretary of State's Office through the end of June. Open appointment application forms were also available at the meeting. The application process continues through June 30, and the Governor will be making appointments in July sometime. Ms. Sweeney pointed out that an endorsement from a Local Workforce Council is a key element in appointment to the GWDC. Ms. Sweeney introduced Lee Helgen, the new Executive Director of the Minnesota Workforce Council Association, who was present at today's meeting. Mr. Helgen is available to assist in getting interested parties in touch with their local Workforce Council. Further questions regarding the GWDC vacancies or the application process can be directed to Ms. Sweeney by calling (651)-296-3700.

Council Meeting Schedule (for the remainder of 2000) - Mr. Hale asked that the Council members note on their calendars the Council meeting dates for the remainder of 2000. The meeting dates are: Friday, September 15^th, and Friday, December 15^th, 9 AM to 11:30 AM. Meetings will be held at the Veterans Service Building (conference room 'B', fifth floor), St. Paul. At those meetings the Council will start addressing some of the issues raised by the committees.

Other Items - Mr. Hale announced that the GWDC's Executive Committee will be meeting at some point this summer. Committee members will be notified as soon as the meeting date is set.

Old Business:

Reflections on Spring Training Institute with Local Council Chairs & GWDC - Mr. Hale pointed out the summary sheet on the Spring Training Institute that was included in the Council members' meeting packet. Mr. Hale commented that the session was a good one, and he appreciated the excellent work done by Kathy Sweeney and others in organizing it. He received some good positive feedback on the training institute. Next time, he intends to have more local council representatives in attendance. Mr. Hale indicated that the training institute provided a good start in working with the local councils, and an opportunity to convey to the local councils that there are resources they can draw on. He also commented that it was good that the Baldrige quality principles were discussed as a tool for the local councils to utilize in their work.

Mr. Hale stated that the Training Institute provided an opportunity for him to reflect on the work of the current GWDC and the need for the GWDC to be a bit more independent than it is currently. And with the need for the GWDC to more independent, Mr. Hale felt there is a real need for some independent staffing. Therefore, plans are currently underway to hire an individual to serve as an independent staff person. This position would report directly to Mr. Hale and work with Kathy Sweeney, the MDES liaison to the GWDC. The staff person would be housed at the MDES administrative offices in St. Paul. The salary and benefits package for the position is currently being worked out, and arrangements for funding the position are also being worked out. This position would basically serve in a role of supporting the GWDC in developing strategy; providing support for training for local workforce councils; working with the recently completed Inventory of Employment & Training Programs and assisting the GWDC in its evaluation. Mr. Hale commented that the hiring of this staff person will help the GWDC in its role as a workforce development system supporter. Mr. Hale indicated that he hoped to have the position filled by August 1 and that he has some commitment at this point as far as a budget for the position.

Next Meeting & Adjournment:

Mr. Hale stated that the Council's next meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 15, 2000, at 9 AM, at the Veterans Service Building (conference room 'B', fifth floor) in St. Paul.

The meeting was adjourned by Mr. Hale at 11 AM.