Quick Facts
| Funder | Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) |
|---|---|
| Award Amount | Up to $100,000 per local partnership |
| Eligible Grades | Grades 9-12 |
| Focus Areas | CTE, career readiness, STEM, workforce development |
| Application Due | Annual -- check mn.gov/deed for next RFP |
| More Info | https://mn.gov/deed/business/finding-workers/youth-skills-training/ |
About This Grant
Youth Skills Training (YST) Grants are administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. They fund partnerships between high schools and local employers to create career-connected learning opportunities for students in grades 9-12.
Awards go up to $100,000 per partnership and can cover equipment, curriculum, training, work-based learning coordination, and wages for student participants. Projects must connect students to high-demand industries and lead to industry-recognized credentials or post-secondary pathways.
Technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and clean energy are among the priority sectors. CS and coding skills that connect to industry employer partners are a strong fit. DEED releases an annual RFP -- check mn.gov/deed for the current timeline.
How Forward Education Kits Fit
Forward Education's robotics, coding, and engineering kits align naturally with YST partnerships in manufacturing, technology, and clean energy sectors. We can provide documentation showing how our curriculum supports industry-recognized credential pathways for Minnesota high school students.
How Forward Education Helps
Forward Education provides curriculum alignment documents mapped to Minnesota K-12 standards, official pricing letters for grant budgets, and letters of support for your application. Contact us before you submit so we can help you build a strong case.
