Youth Skills Training Program

The Youth Skills Training (YST) program encourages, promotes and supports the development of local partnerships between schools, employers and community organizations. These local partnerships provide students with related classroom instruction, safety training, industry-recognized credentials and paid work experience in high-growth and high-demand occupations in the industries of advanced manufacturing, agriculture, automotive, health care and information technology. Successful applicants will demonstrate the ability to achieve these objectives through various means including outreach, education, training and supportive services for students.

Grants

View more information about the YST grant.

Round eight grant timeline

• Jan. 8 to Feb. 7, 2025:  Grant applications accepted. 

• Questions are due no later than 4 p.m. Central Standard Time, Jan. 30, 2025.

• Feb. 21 to March 14, 2025:  Grant review period

• To be determined:  Grant recipients announced

• July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027:  Anticipated grant performance period

The grant application window is closed. No late applications will be accepted.

YST@DLI program approval

YST programs are composed of a minimum of one school partner and one employer partner. They may include multiple schools, employers and community organizations.  

School partners do not need to go through a formal approval process, but should meet with YST staff to demonstrate a plan to provide the following:

• meaningful industry exposure for diverse students,

• an offering of at least one industry-related course for high school credit,

• a pathway to industry-recognized certification/credentialing, and

• paid work experiences in one or more of the following industries: advanced manufacturing, agriculture, automotive, health care and information technology. 

Employers must be approved for YST paid work experiences prior to student learners being placed at employer sites. Download employer approval forms. 

Programs are not required to be a YST grant recipient to become an approved YST program. 

Program guide

The Youth Skills Training Program Guide provides resources to create a new Youth Skills Training program or enhance an existing program.

YST grants awarded 

• June 23, 2025:  Labor and Industry announces 2025 Youth Skills Training grant recipients

• April 16, 2024:  Labor and Industry announces 2024 Youth Skills Training grant recipients

• Aug. 29, 2023:  Department of Labor and Industry announces additional 2023 Youth Skills Training grant recipients

• Feb. 14, 2023:  Department of Labor and Industry announces 2023 Youth Skills Training grant recipients

• April 12, 2022:  Department of Labor and Industry announces 2022 Youth Skills Training grant recipients

• Feb. 24, 2021:  Eleven partnerships awarded Youth Skills Training grants.

• Jan. 22, 2020:  Seventeen partnerships to receive Youth Skills Training grants.

• Jan. 3, 2019:  Five partnerships awarded Youth Skills Training grants. 

• June 8, 2018 news release about grant awards

General information about YST@DLI

• Sign-up for email updates about YST@DLI

• Overview of YST@DLI

• Overview presentation

• Legislation about YST@DLI

• Report to the Minnesota Legislature, Feb. 1, 2025

YST in the news

• 'Hey, we built that!' Forest Lake high school students get paid work experience through Career Launch class (Pioneer Press)

• New program allows Alexandria students to work, earn money, gain skills (Alexandria Echo Press)

• Sen. Klobuchar visits CDI to learn about Youth Skills Training program (Owatonna People's press)

More information

• Learn about Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline

• Minnesota child labor laws

Questions?

• Jo Daggett, program manager, jo.daggett@state.mn.us or 651-284-5354

• Nimo Samatar, program consultant, nimo.samatar@state.mn.us or 651-284-5184