MN HF2798

Clarifies that employees must be employed by the grant-seeking employer no later than the commencement of training, and employees who previously received grants are ineligible for additional grants.

Requires employers to have training agreements with institutions in place prior to grant award and mandates the Office of Higher Education and Department of Labor and Industry maintain and post an online inventory of training programs by September 1, 2016.

Prioritizes grant awards to employers training recent high school graduates or GED test passers (current or immediately preceding calendar year), with fallback eligibility for other employees if insufficient qualified applications exist.

Sets maximum grant of $150,000 per application and $6,000 per employee per year for up to four years, and requires employees attending eligible institutions to apply for Pell and state grants as a condition of payment.

Requires large employers (annual revenue exceeding $25,000,000) to pay at least 25 percent of training costs and mandates annual reporting to legislative committees on program costs, benefits, participation numbers, and recommendations for changes beginning in 2017.