Agency History 1968 - 2008

Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP) is a private non-profit corporation funded by federal, state and county governments.

Functioning under the leadership of a broadly representative Board of Directors, the agency's purpose is to prepare people for work and help businesses strengthen their workforce. RMCEP staff serve the people in a nineteen county area in northwestern Minnesota: Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin. Customer services are provided from eight centers located in Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Little Falls and Wadena.

RMCEP's expertise in the delivery of workforce development services spans 40 years.

The agency was incorporated in 1968 to operate the various programs spawned by the combining of the activities of the Economic Opportunity Act and the Manpower Development and Training Act. It is our vision to be viewed by customers and prospective customers as the leader in employability development services in our state.

With the advent of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) of 1973, RMCEP received special designation as one of four rural CEPs nationwide to be "grand-fathered in" as a CETA prime sponsor.

As a result, much was accomplished in the effort to place the area's poor into jobs. When CETA was amended in 1978, employment and training took on a private sector oriented emphasis. A Private Industry Council (PIC) was established to serve as a private business advisory board.

The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) was created to replace CETA in 1982.

Predicated on the belief that a public/private partnership is the truly successful way to solve the nation's employment problems, JTPA elevated the role of PIC's to full co-sponsorship of employment and training programs. JTPA emphasized performance standards to measure program success. Again, RMCEP was chosen as a program deliverer. Based on past experience and demonstrated effectiveness, the agency continued to operate successful programs.

In 1983, RMCEP received allocations to operate three new programs: the Community Work Experience Program for Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties; the Minnesota Emergency Employment Development (MEED) Act Program; and the Displaced Homemakers Program in Becker, Clay, Otter Tail and Wilkin counties.

Since 1987, RMCEP has contracted with the counties in its service area to deliver services to people receiving cash public assistance or food stamps.

In 1988, a major welfare reform initiative, Priority Access to Human Services (PATHS) Program occurred in Minnesota. In 1989, PATHS was renamed Project STRIDE (Success Through Reaching Individual Development and Employment). Services were targeted to people who received AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). In 1997, the federal legislature passed the Temporary Assistance to Need Families (TANF) bill to cause welfare reform throughout the nation. Minnesota passed its Statewide Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) legislation in 1997 to implement the provisions of TANF. MFIP emphasized the importance of work and limited the duration of public assistance. In addition, RMCEP provided intensive outreach and case management to MFIP participants through Local Intervention Grants for Self-Sufficiency (LIGSS). In 2004, staff implemented the Diversionary Work Program (DWP) that was funded by MFIP. DWP was designed for first-time welfare applicants and has been very successful in getting people to work rather than going on MFIP.

The School-to-Work Transition Project in Brainerd won the J.M. Foundation's Search for Excellence Award in 1987. Also in 1987, a grant was received from the Emma B. Howe Memorial Foundation to support the Career Choices Program for handicapped students in Clay and Wilkin counties.

The State Dislocated Worker Program was created in 1989 and an employer tax was implemented to fund the program. In 1992, the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities provided funds to operate the Northwest Passages Grant to serve adjudicated youth.

The Youthbuild Project operating in the Perham area since 1994 has proved to be an effective strategy for serving youth at risk of not completing their high school education. The program provides specialized training, work experience and education for these youth. Their work experience is building homes for homeless or very low-income families and individuals, or improving public or non-profit human service facilities.

The Food Stamps Employment and Training (FSET) Program was implemented in 1995. Counties in RMCEP's service area contracted with the agency to operate this program. FSET customers receive help in finding unsubsidized employment. RMCEP, in conjunction with Clay County, implemented the WorkFirst Program in 1996. This innovative program helped first time applicants and recipients of AFDC reenter the workforce as quickly as possible and avoid welfare.

While the federal legislators worked on a bill to replace JTPA, one goal remained stable throughout the various bills that were authored the establishment of one-stop service centers.

Between 1996 and 1999 RMCEP worked with the Job Service, Rehabilitation Services, and State Services for the Blind to convert to one-stop service centers called WorkForce Centers.

In 1998 the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) was signed into law to replace JTPA.

In addition to the emphasis on one-stop services, WIA expanded the role of the Workforce Council (formerly the Private Industry Council). The youth portion of the program focused entirely on low-income youth with one or more barriers to success. WIA expanded the scope of services to adults by offering core services to the general population and intensive services based on eligibility criteria to those in need. RMCEP implemented the youth program on April 1, 2000 and the adult and dislocated worker programs on July 1, 2000.

Several special projects have been operated:

Red Lake Success Through Employment Program (STEP) and the Welfare to Work Program in 1999; the Flood Emergency Grant, American Spirit and Potlatch Dislocated Worker Projects in 2002; special Dislocated Worker Projects for workers laid off from local (city and county) and state government, non-profit agencies and school districts in 2003. Current special Dislocated Worker Projects include Homecrest, Lund Boats, AcroTech/ATEK and Ainsworth Engineered. Other projects are Clay County Outreach, which is designed to increase the participation rate of American Indians in MFIP and to engage sanctioned caretakers; the Incumbent Worker Training Grant; Beltrami County MFIP Youth to provide employment services; Training for Low Income Workers; Douglas County Supported Employment Services for adults with severe and persistant mental illness; and Career Youth which funds interns who deliver career counseling and labor market information to youth. In 2006, the agency received funds from Clearwater County Social Services to operate a Youth Careers Project for youth in Bagley and Clearbrook-Gonvick schools. In 2007, RMCEP implemented the MFIP Innovations Project that was created to address the transportation needs of MFIP participants and fund paid work experience or support unpaid work experience.

The federal legislators have been working on a bill to replace WIA since 2003.

There has been a steady decline in funding since 1994 and it has been especially challenging for the agency to maintain its leadership role in the workforce development arena. Staff have successfully met challenges - the implementation of new programs, changes in existing programs, new regulations, changing performance standards, and funding cuts. Over 5,000 customers visit the nine WorkForce Centers weekly to find and obtain jobs. Our customer satisfaction rate is over 95%.

In 2005, the agency's Workforce Council and staff developed a methodology to identify occupations in demand in each of the three economic development regions in its service area.

This is now being used as a model in the state of Minnesota.

Designing the Future.

There are several outstanding grant applications at this time and the agency plans to continue aggressively pursuing all appropriate funding opportunities. The Board of Directors, the Workforce Council and the management staff identified goals for a five-year strategic plan. Management staff developed the objectives for these goals. As it has in the past, Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. will continue to position itself to efficiently weather the fluctuations inherent in the workforce development/employment and training industry. The agency's vision for the future is to proactively design and deliver workforce development services in a dynamic environment that anticipates change, exceeding the expectations of employers and employees.