State as a Model Employer (SME)

The Minnesota State As Model Employer (SME) initiative, in collaboration with DEED's Vocational Rehabilitation Services and PTE, is a partnership with state agencies to increase employment of people with disabilities statewide, and helps state agencies and Minnesota businesses meet their workforce needs into the future. It does this through:

Internships designed to develop soft and hard skills for student and adult workers in the WorkForce Center system
Targeted internships in high-demand jobs within the Minnesota Department of Transportation
Utilizing the Service worker Program at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Augmenting standard hiring procedures at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) in the Unemployment Insurance Division with a Program Specialist embedded to help with training for candidates and supervisors
Adapting Traditional hiring methods by supplementing resources and services to help candidates more closely align their skills with available employment opportunities
Supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities to start their own small businesses through the Small Business Start Up Project
Providing a comprehensive web-based resource geared to businesses to help them hire and retain people with disabilities. View more information on Hiring People with Disabilities.

The SME initiative is successful on many fronts:

Minnesota employers can tap into a skilled and talented pool of candidates to fill their workforce needs
Employment related opportunities within state agencies can help people with disabilities prepare for work through skill development and practical experience
Through involvement in the State As Model Employer initiative, Minnesota's workforce more closely reflects the customers it serves

For more information
Contact Steve Kuntz at 651-259-7344 or email Steve.Kuntz@state.mn.us