Workforce Investment Act

Consumer Reports

Welcome to Minnesota's Consumer Report!

This manual includes all the information a training provider needs to become an eligible training provider under the federal Workforce Investment Act and participate in Minnesota's Consumer Report. It is available in Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word

Purpose
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is responsible for making performance information, such as job placement, retention and wages, available on Minnesota's post-secondary training programs. The performance information, referred to as the "Consumer Report", helps individuals, including customers of Minnesota's WorkForce Centers (i.e. "One-Stops") select a training program and ensuing career that best meet their interests, needs and abilities. Participating in the Consumer Report is a training provider's first step in certifying their programs for federal funds under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Consumer Report also gives training providers information to evaluate, improve and market their programs.

Accessing Consumer Report Information
Consumer Report information is available through www.iseek.org (Internet System for Education and Employment Knowledge), which includes a wealth of information on schools and their programs, career planning, employment, and information for businesses. ISEEK also includes a feature that allows consumers to conduct searches of WIA-certified programs. Generally, WIA recipients will access Consumer Report information through schools or one of Minnesota's over fifty WorkForce Centers. Schools and WorkForce Centers have staff that will help individuals access and use Consumer Report information. Program performance results should be displayed.
ISEEK allows an individual to view program performance results for a single program or for multiple programs. Follow the steps below to access program performance results.

Viewing Performance Results for a Single Program:

1. Having accessed the ISEEK website, select the Plan Your Education tab on the left-hand menu bar;
2. Select Search for an Education Program at a School sub-menu on the left-hand menu bar;
3. Specify search criteria that you wish to use in selecting a program, and click Go. Follow directions until you reach the page that displays School name, Program Title, and Award;
4. Click on the title of the program whose performance results you wish to view;
5. Select the Performance Results menu at the top of the screen to view performance information.

Viewing Performance Results for More Than One Program:

1. Having accessed the ISEEK website, select the Plan Your Education tab on the left-hand menu bar;
2. Select the Compare Programs sub-menu on the left-hand menu bar;
3. You now have two options:

Comparing Programs at Different Schools:

• Select the Program Subject from the drop-down menu and click Find Schools;
• Choose up to three schools from the drop-down menus and click Compare to view results. You may need to further specify the program subject (i.e. by award type) in order to proceed

Comparing Different Programs at the Same School:

• Select the School name from the drop-down menu and click Find Programs;
• Choose up to three programs from the drop-down menus and click Compare to view results

Using Performance Results Information:
Please be aware that regional labor market conditions, economic cycles, and graduate characteristics impact a program's employment and wage performance results. Results based on less than 25 record matches should be viewed with some caution, because they may not accurately reflect results for a larger population. Employment and wage performance results are derived from matching graduate records with Unemployment Insurance wage records. Graduates working outside of Minnesota or in jobs not covered by Unemployment Insurance (including federal employment and self-employment) will not be included in employment and wage performance results.

Stakeholder Input
DEED's Consumer Report was developed by an Advisory Board of educators from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the Minnesota Private College Council, University of Minnesota, and private training schools; and representatives from the Higher Education Services Office, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning, the Governor's Workforce Development Council; and counselors from WorkForce Centers.

For More Information
If you would like additional information on the Consumer Report and WIA certification, contact Larry Eisenstadt at 651-296-6073 or Larry.Eisenstadt@state.mn.us.

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