State employment app receives national award
St. Paul, Minnesota (October 14, 2015) - MN.IT Services, the state's information technology agency, was recognized by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) for Innovation Technology. NASCIO's Information Communications Technology Innovations Award was presented to MN.IT for the revamped Workforce One application, which helps track employment and training services for more than 100,000 eligible Minnesotans.
Workforce One, a partnership between Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Department of Human Services (DHS), is a web-based application used by nearly 2,000 state, city, county and non-profit employment and training providers.
The previous Workforce One system was cumbersome and lacked usability, so job counselors often spent valuable time entering required data, limiting their time spent helping clients find jobs and training. And with job counselors located across the state, the new system needed to provide instant, secure access to job search information and client files anytime, from anywhere.
The State used an agile project management approach known as "Scrum" to incrementally develop the new Workforce One system while incorporating continuous feedback from employment and training service providers. The new system, completed on time and $1 million under-budget, provides greatly-improved access to job searches, training and reports, freeing up job counselors to devote their time to helping unemployed Minnesota citizens find better jobs more quickly.
"The overhaul of Workforce One has made it easier for state employees to assist more than 100,000 Minnesotans, who are searching for jobs and accessing training programs," said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. "This project is another demonstration of our continued effort to make state government work better for people. MN.IT Services richly deserves this recognition. I congratulate the many state workers who worked hard to make it possible."
"Assisting Minnesotans in their search for meaningful careers is a cornerstone of our mission at DEED, and we are grateful for our partnership with MN.IT Services on this important work," said DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben. "The upgrades to this tool will save time and money for the state, but will most importantly make the process of finding a job even more efficient for thousands of Minnesotans."
"Because of a strong partnership Between MN.IT Services and the Department of Employment and Economic Development, this system was delivered on-time and under-budget" said State Chief Information Officer and MN.IT Services Commissioner Tom Baden. "Winning a NASCIO award is a tremendous honor, and I am extremely proud of the team who worked to deliver a greatly-improved system that will help Minnesotans in search of jobs and training."
