Achieve staff testify at state capitol in support of workforce development grants 

Caitlyn Cole, our director of career and college readiness, recently testified at the Minnesota state capitol in support of $6 million for state African Diaspora Youth Workforce Development Grants, which are legislative appropriations managed by the nonprofit Youthprise. 

Achieve Twin Cities was one of 26 organizations to receive funding from these grants in 2024, which were created to reduce barriers to employment for African Diaspora youth, increase their readiness to create businesses and boost their individual, familial and community economic capacity.  

This state support has strengthened Achieve’s work of providing culturally responsive advising for East African students – nearly 10% of the 17,000 students we serve – in planning and pursuing their postsecondary goals, career pathways and financial aid options.  

“Many students we serve balance being first-generation immigrants and maintaining cultural traditions, while navigating a challenging education system,” Caitlyn said in her testimony to the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development and Finance committee. “We urge committee support for HF 1907, which would expand the population served to include a quarter of students reached through our programming.” 

Black and African American students who utilize Achieve’s school-based services enroll in postsecondary programs at 71% higher rates than those who do not. 

We’re thankful to Representative Cedrick Frazier for authoring this legislation, and grateful for our continued collaboration in this work with Youthprise. Learn more about Achieve’s school-based career and college readiness services in 27 Minneapolis and Saint Paul public high schools, which are open and available to all students in these schools.

Pictured above are Caitlyn Cole, Achieve Twin Cities director of career and college readiness; Erin Martin, Youthprise policy and system transformation program director; Minnesota state representative Cedrick Frazier, author of HF 1907; Kristine Snyder, Youthprise policy and system transformation officer; and Andrew Peterson, Achieve career and college readiness program manager.