Minnesota gets grant to help recovering addicts return to workforce

(FOX 9) - Minnesota is making available grants for people who have survived the opioid epidemic and are now looking to return to the workforce.

The state was awarded $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to help address the opioid crisis. The money is intended to help people recovering from addiction get into the workforce and train for in-demand careers in health care, social services and other fields.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will work with four workforce development area partners -- including Anoka County, Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, the City of Duluth, and the Southeast Minnesota Workforce Development Board -- to move forward with the program.

Experts say Minnesota, along with other parts of the country, has seen a spike in drug overdoses during the pandemic.