What is the Minnesota ETPL?
The Minnesota Eligible Training Provider List is the set of programs that WIOA money can pay for in the state. It is the Minnesota ETPL, shown as "WIOA certified" programs in DEED's Career and Education Explorer. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) keeps it. A program has to be on the list, and lead to a job the local board calls in demand, before a CareerForce location will issue an Individual Training Account for it. 3,777 Minnesota programs are on the federal index, including 23 CDL, 22 CNA, and 21 LPN programs.
Capstone Workforce's free navigator checks your WIOA eligibility door in two minutes, and the $4.99 apply guide lists the Minnesota programs in your field with the documents the state asks for, so you walk into intake with the program already picked.
What is on the Minnesota list
| Program type | Programs in Minnesota | What that means for funding |
|---|---|---|
| All listed programs | 3,777 | Every program the state reported to the federal index |
| CDL (Class A and B) | 23 | See the CDL guide for what boards pay |
| CNA | 22 | The most-funded short healthcare program |
| Phlebotomy | 14 | Four to twelve weeks, funded nearly everywhere |
| LPN or LVN | 21 | Funded where the program fits the board's length cap |
| RN (associate degree) | 4 | Funded by boards that allow two-year programs |
| BSN | 51 | Rarely funded; four years exceeds most caps |
Counts from the DOL ETA-9171 index at TrainingProviderResults.gov, counted by program name and credential in September 2026. The state's own list is the one a counselor funds from; the two usually match but the state list updates first.
Minnesota's state Dislocated Worker program draws on a separate state fund with its own rules, so a program certified for WIOA may be funded differently for a dislocated worker than for an adult participant. Ask the CareerForce specialist which fund applies.
How to search the Minnesota ETPL
- Use the state's own tool. Inside DEED’s Career and Education Explorer at apps.deed.state.mn.us/cee, which shows which programs are WIOA certified (ETPL.deed@state.mn.us). Start at apps.deed.state.mn.us/cee.
- Cross-check the federal index. TrainingProviderResults.gov lists the same programs with the completion rate, employment rate, and median earnings each provider reported. Two schools teaching the same credential can differ by 30 points on completion.
- Ask your counselor which listed programs the board funds. The list is statewide; the money is local. No statewide cap; each of the 16 boards sets its own by dollar amount, duration, or both. DEED policy lets you choose a costlier program when Pell or scholarships cover the difference. The state Dislocated Worker program draws on a separate state fund.
- Check the exact program, not just the school. A college can have four programs listed and six not. WIOA pays only for the listed one.
How WIOA pays for a program on the Minnesota list
- Find your center. The Minnesota WIOA guide covers intake, documents, and timing in the state.
- Register on the CareerForce job-search system.
- Contact a CareerForce location or a contracted dislocated worker provider (listed on careerforce.mn.gov/dislocatedworker); statewide line 651-259-7500.
- Complete the eligibility determination; DEED requires it before any individualized or training service, and the provider decides whether you fit WIOA, the state Dislocated Worker program, or both.
- Agree a plan, choose a WIOA-certified program in the Career and Education Explorer, and receive the ITA.
WIOA is a grant. You do not pay it back if you finish the program. The national application guide covers the six steps in detail, and the occupation guides cover what boards typically pay for CDL, CNA, LPN, phlebotomy, and the trades.
How a training provider gets on the Minnesota ETPL
Providers apply to the Department of Employment and Economic Development (ETPL.deed@state.mn.us). DEED reviews the program against state and local demand and marks it WIOA certified in the Career and Education Explorer, where job seekers and counselors search it.
Initial eligibility asks for the program's credential, length, cost, and the occupation it leads to. Continued eligibility asks for outcomes. Continued eligibility is reviewed every two years, with annual performance reporting on completion, employment, earnings, and credentials for every certified program.
Registered apprenticeship sponsors are listed automatically on request in every state; the apprenticeship guide covers that path.
What staying on the list requires: the reporting
Every listed program reports the same federal measures each year: how many participants completed, how many were employed in the second and fourth quarters after exit, their median earnings, and how many earned the credential. States pull employment and earnings from wage records; providers supply completions and credentials. A program that misses the state's minimum levels comes off the list, and a provider that misses the reporting deadline comes off with it.
The two numbers providers most often cannot produce on demand are credential attainment inside the one-year window and a verified placement record. The credential attainment guide and the six-indicator guide cover what each requires.