supporting statement 1205-0137 2010

OMB Control No. 1205-0137
Supporting Statement for Extension without Revisions

A.

Justification
1. The collection of information by means of the Occupational Code Assignment
(OCA) form is necessary to help occupational information users relate an
occupational specialty or job title to an occupational code and title within the
framework of the O*NET-SOC (Occupational Information Network-Standard
Occupational Classification) based system. It helps provide occupational
codes for jobs where duties have changed to the extent that the published
information is no longer appropriate or the user is unable to classify the job on
their own.
The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) classifies nearly all
occupations in the United States economy. However, new specialties are
constantly evolving and emerging. The use of the OCA form is voluntary and
is provided (1) as a uniform format for the public and private sectors to submit
information requesting an occupational code, (2) to provide input to a
database of alternative (lay) titles to facilitate searches of O*NET information
in O*NET OnLine, O*NET Code Connector, and America’s Career
Information Network, and (3) to assist the O*NET system in identifying
potential occupations that may need to be included in future O*NET data
collection efforts.
The O*NET-SOC system consists of a database that organizes the work done
by individuals into approximately 950 occupational categories. O*NET
occupations have associated data on the importance and level of a range of
occupational characteristics and requirements, including Knowledge, Skills,
Abilities, Tasks, and Work Activities. Since the O*NET-SOC system is based
on the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, receiving an
O*NET-SOC code and title facilitates linkage to national, state, and local
occupational employment and wage estimates.
The legislative authority for the Occupational Code Assignment is Public Law
105-220, August 7, 1998, Workforce Investment Act, Section 309.
Employment Statistics, which amends Sec. 15 of the Wagner-Peyser Act.
This legislation authorizes the Secretary of Labor to maintain a system of
employment statistics that includes in (D) “procedures to ensure compatibility
and additivity of the data and the information described in subparagraphs (A)
and (B) from national State and local levels;” and in (E) “procedures to
support standardization and aggregation of data from administrative reporting
systems described in subparagraph (A) of employment-related programs.”

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The Occupational Code Assignment helps users obtain an O*NET-SOC code
which allows for compatibility and standardization in the area of occupational
coding. A copy of the legislative authority for information collection is
attached.
2. Occupational analysts use the information obtained on the OCA form to aid
them in identifying the most appropriate occupational code and title to the job
or specialty described in the information submitted. The information is also
used to provide input to the O*NET alternative (lay) titles database which
supports the search functions in O*NET OnLine (http://online.onetcenter.org),
O*NET Code Connector (http://www.onetcodeconnector.org) and America’s
Career Information Network (http://www.acinet.org). Finally, it is used to
assist the O*NET system in analyzing occupations that have potential for
inclusion in future O*NET data collection efforts.
In the past, local and national office staff from One-Stop Career Centers,
Office of Apprenticeship, Foreign Labor Certification, as well as the general
public, have used the OCR form to submit requests for occupational titles, and
codes for occupations that could not be found in the Dictionary of
Occupational Titles. Since 2003 they have used the OCA form to assist with
identifying codes for occupations in the O*NET system. It is expected that
these constituents will continue to use the OCA form to help them locate
occupational codes in the O*NET system.
3. In 2003, to comply with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, the
Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, tasked its
grantee, the National Center for O*NET Development, to design an automated
intake process in which respondents can complete an online version of the
OCA form, or download a copy of an OCA form from the Internet. A
"guidance page" outlining the OCA process is available on the O*NET
Resource Center website at http://www.onetcenter.org, with links from both
O*NET OnLine and the O*NET Code Connector websites. Users are able to
save an electronic copy of OCA Form - Part A from the website, complete the
questions without printing the form, then e-mail the saved form to the
National Center for O*NET Development. When users access the online
OCA, the information they enter is automatically transferred to an OCA
database. With both methods, users are able to complete an OCA request
electronically, without the need for any paper.
The use of improved technology for the OCA process will reduce the burden
on users. Users no longer have to request a paper copy of the form and wait
for this paper copy to arrive via mail or fax to initiate the OCA request
process. Instead, users are able to access the downloadable OCA Form - Part
A or the online OCA process on the web and simultaneously complete an
electronic version of the form. Returning the forms is also less burdensome
for users with the implementation of improved technology. After

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downloading OCA Form - Part A, users are able to save the completed version
of the form, then e-mail the saved copy to the National O*NET Center as an
attachment. If users complete the online OCA process, the information is
automatically transferred to a database maintained by the National O*NET
Center. Users no longer have to mail or fax a paper copy of the completed
forms. The use of technology enables users to submit information in the most
efficient manner for them.
4. The OCA program was developed by ETA as a unique public service in order
to assist government program offices and others who are unable to identify
needed occupational codes using the O*NET Code Connector. The Code
Connector provides users the ability to self-select an O*NET-SOC code
related to a title not currently in the O*NET database. The OCA program
gives users additional assistance, when necessary, only for those cases where
the user is unable to identify an appropriate O*NET-SOC code. No
duplication of effort exists between the two systems.
5. Small business firms are involved only if they submit an OCA form
requesting a code assignment.
6. Information is received and processed as a public service. The frequency of
data processing is determined by user need. Given the evolutionary nature of
jobs and occupations in the United States, this effort is needed on an ongoing
basis. Without this service, users have no alternatives when faced with the
task of assigning an occupational code to a unique title.
7. Data collected is consistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.
8. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the public was
given a sixty-day opportunity to review and comment on this data collection
by a notice published in the Federal Register (Vol. 74, 62602) on November
30, 2009. No comments were received.
9. No payments or gifts are, or will be, offered to respondents.
10. It is the policy of the ETA, Office of Workforce Investment, to keep records
secure and confidential. No information is released which contains
identifying information about individuals or firms.
11. No information of a sensitive nature is requested on the OCA form.

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12. Occupational analysts processed the following OCAs from 2007- 2009:
Year
2007
2008
2009
Total 2007-9

Respondents
42
13
13
68

Total OCAs per year 68 divided by 3 = 23 OCAs per year on average

Form

Requests
per year

Hours/request1

OCA - Part A

23

.5

Total
Annualized
Hours
11.5

Salary Expenditure Used2
(Hours x hourly income)
$457.47

1

Estimates on OCA form - Part A = 30 minutes
Salary based on America’s Career InfoNet data for Human Resource Manager, median income =
$39.78/hour
2

Estimated total burden hours = 6.42 hours
Estimated total annual cost for respondents = $457.47
13. There is no cost burden for respondents.
14. Direct Federal Costs associated with this effort are $0.
15. There is no change in the form. The adjustment in the calculation of burden is
based on a slightly larger average annualized number of requests over the past
three years.
16. This information will not be published separately. The data will be included
in the O*NET alternate (lay) titles database which supports O*NET OnLine
and O*NET Code Connector and is available as a downloadable file from the
O*NET Resource Center Web site.
17. ETA will display the OMB number and expiration date on the ETA 741.
18. There are no exceptions.
B.

Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods
The collection of information does not employ statistical methods.

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