H1-B Ready to Work Partnership Grant Applications Supplemental Supporting Statement

Generic Solicitation for Grant Applications

H1-B Ready to Work Partnership Grant Applications Justification

Supplemental Supporting Statement A: Justification

Abstract:

This request seeks OMB approval for the unique information collections contained in the H1-B Ready to Work Partnership Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA). Section 414 (c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (29 USC 2916a), authorizes this program. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), will announce the availability of approximately $150 million in funds for the H-1B Ready to Work Partnership (Ready to Work) grant program. The ETA will award these grants through a competitive process.

The DOL expects to fund approximately 20-30 grants with individual grant amounts ranging from $3 million to $10 million. This grant program is designed to provide long-term unemployed workers with individualized counseling, training and supportive and specialized services leading to rapid employment in occupations and industries for which employers use H-1B visas to hire foreign workers. A small percentage of other unemployed and/or incumbent workers may also be served through this program. These grants are financed by a user fee paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Grant awards will be made only to the extent that funds are available.

Grants will be awarded to the lead applicant of a public and private partnership of entities that includes: the workforce investment system; training providers, such as community colleges and community-based and faith-based organizations; and, business and business-related groups, trade associations, nonprofit business or industry, organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses, individual businesses, or consortia of businesses. As a pre-condition to be considered for Ready to Work funding, there must be at least three employers or a regional industry association consisting of at least three employers who are actively engaged in the project. Additional partners that reflect the character and resources of the local or regional economy and the community are strongly encouraged. Finally, the Department is committed to producing strong evidence on the effectiveness of the grantee programs, and full participation in any national evaluation initiated by DOL is a condition of all grants awarded.

Applications include the following information collections:

• List of all entities in the primary partnership;

• Abstract;

• Documentation of employer commitment;

• Form SF-424 and attachments (separately cleared under control number 4040-0004);

• Project narrative and attachments.

Electronic availability:

This grant solicitation is available on the grants.gov Web site. Based on past DOL experience, the Department anticipates 80 percent of responses will be submitted electronically.

Small Entities:

This information collection will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Assurances of confidentiality:

These grant solicitations do not offer applicants assurances of confidentiality.

Special circumstances:

This SGA implicates no special circumstances.

Burden:

Based on past experience, the DOL expects to receive approximately 200 applications. The ETA estimates public reporting burden for the information collection to average 20 hours per response for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining needed data, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

250 applications x 20 hours = 5,000 hours.

The DOL has increased the October 2013, average hourly earnings in the professional and business services industry of $30.38 by 40 percent (total $42.53) to monetize this burden. See The Employment Situation—December 2013, DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_01102014.pdf at 35.

5,000 hours x $42.53 = $212,650.

The DOL associates no other burden costs with this information collection. In addition to the application, each grantee will be required to submit quarterly financial, performance, and narrative reports to the ETA and may be required to participate in an evaluation. Those information collection requirements will be cleared under a separate control number.

Total burden: 250 respondents, 200 responses, 5,000 hours, $0 other cost burden.

Supplemental Supporting Statement B: Statistical Methods

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.

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