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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for H-1B Ready to Work Partnership Grants
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY-13-07
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.268
Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is [120 day open period]. Applications must be received no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. A pre-recorded webinar will be on-line (http://www.workforce3one.org) and accessible for viewing no later than XX/XX/XXXX, and will be available for viewing any time after that date. While a review of this webinar is encouraged it is not mandatory that applicants view this recording.
Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Steven A. Rietzke, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 13-07, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.
Executive Summary: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (We, DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $150 million in funds for the H-1B Ready to Work Partnership (Ready to Work) grant program. The Department 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. This program was authorized under Section 414 (c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (29 USC 2916a). 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.
Table of Contents: This Solicitation consists of nine (9) sections:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Program Purpose
Program Authority
Targeted Industries and Occupations
Training and Service Strategies that Support Customized Interventions for Employment
Training Strategies
On-the-Job Training
Paid Work Experience
Paid Internships
Other Training Strategies
Activities and Service Strategies
II. Award Information
Award Type and Amount
Period of Performance
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
Eligible Entities
The Workforce Investment System
Training Providers
Business-related Nonprofit Organizations, Consortium of Businesses, or Business
Partnership Structure
Optional Partners
Geographic Scope
Cost Sharing or Matching
Other Information
Applicant Screening Criteria
Pre-Condition: Required Documentation of Employer Commitment
Number of Applicants Submitted
Eligible Participants
IV. Application and Submission Information
How to Obtain an Application Package
Content and Form of Application Submission
SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”
Project Budget
Project Narrative
Attachments to the Project Narrative
Submission Date, Times, Process and Addresses
Intergovernmental Review
Funding Restrictions
Other Submission Requirements
V. Application Review Information
Criteria
Review and Selection Process
VI. Award Administration and Information
Award Notices
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Reporting
VII. Agency Contacts
VIII. Other Information
Transparency
Web-Based Resources
Industry Competency-Model and Career Clusters
Workforce3one Resources
IX. OMB Information Collection
Many long-term unemployed workers lost their jobs through no fault of their own and are facing long spells of unemployment for the first time in their careers. In fact, unemployed individuals who suffered a permanent job loss are the group of workers most likely to be long-term unemployed, as compared to unemployed workers who willingly left their jobs and new entrants to the labor market. According to the BLS, 45% of unemployed permanent job losers are long-term unemployed, while only 32% of unemployed job leavers and 36% of unemployed new entrants are long-term unemployed (CPS, not seasonally adjusted, Table A-34).
Compounding long spells of unemployment, many long-term unemployed workers have mounting financial responsibilities, which often include supporting young adult children and/or caring for elderly parents. In many cases, these workers have exhausted their savings, including withdrawing funds from their retirement accounts, and they have struggled with psychological or emotional difficulties. Many of these workers are highly skilled and may require career coaching and assistance in adapting their skills and experience to new industries, while others at lower skill levels may benefit from short-term and even longer-term training to obtain jobs that can match their previous earnings. Overall, long-term unemployed workers require targeted and customized employment assistance and counseling, training, and specialized service interventions such as financial or behavior health counseling to succeed in the labor market as rapidly as possible. The Ready to Work grants explicitly seek innovative and flexible program models that primarily address the unique and varied challenges facing this group of long-term unemployed workers.
We are interested in funding programs that can effectively recruit and serve long-term unemployed workers, and that are built around a comprehensive, up-front assessment resulting in customized interventions across three tracks: 1) intensive coaching and other short-term, specialized services culminating in direct job placement into middle and high-skilled jobs; 2) short-term training leading to employment; and 3) accelerated skills training along a career pathway that leads to an industry-recognized credential and employment.
Within these tracks, we are especially interested in programs that include employer-based activities with an earnings component, such as on-the-job training, and other paid work experience, as well as specialized participant services that address the unique barriers facing long-term unemployed workers, such as financial counseling and behavioral health counseling.
These programs will include tangible commitments from employers and other partners to provide employment opportunities, technical skills training, and on-the-job experience and other paid work experience for H-1B occupations, while also addressing the barriers, income needs, and support needs unique to long-term unemployed workers. As a pre-condition to be considered for Ready to Work funding, all applicants must have at least three employers or a regional industry association with at least three employers actively engaged in the project.
The Ready to Work training program is authorized under Section 414 (c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (29 U.S.C. 2916a).
To meet the legislative intent of positioning American workers to reduce the need for foreign workers under the H-1B visa program, applicants must design their programs to support industries and occupations in demand in their regional economy(ies) and for which employers are using H–1B visas to hire foreign workers. According to recent data, a wide range of industries may meet these criteria in local and regional areas around the country. Ready to Work grants under this SGA will focus on high-growth industries and occupations defined as those that: 1) are projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy; 2) are being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skill sets for workers; 3) are new and emerging businesses that are projected to grow; or 4) have a significant impact on the economy overall or on the growth of other industries and occupations.
You should review the attached list of industries and occupations that are using H–1B visas to hire foreign workers (See Attachment A) to ensure their programs support industries and occupations for which employers are using H–1B visas to hire foreign workers. This list is not exhaustive and applicants are advised to also refer to the Foreign Labor Certification Data Center Web site (http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/performancedata.cfm) for the latest database of occupations approved under H-1B petitions.
D. Training and Service Strategies that Support Customized Interventions for Employment
Projects funded under this SGA will provide a range of interventions that lead to middle and high skilled employment, including assessment, coaching and counseling, short-term or accelerated training, and longer-term training leading to degrees and/or industry-recognized credentials. All projects will incorporate a strong up-front assessment component, allowing for a customization of services and training along three types of customized intervention tracks to employment, to meet the needs of long-term unemployed workers to become reemployed. These customized interventions are intended to result in rapid reemployment for assessed participants through one or more of the following three tracks:
Intensive coaching and other short-term, specialized services culminating in direct job placement into middle and high-skilled jobs. Generally, this track is intended to serve long-term unemployed workers who have the skills and competencies to be placed directly into middle and high skilled employment without additional training, but are in need of intensive participant services and job placement services to secure employment in middle and high-wage jobs.
Short-term training that may or may not result in an industry-recognized credential, but will lead to a skilled job. Generally, this track is intended to serve long-term unemployed workers who need short-term training to refresh or upgrade their skills and competencies and other participant and job placement services that lead to employment in middle and high skilled jobs.
Training along a career pathway that leads to an industry-recognized credential and employment in middle and high skilled jobs. Generally, this track is intended to serve long-term unemployed workers who need more intensive training that results in a degree or credential to gain new skills and competencies, as well as other participant and job placement services to support their progression along a career pathway and placement into middle and high skilled employment.
For the third track, a career pathway is defined as a system of career options which allows opportunities for professional growth and upward mobility (for additional information on career pathways, refer to ETA Training and Employment Notice 36-11). Under this SGA, training along a career pathway may start with entry-level occupations, but must lead to employment in middle and high skilled occupations in which employers are using H-1B visas. The Department encourages applicants to consider accelerated training options that will shorten the time to program completion, credential attainment, and reemployment.
Within these three customized tracks for employment, rapid reemployment and training activities can include a variety of specialized services, accelerated trainings, and related activities that lead to rapid reemployment into middle and high-skilled jobs, assist participants in gaining the skills and competencies needed to obtain employment in high-growth industries and occupations, and provide training along a career pathway that leads to an industry-recognized credential and employment in high-growth industries and occupations. In all three customized tracks, projects shall also ensure that rapid reemployment and training strategies are offered that allow long-term unemployed workers access to accelerated training and services based on individual needs.
Training Strategies
We will fund projects with training strategies that incorporate work-based training models with earning components for long-term unemployed workers in one or more of the customized interventions for rapid reemployment and training strategies, such as on-the-job training (OJT), paid work experience, paid internships, other training strategies, or any combination of these strategies. To ensure that these programs meet the needs of long-term unemployed workers, all training strategies will: 1) target skills and competencies in demand in the applicant’s regional economy and reflect those industries and occupations for which employers are using H–1B visas to hire foreign workers (see Attachment A); 2) provide skills development for jobs currently available; 3) provide accelerated education and work-based training that is appropriate for and meets the needs of long-term unemployed workers and businesses in sectors that use H-1B visas; 4) integrate activities with services to ensure that participants have the necessary support to complete education/training and overcome barriers to employment, as appropriate; 5) provide job development and placement assistance; and, 6) result (for longer-term training) in an industry-recognized credential or enable advancement along a career pathway (for shorter term training). We encourage applicants to use program models with demonstrated evidence of success in serving long-term unemployed population, especially models shown by rigorous program evaluations to have positive impacts on participants’ employment and earnings outcomes.
a. On-the-Job Training (OJT)
OJT can bridge the divide between unemployment and employment by addressing gaps in an individual’s skills and what is required for a particular occupation. Individuals who participated in OJT in the past have demonstrated improved labor market attachment and enhanced job tenure, as illustrated by higher rates of job placement and retention. OJT also offers participants a “learn and earn” training option, allowing individuals to learn new skills while earning a regular paycheck.
OJT is distinguished from other types of workplace training, including customized training, in several ways: (1) participants are hired (or employed) and earn wages from employers during training; (2) it is based on an individualized training plan that reflects the results of an individual skills assessment and analysis of job requirements; (3) training is conducted in the workplace under the direction of one or more of the employer’s supervisory personnel; and (4) the grantee pays the employer a reimbursement to cover the extraordinary costs of the training. Under this SGA, OJT has specific requirements which are detailed in Section IV.E.6 Funding Restrictions. One of these restrictions specifies that incumbent worker training does not qualify for OJT.
b. Paid Work Experience
Work experience is defined as a planned and structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace for a limited period of time. For the purposes of this SGA, work experiences are required to be paid work experiences for long-term unemployed workers. Under this SGA, paid work experience has specific requirements which are detailed in Section IV.E.6 Funding Restrictions. One of these restrictions specifies that incumbent worker training does not qualify for paid work experience.
c. Paid Internships
Internships provide a monitored or supervised work or service experience in an individual’s career field where he or she has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what is learned throughout the experience. These learning goals can include: academic learning, career development, and skill development. Internships are part of a structured program where the grantee establishes the criteria for determining who will participate in these programs; are for a set period of time that is generally limited in duration, but may be flexible to allow interns to spend limited time in the classroom; support the attainment of credentials in the individual’s expected career field (where such credentials exist); relate to training provided through the grant and help participants prepare for employment opportunities on which the grant focuses; and, do not necessarily carry an offer of regular employment upon successful completion of the internship.
For the purposes of this SGA, internships are required to be paid internships for long-term unemployed workers. Under this SGA, paid internships have specific requirements which are detailed in Section IV.E.6, Funding Restrictions. One of these restrictions specifies that incumbent worker training does not qualify for paid internships.
d. Other Training Strategies
In addition to providing work-based training models with an earnings component, projects may also incorporate other training strategies. Other types of training strategies include but are not limited to: classroom occupational training that is accelerated and contextualized for adult workers; distance learning and technology-based learning; and customized training, including incumbent worker training, for particular employers or groups of employers. If you propose to serve incumbent workers, we encourage you to work with employer partners to develop plans to create career pathways vacancies in middle and high-skill jobs for incoming long-term unemployed workers by using incumbent worker training to move existing workers into higher-skill jobs in H-1B occupations and industries.
2. Activities and Service Strategies
We will fund projects that incorporate activities and services into strategies that support customized interventions and training for rapid reemployment, which may include a wide range of activities and specialized participant services that support the skill development and reemployment of eligible participants, including but not limited to the following:
Adapting existing industry-recognized curricula to support direct education and training provided through the grant;
Costs related to accrediting employer- and/or industry-recognized credentials;
Other program development activities, such as using subject matter experts from industry, education, and other areas to assist in program design;
Accessing real-time labor market information, as it relates to identifying the long-term unemployed population, labor market demand, skills transferability, and job openings;
Developing and implementing articulation agreements with colleges, universities, and other education and training partners that allow for recognition of course credits in exchange for the education and/or training provided;
Outreach and recruitment of eligible participants;
Initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, competencies, integrated participant services, supportive service, and reemployment needs;
Job development, job search and placement assistance, and where appropriate, career counseling;
Case management services;
Specialized participant services that facilitate successful completion of education/training activities and job placement to become reemployed, such as financial assistance consultation, behavioral health counseling, mentoring, and relocation assistance; (see Section IV.E.9); and,
Supportive services that will allow individuals to participate in the training provided through the grant (see Section IV.E.8).
Only activities and services directly related to the development, implementation, and provision of education, training, job placement assistance, and services that support a participant’s participation in services that lead to direct placement and/or participation in the training program for high-growth industries for which employers are using H-1B visas are allowable activities under this grant. Please refer to Section VI of the SGA for a list of relevant OMB Circulars related to cost principles, administrative and other requirements that apply to this Solicitation and to Section IV.E for a discussion of costs that are not allowable under this Solicitation.
Funding will be provided in the form of a grant. Approximately $150 million is expected to be available to eligible organizations as described in Section III.A to fund approximately 20 - 30 grants with individual grant amounts ranging from $3 million to $10 million. Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up $10 million, and we do not intend to fund any project for less than $3 million. We reserve the right to change the number of grants awarded depending on the quantity and quality of applications submitted under this SGA. In the event that additional funds become available, we reserve the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this SGA. Grant awards will be made only to the extent that funds are available.
B. Period of Performance
The period of grant performance is 48 months from the date of execution of the grant award. This performance period includes: all necessary implementation and start-up activities; rapid reemployment services; the completion of education/training activities and the award of employer- or industry-recognized credentials, if appropriate; placement activities; and, participant follow-up for performance outcomes. We expect that the grant start date will be XX/XX/XXXX, and start-up activities, such as hiring appropriate program staff, project design activities, negotiation and implementation of OJT contracts, paid work experiences, or paid internship opportunities, will begin immediately. We also expect that grantees will begin serving participants no later than 6 months after the date of grant award. We strongly encourage grantees to develop their project work plans and timelines accordingly. You must plan to fully expend grant funds during the period of performance while ensuring full transparency and accountability for all expenditures.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
In keeping with the authority provided by Congress under ACWIA, grants under this program will be awarded to a partnership of private and public sector entities.
Grants will be awarded to the lead applicant, which will serve as the grantee and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant. Eligible lead applicants must be public or non-profit organizations that: 1) meet the definition of one of the three types of eligible entities described below; and 2) apply in partnership with at least one representative of each of the three types of eligible entities (including the lead applicant), which collectively form the “primary partnership.” An eligible entity cannot serve as more than one type of entity for the purpose of meeting the requirements to include three types of entities in the primary partnership.
At least one entity in the primary partnership or an optional partner will serve the function of what is generally referred to as a workforce intermediary, having expertise and credibility with employers and workers in the H-1B industry(ies) and/or occupations targeted through the project, as well as the capacity to manage a multi-partner and complex initiative. A range of organizations can serve in the intermediary role, including any of the following: Workforce Investment Boards, community colleges, labor unions, industry associations, community-based organizations, non-profit workforce agencies, and state and local government agencies.
1. Eligible Entities
To be eligible for consideration, applications must include at least one representative of each of the following three types of entities: a) the workforce investment system; b) education and training providers; and c) business-related nonprofit organizations, organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses, consortia of businesses, or businesses. Applications that do not include all three entities mentioned above will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Detailed eligibility requirements for each type of entity are provided below.
a. The Workforce Investment System
Public workforce system entities are organizations involved in administering the workforce investment system established under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and include state and local Workforce Investment Boards and American Job Centers Operators (as discussed under Section 121 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2841)), and workforce system partners as defined under section 121(b)(1) of WIA. Any of these types of public or non-profit organizations are eligible to apply as the lead applicant for this SGA. These organizations have expertise in workforce development and may provide leadership in implementing the following types of activities: 1) understanding and analyzing the need for education and training in the local area including identifying targeted industries, occupations, regional clusters, and hiring needs, and populations to be served, and providing relevant sources of data, including the workforce investment board’s strategic plan, labor market information, and other tools or reports; 2) assessing potential participants for the grant program; 3) identifying and referring candidates for education and training in the grant program; 4) providing additional supportive services; 5) connecting and placing participants with employers that have job openings; and 6) collecting, tracking, and reporting participant data to ETA.
b. Education and Training Providers
For the purposes of this SGA, training providers include institutions of higher education as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001), joint labor-management training partnerships, non-profit and community-based organizations that offer job training, and organizations that have been approved as WIA Eligible Training Providers. Note that while a for-profit education/training provider can be an entity included in the primary partnership, for-profit education/training providers cannot be the lead applicant.
Institutions of higher education include public or other nonprofit educational institutions. Eligible institutions must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A database of institutions that are accredited by bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. We strongly encourage you to check this Web site, as we will use this database in determining your accreditation to ensure eligibility. Generally, institutions of higher education include 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions (including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and/or Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, such as those designated by the U.S. Department of Education at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html), among others.
Other eligible training providers include joint labor-management training partnerships, non-profit and community-based and faith-based organizations that offer job training, and organizations that have been approved as WIA Eligible Training Providers. These organizations provide a range of customizable and short-term, as well as longer-term training programs that may result in industry-recognized credentials and may include basic skills training, technical skills training, supportive services, and workforce development services. We are especially interested in partnerships that include more than one training provider.
c. Business-related Nonprofit Organizations, Organizations Functioning as Workforce Intermediaries for the Expressed Purpose of Serving the Needs of Businesses, Consortium of Businesses, or Business
The primary partnership must include at least one business-related nonprofit organization, organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses, a business, or a consortium of businesses. Business-related nonprofit organizations include trade or industry associations such as local Chambers of Commerce, small business federations, and labor-management organizations. Organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses include labor unions, industry associations, community-based organizations, non-profit service providers, and state and local government agencies. A business-related non-profit organization or an organization functioning as workforce intermediaries for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses may act as the lead applicant. However, while a for-profit private business or for-profit consortium of businesses can be an entity included in the primary partnership, they cannot be the lead applicant.
Any of these organizations can provide expertise on the skills needs of the workplace. Businesses and business associations lend their expertise on skills development by: 1) defining the program goals and activities; 2) identifying necessary skills and competencies; 3) providing resources to support education/training (such as equipment, instructors, funding, internships, or OJT and other work-based learning activities); 4) providing assistance with program design and implementation; 5) hiring qualified participants who complete grant-funded education and training programs, and 6) helping to solicit employer feedback on the skills and competencies of workers completing training and placed into employment. Organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses lend their expertise by: 1) having credibility with employers and workers; 2) serving as partner, coordinator, and management services organization; and, 3) bringing together project partners to plan, govern, manage, and track performance of customized services to program participants and employers.
2. Partnership Structure
As noted above, the lead applicant must apply as part of a primary partnership that includes at least one representative of each of the three types of eligible entities defined in the preceding section. In the required Abstract (see Section IV.B.4), all applicants must clearly identify the lead applicant and each member of the primary partnership.
The lead applicant will serve as the grantee, must be the organization specified in Section 8 of the SF-424 Application Form, and will be: 1) the point of contact with the Department to receive and respond to all inquiries or communications under this SGA and any subsequent grant award; 2) the entity with authority to withdraw or draw down funds through the Department of Health and Human Services - Payment Management System (HHS-PMS); 3) the entity responsible for submitting to the Department all deliverables under the grant, including all technical and financial reports related to the project, regardless of which partnership member performed the work; 4) the entity that may request or agree to a revision or amendment of the grant agreement or statement of work; 5) the entity with overall responsibility for carrying out the programmatic functions of the grant, as well as for the stewardship of all expenditures under the grant; 6) the entity responsible for coordinating with the national evaluator; including participating in a random assignment evaluation and other studies, if selected by DOL; and 7) the entity responsible for working with DOL to close out the grant.
Optional Partners
In addition to the primary partnership, we strongly encourage you to collaborate with other partners that may include: economic development agencies; state and local governments; foundations and philanthropic organizations; providers of supportive and specialized services, such as financial counseling and behavioral health; and community-based or faith-based organizations with proven capacity to reach and engage long-term unemployed individuals, such as job clubs, networking groups, professional associations, veterans’ service organizations, and congregation outreach ministries.
Geographic Scope
Applicants may propose to serve a local, regional, or multi-regional area. A local area is defined as part or all of a single local Workforce Investment Area. A regional area is defined as two or more contiguous local Workforce Investment Areas that may or may not cross state lines. A multi-regional area is defined as more than one regional area. For regional and multi-regional applications, an organization representing the workforce investment system, such as a local WIB or American Job Center Operator, should be included as a partner in at least 50% of the local Workforce Investment Areas served.
Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing or matching funds are not required for this program. Please note that any other resources contributed to the project are considered leveraged resources and do not constitute cost sharing or matching funds. More information on leveraged resources may be found in Section IV.B.2. Applications that include any form of cost sharing or match will not receive additional consideration under the review. Cost sharing or match is not one of the application screening criteria.
Other Information
Applicant Screening Criteria
Applications that contain any of the following deficiencies will be found non-responsive and will not be reviewed. The deficiencies are:
• Failure to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV.C.;
• Applicants that submit more than one application as the lead applicant in response to this SGA;
• Applications that exceed the ceiling amount of $10 million or request less than $3 million, as referenced in Section II.A;
• Failure to include: signed SF-424 including D-U-N-S® (DUNS) Number, a project budget including a SF-424A and budget narrative, and a project narrative referenced in Section IV.B;
• Failure to register with SAM and maintain an active account referenced in Section IV.B;
• Failure to include all three required entities in the primary partnership, as referenced in Section III.A;
• Failure to include required information as an attachment referenced in Section IV.B:
Abstract;
Documentation satisfying the employer commitment pre-condition specified in Section III.E.1.a.
a. Pre-Condition: Required Documentation of Employer Commitment
To be considered for funding, applicants are required to provide documentation that demonstrates the active involvement of at least three employers or a regional industry association with at least three employers representing the industry(ies)/occupations(s) and service areas targeted through the project. For applicants that include a business or regional industry association as an entity in the primary partnership, this business or regional industry association can also serve as one of required employers or regional industry association, if appropriate. Applications that do not include at least three employers or a regional industry association with at least three employers and provide the documentation described in the paragraph below will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
To demonstrate the active involvement of employers, applicants must provide signed documentation of employer or regional industry association commitments – such as signed memoranda of understanding, an organizational charter, a partnership agreement, or other types of signed agreements – which demonstrate the engagement of each employer or regional industry association. At minimum, this documentation of commitment must:
Include the signature of an authorized representative from at least three employers or regional industry association with at least three employers;
Identify the industry(ies) and/or occupation(s) targeted by the proposed project that are represented by each required employer. If an employer or employer(s) of a regional industry association provides employment opportunities in more than one industry and/or occupation to be served by the grant, the employer can represent more than one industry/occupation targeted through the project;
Indicate that the employers or employer(s) of a regional industry association are located in an area(s) served by the project, and that all areas served have employer representation. If an employer or employer(s) of a regional industry association provides employment opportunities in more than one area to be served by the grant, the employer can represent more than one service area targeted through the project;
Describe how the employers are involved in the project, including their role in providing OJT, paid work experience, paid internships, or other work-based training opportunities, if applicable;
Describe, where appropriate, any employer commitments to consider hiring qualified participants who complete grant-funded education and training programs based on real job projections; and
Identify what specific resources, such as mentors, the donation of equipment, or other contributions, are being provided by those employers to support the proposed project, if any.
We particularly encourage partnerships that include multiple employers in an industry cluster, which is a concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, research and development, service providers, and associated institutions in a particular field that are linked by common workforce needs. Working with multiple businesses helps ensure that training prepares workers for a range of employer needs in a specific industry, making participants more employable and giving businesses a stronger employee pool.
Number of Applications to be Submitted
You may only submit one application as the lead applicant in response to this SGA. However, you may submit one application as lead applicant, and in addition may be included as a partner in one or more applications submitted where you are not the lead applicant.
a) Participants Eligible to Receive Training
To be eligible to receive training through projects funded under this SGA, participants must fall under one of the following three categories: (1) long-term unemployed workers; (2) other unemployed workers; or, (3) incumbent workers. At least 85% of the participants served by the project must be from category (1), and no more than 15% of the total participants served from categories (2) and (3). Definitions for each eligible participant category are provided below:
Long-term unemployed workers: For the purposes of this SGA, we define “long-term unemployed workers” as an individual who has been unemployed for 27 consecutive weeks or more. Included in this definition are: individuals who have lost their job during or after the recent recession (commencing from December 1, 2007 forward) and have exhausted or nearly exhausted unemployment benefits (if they were eligible to receive such benefits); underemployed individuals who lost their job during or after the recent recession and have obtained only episodic, short-term, or part-time employment but have not yet reconnected with a full-time job commensurate with the individual’s level of education, skills, and previous wage or salary earned prior to the individual’s loss of permanent employment;
Other unemployed workers: For the purposes of this SGA, we define “other unemployed workers” as an individual who is without a job for fewer than 27 consecutive weeks (i.e. not long-term unemployed as referenced above), is not “underemployed” as defined above, and who wants and is available to work; and
Incumbent workers: For the purposes of this SGA, we define “incumbent workers” as an employed worker in need of skills upgrade to obtain a new job or retain a current job that is requiring new or different skills in an H-1B industry/occupation, and where training is developed with an employer or employer association to upgrade skills training. This definition includes newly hired workers and workers whose hours have been reduced and/or earnings have declined. An employed worker whose employer does not have a training agreement with the grantee (where training is developed with an employer or employer association to upgrade skills training) is not eligible to be served under this SGA.
Where possible, applicants serving incumbent workers are encouraged to demonstrate how they or employers that have partnered with to provide incumbent worker training will work to backfill with long-term unemployed participants, job vacancies left by participating incumbent workers who have moved into higher-skill jobs.
Candidates to be served through these grants must be at least 18 years old and have at least a high school diploma or a GED, as well as some post-secondary education and/or work experience that would allow them to enter an H-1B occupation after completing the program. Candidates may already have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, but they do not necessarily have to possess these degrees to be eligible.
b) Veterans Priority for Participants
The Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288) requires grantees to provide priority of service for veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations implementing this priority of service can be found at 20 CFR part 1010. In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two equally qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible spouse, the veterans priority of service provisions require that the grant recipient give the veteran or eligible spouse priority of service by first providing him or her that service. To obtain priority of service, a veteran or spouse must first meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on veterans’ priority. ETA’s Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in all qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL. TEGL No. 10-09 is available at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816.
This SGA, found at www.Grants.gov and http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm, contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”
Applicants must complete the SF-424,“Application for Federal Assistance” (available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1) . The SF-424 must clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an award, the individual signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant shall be considered the authorized representative of the applicant. As stated in block 21 of the SF-424 form, signature of the authorized representative on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and Certifications form SF-424B (available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1) . The SF-424B is not required to be submitted with the application.
Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application. Instructions for registering with SAM can be found at https://sam.gov. An awardee must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently updates its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award.
2. Project Budget
Applicants must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1). In preparing the Budget Information Form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.
Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It should also include a description of leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities.
Use the following guidance for preparing the budget narrative:
Personnel – List all staff positions by title. Give the annual salary of each person, the percentage of each person’s time devoted to the project, the amount of each person’s salary funded by the grant and the total personnel cost for the period of performance.
Fringe Benefits – Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, retirement, etc.
Travel – Specify the purpose, mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and out-of-state trips and other costs for each type of travel.
Equipment – Identify each item of equipment to be purchased which has an estimated acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit and a useful lifetime of more than one year. List the quantity and unit cost per item. Items with a unit cost of less than $5,000 are supplies.
Supplies – Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment.” The detailed budget should identify categories of supplies (e.g. office supplies). List the quantity and unit cost per item.
Contractual – Identify each proposed contract and specify its purpose and estimated cost. If applicable, identify any sub-recipient agreements, including purpose and estimated costs.
Construction – Construction costs are not allowed and this line must be left as zero. Minor alterations to adjust an existing space for grant activities (such as a classroom alteration) may be allowable. DOL does not consider this as construction and the costs must be shown on other appropriate lines such as Contractual.
Other – List each item in sufficient detail for DOL to determine whether the costs are reasonable or allowable. List any item, such as stipends or incentives, not covered elsewhere here.
Indirect Charges – If indirect charges are included in the budget, include the approved indirect cost rate with a copy of the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, a description of the base used to calculate indirect costs and total cost of the base, and the total indirect charges requested. See Section IV.B.4. and Section IV.E.1. for more information.
Note that the entire Federal grant amount requested (not just one year) must be included on the SF-424 and SF-424A and budget narrative. No leveraged resources should be shown on the SF-424 and SF-424A. The amount listed on the SF-424, SF-424A and budget narrative must be the same. The funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered the official funding amount requested if any inconsistencies are found.
3. Project Narrative
The Project Narrative must demonstrate the applicant’s capability to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this Solicitation. It provides a comprehensive framework and description of all aspects of the proposed project. It must be succinct, self-explanatory, and well organized so that reviewers can understand the proposed project.
The Project Narrative is limited to 25 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12 point text font and 1 inch margins. Any materials beyond the specified page limit will not be read or considered in the application review process. Applicants must number the Project Narrative beginning with page number 1.
a. Preparing the Project Narrative
Statement of Need
In this section, you must describe the need for accelerated reemployment services, short-term and longer-term skills training, and specialized participant services to assist long-term unemployed workers to gain the skills, competencies, experiences, and opportunities needed to be reemployed in middle and high skilled jobs, as well as for other populations served to obtain or upgrade employment in H-1B industries/occupations, if applicable.
Targeted Industries and Occupations
Identify and describe the high growth industry(ies) and/or occupations targeted by the proposed program;
Cite evidence that demonstrates that the selected high-growth industry(ies) and/or occupation(s) is one for which employers currently seek H-1B visas (refer to Attachment A for H-1B Visa Information);
Identify and describe the skills and competencies necessary for entry into or retention in the selected high-growth H-1B industry(ies) and/or occupation(s) and identify and describe the education and training required to attain the skills, competencies, and degrees/credentials required for the selected high-growth H-1B industry(ies) and/or occupation(s); and
Cite evidence that identifies the average, current wages offered for the selected high-growth H-1B industry(ies) and/or occupation(s), based on national, state, or local data.
Employer Engagement
Provide evidence that local and/or regional employers face a gap in skills of the available workforce and/or in the training available to the workforce. Describe the current and future projected demand for employment in the selected high-growth H-1B industry(ies) and/or occupation(s), including how the demand coincides with the proposed project. You must cite the source for the projected demand, such as DOL – Bureau of Labor Statistics or other DOL sources, state workforce agencies’ sources, employers, or other written labor market information provided by employers, or other knowledgeable parties;
Identify and describe the specific role(s) of each employer and/or regional industry association with at least three employers committed to the project (as identified in the pre-condition requirement), and how these roles support the goals of the project, including identifying the following activities, as applicable:
OJT, paid-work experience, paid internships, or other training opportunities to be provided through these partnerships;
Providing assistance with program design;
Prioritizing job openings to consider hiring qualified participants who complete grant-funded education and training programs; and
Plans to work with the program to hire long-term unemployed participants to backfill job vacancies left by incumbent worker participants who move into higher-skill jobs.
You must include as an attachment evidence of this commitment in a partnership agreement, letter, or other means (as described in Section III.E.1.a); and
Describe how you will leverage existing partnerships and/or develop new partnerships with employers throughout the life of the grant.
Targeted Population
You must provide detailed evidence on how they will serve and meet the needs of long-term unemployed workers.
Identify the targeted population(s) to be served through the project. You must show how you will ensure that at least 85 percent of participants served through the program will be long-term unemployed workers;
Cite evidence identifying the number or percentage of long-term unemployed workers located in the proposed service area(s) and their demographic characteristics, using available data sources. In reference to geographic scope, you should cite the most relevant data available, based on national, state, or local data available;
Describe the service, education, and/or training needs of long-term unemployed workers in the proposed service area(s), including educational attainment levels, career level, work experience, age, length of unemployment and relationship with the unemployment insurance (UI) system; and
Describe the service, education, and/or training needs of other unemployed or incumbent workers in the proposed service area(s), including educational attainment levels, career level, work experience, age, and length of unemployment, if applicable.
Methodology and Work Plan
i. Program Model/Strategy
Outreach and Recruitment
Describe the participant outreach and recruitment plan for engaging long-term unemployed workers, including the types of strategy(ies) to reach this population (such as the state UI system, job clubs, community organizations, faith-based organizations, business entities, on-line social media, public workforce system partners); identifying outreach partners, and the process for ensuring collaboration between you, your outreach partners, and other relevant partners in these activities; and
If applicable, also describe the participant outreach and recruitment plan for other unemployed or incumbent workers, including the types of strategies to reach this population (such as the public workforce system, employers); identifying outreach partners, and the process for ensuring collaboration between you, your outreach partners, and other relevant partners in these activities.
Assessment Strategy
Describe the process to be used for determining individuals are eligible to be served through the program, including how this process will ensure at least 85 percent of participants served are long-term unemployed workers; and
Describe in detail the assessment process that will be used after eligibility determination has been made to determine which of the three customized intervention tracks to employment is appropriate for long-term unemployed workers, and if applicable, other unemployed or incumbent workers.
Rapid Reemployment and Training Strategy
Identify and describe the education and training strategies that will be used to serve long-term unemployed participants following completion of the assessment process identified in Section IV.B.3.a.2.i.b. You must identify the specific education and training activities including those that incorporate an earnings component (such as OJT, paid work experience, paid internship, or Registered Apprenticeship) and any other training activities within each strategy;
If applicable, identify and describe the education and training strategies that other unemployed or incumbent workers will be referred to following the assessment process identified in Section IV.B.3.a.2.i.b. You must identify specific education and training activities included in these strategies;
Describe how the proposed education and training strategies are appropriate for the targeted population(s) to be served and will address the skills, training gaps, and other needs of participants identified in Section IV.B 3.a.1.iii;
Identify the degree(s) and/or industry-recognized credential(s) that will result from participants completing education and training activities, if appropriate. Longer-term training or training along a career pathway must result in a degree or industry-recognized credential; and
For applicants proposing to serve incumbent workers, identify the specific type(s) of documentation to be gathered from an employer(s) to validate the completion and attainment of skills obtained as a result of training.
Supportive Services and Specialized Participant Services Strategies
Identify the proposed service strategy(ies) to be used to support the project’s proposed reemployment and training strategies for long-term unemployed workers served through the project. You must identify the specific services included in these strategies, including WIA supportive services, specialized participant services, case management services, and other types of services necessary to succeed in training and employment;
If applicable, identify the proposed service strategy(ies) to be used to support the project’s proposed reemployment and training strategies for other unemployed or incumbent workers served through the project. You must identify the specific services included in these strategies, including WIA supportive services, specialized participant services, case management services, and other types of services necessary to address barriers to training, employment, and employment retention;
Cite evidence of the effectiveness of the services you propose in addressing barriers to training, employment, and employment retention, as applicable; and
Describe how you will provide these services to participants, identifying the specific service providers (or specifying a plan to procure specific types of service providers) and how these services will be administered through effective case management.
Job Placement Strategy
Identify the proposed job placement strategies to ensure long-term unemployed workers obtain employment in H-1B industry/occupations. You must identify the specific job placement service/activities included in these strategies; and
Identify the proposed job placement strategies to be used with other unemployed and/or incumbent workers become reemployed, avert layoff, retain employment, and/or receive wage increases or promotions through the project. You must identify the specific job placement services/activities included in these strategies.
ii. Project Work Plan
You must present a comprehensive project work plan and may use the suggested format found in Attachment C. The project work plan must demonstrate a cohesive, well-designed approach to implement the project. You must also describe the capacity of the lead applicant to manage the project and the role the partners will play in specific activities.
Feasible and Realistic Activities and Timeframes
Describe the activities, timeframes, deliverables, and key implementers required to implement the training and service strategies described in this Methodology and Work Plan section within the grant period of performance. Include timeframes for accomplishing all start-up activities immediately following the start of the grant period of performance and serving participants no later than 6 months after the grant start date.
Organizational Capacity and Project Management
You must fully describe your capacity to effectively manage the programmatic, fiscal, and administrative aspects of the project.
You must provide an organizational chart, included as an attachment to the project narrative. The organizational chart must clearly identify:
The lead applicant in the primary partnership, at least three employer partners required as a pre-condition, any additional optional partners, and the linkages between each entity and/or organization; and
All relevant leadership, program, administrative, and advisory positions within each entity and/or organization.
You must describe the project staffing plan, including:
The professional qualifications that will be required of the full-time project manager. Explain why these qualifications are sufficient to ensure that performance reporting, fiscal reporting, and procurement are conducted in accordance with grant requirements. Provide a reasonable timeframe for hiring the project manager if one is not already identified, and describe plans to assign an interim project manager if required. If planning to hire a project manager, provide a plan to appoint an interim project manager, who will serve until the new project manager is hired; and
Describe the professional qualifications that will be required of the fiscal, administrative management, and marketing staff. Explain why these qualifications are sufficient to ensure proper performance reporting, fiscal reporting, procurement management, and marketing activities. Provide a reasonable timeframe for hiring these individuals if they are not already on staff.
Similar Experience and Capacity
Describe two examples of multi-partner, multi-service employment and training programs led by any of the entities included in the primary partnership, or other partner(s). These may include completed projects and/or projects still underway, as long as implementation is substantially underway and measurable outcomes have been attained. Examples provided should include a discussion of:
A description of all key aspects of the program that led to measurable results for workers seeking to upgrade their skills and secure quality employment outcomes, and employers seeking to hire and/or promote qualified workers;
Management of funds from public and/or private sources, including a discussion of the accounting systems used, timely financial reporting and processing of payments from the grantor(s) to you and from you to partners, and accuracy of budgeted to actual expenditures; and
Staffing approach, including the roles and responsibilities of executive, program, and administrative staff, as well other personnel such as board members, advisors, and consultants.
Systems and Processes
Explain how the proposed project will use systems and processes that enable timely and accurate financial and performance reporting, and allow for expeditious procurement procedures that comply with Federal, state (if applicable), and other relevant laws and requirements, including across partners, as applicable;
State whether reports (program and financial) for the most recent grant(s) from ETA or other sources have been submitted on time, and describe the grants management practices used to complete grant activities within the period of performance; and
Describe the procurement processes, systems, and procedures of the lead applicant.
Outcomes and Outputs
You must provide outcome projections, an effective plan to track and report all outcome measures for all program participants, and an effective plan for the use of reported data to continuously assess the effectiveness of and to improve the program. Your performance in meeting your outcome projections may impact our decision to award you any future grants.
i. Projected Performance Outcomes
Grantees must report data on a number of outcome measures on a quarterly basis, as specified in Section VI.C. You must provide projections in your applications for the following seven outcome measures:
1. Total participants served through the program;
You must provide sub-totals for long-term unemployed workers, other unemployed workers, and incumbent workers to be served, as applicable.
2. Total participants enrolled in education/training activities;
3. Total participants completing education/training activities;
4. Total participants who complete education/training activities who receive a degree, or other type of credential;
5. Total unemployed participants who obtain unsubsidized employment (includes all employment placements for long-term unemployed and unemployed participants served through the project);
6. Total incumbent workers that advance into a new position; and
7. The average wage that participants will earn at placement into unsubsidized employment (this includes incumbent workers who retain their positions and get wage gains after the program, if applicable).
Numerical Outcome Projections
Provide numerical outcome projections for each of the seven outcome measures specified above that reflect the program’s expected results for participants (refer to Attachment B for the definitions of each of the outcomes and a sample format for providing these projections). You must provide the targets in raw numbers for each of the outcome measures; percentages, percent increases, or other types of data projections are not acceptable, with the exception of outcome projects for sub-totals for long-term unemployed workers, other unemployed workers, and incumbent workers to be served, as applicable. The targets should be provided for each year of the grant as well as for the total grant period; and
You must present their information in a performance outcomes table (see Attachment B for a sample format), to be included as an attachment to the project narrative and does not count against the page limit. The table should be formatted to include sub-totals for each type of targeted population group served for each outcome goal, as appropriate, as well as total sums for each outcome goal.
Explanation of Outcome Projections
Explain how the outcome projections are appropriate numerical targets for the program design by providing an explanation of how the targets were derived and how the targets fit into the overall timeline of grant implementation.
ii. Ability to Report Outcomes
Describe existing or planned systems for tracking participant-level data on characteristics, services, activities, and employment outcomes of participants served through the project to report to the Department during the life of your grant. In addition, you must describe how you will use these systems to regularly assess progress toward its identified performance goals; and
Describe how you will collect employment outcomes of participants, including processes and procedures for collecting these outcomes after participants have completed the program, as necessary.
iii. Cost-Per-Participant
Identify the proposed cost-per-participant for long-term unemployed participants. You may provide an overall cost-per-participant for participants served through the program, or a cost-per-participant for each customized service and training strategy track;
Identify the proposed cost-per-participant for other unemployed or incumbent worker participants served through the program, if applicable; and
Cite evidence demonstrating how the cost(s)-per-participant you propose align with similar programs you, partners, or other organizations have conducted, including a justification for how costs may differ for the proposed program, based on the characteristics of the population(s) served.
4. Attachments to the Project Narrative
In addition to the Project Narrative, you must submit attachments. All attachments must be clearly labeled as Attachments. Only those attachments listed below will be excluded from the page limit. Additional materials such as resumés or general letters of support must not be included. You must submit your application in one package because documents received separately will be tracked separately and will not be attached to the application for review. Save all files with descriptive file names of 50 characters or less and be sure to only use standard characters in file names: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and underscore (_). File names may not include special characters (e.g. &,–,*,%,/,#), periods (.), blank spaces or accent marks, and must be unique (i.e., no other attachment may have the same file name). An underscore (example: my_Attached_File.pdf) may be used to separate a file name.
You must submit the following attachments:
a. Abstract: You must submit an abstract of up to two-pages summarizing the proposed project, including, but not limited to, the scope of the project and proposed outcomes. The abstract will serve as a summary of the project and will be shared publicly. The abstract must identify the following information: (1) lead applicant name; (2) lead applicant city/state; (3) primary partnership entities; (4) areas served by the grant; (5) total funding requested; (6) project name; (7) summary of program activities and list of credentials to be awarded; (8) populations to be served; (9) targeted H-1B Industry(s)/Occupation(s); (10) required employer or regional industry association partners; (11) additional key partners; and, (12) public contact information. A suggested format may be found in Attachment D. If using grants.gov for submission, this document must be attached under the Mandatory Other Attachment section and labeled “Abstract.” Please note that you will be held to outcomes provided and failure to meet those outcomes may have a significant impact on future grants with ETA.
b. Documentation of Employer Commitment: You must submit documentation of employer(s) or regional industry association commitment that includes signatures from the employer(s) or regional industry association as required in Section III.E.1.a. of the SGA, and describes their role and responsibility in the project. This documentation does not eliminate the need to follow the procurement requirements specified at 29 CFR 95.40 – 48 where the parties enter into a contract for supplies or services, if applicable. If using http://www.grants.gov for submission, this document must be attached under the Mandatory Other Attachment section and labeled Documentation of Employer Commitment.
Additional attachments that are required for all applicants, which may impact the scoring under Section V.A, are:
c. Performance Outcomes Table: You must provide projected performance outcomes information in a performance outcomes table (see Section IV.B.3a.4i). The table should be formatted to include sub-totals for each type of targeted population group served for each outcome goal, as appropriate, as well as total sums for each outcome goal.
d. Documentation of Commitment to Participate in Evaluation, if selected: Applicants awarded a grant may be required to participant in a Federal evaluation of the Ready to Work program (see Section VI.B.4a). You must submit a statement of commitment to participate in a national evaluation initiated by DOL, for the applicant and all partners, including employers or regional industry associations. The evaluation may involve making records on participants, employers and funding available; providing access to program and partner personnel, and participants, and following evaluation procedures as specified by the evaluator(s) under the direction of DOL ETA and the Chief Evaluation Office, including after the period of operation.
e. Organizational Chart: You must provide an organizational chart that identifies all relevant leadership, program, administrative, and advisory positions for the project. If using grants.gov for submission, this document must be attached under the Mandatory Other Attachment section and labeled Organizational Chart.
f. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: If you are requesting indirect charges, attach the most recent Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by the applicant’s cognizant Federal agency. (For more information, see Section IV.B.2. and Section IV.E.1.).
C. Submission Date, Times, Process and Addresses
The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is [120 day open period]. Applications must be submitted either electronically on http://www.grants.gov or in hard copy by mail or in hard copy by hand delivery (including overnight delivery). Hard copy applications must be received at the address below no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Applicants are cautioned that applications should be submitted before the deadline to ensure that the risk of late receipt of the application is minimized. Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted.
Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy by mail or overnight delivery must submit an original signed application (including the SF-424) and one (1) ‘‘copy-ready’’ version free of bindings, staples or protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the proposal by DOL. Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy are also required to include in the hard copy submission an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc (CD). If discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy are identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official applicant submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical applications in hardcopy and CD format may have an impact on the overall evaluation.
If an application is physically submitted by both hard copy and through http://www.grants.gov, a letter must accompany the hard-copy application stating which application to review. If no letter accompanies the hard copy, we will review the copy submitted through http://www.grants.gov.
No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. Further, documents submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, will not be accepted as part of the application.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Steve Rietzke, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 13-07, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington DC area may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered proposals will be received at the above address. All overnight delivery submissions will be considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the specified closing date and time.
Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be successfully submitted at http://www.grants.gov no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then subsequently validated by Grants.gov. The submission and validation process is described in more detail below. The process can be complicated and time-consuming. Applicants are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as possible and to plan for time to resolve technical problems if necessary. Note that validation does not mean that your application is complete, or has been accepted for review. Rather, it is a required step in the application process.
We strongly recommend that before applicants begin to write the proposal, they should immediately initiate and complete the “Get Registered” registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html. You should read through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may take as much as four weeks to complete, and this time should be factored into plans for timely electronic submission in order to avoid unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application. The site also contains registration checklists to help applicants walk through the process. We strongly recommend that you download the “Organization Registration Checklist” at http://www.grants.gov/documents/19/18243/OrganizationRegChecklist.pdf/fc7e7c18-2497-4b08-8d9b-bfac399947a3 and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last minute searches for required information and save time.
As described earlier in Section IV.B.1., you must have a DUNS Number and must register with the System for Award Management (SAM).
The next step in the registration process is creating a username and password with Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). AORs will need to know the DUNS Number of the organization for which they will be submitting applications to complete this process. To read more detailed instructions for creating a profile on Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html.
After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz point of Contact (E-Biz POC) - a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM – will receive an email to grant the AOR permission to submit applications on behalf of their organization. The E-Biz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and approve an individual as the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. To learn more about AOR Authorization visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html, or to track AOR status visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html.
An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, establishes an AOR. When an application is submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application. You must register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions.
When a registered applicant submits an application with Grants.gov, an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. Within two business days of application submission, Grants.gov will send the applicant two email messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system. The first email, sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov. The second email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors. Grants.gov will reject applications if the applicant’s registration in SAM is expired. Only applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and subsequently successfully validated will be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure a timely submission. While it is not required that an application be successfully validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has not been successfully validated. Therefore, sufficient time should be allotted for submission (two business days) and, if applicable, additional time to address errors and receive validation upon resubmission (an additional two business days for each ensuing submission). It is important to note that if sufficient time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and time, the application will not be considered.
To ensure consideration, the components of the application must be saved as .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtf or .pdf files. If submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent DOL from considering the application. DOL will attempt to open the document but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening. In such cases, the non-conforming application will not be considered for funding.
We strongly advise applicants to use the various tools and documents, including FAQs, which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html.
We encourage new prospective applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.
To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for users and other time sensitive updates as information is available, applicants may subscribe to “Grants.gov Updates” at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html.
If you encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an answer in any of the other resources, please contact Grants.gov Customer Service. For more information please visit http://www.grants.gov/documents/19/18249/CustomerServiceProcess.pdf/35f168e0-49ea-426f-be2b-5b772178326d or call 1-800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or email “[email protected]”. The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is closed on Federal holidays..
Late Applications: For applications submitted on Grants.gov, only applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated will be considered. You take a significant risk by waiting to the last day to submit through Grants.gov.
Any hard copy application received after the exact date and time specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be considered, unless it is received before awards are made, it was properly addressed, and it was: (a) sent by U.S. Postal Service mail, postmarked not later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) sent by professional overnight delivery service to the addressee not later than one working day before the date specified for receipt of applications. ‘‘Postmarked’’ means a printed, stamped or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable, without further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, you should request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ‘‘bull’s eye’’ postmark on both the receipt and the package. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be a basis for a determination that the application was not filed timely and will not be considered. Evidence of timely submission by a professional overnight delivery service must be demonstrated by equally reliable evidence created by the delivery service provider indicating the time and place of receipt.
D. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”
E. Funding Restrictions
All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles or other conditions contained in the grant. Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.
1. Indirect Costs
As specified in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. An indirect cost rate (ICR) is required when an organization operates under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted or not. Organizations must use the ICR supplied by the Federal Cognizant Agency. If an organization requires a new ICR or has a pending ICR, the Grant Officer will award a temporary billing rate for 90 days until a provisional rate can be issued. This rate is based on the fact that an organization has not established an ICR agreement. Within this 90 day period, the organization must submit an acceptable indirect cost proposal to their Federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional ICR. (See Section IV.B.4. for more information on ICR Agreement submission requirements.)
2. Administrative Costs
Under this SGA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a project or program may not use more than 10 percent of the amount of the grant to pay administrative costs associated with the program or project. Administrative costs could be direct or indirect costs, and are defined at 20 CFR 667.220. Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from program costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form. However, they must be tracked through the grantee’s accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its Federal Cognizant agency, as specified above.
3. Salary and Bonus Limitations
None of the grant funds may be used by a recipient or subrecipient of such funds to pay the salary and bonuses of an individual, either as direct costs or indirect costs, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. This limitation does not apply to vendors providing goods and services as defined in OMB Circular A-133 (codified at 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99). See Public Laws 112-74 (Division F, Title I, section 105), 112-10 (Division B, Title I) and 111-117 (Division D, Title I, section 107), and Training and Employment Guidance Letter number 5-06 for further clarification: http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.
4. Intellectual Property Rights
To ensure that the Federal investment of these funds has as broad an impact as possible and to encourage innovation in the development of new learning materials, as a condition of the receipt of a Ready to Work grant, the grantee will be required to license to the public all work (except for computer software source code, discussed below) created with the support of the grant under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY) license. Work that must be licensed under the CC BY includes both new content created with the grant funds and modifications made to pre-existing, grantee-owned content using grant funds.
This license allows subsequent users to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt the copyrighted Work and requires such users to attribute the Work in the manner specified by the grantee. Notice of the license shall be affixed to the Work. For general information on CC BY, please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. Instructions for marking your work with CC BY can be found at http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Marking_your_work_with_a_CC_license. Questions about CC BY as it applies to specific Ready to Work grant applications should be submitted to DOL to the Grants Management Specialist specified in Section VII.
Only work that is developed by the grantee with the grant funds is required to be licensed under the CC BY license. Pre-existing copyrighted materials licensed to, or purchased by the grantee from third parties, including modifications of such materials, remain subject to the intellectual property rights the grantee receives under the terms of the particular license or purchase. In addition, works created by the grantee without grant funds do not fall under the CC BY license requirement.
The purpose of the CC BY licensing requirement is to ensure that materials developed with funds provided by these grants result in Work that can be freely reused and improved by others. When purchasing or licensing consumable or reusable materials, grantees are expected to respect all applicable Federal laws and regulations, including those pertaining to the copyright and accessibility provisions of the Federal Rehabilitation Act.
Further, the Department requires that all computer software source code developed or created with Ready to Work grant funds will be released under an intellectual property license that allows others to use and build upon them. Specifically, the grantee will release all new source code developed or created with grant funds under an open license acceptable to either the Free Software Foundation and/or the Open Source Initiative.
Separate from the CC BY license to the public, the Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for Federal purposes: the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a purchases ownership under an award (including, but not limited to, curricula, training models, technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute such products worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise. The grantee may not use Federal funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where the Department has a license or rights of free use in such work. If revenues are generated through selling products developed with grant funds, including intellectual property, these revenues are program income. Program income is added to the grant and must be expended for allowable grant activities.
If applicable, the following needs to be on all products developed in whole or in part with grant funds, “This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership”.
5. Equipment Costs
As with all costs charged to the grant, the costs of equipment must meet the standards in the applicable Federal cost principles, including that the costs are reasonable and necessary to achieve grant outcomes. While grant funds may be used to purchase equipment that is used for education and training activities provided through the proposed project, applicants are strongly encouraged to use leveraged resources to support these costs to maximize the use of their grant funds for program specific activities. We will closely review the equipment costs listed in the SF-424A and the Budget Narrative to determine their reasonableness and necessity. We reserve the right to negotiate or reject any equipment costs which do not meet these standards.
6. On-the-Job Training
Under this Solicitation, OJT will follow the definitions and requirements under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) section 101(31). OJT is available for long-term unemployed or other unemployed individuals. Incumbent workers are not eligible for OJT under this SGA. OJT is provided under a contract with an employer in the public, private-nonprofit, or private sector. Through the OJT contract, occupational training is provided for the grant participant in exchange for the reimbursement to the employer of up to 50 percent of the wage rate to compensate for the employer’s extraordinary costs of training the individual (subject to the policy exceptions described below). The employer pays wages to the participant. Consistent with Section 667.264 of the WIA regulations, grantees under this SGA are specifically prohibited from spending grant funds on payment of wages of incumbent employees. For complete information on the specific WIA parameters for OJT, please refer to WIA regulations 20 CFR 663.700 – 663.710, as well as 20 CFR 663.730. You will be required to follow the parameters for OJT included in the WIA law and regulations with the following policy exceptions:
Eligible participants cannot be currently employed by the employer;
Participant placements may only occur in private for-profit and non-profit sectors (i.e., the grant does not allow for public sector placements);
No placement may be made in staffing agencies providing workers on a temporary basis to employers for which the agency receives compensation from an employer;
The period of reimbursement should be an adequate length to ensure the participant has acquired the technical skills needed for employment but no longer than 12 months. Individuals may not be co-enrolled in other ETA programs for the purpose of extending OJT beyond 12 months. Twelve months exceeds the average length of time for current WIA OJT activities, so grantees should negotiate contracts with employers that lead to transitioning participants to permanent employment as soon as possible. DOL’s expectation is that grantees would establish contracts that may be longer than 12 months; however, the reimbursement for each individual that participates in OJT cannot be longer than 12 months.
Typically, the negotiated reimbursement percentage for OJT under WIA may be as high as 50 percent of the participant’s hourly wage. However, for grants awarded under this Solicitation, the negotiated reimbursement percentage may be as high as 90 percent of the participant’s hourly wage based on employer size: up to 90 percent of the participant’s wage rate for employers with 50 or fewer employees; up to 75 percent of the participant’s wage rate for employers with 51-250 employees; and up to 50 percent for employers with more than 250 employees. We also encourage grantees to negotiate lower rates or variable rates (such as starting at 90 and reducing the subsidy over time) where possible to ensure that the maximum number of participants will be served by the project.
Finally, upon receipt of a grant, you must develop sound on-the-job-training (OJT) contracts. The contract process sets the ground-rules for an OJT with an employer and assists in making the determination if an employer is eligible to provide an OJT opportunity. The contract must include the federally-required elements of an OJT agreement; however, states, counties or municipalities may have additional contract requirements. Contracts also outline the terms and conditions that the employer and OJT provider agree to provide for an OJT experience. Contracts with an employer can be set up for a specific period of time but need not necessarily specify the individual trainees to whom they apply. This allows the employer to provide training to more than one trainee. If an employer only has one position or plans to limit the training experience to one employee, then a contract must also include the individual trainee’s information. For these grants, contracts must provide that the employer is responsible for documenting skills gained by participants during the training period. It should also include a description of how the reimbursement level was determined. For sample templates and other resources, grantees may access ETA’s on-line technical assistance related to an OJT contract at the following web address: https://ojttoolkit.workforce3one.org/page/contracts_and_mods
7. Payments to Participants
For the purposes of grants awarded under this SGA, the following will apply: Organizations may only use grant funds to pay for the wages of participants in three specific activities: OJT, paid work experience, and paid internships.
i. Work Experience and Internships
Work experience and internships are defined as a planned, structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace for a limited period of time, and for the purposes of this solicitation must be paid. Labor standards apply in any work experience where an employee/employer relationship, as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), exists. For more information on the FLSA, applicants may visit http://www.dol.gov/whd/.
For a work experience or internship that supports training, applicants will need to document how the work experience or internship is connected to and supports the education and training activities included in the grant. Grantees have flexibility in the design and implementation of work experience and internships, however they must meet the following parameters:
Provide an individual with monitored or supervised work or service experience in his or her expected career field where the individual has prescribed learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience. These learning goals can include a) academic learning, career development, and skill development, and b) the attainment of credentials in the individual’s expected career field;
Are part of structured programs where the grantee established the criteria for determining who will participate in these programs;
Are for a set period of time; and
Relate to training provided through the grant, and help participants prepare for the employment opportunities on which the grant focuses.
ii. Incumbent Worker Salaries
For applicants that are implementing other training strategies, the following applies:
Incumbent worker salaries paid by the employer are NOT allowable costs to be reimbursed under this grant.
8. Use of Funds for Supportive Services
Grantees may use up to 10% of grant funds to provide supportive services to individuals who are participating in education and training activities provided through the grant. Under this Solicitation, supportive services for training participants will follow the definitions in WIA Sections 101(46), 134(e)(2), and 134(e)(3). They include services such as transportation, child care, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in education and training activities funded through this grant. Under WIA Section 134(e)(3), supportive services can include needs-related payments (NRPs) that are necessary to enable individuals to participate in training activities funded through this grant. Supportive services activities may include, but are not limited to, provision of the actual supportive service (i.e. childcare); providing participants with a voucher for the service (i.e. public transportation cards or tokens); or providing a stipend directly to the participant. Applicants should note that where stipends for supportive services are provided, the stipend amount must be for costs of a specific supportive service (i.e. childcare), rather than simply based on an unidentified need.
For the purposes of this SGA, grantees may use grant funds up to the percentage specified above to provide supportive services only to individuals who are participating in education and training activities provided through the grant when: 1) they are unable to obtain such services through other programs, and 2) such services are necessary to enable individuals to participate in education and training activities under the grant. Grantees may establish limits on the provision of supportive services or provide their subrecipients with the authority to establish such limits, including a maximum amount of funding and maximum length of time for supportive services to be available to participants. Grantees must ensure that their use of grant funds on supportive services is consistent with their organization’s established written policy on the provision of supportive services and relevant WIA regulations. Additionally, we encourage grantees to leverage other sources of funding for supportive services, including WIA formula funds.
9. Use of Funds for Specialized Participant Services
Under this Solicitation, Specialized Participant Services are defined as group-based or one-on-one services that address specific barriers to unemployment facing the long-term unemployed target population and other unemployed workers. Such services may include but are not limited to: financial counseling, behavioral health counseling, mentoring, assistance with re-location, job coaching, networking, and job search assistance. Specialized Participant Services should not duplicate available WIA supportive services. In addition, there is no budget cap for Specialized Participant Services.
10. Use of Funds for Incentive Payments to Collect Employment Outcomes
Grantees may use up to 1.5% of grant funds for the provision of gift cards or other payments to participants for providing information on their employment status after they leave the program, for the purposes of reporting these employment outcomes to the Department. Under this solicitation, incentive payments for this specific purpose will follow the parameters specified under Section 171(b) of WIA, which allows for demonstration and pilot projects for the purpose of developing and implementing techniques and approaches, and demonstrating the effectiveness of specialized methods, in addressing employment and training needs. Therefore, for purpose of this SGA, grantees may use grant funds up to the percentage specified above to provide payments to adult participants who report their employment status after they leave the program to support grantee efforts in collecting employment follow-up data and increasing reported employment and retention results. These incentive payments must be tied to the goals of the grant. You must have policies and procedures in place governing the awarding of incentive payment and the incentives provided under the grant must comply with these organizational policies.
11. Prohibition on Use of Funds for Economic Development
General economic development projects, including revolving loan accounts, do not meet the H-1B requirements for training and development of job opportunities in high-growth industries and occupations. Examples of general economic development that may not meet this standard include but are not limited to infrastructure investments in businesses, increases in inventory, participation in trade shows, revolving loan accounts, new or additional equipment used for purposes other than training activities, capital asset purchases, and other costs not specifically related to increases in actual job opportunities. However, nothing in this solicitation is intended to discourage coordination of grant activities with economic development projects, so long as the funds from this grant are not used for the infrastructure and other investments detailed above.
12. Sub-Grant Profit
For commercial organizations, the earning of profit is not an allowable cost item. For governmental, non-profit, and public or non-profit educational institutions, earnings above actual costs incurred are to be treated as program income. Any program income earned must be used for program purposes.
F. Other Submission Requirements
Procedures for assessing the technical merit of applications have been instituted to provide for an objective review of applications and to assist the applicant in understanding the standards against which each application will be judged. The evaluation criteria are based on the information required in the application as described in Section IV.B. The evaluation criteria are described below:
Criterion |
Points |
|
22 |
|
49 |
(See Section IV.B.3.a.3) |
14 |
|
12 |
|
3 |
TOTAL |
100 |
Reviewers will award points based on the extent to which applicants demonstrate a clear and strong need for accelerated reemployment services, short-term and longer-term skills training, and specialized participant services to assist long-term unemployed workers gain the skills, competencies, experiences, and opportunities needed to obtain or upgrade employment. Points for this section will be based on the following sub-criteria:
i. Targeted Industries and Occupations (7 points)
Scoring under this sub-criterion will be based on the following factors:
The clarity with which the applicant identifies targeted industry(ies) and/or occupation(s) that meet the requirements of this solicitation, including demonstrating that the industry(ies) and/or occupations(s) are ones for which employers currently seek H-1B visas; The extent to which the applicant demonstrates, by citing data sources, a comprehensive understanding of the key characteristics of the targeted industry(ies)/occupation(s), including the required skills, competencies, credentials and the current and projected demand for job opportunities; and
The extent to which the labor market information provided by the applicant matches the geographical scope of the project, and indicates a current and projected demand for job opportunities in the targeted industry(ies) and/or occupation(s) in the area(s) to be served.
ii. Employer Engagement (8 points)
Applicants must articulate the need of local and regional employers and the role of employers engaged in the project including their specific workforce needs, challenges they face in filling existing and future job openings, and active role in the program. Scoring under this criterion will be based on the extent to which the applicant:
Demonstrates that local and/or regional employers have a clear workforce need for the proposed project;
Presents a strong plan for engaging current employers and involving them in the project, including specific roles that each employer will play in supporting the project, as well as plans to develop new partnerships with local and regional employers throughout the life of the grant; and
Provides (as an attachment to the Project Narrative) evidence of employer commitment that meets the requirements specified in Section III.E.1.a, including any employer commitments to consider hiring qualified participants who complete grant-funded education and training programs.
iii. Targeted Population (7 points)
The clarity with which the applicant identifies the targeted population(s) to be served through the project that meet the requirements of this solicitation;
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates, by citing data sources, the numbers or percentages of long-term unemployed workers and other unemployed workers in the target service area(s); and
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the specific barriers to employment and characteristics of the long-term unemployed workers targeted by the program, as well as other populations to be served through the project, as applicable.
2. Methodology and Work Plan (49 points)
Reviewers will award points based on the extent to which applicants demonstrate a complete and clear understanding of the proposed training and service strategies that support customized interventions for employment, including identifying the role of key partners in the project supporting participants in rapid reemployment, completing training and obtaining employment, or advancing along a career pathway that leads to employment in high growth industries and occupations. In addition, applicants must present a cohesive, well-designed, and feasible approach to implement the project. Points for this criterion will be awarded for the following sub-criteria:
i. Program Strategy/Model (38 points)
a. Outreach and Recruitment (7 points)
The extent to which the applicant presents a strong outreach and recruitment plan for connecting with and informing long-term unemployed workers about the program, as well as other populations to be served, as applicable; and
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capacity of the applicant and outreach and recruitment partners to identify and recruit long-term unemployed workers.
b. Assessment Strategy (6 points)
The extent to which the applicant presents a strong plan for an eligibility determination process for the targeted population(s), ensuring that at least 85 percent of participants are long-term unemployed individuals; and
The extent to which the applicant presents a strong plan for an assessment process that will be used to determine service and training needs for long-term unemployed workers, as well as the assessment process that will be used to determine service and training needs for other populations, as applicable.
c. Rapid Reemployment and Training Strategy (10 points)
The extent to which the applicant presents a strong plan for employment and training strategies that lead to middle and high-skilled employment for long-term unemployed workers, as well as for other populations (as applicable), including identifying the specific training activities to be used in the project’s proposed reemployment and training strategies and that meet the requirements outlined in Section I.C;
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of how these proposed reemployment and training strategies meet the needs of long-term unemployed workers, as well as other populations, as applicable;
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates how the proposed reemployment and training strategies will directly address the skills, training gaps, and other needs identified in Section IV.B.3.a.1.iii of participants served through the project; and
The clarity with which the applicant identifies the degree(s), industry-recognized credential(s), and/or specific employer documentation participants receive upon completion of training, as applicable.
d. Supportive Services and Specialized Services Strategies (10 points)
The extent to which the applicant presents a strong plan for service strategies to be used in the project’s proposed reemployment and training strategies for long-term unemployed workers and other populations (as applicable), including identifying the specific services to be available for these participants;
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates appropriate evidence of the effectiveness of these services in addressing barriers to reemployment and that these services meet the requirements outlined in Section I.D;
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a thorough understanding of how the proposed service strategies will directly address needs of the target population identified in Section IV.B.3.a.1.iii; and
The clarity with which the applicant identifies the specific roles and responsibilities of the services providers, including how that applicant will ensure effective communication between these providers, the applicant, and other partners.
e. Job Placement Strategy (5 points)
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a thorough understanding of how the proposed project will help eligible participants become reemployed through the proposed strategies; and
The clarity with which the applicant identifies specific job placement activities and/or services for long-term unemployed workers and other populations, as appropriate.
ii. Project Work Plan (11 points)
The extent to which the applicant presents a strong project work plan that includes feasible and realistic activities and timeframes; and
3. Organizational Capacity and Project Management (14 points)
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates capacity to manage the project, including and identifying a plan for efficient and effective communication between staff at all levels of the project, including partners;
The clarity with which the applicant describes at least two examples of multi-partner, multi-service employment and training programs led by an entity in the primary partnership, or other partner(s);
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capacity of all entities involved in the project to effectively implement each of the components of the program approach, as appropriate; and
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that it will use systems and processes that enable timely and accurate financial and performance reporting, identifies previous experience in submitting reports on time, and describes the procurement processes, systems, and procedures of the applicant (and, if applicable, those of partners).
Reviewers will award points based on how well the applicant demonstrates that the expected outcomes are appropriate for the program strategy proposed. The applicant must comprehensively address each of the areas outlined below:
The extent to which the applicant provides numerical projections for each of the seven required outcome measures; and
The clarity with which the applicant provides an explanation of the proposed performance outcomes.
The extent to which the applicant describes systems for tracking participant-level participant data.
The clarity with which the applicant provides an explanation of the proposed cost per participant.
The extent to which the applicant’s Budget Narrative: 1) provides a complete description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A (as described in Section IV.B.2) in sufficient detail to justify the total cost for each line item; and 2) demonstrates that the budget is justified and reasonable given the scope of work of the project, including adequate staff personnel devoted to the project to support achieving project objectives.
B. Review and Selection Process
Applications for grants under this Solicitation will be accepted after the publication of this announcement and until the specified time on the closing date. A technical review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in this SGA. Up to 100 points may be awarded to an applicant, depending on the quality of the responses to the required information described in Section V.A. The final scores (which may include the mathematical normalization of review panels) will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for funding. The Grant Officer may also consider other factors such as geographic balance and representation among various H-1B industries/occupations. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant Officer may consider any information that comes to his/her attention. The government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions with the applicant. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the award will be based on the applicant’s signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on http://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
All award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage (http://www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected for award will be contacted directly before the grant’s execution. Non-selected applicants will be notified by mail or email and may request a written debriefing on the significant weaknesses of their proposal.
Selection of an organization as a grantee does not constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before the actual grant is awarded, ETA may enter into negotiations about such items as program components, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems in place to support grant implementation. If the negotiations do not result in a mutually acceptable submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiations and decline to fund the application. DOL reserves the right to not fund any application related to this SGA.
1. Administrative Program Requirements
All grantees will be subject to all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and the applicable OMB Circulars. The grant(s) awarded under this SGA will be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions:
a. Non-Profit Organizations – OMB Circular A–122 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 230, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements)
b. Educational Institutions – OMB Circular A–21 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 220, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
c. State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments – OMB Circular A–87 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 225, and 29 CFR Part 97 (Administrative Requirements).
d. Profit Making Commercial Firms – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – 48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
e. All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 29 CFR 95.13 and Part 98 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension, and drug-free workplace requirements), and, where applicable, 29 CFR Part 96 (Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements) and 29 CFR Part 99 (Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations).
f. 29 CFR Part 2, subpart D—Equal Treatment in Department of Labor Programs for Religious Organizations, Protection of Religious Liberty of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and Beneficiaries.
g. 29 CFR Part 31—Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Labor—Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
h. 29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
i. 29 CFR Part 35— Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.
j. 29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
k. 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30—Labor Standards for the Registration of Apprenticeship Programs, and Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training, as applicable.
2. Other Legal Requirements:
a. Religious Activities
The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. Section 2000bb, applies to all Federal law and its implementation. If an applicant organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to receive Federal financial assistance under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act and maintain that hiring practice even though Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act contains a general ban on religious discrimination in employment. If a faith-based organization is awarded a grant, the organization will be provided with information on how to request such an exemption.
b. Lobbying or Fundraising the U.S. Government with Federal Funds
In accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-65) (2 U.S.C. 1611), non-profit entities incorporated under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c) (4) that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds and grants. No activity, including awareness-raising and advocacy activities, may include fundraising for, or lobbying of, U.S. Federal, State or Local Governments (see OMB Circular A-122).
c. Transparency Act Requirements
Applicants must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by section 6202 of Pub. Law 110-252) (Transparency Act), as follows:
• All applicants, except for those excepted from the Transparency Act under sub-paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 below, must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the subaward and executive total compensation reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, should they receive funding.
• Upon award, applicants will receive detailed information on the reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part 170, Appendix A, which can be found at the following website: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22705.pdf
The following types of awards are not subject to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act:
(1) Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive Federal awards as natural persons (i.e., unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or she may own or operate in his or her name);
(2) Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities' previous tax year; and
(3) Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classified information.
d. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Applicants submitting proposals in response to this SGA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the Department of Labor and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting a proposal, Grantees are assuring that all data exchanges conducted through or during the course of performance of this grant will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal law and TEGL NO. 39-11 (issued June 28, 2012). All such activity conducted by ETA and/or Grantee/s will be performed in a manner consistent with applicable state and Federal laws.
By submitting a grant proposal, the applicant agrees to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality by complying with the following provisions that are applicable in governing their handling of confidential information:
1. To ensure that such PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, all PII and other sensitive data transmitted via e-mail or stored on CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, etc., must be encrypted using a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) validated cryptographic module. Grantees must not e-mail unencrypted sensitive PII to any entity, including ETA or contractors.
2. Grantees must take the steps necessary to ensure the privacy of all PII obtained from participants and/or other individuals and to protect such information from unauthorized disclosure. Grantees must maintain such PII in accordance with the ETA standards for information security described in this TEGL and any updates to such standards provided to the grantee by ETA. Grantees who wish to obtain more information on data security should contact their Federal Project Officer.
3. Grantees shall ensure that any PII used during the performance of their grant has been obtained in conformity with applicable Federal and state laws governing the confidentiality of information.
4. Grantees further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through their ETA grant shall be stored in an area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized persons at all times and the data will be processed using grantee issued equipment, managed information technology (IT) services, and designated locations approved by ETA. Accessing, processing, and storing of ETA grant PII data on personally owned equipment, at off-site locations e.g., employee’s home, and non-grantee managed IT services, e.g., Yahoo mail, is strictly prohibited unless approved by ETA.
5. Grantee employees and other personnel who will have access to sensitive/confidential/proprietary/private data must be advised of the confidential nature of the information, the safeguards required to protect the information, and that there are civil and criminal sanctions for noncompliance with such safeguards that are contained in Federal and state laws.
6. Grantees must have their policies and procedures in place under which grantee employees and other personnel, before being granted access to PII, acknowledge their understanding of the confidential nature of the data and the safeguards with which they must comply in their handling of such data as well as the fact that they may be liable to civil and criminal sanctions for improper disclosure.
7. Grantees must not extract information from data supplied by ETA for any purpose not stated in the grant agreement.
8. Access to any PII created by the ETA grant must be restricted to only those employees of the grant recipient who need it in their official capacity to perform duties in connection with the scope of work in the grant agreement.
9. All PII data must be processed in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of the records/documents and is designed to prevent unauthorized persons from retrieving such records by computer, remote terminal or any other means. Data may be downloaded to, or maintained on, mobile or portable devices only if the data are encrypted using NIST validated software products based on FIPS 140-2 encryption. In addition, wage data may only be accessed from secure locations.
10. PII data obtained by the grantee through a request from ETA must not be disclosed to anyone but the individual requestor except as permitted by the Grant Officer.
11. Grantees must permit ETA to make onsite inspections during regular business hours for the purpose of conducting audits and/or conducting other investigations to assure that the grantee is complying with the confidentiality requirements described above. In accordance with this responsibility, grantees must make records applicable to this Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection, review, and/or audit.
12. Grantees must retain data received from ETA only for the period of time required to use it for assessment, program evaluation, and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable Federal records retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, the grantee agrees that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic data.
e. Record Retention
Applicants must be prepared to follow Federal guidelines on record retention, which require grantees to maintain all records pertaining to grant activities for a period of not less than three years from the time of final grant close-out.
3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, DOL/ETA’s acceptance of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any programs(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB Circulars require that an entity’s procurement procedures must ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted, as much as practical, to provide open and free competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity to provide services, the DOL’s award does not provide the justification or basis to sole source the procurement, i.e., avoid competition.
4. Special Program Requirements
a. Evaluation
In addition to the performance reports required of all grantees, DOL also requires grantees to fully participate in the Department’s evaluation of grant-funded programs as a condition of award. The evaluation will be funded and overseen by DOL and conducted by a third-party independent evaluator. After grants are awarded, grantees will receive detailed information about the national evaluation, which will include three components: 1) analysis of participant characteristics and short-term and long term outcomes, including after the end of the grant period; 2) implementation analysis in all grantee sites; and 3) in selected grantees, outcome or impact analysis, which may use a non-experimental design or an experimental design that requires random assignment to test promising approaches. Grantees will also receive details about participant tracking data elements that will be required for the evaluation.
Please note that applicants will be held to outcomes provided and failure to meet those outcomes may result in technical assistance or other intervention by ETA, and may also have a significant impact on decisions regarding future grants with ETA.
Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. Quarterly financial reports, quarterly progress reports, and MIS data must be submitted by the grantee electronically. The grantee is required to provide the reports and documents listed below:
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
A Quarterly Financial Status Report (ETA 9130) is required until such time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has expired. Quarterly reports are due 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. Grantees must use DOL’s Online Electronic Reporting System and information and instructions will be provided to grantees.
2. Quarterly Performance Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly progress report within 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. This report includes a quarterly narrative report that details all grant activities that occurred during the quarter as well as a quarterly performance report which is produced online using a data file upload function that contains participant records. In order to submit these quarterly reports, the grantee will be expected to track participant-level data on all individuals who are provided grant-funded services and enrolled in education/training and other services provided through the grant.
DOL will provide grantees with an online reporting system along with detailed formal guidance about how to upload data files that contain participant-level data, data elements and edit check logic, and a reporting handbook that will provide all of the information that is required to be collected and reported on either a regular basis or special request basis. Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements.
Grantees will also be required to report on outcomes for all participants following the completion of services and/or training, as well as on follow-up and tracking activities for all participants that completed these activities, during the life of the grant. The last quarterly progress report that grantees submit will serve as the grant’s Final Performance Report. This report should provide both quarterly and cumulative information on the grant activities. It must summarize project activities, employment outcomes and other deliverables, and related results of the project, and should thoroughly document the training or labor market information approaches used by the grantee.
For further information about this SGA, please contact Kia Mason, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management, at (202) 693-2606. Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to [email protected] and must specifically reference SGA/DFA PY 13-07, and along with question(s), include a contact name, fax and phone number. This announcement is being made available on the ETA Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/grants and at http://www.grants.gov.
VIII. Other Information
A. Transparency
DOL is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes. Posting grant applications on public websites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas. For all applications in this grant competition, we will publish the Abstracts required by Section IV.B.4., and selected information from the SF-424 for all applications on the Department’s public website or similar publicly accessible location. Additionally, we will publish a version of the Project Narrative required by Section IV.B.3. for all those applications that are awarded grants, on the Department’s website or a similar location. No other attachments to the application will be published. The Project Narratives and Abstracts will not be published until after the grants are announced. In addition, information about grant progress and results may also be made publicly available.
DOL recognizes that grant applications sometimes contain information that an applicant may consider proprietary or business confidential information, or may contain personally identifiable information (PII). Proprietary or business confidential information is information that is not usually disclosed outside your organization and disclosing this information is likely to cause you substantial competitive harm.
PII is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.
Abstracts will be published in the form originally submitted, without any redactions. Applicants should not include any proprietary or confidential business information or PII in this summary. In the event that an applicant submits proprietary or confidential business information or PII, DOL is not liable for the posting of this information contained in the Abstract. The submission of the grant application constitutes a waiver of the applicant’s objection to the posting of any proprietary or confidential business information contained in the Abstract. Additionally, the applicant is responsible for obtaining all authorizations from relevant parties for publishing all PII contained within the Abstract. In the event the Abstract contains proprietary or confidential business information or PII, the applicant is presumed to have obtained all necessary authorizations to provide this information and may be liable for any improper release of this information.
By submission of this grant application, the applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor, its officers, employees, and agents against any liability or for any loss or damages arising from this application. By such submission of this grant application, the applicant further acknowledges having the authority to execute this release of liability.
In order to ensure that proprietary or confidential business information or PII is properly protected from disclosure when DOL posts the winning Project Narratives, applicants whose Project Narratives will be posted will be asked to submit a second redacted version of their Project Narrative, with any proprietary, confidential commercial/business, and PII redacted. All non-public information about the applicant’s and consortium members’ staff (if applicable) should be removed as well.
The Department will contact the applicants whose Project Narratives will be published by letter or email, and provide further directions about how and when to submit the redacted version of the Project Narrative.
Submission of a redacted version of the Project Narrative will constitute permission by the applicant for DOL to make the redacted version publicly available. We will also assume that by submitting the redacted version of the Project Narrative, the applicant has obtained the agreement to the applicant’s decision about what material to redact of all persons and entities whose proprietary, confidential business information, or PII is contained in the Project Narrative. If an applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Project Narrative within 45 days of DOL’s request, DOL will publish the original Project Narrative in full, after redacting only PII. (Note that the original, unredacted version of the Project Narrative will remain part of the complete application package, including an applicant’s proprietary and confidential business information and any PII.)
Applicants are encouraged to maximize the grant application information that will be publicly disclosed, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, or PII. The redaction of entire pages or sections of the Project Narrative is not appropriate, and will not be allowed, unless the entire portion merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate, DOL will follow the procedures outlined in the Department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).
Redacted information in grant applications will be protected by DOL from public disclosure in accordance with Federal law, including the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1905), FOIA, and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). If DOL receives a FOIA request for your application, the procedures in DOL’s FOIA regulations for responding to requests for commercial/business information submitted to the government will be followed, as well as all FOIA exemptions and procedures. See 29 CFR § 70.26. Consequently, it is possible that application of FOIA rules may result in release of information in response to a FOIA request that an applicant redacted in its “redacted copy.”
Web-Based Resources
DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. For example, the CareerOneStop portal (http://www.careeronestop.org), which provides national and state career information on occupations; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Online (http://online.onetcenter.org ) which provides occupational competencies and career profiles; America's Service Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org), which provides a directory of our nation's One-Stop Career Centers; and My Skills My Future (http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org/), which provides career exploration options based on past jobs and tools to compare careers, find training, and search for jobs.
ETA recently unveiled a complementary, online tool called My Next Move which is aimed at providing jobseekers with information on more than 900 occupations, as well as local job openings and training opportunities in a simple, user-friendly format. My Next Move is intended to assist all job seekers and may be especially helpful for students, young adults and other workers as they explore potential careers based on their interests.
ETA has identified hundreds of job clubs across the country that are serving long-term unemployed populations. For applicants interested in reaching out to job clubs in their service area(s) to assist with outreach and recruitment, ETA has several web resources that may be of assistance. The Job Clubs community of practice on Workforce3One provides resources and a directory of job clubs organized by state: http://www.dol.gov/jobclubs. Job clubs are also searchable by zip code from Service Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org/National_Locators.asp?cat=job+club).
Industry Competency-Model and Career Clusters
ETA supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection of competencies that, taken together, define successful performance in a particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point for the design and implementation of workforce and talent development programs. To learn about the industry-validated models visit the Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel. The CMC site also provides tools to build or customize industry models, as well as tools to build career pathways for specific regional economies.
Career Clusters and Industry Competency Models both identify foundational and technical competencies, but they are not duplicative. The Career Clusters link to specific career pathways in sixteen career cluster areas and place greater emphasis on elements needed for curriculum performance objectives; measurement criteria; scope and sequence of courses in a program of study; and development of assessments. Information about the sixteen career cluster areas can be found by accessing: www.careerclusters.org.
D. Workforce3One Resources
1. ETA encourages applicants to view the information gathered through the conference calls with Federal agency partners, industry stakeholders, educators, and local practitioners. The information on resources identified can be found on Workforce3One.org at: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/2001008333909172195/info.
2. ETA encourages applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.
3. ETA has created Workforce System Strategies to make it easier for the public workforce system and its partners to identify effective strategies and support improved customer outcomes. The collection highlights strategies informed by a wide range of evidence such as experimental studies and implementation evaluations, as well as supporting resources such as toolkits. ETA encourages applicants to review these resources by visiting http://strategies.workforce3one.org/.
4. ETA has created a technical assistance portal at https://etareporting.workforce3one.org/page/financial that contains online training and resources for fiscal and administrative issues. Online trainings available include but are not limited to Introduction to Grant Applications and Forms, indirect Costs, Federal Cost Principles, and accrual accounting.
IX. OMB Information Collection
OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires January 31, 2016.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of the Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301, Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected]. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND IT TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED IN THIS SOLICITATION.
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant. The information collected through this “Solicitation for Grant Applications” will be used by the Department of Labor to ensure that grants are awarded to the applicants best suited to perform the functions of the grant. Submission of this information is required in order for the applicant to be considered for award of a grant.
Signed XXXXX, in Washington, D.C. by:
Steven A. Rietzke
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration
Attachment A: H-1B Visa Information
Visit the Department of Labor’s Foreign Labor Certification Data Center Web site (http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/performancedata.cfm) for the latest database of occupations approved under H-1B petitions. Through this link you can access a public disclosure file that contains administrative data from employers’ Labor Condition Applications (LCA) and the certification determinations processed by the Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), Employment and Training Administration, between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013.
Office of Foreign Labor Certifications
H-1B Specialty Occupations Labor Condition Program
Top Occupations Profile – FY 2013
tECHNOLOGY OCCUPATIONS |
77% |
Computer System Analyst |
27% |
Computer Programmers |
16% |
Computer Occupations, All Other |
12% |
Software Developers Applications |
8% |
Computer & Information Systems Managers |
5% |
Network & Computer Systems Admin |
2% |
Database Admin |
1% |
Remaining “Tech” Occupations |
2% |
REMAINING OCCUPATIONS |
23% |
|
Accountants and Auditors |
Architectural and Engineering Managers |
Biochemists and Biophysicists |
Biological Scientists, All Other |
Biological Technicians |
Business Operations Specialists, All Other |
Business Teachers, Postsecondary |
Chemical Engineers |
Chemists |
Civil Engineers |
Commercial and Industrial Designers |
Economists |
Electrical Engineers |
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer |
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special |
Engineers, All Other |
Family and General Practitioners |
Financial Analysts |
Financial Managers |
Financial Specialists, All Other |
General and Operations Managers |
Graphic Designers |
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners |
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary |
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers |
Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Specialists |
Industrial Engineers |
Internists, General |
Lawyers |
Logisticians |
Management Analysts |
Managers, All Other |
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists |
Marketing Managers |
Materials Engineers |
Mechanical Engineers |
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists |
Medical and Health Services Managers |
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists |
Middle School Teachers, Except Special |
Occupational Therapists |
Pharmacists |
Physical Therapists |
Physicians and Surgeons |
Physicists |
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education |
Public Relations Specialists |
Sales Engineers |
Sales Managers |
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special |
Remaining Occupations (less than 1%) |
Attachment B: Suggested Outcome Measures Table
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Outcome Measure |
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1 |
Total Participants Served Total number of all participants served (receiving a grant-funded service and/or grant-funded education/training). Figures provided for total participants that receive services and total participants enrolled in Education/Training Activities should not exceed total participants served. |
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: |
Total: |
1a |
Long-term Unemployed |
Sub-Total LTU |
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1b |
Unemployed |
Sub-Total Unemployed |
|
1c |
Incumbent Worker |
Sub-Total Incumbent Worker |
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Targets for all Participants |
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2 |
Total Participants Enrolled in Education/Training Activities |
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: |
Total: |
3 |
Total Participants Completing Education/Training Activities |
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: |
Total: |
4 |
Total Participants Who Complete Education/Training Activities AND Receive a Degree or Other Credential |
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: |
Total: |
5 |
Total Number of Unemployed Participants who Obtain Employment Total number of all long-term unemployed and other unemployed participants who obtain employment. Incumbent Workers should not be included in this outcome |
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: |
Total: |
6 |
Total Number of Incumbent Worker Participants that Advanced into a New Position This includes incumbent workers that advanced into a new position with their current employer or a new employer following the completion of a training program. Incumbent workers that did not advance into a new position (i.e. retained their existing position or layoff aversion) following the completion of a training program should not be included in this outcome. |
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: |
Total: |
7 |
Average Wage that Participants will Earn at Placement
|
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3:
|
Total: |
Please Note:
Applicants should provide targets in raw numbers; percentages or other types of data projections are not acceptable with the exception of Outcome 1: Total Participants Served sub-totals.
For the “Total Participants Served” outcome measure, in addition to providing a total for all participants served, applicants should also include sub-totals for each targeted population served (long-term unemployed workers, unemployed workers, and incumbent workers), as appropriate.
Applicants should provide targets for each year of the grant and for the total grant period. The figure provided for the total should equal the sum of the projections for each year.
Attachment C: Suggested Project Work Plan Format |
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Start Date: |
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Equipment: |
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End Date: |
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Year 3: |
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Deliverable #1 |
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Strategy Total: |
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Start Date: |
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Equipment: |
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End Date: |
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Year 1: |
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Year 3: |
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Activity #2 |
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Strategy Total: |
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Start Date: |
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End Date: |
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Deliverable #2 |
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Strategy Total: |
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Start Date: |
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Year 3: |
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Please Note:
Applicants may replicate this chart in order to submit information on all activities and deliverables proposed during the period of performance.
Applicants should provide the name of the institution engaged in each activity or producing each deliverable, including any partner organizations, if applicable.
Attachment D: Suggested Abstract Format
Project Abstract
1. Lead Applicant Name: Anytown American Job Center
2. Lead Applicant City/State: Anytown, Any State
3. Primary Partnership Entities:
Workforce Investment System
Training Provider(s)
Business-related Nonprofit Organizations, Consortia of Businesses, or Business
4. Areas Served by Grant (by city, county, and state):
State: Any State. Counties: Any County, Any Other County, and Yet Another County. Cities: Anytown, The Town Next Door, The Town Up the Road.
State: Different Sate. Counties: Different County, Same County. Cities: Differentown, Othertown..
5. Total Funding Level Requested: $5,999,999
6. Project Name: Rapidly Reemploying the Long-Term Unemployed
7. Summary of Program Activities and List of Credentials to be Awarded:
8. Populations to be Served: Long-term unemployed (85%) and other unemployed workers
9. Targeted H-1B Industry(s)/Occupations: Engineering – computer software engineers (applications) and computer hardware engineers
10. Required Employer Partner(s): Anytown IT Solutions, Inc.; YourSpace Online; Joe’s IT Shop; and National Health Centers.
11. Additional Key Partner(s): Anytown Workforce Investment Board, Anothertown One-Stop Career Center, Differentown Company.
12. Public Contact Information: Steven Baird, Director of Grant Programs, Anytown USA Community College, (800) 555-1234, [email protected]
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | H-1B LTU SGA_DRAFT 2_1.5.14.docx |
| Author | Smyth, Michel - OASAM OCIO |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-30 |