Reentry Employment Opportunities Supplemental Justification

Reentry Projects – Reentry Employment Opportunities

Supplemental Justification

Supplemental Supporting Statement A: Justification

This request seeks OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act for the unique information collection requirements in the “Reentry Projects” solicitation. The Department will announce the availability of up to $82.5 million for Reentry Employment Opportunities Grants. Individual awards will be up to $4.5 million for intermediary organizations, and up to $1.5 million for non-intermediary organizations. The purpose of this funding is to enable eligible applicants to use evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions, new interventions that theory or research suggests are promising, or a combination of both to improve employment outcomes of adults ages 25 and older who were formerly incarcerated in the adult criminal justice system and released within 180 days of enrollment, or young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 who have been involved in the juvenile or adult justice system, including high school dropouts. Grants for adults and young adults must provide services in high-crime, high-poverty communities. These grants will be funded through the Reentry Employment Opportunities program.

Reentry Projects (RP) grants are discretionary grants awarded by the Secretary of Labor under section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and Section 212 of the Second Chance Act (SCA). WIOA, which was passed in 2014, promotes a job-driven integrated system of workforce solutions that connect every type of job-seeker with the employers in need of skilled workers. Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), ETA seeks to enhance both adult and young adult reentry strategies through collaboration with the field to identify and respond to emerging or chronic reentry challenges. This FOA provides the opportunity for organizations to build customized projects. Applicants must propose evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions, new interventions that theory or research suggests are promising, or a combination of both that lead to increased employment outcomes for their target populations. Further, the Department supports the testing of promising practices and services, as well as established services in new combinations.

The Department is especially interested in program models that offer apprenticeship opportunities. These apprenticeship opportunities include registered, industry-recognized, and pre-apprenticeships. Under the June 15, 2017 Presidential Executive Order on Expanding Apprenticeships in America, it is the policy of the Federal Government to provide more affordable pathways to secure high-paying jobs by promoting apprenticeships and effective workforce development programs.

Another focus of this initiative is to assist communities in planning and implementing comprehensive "reentry" programs to address the full range of challenges involved in helping formerly incarcerated adults and young adults who have been involved in the juvenile or adult justice system make successful transitions back to the community. The intent of this initiative is to protect community safety by ensuring that these individuals:

• Become productive, responsible, and law-abiding members of society;

• Are provided with positive opportunities to engage in pro-social activities, such as employment and/or education;

• Maintain long-term employment;

• Sustain a stable residence; and

• Successfully address their substance abuse issues and mental health needs, as applicable, through partnerships with local programs.

These grant funds will be awarded to intermediary organizations or non-intermediary organizations. Eligible applicants must be community- or faith-based organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, including women’s and minority organizations; state or local governments; or any Indian or Native American entity eligible for grants under section 166 of WIOA. Applicants may submit up to two (2) applications in response to this FOA; a maximum of one (1) to serve adults and a maximum of one (1) to serve young adults.

Applications will include the following information collections: 1.) Form SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance,” separately cleared under OMB control number 4040-0004; 2.) Form SF-424A, separately cleared under OMB control number 4040-0006; 3.) a Budget Narrative and 4.) Project Narrative/Qualifying Statements.

Electronic availability:

This grant solicitation will be available on the www.grants.gov Web site. Based on past DOL experience, the Department anticipates 75 percent of responses will be submitted electronically.

Small Entities:

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

Assurances of confidentiality:

These grant solicitations do not offer applicants assurances of confidentiality.

Special circumstances:

This solicitation implicates no special circumstances.

Burden:

The DOL expects to receive approximately 250 applications from approximately 225 respondents.  The 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 needed data, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

250 applications x 20 hours = 5000 hours

The DOL has increased the average hourly earnings in the professional and business services industry to $31.96 per hour to monetize this burden.  See The Employment Situation—February 2018, DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_03092018.pdf at page 33.

5000 hours x $31.96 = $159,800

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

Total burden: 225 respondents, 250 responses, 5000 hours, $0 other cost burden.

Supplemental Supporting Statement B: Statistical Methods

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.

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