Justification for Non-Material Change to OMB 1290-0046

Justification for Non-Material Change to OMB 1290-0046

This memo requests a non-material change to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) package previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Control No. 1290-0046) for data collection for the Evaluating Registered Apprenticeship Initiative Study. These changes are requested as a result of the Executive Order entitled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government (Defending Women).

Background

DOL and various industries have invested billions of dollars over the past decade to encourage, develop and expand industry-driven apprenticeship training nationwide. Further, through the Build Back Better (BBB) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the need for a coordinated national investment strategy for Registered Apprenticeship is critical to support the Administration’s goals and priorities. The ABA grant program builds on the Department’s previous and ongoing efforts to expand and modernize Registered Apprenticeship. DOL awarded the ABA grants in 2022, investing $171 million to fund 39 grantees, including a focus on equity and partnerships as well as pre-apprenticeship activities. DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) has commissioned the Evaluating Registered Apprenticeship Initiatives Study (ERAI) with a goal of understanding the implementation of these recent investments in apprenticeship sponsored by the Department.

In March 2024, OMB approved the new information collection request (ICR) for 14 instruments to be used in the evaluation. These instruments included the ABA Youth Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Grantee Staff Interview Protocol, ABA Youth Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Partner/Employer Interview Protocol, ABA Registered Apprenticeship Hub Grantee Staff Interview Protocol, ABA Registered Apprenticeship Hub Partner Interview Protocol, and the ABA Registered Apprenticeship Hub Customer Interview Protocol.

On March 26, 2024, OMB approved the information collection request (ICR) for the Evaluating Registered Apprenticeship Initiative Study.

Change Requests

DOL requests changes to the questionnaires to use an updated demographic question. This non-substantive change requests the following:

• The Pre-Apprenticeship Survey for Participants (Attachment 4), Apprenticeship Survey for Participants (Attachment 5), and Baseline and Consent Form for Program Participants (Attachment 14) have been updated to ask about “sex” rather than “gender”.

The questionnaires have been updated and provided in this package.

These requested non-substantive changes do not require any changes to the burden estimates.