[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 32 (Thursday, February 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8131-8139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4006]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications in
School-to-Work Opportunities; State and Local Systems
AGENCIES: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for grant
applications (SGA) providing work-based learning opportunities in State
and local School-to-Work (STW) systems through two distinct efforts
undertaken by either: (1) national industry/trade groups or
associations/coalitions with national memberships or participation; or
(2) local/regional business-led consortia.
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SUMMARY: This notice contains all of the necessary information and
forms needed to apply for grant funding. The Departments of Labor and
Education jointly invite proposals for up to 10 new awards in FY 1998,
as authorized under Section 403 of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act
of 1994 (the Act). These awards will provide support to industry/trade
groups or associations/coalitions with national memberships or
participation and to local/regional business-led consortia to undertake
outreach, technical assistance, and other activities to increase the
number and capacity of employers to participate in STW systems. The
Departments believe that a targeted approach to employer involvement in
STW through industry and trade groups or associations/coalitions with
national memberships/participation and through local/regional business-
led consortia has the potential to help develop a critical mass of
business partners. As a result of the products developed and activities
carried out, awardees will be asked to provide clear, quantifiable
evidence that they are significantly increasing the numbers of
employers participating in STW and increasing the number of work-based
learning opportunities for students who are participating in STW
activities. The Departments made four awards to distinct industry
groups (retail, manufacturing, information technology and utilities) in
FY 1997.
DATES: Applications will be accepted commencing February 18, 1999. The
closing date for receipt of applications is April 5, 1999, at 4 P.M.,
(Eastern Time ) at the address below.
ADDRESSES: Applications shall be mailed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: Patricia A. Glover, Reference: SGA/DFA 99-005,
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S-4203, Washington, D.C. 20210.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions should be faxed to Patricia A.
Glover, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance,
Fax (202) 219-8739. This is not a toll-free number. All inquiries
should include the SGA number (DFA 99-005) and a contact name, fax and
phone number. This solicitation will also be published on the Internet
on the Employment and Training Administration's Homepage at http://
www.doleta.gov. Award notifications will also be published on this
Homepage.
Industry Association/Business Consortium Solicitation
I. Purpose
To invite proposals for increasing the number and capacity of
employers providing work-based learning opportunities in State and
local School-to-Work (STW) systems through two distinct efforts
undertaken by either: (1) national industry/trade groups or
associations/coalitions with national memberships or participation; or
(2) local/regional business-led consortia.
II. Background
The School-to-Work Opportunities Act was signed into law by
President Clinton on May 4, 1994. Jointly administered by the
Departments of Labor and Education, this Act is a new approach to
education and workforce development that seeks to better prepare all
American youth for careers in high-skill, high-wage jobs and to
strengthen the linkages between what is learned in school with work.
Under the Act, venture capital grants are provided to States and local
communities to undertake systemic reform to increase the likelihood
that youth will successfully transition from school into careers or
post-secondary institutions. Grants are for a limited duration with the
Federal investment declining over time. These investments are intended
to support the one-time costs of States and local communities to
restructure learning experiences for all students. Currently all 50
states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are receiving
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STW implementation funds. The Act also provides funds for national
activities to support STW system-building efforts nationwide. These
funds are used for technical assistance and capacity building, outreach
and research and evaluation. Section 403 of the Act, relating to
training and technical assistance, specifically directs the Secretaries
to `` work in cooperation with * * * employers and their associations *
* * to increase their capacity to develop and implement effective
School-to-Work programs.''
III. Statement of Work
Employer Participation in STW. Changes in our economy, technology
and global competition are driving forces behind efforts to improve the
academic performance and career preparedness of today's youth. One
purpose, the National School-to-Work Opportunities Act was to:
``utilize workplaces as active learning environments in the educational
process by making employers joint partners with educators in providing
opportunities for all students to participate in high-quality, work-
based learning experience.'' Work-based learning is one of the three
key components within a STW system (school-based learning and
connecting activities are the other two). Thus, employer participation
is critical for the implementation and sustainability of STW systems.
Employers participate in STW systems through a number of activities
involving students, teachers and with State and local governing bodies.
The Employer Participation Model, published by the National Employer
Leadership Council, outlines more than 50 different opportunities for
employer involvement in STW. States and local communities are actively
working to engage employers in becoming partners and active
participants within their STW systems.
Status of Employer Investments. The National School-to-Work Office
(NSTWO) has made a number of investments to support employer knowledge
and participation in emerging STW systems. In FY 1996, the NSTWO funded
the Building Linkages initiative to promote connections between State
Academic standards and industry-recognized skill standards. The goal
was to ensure that student learners meet both the requirements of post-
secondary education and employer expectations. As a result, curricular
models within the context of broad career areas were created. Another
major investment included support for the establishment and development
of the National Employer Leadership Council, the mission of which is to
enlist the leadership of prominent CEO's of major companies to promote
STW at the highest levels of corporate business.
The NSTWO, in addition to the industry-specific awards in FY 1997,
also invested in outreach activities, specific publications targeted to
business entities and employers and research and evaluation in an
effort to collect data on employer participation. Such data have been
collected from three sources: (1) the National Employer Survey
conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's Center on Educational
Quality of the Workforce; (2) the School-to-Work Progress Measures
System; and (3) The Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Longitudinal
Survey of Youth Data Collection.
There is preliminary information demonstrating that the investments
made to date on employer participation are having an important impact,
but there is a long way to go before employer participation can be
considered at scale and sufficiently sustainable. The most recent
evaluation of STW systems conducted by Mathematica Policy Research
revealed that employers are playing an active role in local
partnerships, participating widely in governing boards, offering varied
forms of work-based learning opportunities, hosting teacher internships
and contributing to curriculum development. However, according to
several studies, there needs to be more in-depth work-based experiences
provided by employers and an increase in the number of employers
participating in STW to effectively augment and link to classroom
instruction.
Other research, such as the National Employer Leadership Survey
conducted by the Center on Educational Quality of the Workforce,
suggests that employers, under the right circumstances, are more than
ready and eager to participate in STW programs. However, as key
stakeholders, contributors to and major beneficiaries of STW, they will
require clearer linkages and more focused attention than has been
occurring. It is also clear that both educators and employers need to
be better connected with one another.
These reports and past experience with national employer
investments suggest that stronger and more strategic employer
investments will be necessary if the entire STW system can really be
brought to scale and securely sustained.
Employer Investment Categories
Reaching a critical mass of employer participation and sustaining
the effort will require that both private and public sector employers
are equipped with the following: knowledge--enough to want to
participate; research--both hard evidence and anecdotal examples, to
demonstrate the conditions under which there is return on investment
when they participate; access--that employer participation is easily
facilitated; information--that other stakeholders are ready and
knowledgeable enough to partner with employers. We also know that
employers are able to influence other institutions for mutual benefit,
help to infuse STW into other systems, and that investments in employer
participation grow and leverage other resources. Based on lessons
learned from previous investments and results of research and
evaluative data-gathering, in order to bring STW to scale, the
following broad areas of activities are necessary:
1. Products and activities that enable employer participation and
build a knowledge base of employers.--This includes, but is not limited
to, those activities that address barriers to participation, provide
more information to employers, organize employer events, highlight
effective and best practices, and generally provide outreach to the
employer community.
2. Educating other stakeholders about business need and business
culture.--Educators especially need a better grounding on how to work
effectively in partnership with employers. Previous experience tells us
that employer involvement becomes tenuous when employers are in a ready
posture to participate but schools and others are not ready to engage
them.
3. Employers influencing institutions.--There are multiple and
complex institutional entities that necessarily interact with business
in STW. Policies and practices of these institutions are often out of
line with business and industry need and are often inadvertently
misaligned with economic trends that affect their own effectiveness.
Thus, there is a need for business influence not only on education but
also other workforce development initiatives.
4. Advocating for intermediaries.--The process of connecting
schools with employers and students with employers can be time
consuming and challenging given the institutional and cultural barriers
described above. One successful approach has been the use of
intermediary organizations that connect the two. Demonstrating and
researching the features of intermediary relationships that are
particularly effective in linking schools and employers will be
especially valuable to
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bringing STW to scale. As one report states: ``Employers want a
reliable intermediary much more than they want incentives.''
5. Research.--Anecdotal stories of success and effectiveness are
useful, but lack wide scale replicability. Research is needed that
empirically demonstrates the benefit of employer participation in STW
and those variables likely to contribute to effective employer
involvement and employer return on investment.
6. Building employer capacity.--There is a need to address
industry-specific needs as well as to tie STW participation into each
industry's evolving skill standards. In addition, the needs of
employers operating in specific labor market areas must be addressed.
There is a host of other ways in which to flexibly address employer
needs as agents of STW implementation.
7. Connectivity.--There is a need to align employer participation
in complementary, supportive and/or related initiatives, for example:
the Building Linkages initiative works to develop curriculum to match
the technical knowledge and skills required for career entry,
progression and further education in a career area.
The Departments believe that the intensity and mix of activities
that will lead to scale and sustainability of employer participation
can be approached through two categories of grants as described below.
The Departments also believe that it is beneficial for grantees to
share lessons learned, discuss common issues and share related
products. The Departments expect that successful applicants in both of
the application categories will coordinate activities and share results
with new and previous grantees under this competition.
IV. Application Process
The Departments are reserving funds appropriated for FY 1998 under
the Act for two award categories. Eligible applicants may only apply
under one category. Failure to select one of the two categories may
lead to disqualification. The first award category is for national
industry/trade associations or national coalitions with national
memberships or participation. The second category is targeted to local/
regional business-led consortia. Both are expected to increase the
number and capacity of employers participating in State and local STW
systems and to increase the number of work-based learning opportunities
for students participating in STW activities.
Application Category One: National trade/industry groups or
associations/coalitions with national memberships/participation.
Priority will be given to those applicants that can reach employers
through a national membership network and that represent high-growth
industries not already represented by grants awarded in FY 1997. For
the first category, any industry/trade association or coalition with
national membership or participation that represents a national network
of industry members may submit an application for a grant award.
Potential applicants, however, should note the Department's priority is
to support industry groups that can demonstrate significant evidence of
past or current STW participation to build upon, are in growth
industries, or have high potential for providing jobs that allow for
career pathways for new job entrants. High-priority industries include
business/finance; transportation; health services; and communications.
Application Category Two: Regional Business-Led Consortia that
encompass regional labor markets. Priority will be given to those
applicants who demonstrate innovative participation of a variety of
employers in STW and who demonstrate active regional business
leadership. For the second category, any local/regional business-led
consortia seeking to implement or expand partnerships that link with
STW initiatives and that create new and effective approaches to
increasing the number of employers participating in STW and increasing
work-based learning opportunities for youth may apply. These
partnerships must meet a specific business need of a local/regional
labor market area as well as support educational improvement efforts.
Non-profit organizations may apply in partnership with specific
business entities, but must demonstrate a clear business leadership to
the initiative.
In preparing the proposal for either category, please use the
following headings and respond to the information in each of the
following categories.
1. Industry and Project
Identify the industry, sponsoring association (or nonprofit
organization) and title of the proposal. Provide information on the
number, percentage of industry and mix (large and small) of employers
represented by this proposal.
2. Project Proposal
Provide a detailed work plan that includes a description of the
proposed activities, with accompanying dated timelines, and the target
audiences for these activities. The offeror should demonstrate how the
proposed work plan will contribute to bringing STW to scale and how it
will lead to sustainability.
Indicators demonstrating whether the work plan is likely to help
bring STW to scale include:
Showing the impact/usefulness at the national, state, and
local levels and demonstrating an ``outreach'' strategy to enhance this
impact;
Articulating how the planned activities will build
linkages between the business and education communities in measurable
ways, including the use of intermediary organizations;
Connecting related curriculum development efforts funded
by the National School-to-Work Office/Office of Vocational and Adult
Education that link to industry-recognized skill standards, i.e.
Building Linkages;
Identifying opportunities/activities/materials for teacher
professional development in the area of employer engagement;
Identifying innovative approaches to work-based learning
that can accommodate any student; and
Identifying numerical goals around the numbers of
employers who will begin to be engaged in STW and the numbers of work-
based learning positions for students.
Indicators demonstrating whether the plan demonstrates
sustainability after the federal investment has ended include:
Providing a realistic plan for institutionalizing the
endeavor beyond a specific project level;
Extracting and documenting the common lessons applicable
to other interested entities within a targeted industry, occupation or
sector;
Identifying both federal and non-federal funding sources
that amplify the federal STW investment and outlast it;
Describing in business terms how it is a solution to a
business problem or address a business need; and
Identifying clear roles for major stakeholder groups such
as industry, educators, parents, students and employee representatives
or unions when applicable.
3. Connecting to Related Initiatives and Entities
The offeror should demonstrate how its proposed plan of activities
will build upon existing coalitions or create new coalitions that
maximize business involvement and participation in STW; and/or connect
with other entities with similar experiences and interests to identify
related products, resources, funding and interests in order to take
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advantage of activities in the larger arena of STW implementation; and/
or involve the public and private sectors in ways that capitalize on,
and connect to, existing infrastructures and overall workforce
development systems; and/or connect to existing industry skill
standards development efforts, including the work of the emerging
Voluntary Partnerships funded by the National Skill Standards Board,
Building Linkages consortia where applicable and relevant Federal
initiatives (e.g., the Department of Transportation's Garrett Morgan
effort).
4. Results
The offeror should provide specific and quantifiable outcomes that
are anticipated from the proposed plan of activities. In identifying
outcomes, the offeror should also explain how it will collect data,
document results and use these results in ongoing working with members.
5. Capability
The offeror should demonstrate the capability of the organization
and the key staff assigned to undertake the work plan and include
examples of prior related efforts that demonstrate success in providing
outreach and capacity building of member firms.
V. Application Submittal
Applicants must submit four (4) copies of their proposal, with
original signatures. The applications shall be divided into two
distinct parts: Part I--which contains Standard Form (SF) 424,
``Application for Federal Assistance,'' (Appendix A) and ``Budget
Information Sheet,'' (Appendix B). All copies of the (SF) 424 MUST have
original signatures of the legal entity applying for grant funding.
Applicants shall indicate on the (SF) 424 the organization's IRS
Status, if applicable. According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995, Section 18, an organization described in Section 501(c) 4 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which engages in lobbying activities
shall not be eligible for the receipt of federal funds constituting an
award, grant, or loan, The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
number is 17.249. In addition, the budget shall include--on a separate
page(s)--a detailed cost break-out of each line item on the Budget
Information Sheet. Part II shall contain the program narrative that
demonstrates the applicant's plan and capabilities in accordance with
the evaluation criteria contained in this notice. Applicants must
describe their plan in light of each of the Evaluation Criteria.
Applicants MUST limit the program narrative section to no more than 30
double-spaced pages, on one side only. This includes any attachments.
Applications that fail to meet the page limitation requirement will not
be considered.
VI. Late Applications
Any 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 and it--(a)
was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the fifth
calendar day before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.
g. , an application submitted in response to a solicitation requiring
receipt of applications by the 20th of the month must have been mailed/
post marked by the 15th of that month); or (b) was sent by the U.S.
Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service to addresses not later
than 5:00 P.M. at the place of mailing two working days prior to the
date specified for receipt of applications. The term ``working days''
excludes weekends and federal holidays. The term ``post marked'' 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.
VII. Hand Delivered Proposals
It is preferred that applications be mailed at least five days
prior to the closing date. To be considered for funding, Hand-delivered
applications must be received by 4:00 P.M., (Eastern Time), on the
closing date at the specified address. Telegraphed and/faxed
applications will not be honored. Failure to adhere to the above
instructions will be a basis for a determination of nonresponsiveness.
Overnight express mail from carriers other than the U.S. Postal Service
will be considered hand-delivered applications and must be received by
the above specified date and time.
VIII. Funding Availability and Period of Performance
The Departments expect to make up to 10 awards with a maximum total
investment for these projects of $4.5 million. The period of
performance will be for 24 months from the date the grant is awarded.
The Departments may, at their option, provide additional funds for
another 12 months at a lower level of funding, depending upon fund
availability and performance of the offeror.
Estimated Range of Awards. The Departments expect the total award
amounts for application category one: industry focus; to not exceed one
million dollars for the total 24-month period. The Departments further
expect the total award amount for application category two: business-
led consortia; to range from a minimum award of $200,000 to a maximum
award of $500,000, for the total 24-month period. These estimates are
provided to assist applicants in developing their plans.
IX. Review Process
A careful evaluation of applications will be made by a technical
review panel who will evaluate the applications against the criteria
listed below. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding
on the Grant Officer. The Government may elect to award the grant with
or without discussions with the offeror. In situations without
discussions, an award will be based on the offeror's signature on the
(SF) 424, which constitutes a binding offer. Awards will be those in
the best interest of the Government. Applicants may apply for only one
of the two categories of grants; that is, either specific national
industry initiatives or local/regional business-led consortia.
The criteria used to rate all proposals submitted in Category One,
National Industry Focus, are:
1. The extent to which the organization represents a critical mass
of employers within a growth industry. (20 points)
Is this the lead organization for the industry?
Is this a growth industry?
Is this an industry in which there is already significant
participation in work place experiences for teachers and/or students?
Does the industry offer jobs that provide pathways to high
wage careers?
Is the industry and/or lead organization currently
involved in the development and use of skill standards within education
and training systems?
2. The extent to which the proposed plan will leverage the
infrastructure of a national industry or trade association in order to
reach a critical mass of employers who will participate in and benefit
from STW. (35 points)
Is the plan specific as to the activities proposed and how
these activities will result in broad employer participation?
Does the proposal clearly demonstrate how the activities
proposed will bring employer participation in STW systems to scale?
Does the plan clearly demonstrate how the organization
plans to build
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upon existing venues for reaching member firms?
Does the plan have clear numerical goals for new employers
and work-based learning positions for students?
Are the outcomes proposed specific, realistic and
measurable?
3. The extent to which the proposal addresses the system-building
elements of STW. (35 points)
Is it clear how other critical stakeholders will be
involved at the State and local level?
Does the proposal address how the activities will connect
with State and local STW system initiatives?
Does the proposal include how this project will relate to
other industry associations and business coalitions?
Does the proposal address the activities that connect
employers with schools at the local level and how these activities will
be accomplished?
Does the proposal address how the activities will connect
and leverage other national initiatives that promote industry
involvement in the development and use of skill standards, e.g.
Building Linkages?
Does the proposal address how employees or their
representatives, including unions, will be involved in the development
and implementation of STW in the affected industry?
4. The extent to which the proposed plan is likely to produce
sustainable employer engagement in STW after the federal investment has
ended. (10 points)
Is there evidence of non-grant funding that amplifies the
federal investment and that is likely to contribute to sustaining the
project's impact?
Is the proposal specific as to the business needs and
problems that the proposed activities are designed to address?
The criteria used to rate all proposals in Category Two, Business-
Led Consortia, are:
1. The extent to which the applicant and its partners represent a
business-led initiative that addresses a particular local/regional
labor market need. (20 points)
Is there clear evidence that the consortium is business
led?
Does the project reflect significant participation in
work-based experiences for teachers and/or students?
Do the consortia members offer jobs that provide pathways
to high-wage careers?
Does the application show the connection between its
activities and the labor market needs of the area?
2. The extent to which the proposed plan will reach a critical mass
of employers who will participate in and benefit from STW. (35 points)
Is the plan specific as to the activities proposed, how
these activities will result in broad employer participation, and what
personnel will be assigned to key tasks?
Does the proposal clearly demonstrate how the activities
proposed will bring employer participation in local STW systems to
scale?
Does the plan clearly demonstrate how the consortium plans
to build upon existing partnerships for reaching employers?
Does the plan have clear numerical goals for increasing
the number of employers who will begin to be engaged in STW and for
increasing the number of work-based learning positions for students?
Are the outcomes proposed specific, realistic and
measurable?
3. The extent to which the proposal addresses the system-building
elements of STW. (35 points)
Is it clear how other critical stakeholders will be
involved?
Does the proposal explain the specific mechanisms for
engaging these stakeholders?
Does the proposal address how the activities will connect
with local STW initiatives?
Does the proposal address the activities that connect
employers with schools at the local level and how these activities will
be accomplished?
Does the proposal address how employees or their
representatives, including unions, will be involved in the development
and implementation of STW in the affected consortium?
4. The extent to which the proposed plan is likely to produce
sustainable employer engagement in STW after the federal investment has
ended. (10 points)
Is there evidence of non-grant funding that amplifies the
federal investment and that is likely to contribute to sustaining the
project's impact?
Is the proposal specific as to the business needs and
problems that the proposed activities are designed to address?
Does the application clearly show how the project
activities can be replicated in other locales and how the grantee will
disseminate its findings from the project?
The grants will be awarded based on applicant response to the above
mentioned criteria and what is otherwise most advantageous to the
Departments.
X. Reporting Requirements
The Departments are interested in insuring that grantees share
lessons learned and products developed. To facilitate exchange of
information, the Departments expect to occasionally convene grantees
for meetings of approximately one-day duration. Grantees will also be
asked to submit periodic progress reports in a format to be determined
and on a semi-annual basis.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 12th day of February, 1999.
Laura A. Cesario,
Grant Officer.
Appendix A: (SF) 424--Application Form
Appendix B: Budget Information Form
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[FR Doc. 99-4006 Filed 2-17-99; 8:45 am]
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