[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 124 (Wednesday, June 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15744]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 29, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

 

Women's Bureau; Announcement of Competition for Grant 
Applications for the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional 
Occupations (WA-NTO) Act for Fiscal Year 1994

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Women's Bureau, DOL.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Office (Washington, D.C.) of the Women's Bureau, 
U.S. Department of Labor, announces the Women in Apprenticeship and 
Nontraditional Occupations (WA-NTO) Act competition and anticipates 
awarding between five (5) to ten (10) grants to Community-Based 
Organizations (CBOs) to provide technical assistance to employers and 
labor unions (and related employee labor organizations) to encourage 
the recruitment, training, retention and promotion of women in their 
workplaces in apprenticeship and other apprenticeable nontraditional 
occupation.
    For Fiscal Year 1994, the WA-NTO Act was funded at the $750,000 
level to enable the Department to make grants to CBOs according to the 
provisions of the Act. In addition to seeking the best programs to 
encourage employers to increase the number of women in apprenticeship 
and other nontraditional fields of employment, the Department will also 
consider geographic diversity and occupational impact in making grant 
awards to CBOs.
    In making awards, the Department may assign CBOs to cover 
geographic areas to provide national coverage (to the extent possible) 
and to minimize travel time and costs to and from employer and/or labor 
sites. Further, as necessary, the Department will match employers and 
labor organizations requesting technical assistance (TA) to community-
based organizations (CBOs) with grants to provide the requested TA. 
Further, CBOs may propose partnerships with selected employers and/or 
labor organizations.
    Finally, the Department will award only one grant per CBO. Single 
grant awards can include: An application for grant assistance may be 
for one geographic area with or without a reference to employer(s) or 
labor organization(s); or an application for grant assistance may be 
submitted by a CBO with multiple sites for a program of technical 
assistance that uses several of their site/service providers under one 
grant proposal.

DATES: One (1) ink-signed original, complete grant application (plus 
five (5) copies of the Technical Proposal and two (2) copies of the 
Business Proposal) shall be submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, 
Office of Procurement Services, Room S-5220, 200 Constitution Avenue 
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, not later than 4:45 p.m. EDT, August 5, 
1994. Hand delivered applications must be received by the Office of 
Procurement Services by that time.
    Any application received at the Office of Procurement Services 
after 4:45 p.m. EDT will not be considered unless it is received before 
award is made and:
    1. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the 
fifth calendar day before August 5, 1994, (i.e., not later than July 
31, 1994);
    2. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the U.S. 
Department of Labor at the above address; or
    3. It was sent by the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5:00 p.m. at the place 
of mailing two working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, 
prior to August 5, 1995, (i.e., not later than 5:00 p.m. August 3, 
1994.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, 
an application received after the above closing time and date shall be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore applicants shall request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation bull's-eye postmark on both the 
receipt and the wrapper or envelope.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Mail Next Day Service-Post 
Office Addressee is the date entered by the post office receiving clerk 
on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee'' label 
and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt 
from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the same meaning as 
defined above. Therefore, applicants shall request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation bull's-eye postmark on both the 
receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
the U.S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Office of 
Procurement Services on the application, wrapper or other documentary 
evidence of receipt maintained by that Office.
    Applications sent by telegram or facsimile (FAX) will not be 
accepted. Applications received after the deadline will be considered 
to be nonresponsive and will not be reviewed.

ADDRESSES: A Community-Based Organization (as described below) 
interested in submitting a grant application for review under this 
competition must request in writing a copy of Solicitation for Grant 
Applications (SGA) #94-03 from the Office of Procurement Services, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room S-5220, 
Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Ms. Lisa Harvey.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Harvey, at the above address 
or on 202-219-6445.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Improving women's employment opportunities and other employment 
related equity and social issues to promote women in the work force has 
been the driving force of the Women's Bureau since its inception in 
1920. Within the Department of Labor, the Director serves as the policy 
advisor on women's issues to the Secretary and other DOL agencies 
charged with improving the economic and workplace life of American 
workers.
    The Women's Bureau has a history of encouraging women to consider 
the wide array of apprenticeable and other occupations nontraditional 
to women. These jobs include skilled manual trades such as those in the 
construction industry, technical jobs that require computer-based 
skills to customize services, build and repair precision machinery in 
manufacturing, and other service sector industries such as health care, 
finance, telecommunications and transportation. In fulfilling their 
responsibilities to promote profitable employment opportunities for 
women, the Employment and Training Administration, Bureau of 
Apprenticeship and Training, and the Women's Bureau have come together 
to jointly administer the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional 
Occupations (WA-NTO) Act.
    The purpose of the WA-NTO Act is to provide technical assistance to 
employers and labor unions to encourage the employment of women in 
apprenticeable occupations and other nontraditional occupations. Such 
assistance will enable business to meet the challenge of Workforce 2000 
by preparing employers and labor unions to successfully recruit, train, 
and retain women in apprenticeable occupations and will expand the 
employment and self-sufficiency options of women.
    Grant Authority. The technical assistance grants are authorized 
under the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WA-
NTO) Act, Public Law 102-530, approved October 27, 1992. (The 
Employment and Training Administration transferred the allocated 
$750,000 for Fiscal Year 1994 to the Women's Bureau to implement the 
competitive grant process.)

II. Eligible Applicants

    1. Community-based organizations (CBOs) are eligible applicants to 
receive technical assistance grants.
    The term ``community-based organization'' as defined in section 
4(5) of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501(5)), means 
private nonprofit organizations which are representative of communities 
or significant segments of communities and which provide job training 
services. For this solicitation the significant segment of communities 
are the private nonprofit organizations which are representative of 
organizations that have demonstrated experience administering programs 
that train women for apprenticeship and other apprenticeable 
nontraditional occupations.
    2. Employers and Labor Unions (E/LUs) are eligible to be selected 
to receive technical assistance provided by community-based 
organizations receiving WA-NTO grants to provide technical assistance. 
Labor unions include other related organizations that work on behalf of 
employees. To be selected to receive technical assistance, employers 
and labor unions must submit a technical assistance request sheet 
either directly to the Department of Labor, Office of Procurement 
Services or with a CBO requesting funds as described below under 
Program Key Features. (For convenience, a technical assistance request 
sheet is attached to this SGA.)

III. Funding Levels

    The Department anticipates awarding between five (5) to ten (10) 
grants to community-based organizations. Applications for funding may 
range from $75,000 to $150,000. Applications exceeding $150,000 will be 
deemed nonresponsive to the SCA and will not be evaluated.

IV. Program Design--Key Features

    1. CBO Experience and Qualifications: Applicants are required to 
address the following as a part of their proposal for grant funding:
    (a) Describe your organization's current services.
    (b) Describe current levels and sources of funding you receive for 
your services.
    (c) What is your experience and success in the provision of 
services to women in preparing them for gainful employment in 
apprenticeship and other nontraditional occupations?
    (d) What is your organization's relationship and experience with 
employers and labor unions who offer apprenticeship and nontraditional 
occupations?
    (e) What type(s) of technical assistance to employees have you 
provided previously? What were the results of these services?
    (f) If selected, how will funds received be utilized to expand or 
improve the services you currently provide if proposed services are 
similar to those currently provided?
    2. Statement of Need. Community-based organizations applying for 
funds must describe their need, including the following items:
    (a) describe geographic location for assistance;
    (b) describe target group to be served using statistical data 
including employment and unemployment rates and relevant data to 
support the need;
    (c) describe availability and types of occupations and 
justification for selection of these occupations.
    (d) describe anticipated level of employer participation;
    (e) describe employer and labor unions' need for technical 
assistance;
    (f) describe employers relationship with the Bureau of 
Apprenticeship and Training, employers and labor unions.
    3. Technical assistance provided by CBOs may include, but is not 
limited to, the following activities:
    (a) development of outreach and orientation sessions and services 
to recruit women into the employers' apprenticeable occupations and 
nontraditional occupations;
    (b) development of outreach and recruitment strategies to ensure 
the participation of employers and labor unions for apprenticeship and 
nontraditional occupations;
    (c) development of preapprenticeable occupations or nontraditional 
skills training to prepare women for apprenticeable occupations or 
nontraditional occupations;
    (d) provision of ongoing orientations for employers, unions, and 
workers on creating a successful environment for women in 
apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations;
    (e) establishment of support groups and to facilitate networks for 
women in nontraditional occupations on or off the job site to improve 
their retention;
    (f) establishment of a local computerized data base referral system 
to maintain a current list of tradeswomen who are available for work 
and employers and local labor unions who have available job openings or 
apprenticeship opportunities;
    (g) Development of intervention strategies to address workplace 
issues related to gender;
    (h) Provision for liaison between tradeswomen and employers and 
tradeswomen and labor unions to address workplace issues related to 
gender;
    (i) conducting exit interviews with tradeswomen to evaluate their 
on-the-job experience and to assess the effectiveness of the program; 
and
    (j) Development of assessment tools to evaluate the effectiveness 
of the program, to be used by the customers; i.e., tradeswomen, women, 
employers and labor unions.
    4. Priority in awarding grants. The Department will give priority 
to applications from CBOs that:
    (a) demonstrate experience preparing women to gain employment in 
apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional occupations;
    (b) demonstrate experience working with the business community to 
prepare business to place women in apprenticeable occupations or other 
nontraditional occupations;
    (c) have tradeswomen or women in nontraditional occupations as 
active members of the organization, as either employed staff or board 
members; and
    (d) have experience delivering technical assistance.
    A Community-Based Organization (as described above in II. Eligible 
Applicants) interested in submitting a grant application for review 
under the FY 1994 competition should request a copy of SGA 94-03 from 
the Office of Procurement Services, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue N.W., room S-5220, Washington, D.C. 20210, 
Attention: Ms. Lisa Harvey.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 22nd day of June 1994.
Karen Nussbaum,
Director, Women's Bureau.
[FR Doc. 94-15744 Filed 6-28-94; 8:45 am]
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