[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 3, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18852]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 3, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

 

Women's Bureau; Announcement of Competition for Grant 
Applications for the Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) Act 
Demonstration Programs for Fiscal Year 1994

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

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 second year (Fiscal Year 1994) 
of competition to award up to six (6) grants to States for conducting 
demonstration projects which provides women with a wider range of 
training opportunities in nontraditional fields.
    The Act established a four-year, $6 million demonstration program 
to assist States in the development of exemplary programs that train 
and place women in nontraditional occupations, with special emphasis on 
growth occupations with increased wage potential.
    The Department of Labor is to award, from funds available under 
Title IV of JTPA, $1.5 million per year for Fiscal Years 1992, 1993, 
1994 and 1995; as stated, up to six grants per year may be awarded to 
States. Six grants were awarded in Fiscal 1992; five grants were 
awarded in 1993.

DATES: Grant applications which request funding in FY 1994 must be 
received by close of business (4:45 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings 
Time) October 14, 1994, or be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on 
or before that date. Applications received after the deadline will be 
considered to be nonresponsive and will not be reviewed.

ADDRESSES: A State's operating entity (as described in II. Eligibility 
Applicants, below), for JTPA interested in submitting a grant 
application for review under this competition must request in writing a 
copy of Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) #94-02 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. Please Note: No telephone calls, please. 
Only written requests which are delivered via the U.S. Postal Service 
or overnight courier service will be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Harvey, at the above address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Improving women's employment opportunities and other employment 
related equity and social issues that 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 DOL agencies charged 
with improving the economic and workplace life of American workers. In 
fulfilling this responsibility, the Employment and Training 
Administration and the Bureau co-administer the Nontraditional 
Employment for Women Act (NEW), with the Bureau having responsibility 
for the demonstration program grants to States to promote higher wages 
for women through NTO job training and placement.

Grant Authority

    The demonstration program grants are authorized under the NEW Act, 
Public Law 102-235, signed December 1991, effective July 1992. NEW 
amends the JTPA and, by reference, as subsequently amended by the Job 
Training Reform Amendments of 1992.
    The NEW demonstration program grant awards are funded from Title IV 
of JTPA. (JTPA discretionary money is transferred to the Women's 
Bureau.) The funding is set at $1.5 million, annually, to make no more 
than six (6) awards for fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995.

First (1992) and Second (1993) Year NEW Awards

    The first year of competition (Fiscal Year 1992) began September 
1992 with the publication of the Solicitation for Grant Applications 
(SGA) #92-01 in the Federal Register. Thirty-eight proposals were 
received in response to the SGA. Both a WB/ETA technical review panel 
and an OASAM Office of Procurement Services cost review panel evaluated 
all proposals and was the basis for funding recommendations to the 
Secretary. On January 19, 1993, grants were awarded to the District of 
Columbia, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
    The second year of competition (Fiscal Year 1993) began in May 1993 
with the publication of the Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) 
#93-03 in the Federal Register. Thirty-two proposals were received in 
response to the SGA. Both a WB/ETA technical review panel and an OASAM 
Office of Procurement Services cost review panel evaluated all 
proposals and was the basis for funding recommendations to the 
Secretary. On December 6, 1993, grants were awarded to California, 
Georgia, Illinois, Missouri and New Jersey.

II. Eligible Applicants

    The State is the eligible applicant for a NEW demonstration grant 
award. The Governor of each State, as is the case with JTPA Titles II 
and III, is the recipient of awards under the NEW Act. Governors in 
turn designate an agency at the State level to administer JTPA for the 
State; that agency can apply for the NEW grants on behalf of the 
Governor and the State.

III. Funding Levels

    The Department expects to make six awards to States, the maximum 
allowed under the NEW Act. Proposal (i.e., grant application) funding 
requests should average $225,000. The total funding level is $1.5 
million.
    In addition to costs, the Department will consider geographic 
diversity (distribution) in making grant awards.

IV. Demonstration Program Overview

    This Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) is extended to 
States who are committed to the goals and objectives of NEW. It asks 
them to develop, enhance and implement demonstration and exemplary 
programs to train and place women in nontraditional occupations (NTOs). 
For women, NTOs are occupations where less than 25 percent of the 
persons employed in an occupation or field of work are women. NTOs are 
generally characterized by employment growth and the potential for 
above average earnings individualized for each local labor market.
    The ultimate goal of the NEW Act is to increase the earnings of 
women and, thereby, the self-sufficiency of women and their families. 
To examine ways of accomplishing that goal, the New Act provides 
funding incentives in its demonstration and exemplary program grants. 
States shall develop and implement projects/programs that illustrate, 
by their example, effective ways to incorporate and sustain systemic 
change in the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) service delivery 
system--the Private Industry Councils' (PICs) procedures and 
programming--to promote the training and placement of women in NTOs to 
increase their employment and earnings.
    States applying for funds may develop new initiatives or 
enhancements to existing job training programs and services. Grant 
funds are to develop and/or supplement, not supplant current funding to 
train and place women in NTOs.
    Grant funds must not be used as ``replacement'' funds for 
activities that are currently funded through other Federal programs; 
i.e., JTPA or Carl Perkins Vocational * * * NEW grant funds can be used 
in addition to, but not instead of, other Federal funds to expand or 
enhance programs. Grantee projects serve as models and should be 
disseminated for replication throughout the JTPA systems and within 
other education, training and employment programs in the State.
    States have completed the development of their second two-year 
Governor's Coordination and Special Services Plans (GCSSP). The GCSSP 
must include measurable goals for women in nontraditional training and 
placement, with particular attention to implementation through the JTPA 
system as required by NEW.
    All States that apply for NEW grant funds must have and describe 
the measurable State goals for the implementation of training and 
placing women in NTOs to be responsive to this SGA.
    In addition, a high priority will be given to State proposals that 
provide evidence (in measurable outcomes for women) of the State's 
prior and ongoing commitment to the goals and objectives of NEW to 
train and place women in local area-specific nontraditional employment 
with above average earnings. Such commitment can be measured, in part, 
from State proposals with (1) greater than average (15 percent of more) 
proportion of women's JTPA training for NTOs; (2) substantial 
employment placement rate (85 percent or greater); and (3) wage rates 
above the local average.
    As required by the NEW Act's demonstration and exemplary programs 
legislation, the Women's Bureau will also consider the following:
    (1) the level of coordination between the JTPA and other resources 
available for training women in nontraditional employment, i.e., Carl 
D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act, Intermodal 
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), Department of Housing 
and Urban, etc., and other Federal, State and local job training 
resources;
    (2) the extent of private sector involvement in the development and 
implementation of training programs under the JTPA;
    (3) the extent to which the initiatives proposed by a State 
supplement or build upon existing efforts in a State to train and place 
women in nontraditional employment;
    (4) the extent to which a State is prepared to disseminate 
information on its demonstration training programs, and
    (5) the extent to which a State is prepared to produce materials 
that allow for replication of such State's demonstration training 
program.
    A State's operating entity for JTPA (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-
02 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 28th day of July 1994.
Karen Nussbaum,
Director, Women's Bureau.
[FR Doc. 94-18852 Filed 8-2-94; 8:45 am]
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