[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 131 (Monday, July 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35564-35566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-16831]



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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Job Training Partnership Act: Technical Assistance for CET Job 
Training Model Replication

    The Department of Labor (DOL) is announcing the availability of 
technical assistance to Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) service 
providers. The Center for Employment Training (CET) is being funded by 
DOL to provide such technical assistance to replicate the CET Job 
Training Model which has been identified as particularly effective in 
training and placing hard-to-serve client populations. Eight service 
providers 

[[Page 35565]]
will receive technical assistance from CET toward the development and 
implementation of programs using the CET Job Training Model for use 
within the JTPA system in their communities. An additional 16 service 
providers may receive technical assistance pending funding 
availability.
    Selected organizations would enter into agreement with the Center 
for Employment Training to receive the technical assistance required 
for the development and start-up of the local CET Job Training Model 
program. This is a non-monetary award to selected sites.
    A series of information seminars will be held at CET's headquarters 
in San Jose, California. Interested parties should contact CET to find 
out the dates of upcoming information seminars. Alternative 
arrangements can be made to schedule a seminar or visit suitable to an 
organization's own time frame. To be considered for receipt of 
technical assistance, an eligible organization must: (1) Attend an 
information seminar and (2) submit a complete application to DOL, see 
below.

to arrange attendance at an information seminar: Arrangements to attend 
an information seminar shall be made through Max Martinez, CET 
Replication Project Training Director, Center for Employment Training, 
701 Vine Street, San Jose, CA 95110. The telephone number is (408) 287-
7924. That is not a toll-free number.

application dates: Applications will be accepted and reviewed on an 
open submission basis. Applications that meet program standards and 
eligibility criteria will be accepted on a first come basis. 
Consequently, it is in the interest of organizations to submit 
proposals on a timely basis. To allow time for applicants to attend an 
information seminar, applications will be accepted with postmarks 
starting August 1. Once 8 acceptable applications have been received, 
other acceptable applications may be placed on a waiting list for 
future technical assistance pending additional federal funding.

application address: Applications for this technical assistance award 
shall be mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to Janice 
Perry, Grant Officer, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Room S-4203, Washington, DC 20210. The telephone number is (202) 
219-8702. This is not a toll free number.

for further information contact: Lisa Stuart, Employment and Training 
Administration, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 
N-4666, Washington, DC 20210. The telephone number is (202) 219-6825. 
This is not a toll-free number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Center for Employment Training offers a unique program which 
challenges standard notions of training the disadvantaged. It provides 
a holistic approach to train the hard-to-serve through an integrated 
program of practical hands-on job skills training and in-context 
remediation including English-as-a-Second Language. CET focuses on 
technical skills training, but integrates basic education and related 
services in context with this core training. This method of learning 
was endorsed by the Secretary of Labor's Commission on Achieving 
Necessary Skills (SCANS). CET's program is unique in that it is 
accessible to all, with no entry tests or screening out hard-to-serve 
clients. This represents the direction of the 1992 JTPA amendments, 
which stress targeting of services to those most in need and 
intensifying and improving the quality of services offered. The CET 
design, as implemented through this replication, will reflect key 
provisions of the new JTPA program design such as targeting the hard-
to-serve, comprehensive one-stop services, integration of training and 
remediation, and focus on quality jobs enabling self-sufficiency.
    CET is widely recognized as one of the most effective job training 
programs in the country. CET's program serving minority single mothers 
was the only program to have a significant long-term impact in a 
comprehensive study, the Minority Female Single Parent Demonstration, 
funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and conducted by Mathematica 
Policy Research. Additionally, recent research on dropout youth, known 
as the JOBSTART study, conducted by the Manpower Demonstration Research 
Corporation (MDRC), found that CET was the only program, of thirteen 
studied, that achieved significant impacts. These studies provide 
significant evidence of the effectiveness of CET's program model.

Technical Assistance

    Technical assistance will be provided for up to 24 sites to 
replicate the CET Job Training Model. This technical assistance award 
will provide for training and technical assistance for local entities 
which are selected to operate CET Job Training Model programs. This 
award to CET is made as a modification to an existing DOL-CET agreement 
that previously provided for training and technical assistance for up 
to 14 sites.
    Selected organizations would enter into agreements with the Center 
for Employment Training to receive the technical assistance required 
for the development and start-up of the local CET Job Training Model 
program. This is a non-monetary award to selected sites.
    The technical assistance award includes the provision of local and 
CET on-site training to enable an organization to start its own CET Job 
Training Model program. Training would be provided during the period of 
agreement between CET and the selected site(s). The award covers the 
cost of services that will be required of CET in providing technical 
assistance. Start-up costs, including site development and preliminary 
staffing costs, will be the responsibility of the selected service 
providers. Operations costs of the selected CET model program also are 
not included and are expected to come from the organization's regular 
JTPA, JOBS, and other local, state and foundation funding.

Eligibility

    This award is to provide services to the JTPA community. Eligible 
applicants are limited to service delivery area JTPA administrative 
entities who run their own training programs, consortiums of service 
providers, not-for-profit community-based organizations as defined 
under Section 4 of JTPA and local education organizations. Two types of 
applications will be accepted:
    (1) Applications from JTPA administrative entities, and (2) joint 
applications with one party being the JTPA administrative entity and 
the other being an organization listed above. Applications that do not 
include the local JTPA administrative entity will not be accepted. This 
process is to ensure that all service providers have coordinated with 
their JTPA funding stream and that the administrative entity has 
committed to funding the program the service provider is being trained 
to operate.
    JTPA administrative entities will have the opportunity, if desired, 
to sub-contract with CET directly to establish a CET administered job 
training center. This would be done through a sole source arrangement 
where local procurement processes allow for it.

Information Seminars

    The three day information seminars are targeted to JTPA program 
administrators, community based training organizations, government 

[[Page 35566]]
officials, foundation directors or other individuals that would be 
involved in funding or operating the model program. The principal 
decision makers for these entities are the desired participants.
    The seminars will provide participants with the opportunity to tour 
CET skill training centers and to directly observe the CET job training 
model in action. It will provide the opportunity to meet and interact 
with CET instructors and students. Distinguished researchers will 
present study results related to their research of the CET program 
design. Information will be provided about CET's technical assistance 
program, the process for applying for technical assistance and the 
requirements for selection of CET model development sites. Applicants 
are encouraged to attend an information seminar prior to submitting 
their applications.
Applications

    Applications will be accepted on a first come first serve basis 
starting August 1, 1995 from eligible applicants that meet the 
standards below.
    To be considered, all applicants must meet the following standards:
    (1) Applicants must be or become a JTPA service provider. If the 
service provider is not the JTPA administrative entity, the application 
must be submitted jointly with the JTPA administrative entity. A joint 
application should elaborate on the relationship between the service 
provider and the administrative entity. This should include 
descriptions of previous services; JTPA, JOBS and other training 
contract funding levels; and the level of cooperation between the 
service provider and the administrative entity.
    (2) The proposed service provider must include a written commitment 
from their organization's board of directors.
    (3) Applicants must be able to show that there is solid JTPA or 
other funding sources available to the proposed service provider. The 
applicants must commit to or have a reasonable likelihood of receiving 
operating funds of at least $1,000,000 a year. A smaller amount may be 
acceptable for SDAs and other organizations operating in communities 
with limited funding resources. Any local procurement procedures that 
would be required prior to initiating the project, including those for 
a sole source award, if applicable, should be detailed. A timeline for 
the procurement process should be provided.
    (4) The applicants must show a substantial startup funding 
commitment. A minimum of $250,000 is expected although lesser amounts 
with an explanation of why that level of funding is sufficient may be 
acceptable.
    (5) The applicants must commit to sending staff for training 
throughout the technical assistance period.
    (6) The applicants must commit to follow all key aspects of the 
CET-model training design, as discussed at the information seminar, 
including open admission of hard-to-serve client groups.
    (7) The applicant must indicate its willingness to: (a) begin staff 
training within 3 months of notice of technical assistance award and, 
(b) open a new training site within 6 months of notice of technical 
assistance award. Those applicants who wish to schedule technical 
assistance after this period are encouraged to submit applications. 
Services to those applicants, however, will be contingent upon 
additional federal funding and may not be selected as part of this 
first come first serve request for proposals.
    (8) The applicants must stipulate which of the following 
replication site service provider option it wishes to pursue:
    a. An incorporated SDA with 501(c)(3) status operates the program;
    b. A non-SDA, nonprofit, community-based or local education 
organization operates the program; or
    c. The Center for Employment Training operates the program.
    (9) The applicants must state that they are willing to participate 
in evaluation studies.
    Applications will be reviewed against the above standards. All 
acceptable applications will be ranked based upon date received. The 
initial 8 sites will be provided with technical assistance under this 
agreement. Additional service providers, including those applicants who 
request assistance outside the current time frame, will be served 
contingent upon the availability of funds. Applications which do not 
meet the standard will be notified with an explanation.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 30th day of June 1995.
James M. Aaron,
Director, Office of Employment and Training Programs.
[FR Doc. 95-16831 Filed 7-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M