[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9498-9499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5568]



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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


The National Skill Standards Board (NSSB); Notice of Availability 
of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and 
Management, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for grant 
application can be obtained by writing to: Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department 
of Labor, Office of Procurement, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N 
5416, Washington, DC 20210. The National Skill Standards Board (NSSB) 
is soliciting proposals to be funded through Public Law 103-227. It is 
anticipated that five to 15 cooperative agreements will be awarded for 
a total not to exceed $1.5 million. Awards will range from $100,000 to 
$300,000. Eligibility to respond is limited, as described herein.

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ELIGIBILE APPLICANTS: Applicants must be one of or a combination of two 
or more of the original 22 pilot projects funded as part of the 
national skill standards demonstration projects coordinated jointly by 
the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education.

CLOSING DATE: The closing date for receipt of proposals will be March 
25, 1996, at 2:00 p.m. at the following address: Office of Procurement, 
U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N5416, 
Washington, DC 20210.
    It is anticipated that awards will be announced on or prior to May 
1, 1996.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The period of performance will cover 12 months 
from the date of execution of the cooperative agreement.

Legislative Authority

    In 1994 the Goals 200: Educate America legislation was signed, 
establishing in Title V the National Skill Standards Board. The Board 
is charged with stimulating the development and adoption of a 
voluntary, national system of skill standards and of assessment and 
certification of skill attainment.
    Specifically the Board will Develop occupational clusters to 
provide the framework for standard setting efforts; be the catalyst for 
industry-led groups to set the standards; and endorse the qualifying 
standards presented to it for approval. The NSSB also serves as a 
clearinghouse of information relating to the development of skill 
standards and skills formation systems. The work of the Board is 
intended to ``serve as a cornerstone of the national strategy to 
enhance workforce skills''. Within the workforce development policy 
framework, national skill standards will link school-to-work 
initiatives, emerging reemployment strategies for displaced workers and 
state workforce development efforts to a common understanding. This 
shared understanding of skills needed for success will be imperative if 
the U.S. is to build a system that improves the skills, training and 
preparedness of the workforce, a system needed to insure economic 
competitiveness.
    The Board is comprised of leaders from business, organized labor, 
education, training, state and federal government as well as other key 
stakeholder groups. The NSSB is mandated by the authorizing legislation 
to conduct workforce research relating to skill standards in support of 
its system development activities. The Board is interested in 
continuing the cooperative relationship with select pilot projects (or 
combinations thereof) drawing from the group of 22 funded previously 
through the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Departments of Labor and 
Education. The NSSB would like to build on what was required in the 

[[Page 9499]]
original cooperative agreement to explore specific issues and 
challenges related to implementation and uses of skill standards. There 
is no interest in duplicating work done in the initial phase of 
research.

Purpose

    The research will inform the development of a system of voluntary, 
national skill standards. Proposed activities will include, but not be 
limited to, standards-based assessment, certification, work-based 
implementation, the development of high performance work organizations 
and gaining industry-wide acceptance of national skill standards. 
Applicants must demonstrate that proposed activities will directly 
inform the Board's efforts to implement its mission and will be in 
keeping with the operating objectives defined in the complete 
solicitation package.

    Signed at Washington, D.C. on March 5, 1996.
Lawrence J. Kuss,
Grant Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-5568 Filed 3-7-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-23-M