[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 236 (Tuesday, December 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64886-64894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32206]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant 
Applications (SGA)

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for grant 
applications (SGA) for engaging employers in State and local School-to-
Work (STW) systems through efforts undertaken by industry groups and 
trade associations.

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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 approximately 3--5 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 groups and trade associations to undertake outreach, 
technical assistance, and other activities to engage and to build the 
capacity of employers to participate in STW systems. 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 in their industry who are 
participating in STW activities.

DATES: Applications for grant awards will be accepted commencing 
December 9, 1997. The closing date for receipt of applications is 
January 23, 1998, at 4 P.M., (Eastern Time) at the address below. 
Telefacsimile (FAX) applications will not be honored.

ADDRESSES: Applications shall be mailed to: U.S. Department of Labor, 
Employment and Training Administration, Division of Acquisition and 
Assistance, Attention: Ms. Laura Cesario, Reference: SGA/DAA 98-003, 
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S-4203, Washington, D.C., 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Division of Acquisition and 
Assistance, telephone: (202) 219-8694 (this is not a toll free number). 
This solicitation will also be published on the Internet, on the 
Employment and Training Administration's Home Page at http://
www.doleta.gov. Award notifications will also be published on this Home 
Page.

Industry/Trade Association Solicitation

I. Purpose

    To invite proposals to support industry and trade associations to 
undertake outreach, technical assistance, and other activities to 
engage and to build the capacity of employers to participate in STW 
systems.

II. Background

    The School-to-Work Opportunities Act was signed into law by the 
President on May 4, 1994. Jointly administered by the Departments of 
Labor and Education, this Act is a new approach to education 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. 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. The Act also provides a set-aside of funds for national 
activities to support School-to-Work system-building nationwide. These 
funds are used for technical assistance and capacity building, for 
outreach, and for 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. Among its purposes, the National 
School-to-Work Opportunities Act was enacted 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 
experiences.'' Work-based learning is one of the three key components 
within

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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 different 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
    Prior to this year, the two Departments through the National 
School-to-Work Office have made a number of investments to support 
employer knowledge and participation in aspects of emerging STW 
systems. A major investment included support for the establishment and 
development of the National Employer Leadership Council (NELC), the 
mission of which has been to enlist the leadership of highly visible 
CEOs of major companies in order to promote STW at the highest levels 
of corporate business. Another significant investment included one 
through an existing ETA grant to the National Alliance of Business 
(NAB). The purpose of this project was to promote participation in STW 
through ETA's workforce development infrastructure featuring a 
partnership comprised of NAB, NELC, the Association of Private Industry 
Councils, and the National Employer Council. The National STW office 
also invested in outreach activities and specific publications targeted 
to business entities and employers. Additional investments have been 
made in the research and evaluation area to collect data on employer 
participation. Such data has 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 measure system, and (3) The Bureau of Labor Statistics' 
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Data Collection.
    There is preliminary information that supports the notion that the 
investments made to date on employer participation are having a modest 
impact, and that there is an extremely long way to go before employer 
participation can be considered at scale and sufficiently sustainable. 
The recently released evaluation of STW work systems conducted by 
Mathematica Policy Research revealed that employers are playing an 
active role in local partnerships, participating widely in governing 
boards and in about a quarter of the cases are actually chairing these 
bodies. They are offering varied forms of work based learning 
opportunities, hosting teacher internships and contributing to 
curriculum development. However, according to the Mathematica report, 
partnerships face major challenges to recruit large numbers of 
employers. The report concludes that ``Employer recruiting will have to 
expand participation manyfold beyond 1996 levels if the goals States 
are setting for workplace activity are to be realized.''
    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 more clear linkages and more focused attention than has been 
typically occurring. It is also clear that other stakeholders, 
particularly educators, need to be better connected and attuned to 
employer perspectives.
    These reports and past experience with national employer 
investments obviously suggest that stronger and more strategic employer 
investments will be necessary if the entire STW system can really be 
brought to scale and confidently sustained.
Industry Focus
    On June 18, 1997, the National Advisory Council for STW 
Opportunities held its third meeting. Advisory Council members were 
asked to consider and provide their input to the two Departments on key 
issues surrounding sustainability of the STW initiative. Employer 
participation was identified as a key area of consideration. Among the 
suggestions made by Council members was for the Departments to make 
strategic investments with industry associations to conduct outreach 
and develop the capacity of employers to participate in STW systems.
    The Departments agree that engaging employers by industry sectors 
and through industry groups and trade associations has the potential to 
capture a critical mass of STW business partners. In addition, when 
industries are partners with education they can be engaged in the 
design of portable, industry recognized credentials that certifies that 
a student has mastered skills at least as challenging as skill 
standards endorsed by the National Skill Standards Board or those 
developed under an approved State plan. Through the resources of 
several industry-specific business associations, affiliate networks of 
national and State trade associations can link to small and large 
employers and use the associations' infrastructures to develop the 
capacity of employers to participate in local STW partnerships.
    Industries which already have a solid base of employer 
participation to build upon, provide jobs that lead to high wage 
careers for students; or are projected to grow are considered to be of 
high priority by the Departments for making strategic investments.
    The Mathematica national evaluation report and occupational and 
industry outlook data prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 
data, identify industries that show significant potential for building 
employer participation in STW. Mathematica's national evaluation report 
provides baseline information on leading industries in which students 
have paid workplace experiences through jobs obtained either outside of 
school or through school. The data was collected through student 
surveys in eight states and identified the following industries as the 
leading employers of students: retail trade; manufacturing, 
transportation, and utilities; finance, insurance, and real estate; 
automotive repair; health service; and education, public administration 
and legal/social services. BLS data on growth industries and 
occupations and on industries expected to need a high number of 
replacement workers confirm that these are the leading industries for 
job opportunities and growth.
Employer Investment Categories
    Reaching a critical mass of employer participation and sustaining 
the effort will require that both private and public sector employers 
are knowledgeable enough to want to participate, that there is 
research--both hard evidence and anecdotal examples--to demonstrate the 
conditions under which there is return on the investment when they 
participate, that employer participation is easily facilitated, that 
other stakeholders are ready and knowledgeable enough to partner with 
employers, that employers are able to influence other institutions for 
mutual benefit, that employers help infuse STW into other systems, and 
that investments in employer participation grow and leverage other 
resources. Based on lessons learned from previous investments, results 
of research and

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evaluative data gathering, and the degree of employer participation 
required for bringing STW to scale, activities for employer engagement 
can be clustered around the following broad investment categories.
    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 they are in a ready 
posture to participate but schools and others are not ready to engage 
employers.
    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 on not only education, but 
other 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 
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 generalization. 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. There are a host of other ways in which to 
flexibly address employer needs as agents of STW implementation.
    While the intensity and mix of activities that will lead to scale 
and sustainability of employer participation is best determined on an 
industry-by-industry basis, the Departments believe that it is 
beneficial to all industries involved to coordinate efforts across 
industries to share lessons learned, discuss common issues and share 
related products. The Departments expect that successful applicants 
will coordinate activities and share results.

IV. Application Process

Eligible Applicants: Any Industry or Trade Association or a Nonprofit 
Organization in Partnership Groups
    Potential applicants however, should note the Departments' priority 
in supporting industry groups that can demonstrate that they have a 
strong base of STW participation to build upon, are in growth 
industries, or have high potential for providing jobs that provide 
career pathways for new job entrants. High priority industries include: 
retail trade; manufacturing, transportation and utilities; finance, 
insurance and real estate; automotive repair; health service; and 
education, public administration and legal/social services. In 
preparing the proposal, 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 and percentage of industry and mix 
(large and small) employers that will be represented by this proposal.
    2. Project Proposal. Provide a detailed work plan that includes a 
description of the proposed activities, with accompanying time lines, 
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'' effort to enhance this 
impact.
     Articulating how the planned activities will build 
linkages between the business and education communities in measurable 
ways, including and especially through the use of intermediary 
organizations.
     Connecting to emerging industry recognized skill 
standards.
     Identifying opportunities/activities/materials for 
teacher's professional development in the area of employer engagement.
     Identifying innovative approaches to work based learning 
that can accommodate any student.
    Indicators showing whether the plan demonstrates sustainability 
after the federal investment has ended include:
     Providing a realistic plan for institutionalizing the 
endeavor beyond merely 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 and outlast the federal investment.
     Describing in business terms how it is a solution to a 
business problem or address a business need.
     Identifying clear roles for major stakeholder groups such 
as industry, organized labor, educators, parents and students.
    3. Connecting to related initiatives and entities. The offeror 
should demonstrate how its proposed plan of activities will build upon 
existing 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 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.
    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 
relationships with members.
    5. Capability. The offeror should demonstrate the capability of the 
organization and the key staff assigned to undertake the work plan, 
including examples of prior related efforts that demonstrate success in 
providing outreach and capacity building of member firms.

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V. Application Submittal

    Applicants must submit an original and three (3) copies of their 
proposal. 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 designated fiscal agent. Applicants shall indicate on the SF-424 
the organization's IRS status. 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. No 
cost data or reference to price shall be included in this part of the 
application. 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. Telegraphed and/or 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 5 awards with a maximum total 
investment for these projects of $6 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 a third 
year at a lower level of funding, depending upon fund availability and 
performance of the awardee.

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 grants 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.
Evaluation Criteria
    1. The extent to which the organization represents a critical mass 
of employers within a growth industry. (25 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. ( 25 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 upon existing venues for reaching member firms?
     Are the outcomes proposed specific and realistic?
    3. The extent to which the proposal addresses the system-building 
elements of STW. (25 Points)
     Is it clear how other critical stakeholders will be 
involved at the State and local levels?
     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 which promote industry 
involvement in the development and use of skill standards?
    4. The extent to which the proposed plan is likely to produce 
sustainable employer engagement in STW after the federal investment has 
ended. (25 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?

X. Reporting Requirements

    Applicants selected as grantees will be required to provide the 
following information:
    A. To facilitate exchange of information, the Departments expect to 
convene grantees for meetings of approximately one-day duration on a 
quarterly basis. It is anticipated that half the meetings will be in 
Washington, D.C., and the remaining at locations to be determined.
    B. Semi-annual progress reports in a format to be determined.
    C. Standard Form 269, Financial Status Report Form, on a quarterly 
basis.
    D. Final Project Report.


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    Signed at Washington, D.C., this 2nd day of December 1997.
Janice E. Perry,
Grant Officer.

Appendices

Appendix A: Application for Federal Assistance, SF Form 424
Appendix B: Budget Information Sheet

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[FR Doc. 97-32206 Filed 12-8-97; 8:45 am]
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