[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 173 (Tuesday, September 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47520-47528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24013]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Office of Policy and Research; Job Training Partnership Act, 
Title IV, Demonstration Program: Opportunity Areas For Out-Of-School 
Youth Pilot Demonstration

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

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

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SUMMARY: All information required to submit a grant application is 
contained in this announcement. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), 
Employment and Training Administration (ETA), announces a pilot 
demonstration as authorized under Title IV Part D of The Job Training 
Partnership Act, to increase the long-term employment of youth living 
in high-poverty areas. This notice provides information on the process 
that eligible entities must use to apply for these demonstration funds 
and how grantees will be selected. It is anticipated that up to $12.5 
million will be available for funding demonstration projects covered by 
this solicitation, with each award being approximately $2.25 million.

DATES: The closing date for receipt of proposals is December 7, 1998 at 
4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES: Applications must be mailed to: U.S. Department of Labor; 
Employment and Training Administration; Division of Acquisition and 
Assistance; Attention: B. Yvonne Harrell, Reference: SGA/DAA 98-016; 
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S-4203; Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All questions should be faxed to Ms. 
B. Yvonne Harrell at (202) 219-8739 (this is not a toll-free number). 
Please include a contact person, telephone number, fax number and refer 
to SGA-DAA-98-016.

Part I. Background

    The Department of Labor currently has six (6) Youth Opportunity 
pilot projects. Three were funded in 1996, Chicago, Houston, and Los 
Angeles, and three in 1997, the Bronx, Boston, and rural Kentucky. 
Through this solicitation, the Department of Labor expects to award 
grants to establish five additional Youth Opportunity pilot sites. In 
these pilot projects, Opportunity Areas are created in targeted 
communities to expand employment, education, and training opportunities 
for out-of-school youth ages 16-24, with priority given to high school 
dropouts. The demonstrations provide employment, education and training 
opportunities, mentoring, support, leadership, developmental and other 
services as needed for all youth in the target area.
    The Department expects to award five (5) grants of approximately 
$2.25 million each for a period of 18 months under this competition. 
Based on the availability of funds and successful completion of this 
initial funding period, some level of second and third year funding may 
be provided to the demonstration sites. Award decisions will be 
published on the Internet at ETA's Home Page at http://www.doleta.gov.

Eligible Applicants.

    This grant competition is limited to the Service Delivery Areas 
(SDAs) covering urban and rural sites designated by Housing Urban 
Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture as Empowerment 
Zones (EZs), supplemental empowerment zones, Enterprise Communities 
(ECs), or

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enhanced enterprise communities. In EZ/ECs that include more than one 
SDA (e.g., Philadelphia/Camden and Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas), the 
SDAs can submit either separate applications or a joint application, 
which must clearly identify each SDA's responsibilities. To be eligible 
to apply, SDAs will need to identify a contiguous set of census tracts 
with a population of at least 10,000 in the 1990 Census. SDAs will need 
to list as partners the local public school system, the local EZ/EC 
governing board, the juvenile justice system, representatives of major 
employer networks connected to the school-to-work effort, the state 
School-to-Work Partnership, and if applicable, the local School-to-Work 
Partnership. In sites where the target area includes public housing 
facilities, the demonstrations should establish linkages with all 
employment and training and other programs being operated by the local 
Housing Authority.
    Current DOL grantees serving Out-of-School Youth, cannot submit an 
application to service the same community.
    Applicants should outline how they will involve residents, youth 
and other community-based organizations (CBOs) and faith-based 
organizations of the community in the planning, and other involvement 
of the effort. Partners do not have to be solely subcontractors. Some 
partners will have resources of their own which can be made available 
to youth in the targeted community.

Program Components

    Grant funds shall be used to create an Opportunity Area for youth 
living in the target area. Youth employment and development activities 
funded under the grant shall be used for a structured set of 
initiatives focused sharply on getting out-of-school youth ages 16-24 
into long-term employment at wage levels that will prevent future 
dependency. The various programs funded under the grant should 
constitute a coherent strategy for serving large numbers of 
neighborhood youth and raising the employment rate of out-of-school 
youth in the area up to 80 percent. This overall strategy needs to be 
responsive to the particular problems of out-of-school youth in high-
poverty areas, especially the pervasive joblessness of males. Given the 
solid economy the country is now experiencing, the overall strategy 
should have a strong private sector emphasis with a core program of 
perhaps 15 case managers and job developers working to place youth and 
retain youth in private sector jobs.
    Allowable activities will include but not be limited to job 
placement officers and case managers working to link youth with private 
sector employers; on-the-job training; programs directed towards 
rehabilitating inner-city housing and that teach leadership skills and 
prepare youth for construction careers; preparation of apprenticeship 
positions in commercial construction; referrals of youth to Job Corps 
Centers for open-entry/open-exit to academic, vocational and life 
skills training primarily in a structured environment; alternative and 
charter schools; local conservation corps programs for youth who need 
to gain disciplined work experience before being ready for private 
sector placement; and adult mentors working with youth over an extended 
period of time.
    Offerers are encouraged to consider effective practices in their 
communities in workforce development, youth development and quality 
project management. Examples of activities within these categories 
include: job shadowing, long term post-placement monitoring, developing 
mentor/coach relationships, diverse funding and collaboration, and on-
going assessment of progress through project data. The experiences 
gained through the ``Promising and Effective Practices Network'' 
(PEPNet), funded in part by the Department of Labor, may be useful. 
Information on PEPNet is available on Internet web site 
www.ttrc.doleta.gov/PEPNet.
    A small amount, not more than $150,000 per year, of grant funds can 
be used for dropout prevention, college bound type programs, and sports 
and recreation programs open to all youth in the target area.
    DOL expects that various CBOs in each site will operate many of the 
services provided under this grant. However, the services should be 
well coordinated between CBO operations and the core program components 
and offered to participants in a uniform manner.
    Training offered by this demonstration shall incorporate elements 
of the School-to-Work initiatives. This should include classroom based 
and work-based learning, connective or supportive activities which 
helps participants complete the training and enter and maintain 
employment. Classroom curricula should be directly linked to the jobs 
in the labor market with direct input from employers. Job shadowing and 
on-the-job training opportunities should be committed to employers and 
indicated in the proposal. The grantee should also investigate and 
experiment with other venues of learning in the community for 
participants.
Training and education can be offered through alternative and charter 
school settings using the School-to-Work model for providing both 
classroom and work based learning opportunities. Applicants are 
encouraged to investigate, within each site, how the average daily 
attendance dollars from State and local school systems can be used to 
provide training to participants of this demonstration and provide for 
opportunities in alternative and chatter schools. In a few States the 
average daily attendance dollars follow youth who drop school and enter 
job training programs.
    Sites providing services to youth in need of bonding to become 
employed can utilize the services of the Federal Bonding program. More 
information on the Federal Bonding program will be provided at the time 
of grant awards.
    Services must not be fragmented, but should operate as an 
integrated system that supports and furthers the notion of sustaining 
the effort beyond the grant period through the creation of a new or 
changed infrastructure. The primary outreach, intake and counseling 
activities in this initiative should be based in the targeted 
neighborhood in a center where participants can come for assistance in 
improving their employment prospects. Project Directors and primary 
staff, e.g., case manager and job developers, should be located in the 
center. All connecting activities should be easily accessible to 
program participants and should be provided in settings where it is 
conducive to accomplishing the goals and objectives of the 
demonstration.
    Other partnerships/linkages should be established with the local 
One-Stop Center and the America's Career Infonet system. The Infonet 
system is a searchable database of employment trends, wages, training 
requirements, economic information, area cost of living, etc. The 
Infonet system is available through the One-Stop Center, the local 
employment service office, and the Internet. (Sites are encouraged to 
have access to the Internet.) The grantee may use a small amount, not 
more than $20,000 per year, of the grant funds to purchase technical 
assistance to coordinate with other local service providers, e.g., 
welfare-to-work program, school-to-work, vocational education programs, 
one-stop, etc., to focus on and receive employers involvement, 
commitment for work-based learning, work experience, on-the-job 
training, and job opportunities. The technical assistance shall be 
provided by a firm or individual who is familiar

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with the local labor market and has demonstrated experience in this 
area.
    The grantee may also use a small amount, not more than $5,000 per 
year, of the grant funds to purchase local technical assistance to 
establish and train members of a formal Community Advisory Board, which 
membership should include residents, youth, business leaders, community 
leaders, ministers, teachers, etc., to have direct involvement with the 
project meeting it goals and objectives, initiating and carrying out 
community activities that will enhance the quality of life in the local 
community, increase community members participation in this initiative, 
and have direct impact on parental involvement with the program.
GED should be used only as a tool for those who seek higher education 
or it is needed before entering a job training component. But it should 
not be seen as an end in itself.

Coordination

    Applicants must use partnerships both (1) to enhance the out-of-
school programs funded under the grant and (2) to provide complementary 
programs so as to make the target neighborhood an Opportunity Area for 
all youth. It is expected that applicant and other partners will invest 
State, local, and other federal resources to secure the success of the 
project. Complementary projects should include: (1) School-to-work 
efforts in the target area high school; (2) commitments for specific 
numbers of career-track jobs by employers located in the wider 
metropolitan area; (3) school district efforts to reduce the dropout 
and truancy rates in area middle schools and high schools; (4) 
investments from other State and federal programs, such as JTPA; (5) a 
public/private collaboration to start a program that helps youth attend 
college in the target area; (6) a comprehensive sports and recreation 
program for youth of all ages in the target neighborhood; and (7) a 
comprehensive youth community service program in the target area. The 
application should provide dollar values for the contributions from 
each partner, and these figures will be included in the final grant 
budget. Applicants also must agree to continue initiatives started 
under this grant beyond the three-year grant period. Applicants are 
encouraged to use State and local educational funds to support 
education and training services for youth who have dropped out of 
school.

Period of Performance

    The period of performance shall be 18 months from the date of 
execution by the Government. Delivery of services to targeted groups 
shall commence within 90 days of execution of a grant.

Part II. Application Process and Guidelines

    A grant application shall be limited to 12 double-spaced, single-
side, 8.5-inch  x  11-inch pages with 1-inch margins. Text type shall 
be 11 point or larger. Applications that do not meet these requirements 
will not be considered. SDAs wishing to apply to be a demonstration 
site should begin as quickly as possible forming the partnerships with 
State and local school-to-work efforts, local public schools, 
empowerment zones, juvenile justice system, community based 
organizations, and the private sector necessary to carry out this 
project. An original and three (3) copies of the application shall be 
submitted. The applications shall consist of two (2) separate and 
distinct parts: Part A, the Financial Proposal, and Part B, the 
Technical Proposal.

Part A--Financial Proposal

    The Financial Proposal, shall contain the Standard Form 424, 
``Application for Federal Assistance'' (Appendix A) and the ``Budget 
Information Sheet'' (Appendix B) for an 18-month initial grant period. 
Both of these forms are attached. The budget shall include on a 
separate page a detailed breakout of each proposed budget line item. 
For each budget line item that includes funds or in-kind contributions 
from a source other than the grant funds, identify the source, the 
amount, and in-kind contributions, including any restrictions that may 
apply to these funds. The Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog number is 
17.249.

Part B. Technical Proposal

    The technical proposal should be 12 pages or less and reflect the 
local partnerships that are being developed. An Executive Summary may 
be included, but shall not exceed two pages. The technical proposal 
should include letters of support from the local chief elected 
official.
    These letters will not be counted against the page limit. No cost 
data or reference to price shall be included in the technical proposal. 
The technical proposal shall include answers to the following 
questions:
    1. What is the need in the target community? What is its population 
and poverty rate in the 1990 Census? What are the dropout rates of 
target area high schools, as measured by the number of ninth graders 
enrolled in September of 1993 and the number of students graduating in 
June of 1997?
    2. What new initiatives and on-going effective practices for out-
of-school youth will be funded with the grant?
    3. How will new initiatives and effective practices fit into your 
overall EZ/EC plan?
    4. What school-to-work initiatives consistent with the School-to-
Work Opportunities Act of 1994 currently exist in the target area high 
school? What additional school-to-work initiatives will be implemented 
if this grant is received?
    5. What dropout prevention efforts currently exist in target area 
middle schools and high school? What new initiatives are committed as a 
if this grant is received?
    6. What do local major corporations promise as their role if the 
area becomes an opportunity area? The application should be clear in 
specifying existing private sector activities and new activities 
supported with leveraged resources. The specific number of jobs pledged 
for target area youth should be included in the application.
    7. What strategy do you have for linking with Job Corps?
    8. What State and local public sector, and non-profit sector 
(including faith-based organizations) commitments are being promised? 
Again, the application should be clear in specifying existing public 
sector activities in the target area and new activities being supported 
with leveraged resources.
    9. What strategy do you have for maintaining these enhanced 
services to out-of-school youth after the demonstration has ended? Will 
school funds be provided?
    10. What strategies do you have for engaging the juvenile justice 
system in preventing juvenile crime in the target area and in meeting 
the needs of target area youth who are in the criminal justice system?
    11. What strategy do you have to hire and maintain high quality 
staff, particularly in the areas of job development, case management 
and project director and to provide salary levels that are comparable 
with other programs with same type of job responsibility.
    Information required under (a), and (b), below shall be provided 
separately for each targeted neighborhood where out-of-school youth 
will be served.

(a) Target Neighborhood

    Applications should identify a target area within the EZ/EC with a 
population of between 10,000 and 15,000 persons and a poverty rate in 
the 1990 Census that is among the highest in the EZ/EC.

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In urban sites, the target area should be comprised of contiguous 
census tracts. In rural counties larger than 15,000, the target area 
should be comprised of contiguous census tracts or block numbering 
areas. In both urban and rural sites, the target area should include a 
high school and at least one middle school.

(b) Sample Site Plan

    One example of the type of plan that could be included in the 
proposal is below. This example is intended to be illustrative rather 
than prescriptive. It is expected that each community will develop a 
plan that is tailored to its area. In this example, the target 
community within the EZ/EC has a population of 10,000, with 1,600 16-24 
year-olds and with 20 percent of its population living in public 
housing. Roughly half of the 16-24 year-olds are out-of-school (800) 
and 40 percent of the out-of-school youth are employed (320). To reach 
an 80 percent employment level for this group will require 640 being 
employed, or 320 more jobs. To achieve this level of employment and to 
stem the dropout rate, the following example shows how the DOL grant 
might be used in conjunction with the leveraging of other resources. 
(This is an example):

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Other
                                             DOL grant       resources
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Job developers/case managers (Staff of
 15)....................................        $850,000  ..............
CET training (50 youth @ $6,000)........         150,000         150,000
On-the-job training (40 youth @ $5,000).         200,000  ..............
YouthBuild (40 youth @ $20,000).........         300,000         500,000
Local conservation corps (40 youth @
 $20,000)...............................         400,000         400,000
Alternative school (80 youth @ $8,000)..         200,000         440,000
Middle school restructuring.............  ..............         235,000
Futures program in high school..........          50,000         200,000
College Bound program...................          50,000         100,000
Sports and recreation program...........          50,000         100,000
Juvenile alternative sentencing program.  ..............         100,000
                                         -------------------------------
                                               2,250,000      *2,250,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* This SGA recommends the leveraging of resources on a one-to-one basis
  through in-kind or cash dollars. The leveraged resources could be used
  to serve 22-24 year-olds, and thus come from JTPA Title II-A. Other
  leveraged resources could come from other Federal agencies, local
  corporations and foundations. Funds for a new alternative school in
  the target community would come from State or local education funds.
  In addition to these funds for job training programs, the local area
  would also provide funds for new initiatives to strengthen the target
  area's middle schools and high school. These initiatives would include
  enhanced school-to-work efforts in the high school; a program to
  prepare entering ninth graders for starting high school and to provide
  outreach workers to keep youth in school; a program to help youth
  enter college, and a comprehensive sports and recreation program for
  youth. These initiatives would be paid for through a combination of
  other Federal funds, public school funds, local corporations, and
  local foundations. A significant number of private sector jobs would
  also be pledged for participants.

Hand-Delivered Applications

    Applications should be mailed no later than five (5) days prior to 
the closing date for the receipt of applications. However, if 
applications are hand-delivered, they must be received at the 
designated place by 4 p.m., Eastern Time on the closing date for 
receipt of applications. All overnight mail will be considered to be 
hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the 
specified time and closing date. Telegraphed and/or faxed proposals 
will not be honored. Applications that fail to adhere to the above 
instructions will not be honored.

Late Applications

    Any application received at the office designated in the 
solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt will not be 
considered unless it:
    (a) Was sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail 
not later than the fifth calendar day before the closing date specified 
for receipt of applications (e.g., an offer submitted in response to a 
solicitation requiring receipt of application by the 30th of January 
must have been mailed by the 25th); or
    (b) Was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service--
Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing 
two working days prior to the date specified for receipt of 
application. The term ``working days'' excludes weekends and U.S. 
Federal holidays.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or certified 
mail is the U.S. postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the 
original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. Both postmarks must show 
a legible date or the proposal shall be processed as if it had been 
mailed late. ``Postmark'' 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 and 
affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the date of 
mailing. Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk to 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 date of mailing of a 
late application sent by ``Express Mail Next-Day Service--Post Office 
to 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 postmarks on both the envelope and wrapper and the 
original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the 
same meaning as defined above. Therefore, an applicant should request 
the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's eye'' 
postmark on both the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.

Withdrawal of Applications

    Applications may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram 
(including mailgram) received at any time before award. Applications 
may be withdrawn in person by the applicant or by an authorized 
representative thereof, if the representative's identity is made known 
and the representative signs a receipt for the proposal.

Part III--Evaluation Component

    The demonstration sites will be required to collect and maintain 
participant records so that this can be a learning experience for the 
government. We look to learn and share effective techniques and 
strategies for meeting

[[Page 47524]]

the needs of out-of-school youth. The required participant records will 
be similar to the Standardized Program Information Report (SPIR) 
required for JTPA Title II programs. Leveraged resources from schools 
can be provided in a variety of ways such as by changing education 
funding formulas to reach out of school youth, starting or expanding 
alternative schools, and providing space in school buildings for 
training programs. No funds under this grant should be set aside for 
local evaluations, as the project will be formally evaluated through 
DOL. The DOL evaluation will be aimed primarily at learning from this 
demonstration if a comprehensive approach to addressing the employment 
and other needs of out of school youth increases their employment rate, 
thereby, decreasing negative behavior. The Department will use the 
lessons learned in subsequent programs for out of school youth.

Part IV--Evaluation Criteria

    Prospective offerers are advised that the selection of grantee(s) 
for award is to be made after careful evaluation of proposals by a 
panel of specialists. Each panelist will evaluate the proposals for 
acceptability with emphasis on the various factors enumerated below. 
The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant 
Officer.
    1. Need in target neighborhood, as measured by its poverty rate in 
the 1990 Census (10 points).
    2. Plan and capacity for conducting project (45 points).
    3. Level of investments of schools and other public sector partners 
(15 points)
    4. Level of investments of private sector partners, including 
commitments for private-sector jobs (10 points)
    5. Current school-to-work program and plans for next year's school-
to-work program in target area high school (10 points)
    6. Dropout prevention plans (10 points)
    Applicants are advised that discussions may be necessary in order 
to clarify any inconsistencies in their applications. Site visits will 
be made prior to final decisions of awards, to confirm information 
submitted in application. The final decision on awards will be based on 
what is most advantageous to the Federal Government, taking into 
account factors such as geographic diversity, mix of EZs and ECs, and 
demographic characteristics. The Government may elect to award grant(s) 
without discussion with the offerers.

    Signed on this 1st day of September 1998.
Janice E. Perry,
Grant Officer, Department of Labor/ETA.

Attachments: Standard Form 424 Budget Information Sheet

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[FR Doc. 98-24013 Filed 9-4-98; 8:45 am]
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