[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 32 (Thursday, February 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8131-8139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4006]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications in 
School-to-Work Opportunities; State and Local Systems

AGENCIES: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for grant 
applications (SGA) providing work-based learning opportunities in State 
and local School-to-Work (STW) systems through two distinct efforts 
undertaken by either: (1) national industry/trade groups or 
associations/coalitions with national memberships or participation; or 
(2) local/regional business-led consortia.

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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 up to 10 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/trade 
groups or associations/coalitions with national memberships or 
participation and to local/regional business-led consortia to undertake 
outreach, technical assistance, and other activities to increase the 
number and capacity of employers to participate in STW systems. The 
Departments believe that a targeted approach to employer involvement in 
STW through industry and trade groups or associations/coalitions with 
national memberships/participation and through local/regional business-
led consortia has the potential to help develop a critical mass of 
business partners. 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 participating in STW and increasing the number of work-based 
learning opportunities for students who are participating in STW 
activities. The Departments made four awards to distinct industry 
groups (retail, manufacturing, information technology and utilities) in 
FY 1997.

DATES: Applications will be accepted commencing February 18, 1999. The 
closing date for receipt of applications is April 5, 1999, at 4 P.M., 
(Eastern Time ) at the address below.

ADDRESSES: Applications shall be mailed to the U.S. Department of 
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal 
Assistance, Attention: Patricia A. Glover, Reference: SGA/DFA 99-005, 
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S-4203, Washington, D.C. 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions should be faxed to Patricia A. 
Glover, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance, 
Fax (202) 219-8739. This is not a toll-free number. All inquiries 
should include the SGA number (DFA 99-005) and a contact name, fax and 
phone number. This solicitation will also be published on the Internet 
on the Employment and Training Administration's Homepage at http://
www.doleta.gov. Award notifications will also be published on this 
Homepage.

Industry Association/Business Consortium Solicitation

I. Purpose

    To invite proposals for increasing the number and capacity of 
employers providing work-based learning opportunities in State and 
local School-to-Work (STW) systems through two distinct efforts 
undertaken by either: (1) national industry/trade groups or 
associations/coalitions with national memberships or participation; or 
(2) local/regional business-led consortia.

II. Background

    The School-to-Work Opportunities Act was signed into law by 
President Clinton on May 4, 1994. Jointly administered by the 
Departments of Labor and Education, this Act is a new approach to 
education and workforce development 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 to increase the likelihood 
that youth will successfully transition from school into careers or 
post-secondary institutions. 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. Currently all 50 
states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are receiving

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STW implementation funds. The Act also provides funds for national 
activities to support STW system-building efforts nationwide. These 
funds are used for technical assistance and capacity building, outreach 
and 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. One 
purpose, the National School-to-Work Opportunities Act was 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 experience.'' Work-based learning is one of the three 
key components within 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 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. The National School-to-Work Office 
(NSTWO) has made a number of investments to support employer knowledge 
and participation in emerging STW systems. In FY 1996, the NSTWO funded 
the Building Linkages initiative to promote connections between State 
Academic standards and industry-recognized skill standards. The goal 
was to ensure that student learners meet both the requirements of post-
secondary education and employer expectations. As a result, curricular 
models within the context of broad career areas were created. Another 
major investment included support for the establishment and development 
of the National Employer Leadership Council, the mission of which is to 
enlist the leadership of prominent CEO's of major companies to promote 
STW at the highest levels of corporate business.
    The NSTWO, in addition to the industry-specific awards in FY 1997, 
also invested in outreach activities, specific publications targeted to 
business entities and employers and research and evaluation in an 
effort to collect data on employer participation. Such data have 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 Measures 
System; and (3) The Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Longitudinal 
Survey of Youth Data Collection.
    There is preliminary information demonstrating that the investments 
made to date on employer participation are having an important impact, 
but there is a long way to go before employer participation can be 
considered at scale and sufficiently sustainable. The most recent 
evaluation of STW systems conducted by Mathematica Policy Research 
revealed that employers are playing an active role in local 
partnerships, participating widely in governing boards, offering varied 
forms of work-based learning opportunities, hosting teacher internships 
and contributing to curriculum development. However, according to 
several studies, there needs to be more in-depth work-based experiences 
provided by employers and an increase in the number of employers 
participating in STW to effectively augment and link to classroom 
instruction.
    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 clearer linkages and more focused attention than has been 
occurring. It is also clear that both educators and employers need to 
be better connected with one another.
    These reports and past experience with national employer 
investments suggest that stronger and more strategic employer 
investments will be necessary if the entire STW system can really be 
brought to scale and securely sustained.
Employer Investment Categories
    Reaching a critical mass of employer participation and sustaining 
the effort will require that both private and public sector employers 
are equipped with the following: knowledge--enough to want to 
participate; research--both hard evidence and anecdotal examples, to 
demonstrate the conditions under which there is return on investment 
when they participate; access--that employer participation is easily 
facilitated; information--that other stakeholders are ready and 
knowledgeable enough to partner with employers. We also know that 
employers are able to influence other institutions for mutual benefit, 
help to infuse STW into other systems, and that investments in employer 
participation grow and leverage other resources. Based on lessons 
learned from previous investments and results of research and 
evaluative data-gathering, in order to bring STW to scale, the 
following broad areas of activities are necessary:
    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 employers are in a ready 
posture to participate but schools and others are not ready to engage 
them.
    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 not only on education but 
also other workforce development 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

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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 replicability. 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. In addition, the needs of 
employers operating in specific labor market areas must be addressed. 
There is a host of other ways in which to flexibly address employer 
needs as agents of STW implementation.
    7. Connectivity.--There is a need to align employer participation 
in complementary, supportive and/or related initiatives, for example: 
the Building Linkages initiative works to develop curriculum to match 
the technical knowledge and skills required for career entry, 
progression and further education in a career area.
    The Departments believe that the intensity and mix of activities 
that will lead to scale and sustainability of employer participation 
can be approached through two categories of grants as described below. 
The Departments also believe that it is beneficial for grantees to 
share lessons learned, discuss common issues and share related 
products. The Departments expect that successful applicants in both of 
the application categories will coordinate activities and share results 
with new and previous grantees under this competition.

IV. Application Process

    The Departments are reserving funds appropriated for FY 1998 under 
the Act for two award categories. Eligible applicants may only apply 
under one category. Failure to select one of the two categories may 
lead to disqualification. The first award category is for national 
industry/trade associations or national coalitions with national 
memberships or participation. The second category is targeted to local/
regional business-led consortia. Both are expected to increase the 
number and capacity of employers participating in State and local STW 
systems and to increase the number of work-based learning opportunities 
for students participating in STW activities.
    Application Category One: National trade/industry groups or 
associations/coalitions with national memberships/participation. 
Priority will be given to those applicants that can reach employers 
through a national membership network and that represent high-growth 
industries not already represented by grants awarded in FY 1997. For 
the first category, any industry/trade association or coalition with 
national membership or participation that represents a national network 
of industry members may submit an application for a grant award. 
Potential applicants, however, should note the Department's priority is 
to support industry groups that can demonstrate significant evidence of 
past or current STW participation to build upon, are in growth 
industries, or have high potential for providing jobs that allow for 
career pathways for new job entrants. High-priority industries include 
business/finance; transportation; health services; and communications.
    Application Category Two: Regional Business-Led Consortia that 
encompass regional labor markets. Priority will be given to those 
applicants who demonstrate innovative participation of a variety of 
employers in STW and who demonstrate active regional business 
leadership. For the second category, any local/regional business-led 
consortia seeking to implement or expand partnerships that link with 
STW initiatives and that create new and effective approaches to 
increasing the number of employers participating in STW and increasing 
work-based learning opportunities for youth may apply. These 
partnerships must meet a specific business need of a local/regional 
labor market area as well as support educational improvement efforts. 
Non-profit organizations may apply in partnership with specific 
business entities, but must demonstrate a clear business leadership to 
the initiative.
    In preparing the proposal for either category, 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, percentage of industry and mix (large and small) of employers 
represented by this proposal.
2. Project Proposal
    Provide a detailed work plan that includes a description of the 
proposed activities, with accompanying dated timelines, 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'' strategy to enhance this 
impact;
     Articulating how the planned activities will build 
linkages between the business and education communities in measurable 
ways, including the use of intermediary organizations;
     Connecting related curriculum development efforts funded 
by the National School-to-Work Office/Office of Vocational and Adult 
Education that link to industry-recognized skill standards, i.e. 
Building Linkages;
     Identifying opportunities/activities/materials for teacher 
professional development in the area of employer engagement;
     Identifying innovative approaches to work-based learning 
that can accommodate any student; and
     Identifying numerical goals around the numbers of 
employers who will begin to be engaged in STW and the numbers of work-
based learning positions for students.
    Indicators demonstrating whether the plan demonstrates 
sustainability after the federal investment has ended include:
     Providing a realistic plan for institutionalizing the 
endeavor beyond 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 the federal STW investment and outlast it;
     Describing in business terms how it is a solution to a 
business problem or address a business need; and
     Identifying clear roles for major stakeholder groups such 
as industry, educators, parents, students and employee representatives 
or unions when applicable.
3. Connecting to Related Initiatives and Entities
    The offeror should demonstrate how its proposed plan of activities 
will build upon existing coalitions 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

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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, 
Building Linkages consortia where applicable and relevant Federal 
initiatives (e.g., the Department of Transportation's Garrett Morgan 
effort).
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 with members.
5. Capability
    The offeror should demonstrate the capability of the organization 
and the key staff assigned to undertake the work plan and include 
examples of prior related efforts that demonstrate success in providing 
outreach and capacity building of member firms.

V. Application Submittal

    Applicants must submit four (4) copies of their proposal, with 
original signatures. 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 legal entity applying for grant funding. 
Applicants shall indicate on the (SF) 424 the organization's IRS 
Status, if applicable. According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995, Section 18, an organization described in Section 501(c) 4 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which engages in lobbying activities 
shall not be eligible for the receipt of federal funds constituting an 
award, grant, or loan, 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. 
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 at the specified address. Telegraphed and/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 10 awards with a maximum total 
investment for these projects of $4.5 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 
another 12 months at a lower level of funding, depending upon fund 
availability and performance of the offeror.
    Estimated Range of Awards. The Departments expect the total award 
amounts for application category one: industry focus; to not exceed one 
million dollars for the total 24-month period. The Departments further 
expect the total award amount for application category two: business-
led consortia; to range from a minimum award of $200,000 to a maximum 
award of $500,000, for the total 24-month period. These estimates are 
provided to assist applicants in developing their plans.

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 grant 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. Applicants may apply for only one 
of the two categories of grants; that is, either specific national 
industry initiatives or local/regional business-led consortia.
    The criteria used to rate all proposals submitted in Category One, 
National Industry Focus, are:
    1. The extent to which the organization represents a critical mass 
of employers within a growth industry. (20 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. (35 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

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upon existing venues for reaching member firms?
     Does the plan have clear numerical goals for new employers 
and work-based learning positions for students?
     Are the outcomes proposed specific, realistic and 
measurable?
    3. The extent to which the proposal addresses the system-building 
elements of STW. (35 points)
     Is it clear how other critical stakeholders will be 
involved at the State and local level?
     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 that promote industry 
involvement in the development and use of skill standards, e.g. 
Building Linkages?
     Does the proposal address how employees or their 
representatives, including unions, will be involved in the development 
and implementation of STW in the affected industry?
    4. The extent to which the proposed plan is likely to produce 
sustainable employer engagement in STW after the federal investment has 
ended. (10 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?
    The criteria used to rate all proposals in Category Two, Business-
Led Consortia, are:
    1. The extent to which the applicant and its partners represent a 
business-led initiative that addresses a particular local/regional 
labor market need. (20 points)
     Is there clear evidence that the consortium is business 
led?
     Does the project reflect significant participation in 
work-based experiences for teachers and/or students?
     Do the consortia members offer jobs that provide pathways 
to high-wage careers?
     Does the application show the connection between its 
activities and the labor market needs of the area?
    2. The extent to which the proposed plan will reach a critical mass 
of employers who will participate in and benefit from STW. (35 points)
     Is the plan specific as to the activities proposed, how 
these activities will result in broad employer participation, and what 
personnel will be assigned to key tasks?
     Does the proposal clearly demonstrate how the activities 
proposed will bring employer participation in local STW systems to 
scale?
     Does the plan clearly demonstrate how the consortium plans 
to build upon existing partnerships for reaching employers?
     Does the plan have clear numerical goals for increasing 
the number of employers who will begin to be engaged in STW and for 
increasing the number of work-based learning positions for students?
     Are the outcomes proposed specific, realistic and 
measurable?
    3. The extent to which the proposal addresses the system-building 
elements of STW. (35 points)
     Is it clear how other critical stakeholders will be 
involved?
     Does the proposal explain the specific mechanisms for 
engaging these stakeholders?
     Does the proposal address how the activities will connect 
with local STW initiatives?
     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 employees or their 
representatives, including unions, will be involved in the development 
and implementation of STW in the affected consortium?
    4. The extent to which the proposed plan is likely to produce 
sustainable employer engagement in STW after the federal investment has 
ended. (10 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?
     Does the application clearly show how the project 
activities can be replicated in other locales and how the grantee will 
disseminate its findings from the project?
    The grants will be awarded based on applicant response to the above 
mentioned criteria and what is otherwise most advantageous to the 
Departments.

X. Reporting Requirements

    The Departments are interested in insuring that grantees share 
lessons learned and products developed. To facilitate exchange of 
information, the Departments expect to occasionally convene grantees 
for meetings of approximately one-day duration. Grantees will also be 
asked to submit periodic progress reports in a format to be determined 
and on a semi-annual basis.

    Signed in Washington, DC, this 12th day of February, 1999.
Laura A. Cesario,
Grant Officer.

Appendix A: (SF) 424--Application Form
Appendix B: Budget Information Form

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