[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 11, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48895-48897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18327]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request; Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; Job Corps Placement Verification and 
Follow-up of Job Corps Participants

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to 
ensure that requested

[[Page 48896]]

data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and 
financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly 
understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents 
can be properly assessed. The national office of Job Corps is 
soliciting comments concerning the extension of the Job Corps' Graduate 
and Former Enrollee Placement Re-Verification and Follow-up Surveys.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Chris Conboy, U.S. Department of Labor, 
Office of Job Corps, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., N-4463, Washington, DC 
20210. E-Mail Internet Address: [email protected]. Telephone number: 
(202) 693-3000. Fax number: (202) 693-2767.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Conboy, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Office of Job Corps, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., N-4463, 
Washington, DC 20210. E-Mail Internet Address: [email protected]. 
Telephone number: (202) 693-3000. Fax number: (202) 693-2767.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Job Corps is the nation's largest and most comprehensive 
residential education and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 
16 through 24. Program participants are typically high school dropouts 
in need of further education and vocational training. Authorized by the 
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, Job Corps is operated by the 
Department of Labor through a nationwide network of 118 Job Corps 
centers. The program is primarily residential, operating 24 hours per 
day, 7 days per week, with non-resident students limited by legislation 
to 20 percent of national enrollment. These centers presently 
accommodate more than 42,000 students. While students may stay in Job 
Corps up to two years to complete their programs, the average length of 
stay is eight months. Thus, more than 68,000 young people receive 
training in Job Corps in a year.
    When they separate from Job Corps, youth are prepared to pursue 
employment opportunities related to their Job Corps training, post-
secondary educational and training experiences, or enter the Armed 
Forces. The purpose of this data collection effort is to provide the 
national office of Job Corps with information on the status of Job 
Corps students after they separate from the program. Information will 
be collected on the status of placed graduates 13 weeks, 6 months, and 
12 months after their initial placement in a job or school/training 
program. Similar information will also be collected on the status of 
former enrollees (non-graduates who stayed at least 60 days) 13 weeks 
after they separate from Job Corps. This data collection effort also 
includes re-verification of reported initial employment and/or school 
placements of graduates and former enrollees. These data will be used 
to:
     Provide information to Congress and the Secretary of Labor 
on the employment and education outcomes of Job Corps graduates and 
former enrollees per WIA reporting requirements.
     Assess graduates' and former enrollees' satisfaction with 
their Job Corps experience in order to identify useful program aspects 
and those factors that contributed to decisions to withdraw from the 
program prior to graduation, where applicable.
    Information to fulfill these objectives will be collected using 
telephone surveys. These telephone surveys will be conducted with 
graduates and former enrollees at the aforementioned times.
    The Secretary of Labor will use the data collected to assess Job 
Corps' effectiveness in meeting its objectives according to WIA. In 
addition, the national director of Job Corps will incorporate the data 
into its Outcome Measurement System to evaluate the short-term post-
center outcomes of graduates and former enrollees, as well as the long-
term post-center outcomes of graduates. The director will also use this 
information on student outcomes and customer feedback to develop and/or 
refine policies in order to improve its delivery of educational and job 
training services to at-risk youth.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    Currently, the Office of Job Corps is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed extension of the Job Corps Placement 
Verification and Follow-up of Job Corps Participants:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the agency's burden estimates for the proposed 
data collection, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section 
of this notice.

III. Current Actions

    This submission requests approval of three surveys that will be 
used to collect follow-up data on individuals who are no longer 
actively participating in Job Corps. The surveys are composed of 
modules that include questions designed to obtain the following 
information: re-verification of initial job and/or school placements; 
employment and educational experiences; job search activities of those 
who are neither working nor in school; and information about former 
participants' satisfaction with the services provided by Job Corps.
    Additionally, this submission requests approval of two brief 
surveys (one for employers and one for schools or training 
institutions) that will be used to collect initial placement re-
verification data for the subset of placed graduates and former 
enrollees that cannot be contacted directly.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Office of Job Corps.
    Title: Job Corps' Graduate and Former Enrollee Placement Re-
Verification and Follow-up Surveys.
    OMB Number: 1205-0426.
    Recordkeeping: The respondent is not required to retain records; 
Career Transition Service providers and center staff are required to 
retain records of graduates and former enrollees, who are placed in a 
job, further education or military service, for three years.
    Affected Public: Individuals who separate from Job Corps; business 
or other for-profit/not-for-profit institutions.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc: 20 CFR, Subpart A, Section 670.100.
    See Burden Summary Below:

[[Page 48897]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Number of       Estimated hours    Estimated hours
                  Respondent category                        responses         per response       total burden
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Placed Former Enrollees at 90 days.....................              1,815                .25                454
Placed Graduates at 90-120 days........................             22,720                .25              5,680
Placed Graduates at 6 Months...........................             23,360                .20              4,672
Placed Graduates at 12 Months..........................             21,440                .20              4,288
Employer/Institution Re-verification...................              8,172                .17              1,389
                                                        --------------------
    Total..............................................             77,507  .................             16,483
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    Total Burden Hours: 16,483.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $2,908,443.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: August 4, 2004.
Grace Kilbane,
Office of Job Corps, Administrator.
[FR Doc. 04-18327 Filed 8-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P