[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 126 (Monday, June 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36903-36904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14707]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Proposed Extension With Revisions of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection for Registered Apprenticeship Program Data (ETA 
Form 671)

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a preclearance 
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 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. 
Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed revision of the collection of 
information on the registered apprenticeship program (ETA Form 671) 
under Title 29 CFR Part 29 (Labor Standards for the Registration of 
Apprenticeship Programs).
    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 or by accessing: http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or before August 29, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Employment and Training 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Room N-5311, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: John V. Ladd, Telephone 
number: 202-693-2796 (this is not a toll-free number). Fax: 202-693-
2808. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 authorizes and directs the 
Secretary of Labor to formulate and promote the furtherance of labor 
standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, to extend 
the application of such standards by encouraging the inclusion thereof 
in contracts of apprenticeship, to bring together employers and labor 
for the formulation of programs of apprenticeship, to cooperate with 
State agencies engaged in the formulation and promotion of standards of 
apprenticeship, and to cooperate with the Secretary of Education (29 
U.S.C. 50). Section 50a of the Act authorizes the Secretary of Labor to 
publish information relating to existing and proposed labor standards 
of apprenticeship, and to appoint national advisory committees (29 
U.S.C. 50a).
    Title 29 CFR Part 29 sets forth labor standards to safeguard the 
welfare of apprentices, and to extend the application of such standards 
by prescribing policies and procedures concerning registration, for 
certain Federal purposes, of acceptable apprenticeship programs with 
the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 
Office of Apprenticeship (formerly known as the Office of 
Apprenticeship Training, Employers and Labor Services and previously as 
the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training). These labor standards, 
policies and procedures cover: Registration of apprenticeship programs 
and apprenticeship agreements; the recognition of a State agency as the 
appropriate agency for registering local apprenticeship programs for 
certain Federal purposes; and matters relating thereto.
    Title 29 CFR Part 30 sets forth policies and procedures to promote 
equality of opportunity in apprenticeship programs registered with the 
U.S. Department of Labor and recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies. 
These policies and procedures apply to recruitment and selection of 
apprentices, and to all conditions of employment and training during 
apprenticeship. The procedures provide for review of apprenticeship 
programs, for registering apprenticeship programs, for processing 
complaints, and for deregistering non-complying apprenticeship 
programs. This part also provides policies and procedures for 
continuation or withdrawal of recognition of State agencies which 
register apprenticeship programs for Federal purposes.
    The information collection instrument for this request is ETA Form 
671 (ETA Program Registration, section I, and Apprentice Registration, 
section II). The Apprentice Registration section II electronic 
instrument has been widely accepted, used by more than 50 percent of 
new apprentice registrations. With the redesign of the Registered 
Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS), formerly 
known as the Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS), 
Program Registration section I provides for electronic program 
registration by the program sponsor. Therefore the Office of 
Apprenticeship seeks to revise these two sections of ETA Form 671 to 
facilitate the registration of programs and apprentices. This ICR seeks 
a three-year approval.

II. Review Focus

    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
which:
     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 accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, 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

[[Page 36904]]

use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    Recordkeeping and data collection activities regarding registered 
apprenticeship are by-products of the registration system. 
Organizations which apply for apprenticeship sponsorship enter into an 
agreement with the Federal Government or cognizant State government to 
operate their proposed programs consistent with 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30. 
Apprenticeship sponsors are not required to file reports regarding 
their apprentices other than to register individuals and to update 
information as an apprentice moves through their program. This revision 
request includes the request to collect the employer identification 
number (EIN) of the program sponsor (on a voluntary basis) when 
registering a program. The EIN is an Internal Revenue Service Federal 
tax identification number that is used to identify a business entity. 
Including this number during the program registration ensures that the 
business is legitimate with the intention of maintaining a registered 
program and safeguards the welfare and training of apprentices. The 
additional program information requested meets the requirements for 
apprenticeship program registration in accordance with Title 29 CFR 
Parts 29 and 30. The primary headings are as follows: Program Sponsor 
Information; Program Registration Information, Program-related Sponsor 
Contact Information, Occupation Information, Wage Record Under 
Journeyworkers Employed, Related Technical Instruction Information 
(RTI) and RTI Source Information. The additions to the currently 
approved Program Registration in Section I are mostly routine 
information such as the identification of the entities, their 
addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, fax numbers and Web 
site addresses. Definitions and instructions are also included. Where 
necessary, this information will be repopulated electronically from the 
apprenticeship database to the revised Apprentice Registration section 
II, Part B: Sponsor field area. Other additions or changes to 
Apprentice Registration section II include the following: Added under 
Career Linkage or Direct Entry, the data fields Trade Adjustment and 
YouthBuild Programs and updated the justification for requesting the 
Apprentice Social Security Number. These sections, Program Registration 
and Apprentice Registration, are used at different times, for different 
purposes, and with different individuals or entities. The information 
is not duplicative. The Apprenticeship and Training Representative will 
be available upon request to provide full technical assistance and 
services to those program sponsors and apprentices who do not have 
computer technology available. The decrease of 34,535 burden hours 
(from 55,632 to 26,757) reported in the previous ICR is due to the 
response time change from 15 minutes to 5 minutes in the Apprentice 
Registration section II instrument.
    Finally, OMB's October 27, 2005 approval for this ICR requested 
that the database incorporate the latest classification systems as soon 
as practicable. It also directed that future ICRs for this collection 
must explain the actions taken to move in that direction. In response, 
the Office of Apprenticeship incorporated the North American Industry 
Classification System in its re-engineered database, RAPIDS, formerly 
known as RAIS, on February 2, 2008.
    Type of Review: Revisions to ETA Form 671.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Labor Standards for the Registration of Apprenticeship 
Programs.
    OMB Number: 1205-0223.
    Recordkeeping: Data retention is consistent with 5 CFR 1320.5. 
However, a records retention requirement of five years is necessary. 
The duration of many apprenticeship programs is four years or more, and 
it is important to keep the records for a period of time after an 
apprentice has left the program.
    Affected Public: Program Sponsors, State Apprenticeship Councils or 
Agencies, Applicants, Apprentices, Tribal Governments.
    Form: ETA Form 671, Program Registration section I and Apprentice 
Registration section II.
    Total Respondents: 248,728.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 26,757.
    Total Burden Cost: 0.

                                                                      Summary Table
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                                                      Total                                       Annual
       Requirement ETA  Form 671          Sec.     respondents            Frequency             responses       Average  response time    Burden  hours
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Section I.............................    29.3            1,500   1-time basis.............           1,500   .166 hr/sponsor..........             249
Section II............................    29.3          144,000   1-time basis.............         144,000   .083 hr/apprentice.......          11,952
                                          29.6          100,000   1-time basis.............         100,000   .083 hr/apprentice.......           8,300
                                          29.5            1,500   1-time basis.............           1,500   2 hrs/sponsor 2 hrs/SAC..           3,000
                                                          1,600   1-time basis.............           1,600   2 hrs/SAC................           3,200
                                          29.12             (30)  1-time basis.............             (30)  0 hrs....................               0
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                                          29.12                        Accomplished in 1977; no new state agency expected in 2008.
                                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          29.12              28   1-time basis.............              28   2 hrs. SAC...............              56
                                          29.13               0   1-time basis.............               0   0........................               0
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    Total.............................                  248.728   .........................         248.728   .........................          26.757
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    Comments submitted in response to this comment request 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: June 19, 2008.
John V. Ladd,
Administrator, Office of Apprenticeship, Employment and Training 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-14707 Filed 6-27-08; 8:45 am]
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