[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59585-59586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27697]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Submission for OMB Emergency Review: Comment Request

November 12, 2009.
    The Department of Labor has submitted the following information 
collection request (ICR), utilizing emergency review procedures, to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35) and 5 CFR 1320.13. OMB approval has been requested 
by November 23, 2009. A copy of this ICR, with applicable supporting 
documentation; including among other things a description of the likely 
respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden 
may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain or by contacting Darrin King on 202-
693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number)/e-mail: [email protected]. Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk 
Officer for the Department of Labor--ETA, Office of Management and 
Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: 202-395-7316/Fax: 
202-395-5806 (these are not toll-free numbers), E-mail: [email protected]. Comments and questions about the ICR listed 
below should be received 5 days prior to the requested OMB approval 
date.
    The OMB 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 clarify 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.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title of Collection: Jobs for America's Job Seekers Challenge.
    OMB Control Number: Pending.
    Frequency of Collection: This is a one-time data collection.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agencies, businesses, non-profit 
organizations, other State government entities, workforce investment 
boards, One Stop Career Center staff, and the public.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: A maximum of 10 minutes per Phase 
One respondent, of whom 1,000 are estimated to respond. For Phase Two, 
a maximum of 10,000 respondents are estimated (crowdsourcing portion) 
at 10

[[Page 59586]]

minutes total for an estimated rating of two tools each.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: A maximum of 11,000 
respondents are expected.
    Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours: 1,833 hours.
    Total Estimated Annualized Cost Burden: $0.
    Description:
    The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA), in conjunction with the White House and 
IdeaScale, is launching the Jobs for America's Job Seekers Challenge. 
Using an online platform designed by IdeaScale, the Challenge will 
allow toolmakers and developers to present their free online job tools 
to workforce development experts and jobseekers for discussion, rating, 
and voting. The tools that receive the most votes will be shared 
broadly with the workforce investment system and jobseekers, and listed 
on government Web sites like http://www.CareerOneStop.org, http://www.Workforce3One.org, and http://www.DOLETA.gov. This is not an 
opportunity to apply for government funding and ETA will not make any 
funds available to any party pursuant to this announcement.
    The Challenge will consist of three phases. Phase 1 will run from 
November 30, 2009 to December 18, 2009. In this phase, toolmakers and 
developers will submit information on their free online job search and 
job matching tools. These tools must be free to the job seeker, but can 
be licensed by the workforce system at the State or local level 
provided the companies offer a short-term demo or other platform that 
allows the tools to be reviewed free of charge. Submissions will be 
accepted from businesses, nonprofits organizations, entrepreneurs, and 
State and local workforce agencies. The tools will be organized into 
one or more of the following categories:
     General job boards, listing sites, and aggregators
     Niche job boards
     Career advancement tools
     Web based career exploration sites
     Web 2.0/social media sites specializing in job searches or 
job postings
     Other job tools
    Phase 2 will run from January 4 to January 15, 2010. During this 
phase, workforce development experts and job seekers will review and 
vote on the submitted job search and matching tools. Reviewers will be 
encouraged to consider a tool's usability based on how effective the 
tool is in providing accurate results, how efficient it is in 
completing job search and matching tasks in a reasonable amount of 
time, and the level of satisfaction the user felt.
    Phase 3 will begin on January 18, 2010. In this final phase, DOL, 
ETA, and the White House will communicate the top tools in each 
category with the entire workforce development community and job 
seekers through a variety of mediums, including:
    (1) Posting an announcement of the top ranking tools on key Web 
sites including;
    a. DOL.gov
    b. Doleta.gov
    c. White House OSTP blog
    d. Workforce3one.org
    e. Other sites
    (2) Highlighting free tools on ETA's http://www.CareerOneStop.org 
portal, which already houses a variety of tools for the workforce 
system;
    (3) Hosting Webinars featuring the top ranking tools on 
Workforce3one.org;
    (4) Utilizing other communication outlets such as national 
associations and Intergovernmental organizations like the National 
Association of State Workforce Agencies, the National Association of 
Workforce Boards, the National Governor's Association, the National 
Association of Counties, and the Association of Community Colleges.
    As a result of the Challenge, the workforce development system will 
quickly boost its capacity to meet the job information needs of the 
significantly increased number of customers requiring service in the 
current economic recovery effort.

Why Are We Requesting Emergency Processing?

    In today's tight employment market that has experienced a 10.2 
percent unemployment rate that is the highest in 26 years, the publicly 
funded workforce investment system has a major responsibility to 
maximize unemployed workers' opportunities for rapid reemployment by 
quickly connecting them to the full scope of available jobs. We know 
the workforce system is working hard to connect workforce system 
customers to the best job search resources available. However, as a 
result of technological innovations, new job search tools have been 
launched and new tools are emerging daily that help job seekers find 
jobs and target their search to the most relevant employment 
opportunities.
    Expedited or Emergency approval of this data collection will enable 
the Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration 
(ETA), and the White House to respond aggressively to the record 
unemployment rates. Failure to start the Challenge and do the 
collection by November 30, 2009 would waste federal Recovery Act and 
State resources. Many States and local areas are individually searching 
for job matching and job search solutions to meet the significantly 
increased number of job seekers in need of assistance in One Stop 
Career Centers nationwide as a result of the historic downturn in the 
nation's economy.

Darrin A. King,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-27697 Filed 11-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P