[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66378-66379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29831]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Announcement of the Tools for America's Job Seekers Challenge

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA), in conjunction with the White House and 
IdeaScale, is launching the Tools for America's Job Seekers Challenge. 
Using an on-line platform designed by IdeaScale, the Challenge will 
allow toolmakers and developers to present their on-line job tools to 
workforce development experts and job seekers to explore, discuss, and 
recommend. The tools that receive the most recommendations will be 
shared broadly with the workforce investment system and job seekers, 
allowing workforce system decision-makers to easily access the 
recommendations of their peers and customers. Workforce system 
decision-makers can use this feedback to inform their decisions about 
which tools to make available through One-Stop Career Centers, State 
job banks, and other Internet-based resources. Selection of a tool does 
not constitute an official endorsement by DOL or ETA: 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a fast-changing marketplace, it is 
difficult for job seekers and the nation's almost 3,000 One-Stop Career 
Centers to keep up with state of the art on-line job search and career 
advancement tools. Therefore, DOL and ETA are challenging enterprising 
entrepreneurs and organizations to showcase their on-line solutions 
through a platform that allows workforce system decision-makers and job 
seeker customers to explore, comment on, and recommend tools. The 
Challenge will help the workforce investment system uncover the most 
effective on-line tools. ETA will work with Federal, State, and local 
workforce system professionals and partners at the conclusion of the 
Challenge to deploy the tools in the most efficient way throughout the 
workforce system, to help quickly connect job seekers to the jobs 
currently available in the economy.
    The Challenge will be run in three phases. Phase One will operate 
from November 30, 2009 to December 18, 2009. ETA encourages 
entrepreneurs and organizations to help develop an inventory of on-line 
job search and career advancement tools by submitting information on 
their tools at www.DOLChallenge.Ideascale.com. Although DOL is 
primarily interested in identifying tools that are free for the use of 
America's jobseekers, tools with a fee may be submitted as long as the 
submitter provides a short-term demo site or other platform that allows 
the tools to be reviewed free of charge in Phase 2 of the Challenge. 
After the Challenge has been completed, the workforce development 
system and job seekers can decide whether to buy or license such tools. 
DOL will accept submissions from businesses and entrepreneurs, 
nonprofit organizations, and State and local workforce agencies. 
Participating tools will be classified into one or more of these 
categories:
     General job boards, listing sites, and aggregators
     Niche job boards
     Career tools such as ladders, transition tools, etc.
     Web-based career exploration sites
     Web 2.0/social media sites specializing in job searches or 
job postings
     Other job matching and career advancement tools
    Along with the tool itself, ETA will ask developers to provide 
basic information such as the target uses and users of the tool or 
product, and contact information. At their option, developers may also 
submit a YouTube video of their tool in action or other tool-related 
materials.
    Phase Two will operate from January 4 to January 15, 2010. 
Workforce development professionals and job seekers are invited to 
test-drive the tools and recommend those they find useful. Reviewers 
are encouraged to recommend tools based on: (1) How effective the tool 
is in providing accurate results--including how well the tool reflects 
jobs available in the target labor market; (2) how efficient the tool 
is in completing job search and matching tasks in a reasonable amount 
of time; and (3) the level of satisfaction the user experienced. 
Reviewers may recommend as many tools as they wish, and are encouraged 
to comment on the tools to provide more feedback on their experience 
with the tools. Phase Three will begin at the end of January. DOL and 
ETA will publish the top tools in each category, allowing workforce 
system decision-makers to easily access the recommendations of their 
peers and customers, and use this feedback to inform their decisions 
about which tools to make available through One-Stop Career Centers, 
State job banks, and other Internet-based resources.
    As a result of the Challenge, the workforce development system will 
have increased awareness of on-line tools that can help meet the job 
information needs of the significantly increased number of customers 
requiring service in the current economic recovery effort.
    Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Statement: The annualized public 
reporting burden for the collection of information described in this 
Notice (OMB Control No. 1205-0476, Expiration Date 05/31/2010), which 
is voluntary, is estimated to average

[[Page 66379]]

approximately ten minutes per respondent for Phase One and five minutes 
per tool commented on in Phase Two.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony D. Dais, Designated Project 
Officer, Office of Workforce Investment at (202) 693-2784; or e-mail 
[email protected].

    Signed: at Washington, DC this 9th day of December 2009.
Jane Oates,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training.
[FR Doc. E9-29831 Filed 12-11-09; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P