[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 195 (Thursday, October 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60953-60955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25628]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Fiscal Year 2015 Innovative Public Transportation Workforce 
Development Program Project Selections

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program 
Announcement of Project Selections.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT), Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects for the Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2015 Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development 
Program (Workforce Development Program). Under the prior authorization, 
the Workforce Development Program was authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5322. 
Under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act, 
the program is authorized at 49 U.S.C. 5322(b). These projects are 
funded with a combination of $4 million of unallocated Section 5314 
Federal funds appropriated in FY 2012, and a total of $5.5 million 
authorized under MAP-21 and appropriated in FYs 2013, 2014, and 2015 
for Section 5322. These program dollars will provide financial 
assistance to promote diverse and innovative workforce development 
models and programs that specifically

[[Page 60954]]

target unemployment training programs, outreach to increase minority 
and female employment, and training for minority business 
opportunities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FTA's Office of Research, 
Demonstration and Innovation (TRI) will contact successful applicants 
regarding next steps in applying for the funds or program-specific 
information (see Table 1 below). Unsuccessful Workforce Development 
Program applicants may contact Mackenzie Thiessen, Office of Research 
Management; at email address [email protected] to arrange a 
proposal debriefing within 30 days of this announcement. 
Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) is available at 1-800-
877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 24, 2014, FTA published a Notice 
of Funding Availability (NOFA) (79 FR 63659, which can be found at 
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-10-24/pdf/2014-25310.pdf) 
announcing the availability of approximately $9.5 million. In response 
to the Workforce Development Program NOFA, FTA received 50 proposals 
requesting approximately $27 million in Federal funds. The FTA 
evaluated project proposals based on each applicant's responsiveness to 
the program evaluation criteria as detailed in the NOFA. The FTA is 
funding 19 Workforce Development projects, as shown in Table 1, for a 
total of $9,481,721. These competitive program funds will support 
projects at transit and local government agencies, academic 
institutions, and nationwide that will recruit, train, retain, and 
educate a high-quality transportation workforce to meet current and 
future transportation industry needs.
    Applicants selected for competitive discretionary funding for the 
Workforce Development Program should work with FTA's TRI staff 
identified in the contacts section of this notice to finalize the 
cooperative agreements in FTA's Transportation Electronic Awards 
Management System (TEAM) or its successor system, so that Federal funds 
can be obligated expeditiously.
    Cooperative agreements must include only eligible activities 
applied for in the original project application. The Federal funds must 
be used consistent with the competitive proposal and for the eligible 
purposes established in the NOFA and described in FTA Circular 6100.1E, 
Research, Technical Assistance and Training Program: Application 
Instructions and Program Management Guidelines. In cases where the 
allocation amount is less than the applicant's requested amount, 
applicants should work with TRI staff to reduce scope or scale the 
project as needed. Applicants are reminded that program requirements 
such as cost sharing or local match can be found in the NOFA. Under the 
FY 2015 Workforce Development Program, all projects are required to 
have at least 50 percent local match. Local match must be consistent 
with the proposed match identified in the applicant's proposal, 
identified in the cooperative agreement at the time of obligation, and 
available at the time of expenditure. The FTA has assigned a 
discretionary research project identification number to each project 
(see Table 1 of this notice) for tracking purposes and must be used in 
the TEAM or successor system, application.
    Applicants interested in requesting pre-award authority should 
contact the program manager listed above. Pre-award authority may be 
granted through the issuance of a Letter of No Prejudice in accordance 
with FTA's Pre-award Authority Policy, set forth in the FY 2015 Annual 
Apportionments, Allocations, and Program Information Notice, published 
on February, 9, 2015 and available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-02-09/pdf/2015-02555.pdf.
    Post-award reporting requirements include submission of the Federal 
Financial Report and Milestone Progress reports in TEAM as appropriate 
(see FTA Circular 6100.1E) and a narrative summary of project 
activities. The grantees must comply with all applicable Federal 
statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA circulars, and other 
Federal requirements detailed in the FY 2015 Master Agreement in 
carrying out the project supported by the FTA research grant. The FY 
2015 Master Agreement can be found at the following Internet address: 
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/21-Master.pdf.
    Each recipient will provide the necessary measurable outcomes and 
deliverables for Congressional reporting efforts as mandated under MAP-
21. This information will also be used to conduct an anticipated 
program evaluation of the 2015 Workforce Development projects.
    The FTA emphasizes that grantees must follow all third-party 
procurement guidance, as described in FTA Circular 4220.1F, Third Party 
Contracting Guidance.

Therese W. McMillan,
Acting Administrator.

                     Table 1--Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program
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             Project ID                  State         Project sponsor      Project description       Amount
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D2015-WFD-001......................  CA             Los Angeles Trade-     Institute for                $750,000
                                                     Technical College.     Advanced
                                                                            Transportation
                                                                            Technology Training.
D2015-WFD-002......................  CA             Community Career       Moving Employees into         331,313
                                                     Development, Inc.      Transit Related
                                                                            Opportunities
                                                                            (METRO) program.
D2015-WFD-003......................  CA             Santa Clara Valley     Discover                      200,000
                                                     Transportation         Opportunities--In
                                                     Authority (VTA).       Transit! (DO IT!)
                                                                            program.
D2015-WFD-004......................  CA             Bay Area Rapid         Transit Career                750,000
                                                     Transit District       Ladders Training
                                                     (BART).                (TCLT) Program.
D2015-WFD-005......................  CO             Regional               Workforce Investment          663,256
                                                     Transportation         Now! (WIN) Program.
                                                     District (RTD).
D2015-WFD-006......................  FL             Jacksonville           Back-2-Work Program..         200,000
                                                     Transportation
                                                     Authority (JTA).
D2015-WFD-007......................  IL             Chicago Transit        Second Chance Program         750,000
                                                     Authority (CTA).
D2015-WFD-008......................  MA             Massachusetts          Construction Career           750,000
                                                     Department of          Development (MCCD)
                                                     Transportation.        Program.
D2015-WFD-009......................  MD             International          Rail Car Workforce            750,000
                                                     Transportation         Program.
                                                     Learning Center.

[[Page 60955]]

 
D2015-WFD-12010; D2015-WFD-13010;    MD             International          Signaling Career              574,182
 D2015-WFD-14010; D2015-WFD-15010.                   Transportation         Pathways Program.
                                                     Learning Center.       D2015-WFD-12010
                                                                            ($4,185); D2015-WFD-
                                                                            13010 ($535); D2015-
                                                                            WFD-14010
                                                                            ($564,517); D2015-
                                                                            WFD-15010 ($4,945).
D2015-WFD-011......................  MN             Metropolitan Council/  Mass Transit                  203,210
                                                     Metro Transit.         Technician (MTT)
                                                                            Program.
D2015-WFD-012......................  NJ             Jersey City            The Jersey City               604,896
                                                     Employment Training    Employment Training
                                                     Program, Inc.          Program, Inc.
                                                     (JCETP).               (JCETP).
D2015-WFD-013......................  NY             NY Metropolitan        Workforce Investment          739,605
                                                     Transportation         Now--New York (WIN--
                                                     Authority (MTA).       NY) program.
D2015-WFD-014......................  NY             Niagara Frontier       Skilled Laborer Jobs          303,000
                                                     Transportation         Training Program.
                                                     Authority.
D2015-WFD-015......................  OH             Greater Cleveland      Career Pathways               407,780
                                                     Regional               Program (CPP).
                                                     Transportation
                                                     Authority (GCRTA).
D2015-WFD-016......................  OK             Grand Gateway          N2N Automotive                399,933
                                                     Economic Development   University.
                                                     Association (EDA).
D2015-WFD-017......................  TX             Texoma Area            TAPS University               427,770
                                                     Paratransit System,    Employment
                                                     Inc.                   Enrichment
                                                                            Initiative.
D2015-WFD-018......................  WA             Intercity Transit....  Village Vans Program.         200,000
D2015-WFD-019......................  WA             Workforce Development  Puget Sound Region            476,776
                                                     Council of Snohomish   Ladders to
                                                     County.                Opportunity
                                                                            Initiative.
                                                                                                 ---------------
    Total..........................  .............  .....................  .....................       9,481,721
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[FR Doc. 2015-25628 Filed 10-7-15; 8:45 am]
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