[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8992-8993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03682]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for H-1B Technical 
Skills Training (H-1B) and the H-1B Jobs and Innovation Accelerator 
Challenge (JIAC) Grant Programs, Extension With Revisions

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (Department), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the 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 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)] (PRA). The PRA helps ensure that 
respondents can provide requested data in the desired format with 
minimal reporting burden (time and financial resources), collection 
instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection 
requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
    Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the collection of 
data about H-1B Technical Skills Training (TST), H-1B Jobs and 
Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JA), and H-1B Ready To Work (RTW) 
grant programs. Data collection for these grant programs is currently 
approved under OMB Control No. 1205-0507, expiration March 31, 2016.
    If an extension with revisions of this information collection is 
approved, this data collection will only be applicable for the H-1B 
TST, JA, and RTW grantees. All future H-1B grantees will not report in 
accordance with this data collection, and instead will report in 
accordance with the information collection for WIOA reporting 
requirements, as applicable.

DATES: Submit written comments to the office listed in the addresses 
section below on or before April 25, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Ayreen Cadwallader, Division of 
Strategic Investments, Room C-4518, Employment and Training 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone number: 202-693-3311 (this is not a 
toll-free number). Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may 
access the telephone number above via TTY by calling the toll-free 
Federal Information Relay Service at 1-877-889-5627 (TTY/TDD). Email: 
[email protected]. To obtain a copy of the proposed information collection 
request (ICR), please contact the person listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Baird. [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In applying for the H-1B TST, JA, and RTW grant programs, grantees 
agreed to submit participant-level data and quarterly aggregate reports 
for individuals who receive services through these programs and their 
partnerships with business-related nonprofit organizations, education 
and training providers, including community colleges and other 
community-based organizations, entities involved in administering the 
workforce investment system established under Title I of WIA, and 
economic development agencies, among others. The reports include 
aggregate data on demographic characteristics, types of services 
received, placements, outcomes, and follow-up status. Specifically, 
they summarize data on

[[Page 8993]]

employment and training services, placement services, and other 
services essential to successful unsubsidized employment through H-1B 
programs.
    This document requests approval for an extension with revisions of 
an existing information collection currently approved under OMB Control 
No. 1205-0507, expiration March 31, 2016. The request will support 
efforts to meet the (1) reporting, (2) recordkeeping, and (3) program 
evaluation requirements of the grant programs through an ETA-provided, 
Web-based Management Information System (MIS), called the HUB Reporting 
System. The HUB system already exists and is currently in use by the H-
1B TST, JA, and RTW grantees.
    Grantees will report on a number of leading indicators that serve 
as predictors of success. These include participant support services 
necessary to support training and employment activities, attainment of 
degrees or certificates, placement into post-secondary education or 
vocational training, on-the-job training (OJT), classroom occupational 
training, contextualized learning, distance learning, apprenticeships, 
customized training, including incumbent worker training, and placement 
into unsubsidized jobs. These measures are also necessary for effective 
program management and conveying full and accurate information on the 
performance of these grant programs to policymakers and stakeholders.
    This information collection maintains a reporting and record-
keeping system for a minimum level of information collection that is 
necessary to comply with Equal Opportunity requirements, to hold 
grantees appropriately accountable for the Federal funds they receive, 
and to allow the Department to fulfill its oversight and management 
responsibilities.
    The information collection for program evaluation includes setting 
up a Participant Tracking System (PTS) through the MIS to collect 
baseline information similar to the quarterly reports but at the 
individual participant level. The baseline data covered by this 
clearance will enable the evaluation to describe the characteristics of 
study participants at the time they are randomly assigned to a 
treatment or control group, ensure that random assignment was conducted 
properly, create subgroups for the analysis, provide contact 
information to locate individuals for follow-up surveys, and improve 
the precision of the impact estimates. Such data will be collected on 
the basis that the evaluation will consist of an experimental design 
employing random assignment of participants into treatment and control 
groups. A Web-based PTS will execute the random assignment procedures 
and compile baseline data on study sample members. This PTS will assure 
that participant data will be in a consistent format across sites.
    A rigorous program evaluation also requires clear and specific 
documentation of the services provided to treatment group members in 
each of the grantee sites and the services available to control group 
members. This qualitative information will enable the evaluation to 
describe the program design and operations in each site, interpret the 
impact analysis results, and identify lessons learned for purposes of 
program replication. The process study site visits will include semi-
structured interviews and focus group discussions with various program 
stakeholders.

II. Review Focus

    The Department 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 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

    Type of Review: Extension with revisions.
    Title: H-1B Technical Skills Training (H-1B) and the H-1B Jobs and 
Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JIAC) grant programs.
    OMB Number: 1205-0507.
    Affected Public: Existing H-1B TST, JA and RTW grantees, and 
participants served through these programs.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondents: 25,230.

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                                              Total number of         Number of responses per    Total annual       Average time per       Total annual
             Form/Activity                      respondents                 respondent             response         response  (hours)      burden hours
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Participant Data Collection (including  25,000 participants.......  Continual.................          25,000  2.66....................          66,500
 baseline data for evaluation).
Quarterly Narrative Progress Report...  85 Grantees...............  12 (4 times per year).....             340  10......................            3400
Quarterly Performance Report..........  85 Grantees...............  12 (4 times per year).....             340  10......................            3400
Site Visit Data Collection............  60 total staff............  three (once per year).....              60  1 hour..................              60
    Totals............................  25,230....................  ..........................          25,740  ........................          73,360
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    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 25,740.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 73,360.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: There are no annual 
costs, as ETA will be responsible for the annual maintenance costs for 
the HUB Reporting System, a free, Web-based data collection and 
reporting system.
    We will summarize and/or include in the request for OMB approval of 
the ICR, the comments received in response to this comment request; 
they will also become a matter of public record.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2016-03682 Filed 2-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FP-P