[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10664-10666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04384]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for Post Enrollment 
Data Collection of Job Corps Participants, Revision With Changes

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 with an 
opportunity to comment on proposed revisions to the Post Enrollment 
Data Collection System (PEDCS) by the Office of Job Corps/ETA in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 [44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)] (PRA).
    Job Corps is revising the data collection system for post 
enrollment student outcomes to comply with the reporting provisions of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Currently, Job 
Corps is soliciting comments concerning the revision of data collection 
regarding the Post Enrollment Data Collection (PEDC) of Job Corps 
Participants, using post-center surveys of Job Corps graduates and 
former enrollees (OMB Control Number 1205-0426). The current OMB 
approval expires December 31, 2018.
    This Federal Register Notice helps 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.
    A copy of the proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section 
of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before May 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in response to this notice should be 
submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
http://www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ETA-2016-0001 
or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. A copy of 
the proposed ICR with applicable supporting documentation, including a 
description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, 
and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge from http://www.regulations.gov or by contacting Lawrence Lyford by telephone at 
202-693-3121(this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected]. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments 
may access the telephone number above via TTY by calling the toll-free 
Federal Information Relay Service at 877-889-5627 (TTY/TDD). Fax: 202-
693-3113.
    Mail and hand delivery/courier: Send written comments to Lawrence 
Lyford, Office of Job Corps, Room N-4507, Employment and Training 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Due to security-related concerns, there may be a 
significant delay in the receipt of submissions by United States mail. 
You must take this into consideration when preparing to meet the 
deadline for submitting comments.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will become 
a matter of public record and will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the 
information collection request. In addition, comments, regardless of 
the delivery method, will be posted without change on the http://www.regulations.gov Web site; consequently, the Department recommends 
comments not include personal information such as social security 
number, personal address, telephone number, email address, or 
confidential business information that they do not want made public. It 
is the responsibility of the commenter to determine what to include in 
the public record.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Job Corps is an intensive, residential training program for at-risk 
youth ages 16 through 24. It addresses multiple barriers to employment 
faced by youth throughout the United States. Job Corps has been 
operating under the authorization of the Workforce Investment Act, 
which is now being replaced by Title I, Subtitle C, of the Workforce 
Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). The WIOA, in Section 116, amends the 
performance accountability system to replace the current indicators of 
performance for Job Corps centers and programs with the same primary 
indicators of performance that are applicable to the youth formula 
programs.
    The program is principally carried out through a nationwide network 
of 126 Job Corps centers. The centers are located at facilities either 
owned or

[[Page 10665]]

leased by the federal government. The Department has a direct role in 
the operation of Job Corps, and does not serve as a pass-through agency 
for this program. It is the Department's responsibility to establish 
Job Corps centers and to select operators for them. Of the 126 current 
centers, 27 are operated by the United States Department of 
Agriculture, through an interagency agreement. The remaining 99 centers 
are managed and operated by large and small corporations, and nonprofit 
organizations selected by the Department in accordance with the Federal 
Acquisition Regulations, and in most cases, through a competitive 
procurement process. Many of the current contractors manage and operate 
more than one center.

II. Review Focus

    The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for an agency to properly perform its functions, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
     evaluate the agency's accuracy in estimating 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 information collection on those who 
respond--including information obtained through 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

    This submission requests comments on the data collection 
instruments that will be used to collect post-enrollment data about 
individuals who are no longer actively participating in Job Corps. 
These individuals either graduated from Job Corps, or demonstrated 
their commitment by either completing the Career Preparation Period 
(CPP) or participating in the program for at least 60 days (former 
enrollees).
    The data collection instrument for graduates and former enrollees 
is called the Post Enrollment Data Collection System (PEDCS). 
Administration of the PEDCS will facilitate the key data collection of 
post enrollment outcomes during the second and fourth quarters after 
exit. This submission also requests approval for two brief 
questionnaires (one for employers and one for schools or training 
institutions) that will be used to collect verification data about 
initial placement and effectiveness in serving employers.
    The current post-enrollment survey system contacts Job Corps 
graduates and former enrollees at 13 weeks after initial job placement, 
and graduates at 6 and 12 months after initial placement. In adherence 
to the new WIOA requirements, the proposed PEDCS will collect post-
enrollment outcomes from Job Corps graduates and former enrollees at 
the 2nd quarter and 4th quarter following exit. Job Corps will use the 
information collected through the proposed PEDCS to report the 
following five of the six primary WIOA performance metrics from Section 
116:
     The percentage of program participants who are in 
unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the 
program;
     the percentage of program participants who are in 
unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit from the 
program;
     the median earnings of program participants who are in 
unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the 
program;
     the percentage of program participants who obtain a 
recognized postsecondary credential, or a secondary school diploma or 
its recognized equivalent (and, for those with a secondary school 
diploma or its recognized equivalent, have obtained or retained 
employment or are in an education or training program leading to a 
recognized postsecondary credential), during participation in or within 
one year after exit from the program; and
     the indicator(s) of effectiveness in serving employers.
    Job Corps will also use the information collected from the proposed 
PEDCS to cover the following additional reporting requirements mandated 
by WIOA:
     The number of graduates who entered the Armed Forces;
     the number of graduates who entered apprenticeship 
programs;
     the number of graduates who received a regular secondary 
school diploma;
     the number of graduates who received a State recognized 
equivalent of a secondary school diploma;
     the number of graduates who entered unsubsidized 
employment related to the career and technical education and training 
received through the Job Corps program;
     the number of graduates who entered unsubsidized 
employment not related to the education and training received;
     the percentage and number of graduates who enter 
postsecondary education;
     the average wage of graduates who enter unsubsidized 
employment--
    (1) on the first day of such employment; and
    (2) on the day 6 months after such first day.
    To maximize the comparability of the data collected from the 
different subgroups of students, the second and fourth quarter data 
collection instrument will use modules with identical sets of questions 
on the same topics.
    Type of Review: Revision with changes.
    Title: Post Enrollment Data Collection of Job Corps Participants.
    OMB Number: 1205-0426.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households and for profit Business/
Education institutions.
    Total Annual Burden Cost for Respondents: N/A.

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                                                                                   Average time
    Data collection activity         Number of       Frequency         Total       per response    Burden hours
                                    respondents                      responses        (hours)
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Online survey of Former                   14,000               2          28,000            0.20           5,600
 Enrollees and Graduates during
 the second and fourth quarter
 after exit.....................
Telephone interview of Former             30,200               2          60,400            0.25          15,100
 Enrollees and Graduates during
 the second and fourth quarter
 after exit.....................
Employer/Institution Re-                   5,000               1           5,000            0.20           1,000
 verification...................
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    Total.......................          49,200  ..............          93,400  ..............          21,700
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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 ICR. They will also become a matter of public 
record.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2016-04384 Filed 2-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FT-P