[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52657-52659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18683]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-17]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities
identified below.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
October 26, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and recommendations for the proposed
ICR to either: Ms. Qiana Swayne, Information Collection Clearance
Officer, at Qiana.Swayne@dot.gov or (202) 493-0414. Please refer to the
assigned OMB control number in any correspondence submitted. FRA will
summarize comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent
notice and include them in its information collection submission to OMB
for approval.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to
provide 60-days' notice to the public to allow comment on information
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities.
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically,
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR
regarding: (1) Whether the information collection activities are
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether
the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's
estimates of the burden of the information collection activities,
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to
determine the estimates; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on
the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5
CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) Reduce
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB
clearance as the PRA requires:
Title: Workforce Development Survey.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0621.
Abstract: FRA has statutory responsibility to ensure the safety of
railroad operations under 49 U.S.C. 20103. To conduct safe railroad
operations, the workforce must have the requisite knowledge and skills
to operate equipment and utilize technologies. FRA therefore seeks to
promote workforce development policy and standards to ensure the
workforce has the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct safe
railroad operations. Due to an increasingly dynamic and maturing
workforce, combined with continual changes in knowledge and skills
required to use new technologies, there is an increasing risk of not
having the necessary talent pools to fill critical railroad operational
positions.
Since 2011, FRA has routinely performed a comprehensive overview of
the railroad industry workforce. The Railroad Industry Modal Profile
was a response to the DOT National Transportation Workforce Development
Initiative that required each DOT Operating Administration to produce
an analysis of its industry workforce. The most recent published update
in April 2016, Railroad Industry Modal Profile: An Outline of the
Railroad Industry Workforce Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities,
highlighted numerous workforce challenges including age, diversity,
knowledge management and succession planning, work-life balance,
recruitment, and the impact of evolving technology.
The prevailing workforce concerns during the early stages of the
DOT National Transportation Workforce Development Initiative were the
large number of retirement-eligible employees in transportation-related
fields and the national shortage of science, technology, engineering,
and math graduates. Because the railroad industry had done very little
hiring in the late 1980s and throughout most of the 1990s, the
retirement-eligible population became quite large, even beyond that of
most other industries and transportation modes (each of which was also
grappling with similar retirement population concerns).
These workforce challenges persist. Although the industry has
recognized the need to focus on recruitment and retention strategies,
it continues to face risks in maintaining a viable workforce and
building a pipeline of diverse talent. To take effective and efficient
action to minimize these risks, FRA requires reliable information on
current workforce development challenges, strategies, and outcomes.
Initial data collected for the Railroad Industry Modal Profile
established a baseline understanding of the risks and status. However,
to confirm and further develop the understanding of the risks,
potential solutions, and best practices that have been implemented by
railroad stakeholders, this revised survey is proposed. With this
submission, FRA is requesting permission to gather the needed
information about the railroad industry workforce.
Type of Request: Revision to a currently approved information
collection.
Affected Public: Class I freight and passenger railroads, short
line and regional railroads, labor unions, major associations,
academia, and specialty experts.
Form(s): FRA F 240.
Respondent Universe: 847.
Frequency of Submission: One-time.
Reporting Burden:
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Average time Total annual
Workforce development Respondent Total annual (minutes) per Total annual dollar cost
professionals universe responses response burden hours equivalent
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Passenger Railroads............. 35 12 25.00 5.00 $204.95
Class 1 Freight Railroads....... 7 50 25.00 20.83 853.96
Short Line & Regional Railroads. 752 125 25.00 52.08 2,134.90
Labor Unions (with specific 15 7 25.00 2.92 119.55
focus on workforce membership
and railroad programs).........
Associations (with specific 20 10 25.00 4.17 170.79
focus on railroad workforce
membership and the rail
industry)......................
Academia (Learning institutions 18 9 25.00 3.75 153.71
with dedicated curriculum and
training programs for railroad
industry)......................
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Total....................... 847 213 150.00 88.75 3,637.86
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Total Estimated Annual Responses: 213.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 88.75 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$3,637.86.
Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi),
FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor,
and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it
[[Page 52659]]
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.)
Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-18683 Filed 8-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P