Job Training Partnership Act: Business Partnership Grants

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[SGA No. DAA 94-007]

Job Training Partnership Act: Business Partnership Grants

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for grant

applications (SGA).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training

Administration (ETA), under Title IV of the Job Training Partnership

Act (JTPA), is announcing the availability of demonstration funds under

the Business Partnership Grants program.

Grants will be awarded to eligile non-profit organizations to

support the participation and involvement of the private sector in

specific new initiatives involving national employment and training

programs. These initiatives are (1) School-to-Work Programs which are

sponsored jointly by the Departments of Labor and Education; (2) Skill

Standards Initiatives and (3) Reemployment Program Strategy, which

includes both Worker Adjustment Services and One-Stop Career Centers.

Multiple grant awards may be made in each category. The estimated

total amount of funds available under this solicitation is $1.8 million

for all categories. Awards will be for a twelve month period with up to

two option years.

Applicants must identify which of the above categories they are

applying for on the face sheet of their application. All information

and forms needed to apply for funding under this solicitation are

included in this announcement.

DATES: Applications for grant awards will be accepted commencing May

11, 1994. The closing date for receipt of applications shall be June

15, 1994, at 2 p.m. (Eastern Time) at the address below.

ADDRESSES: Applications shall be mailed to: U.S. Department of Labor,

Employment and Training Administration, Division of Acquisition and

Assistance, Attention: Ms. Reda Harrison, Reference: SGA No. DAA 94-

007, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., room S-4203, Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Reda Harrison, Division of Acquisition and Assistance, Telephone:

(202) 219-8702 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This announcement consists of four parts:

Part I--Background, Part II--Application Process, Part III--Statement

of Work, and Part IV--Evaluation Criteria.

Part I--Background

The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration

(ETA), in collaboration with other Federal agencies, has undertaken a

series of initiatives: (1) To enhance the effectiveness of and to

better coordinate the services provided through a variety of programs

and (2) to enhance the competitiveness of the American worker. An

important aspect of these initiatives is to elicit the participation

and involvement of private sector firms both by a direct approach to

major firms and by developing strategies and materials that will

provide assistance to State and local officials in dealing with small

and medium-size employers.

A key tenet of this effort is that the delivery of programs should

be customer-focused. To accomplish this, there is a need to elicit

direct input from a broad range of employers on the services available

through various ETA programs and to obtain detailed views of these

private sector ``customers'' on ways to ultimately improve services to

employment and training clients.

It is important for potential grantees to recognize that the

support requested depends to a substantial degree on the enactment of

legislation proposed or to be proposed to the Congress. While the

Department favors the enactment of such legislation, there is no

assurance that such bills will be enacted or that there will not be

substantial revisions in the bills enacted into law.

Part II--Application Process

A. Eligible Applicants

Awards under this Solicitation will be made to non-profit

organizations.

B. Submission of Proposals

An original and three (3) copies of the proposal shall be

submitted. The proposal shall consist of two (2) separate and distinct

parts.

Part I shall contain the cost proposal, consisting of the following

items: Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal Assistance''

(Appendix No. 1) and SF 424A, ``Budget'' (Appendix No. 2). Also, the

budget shall include on a separate page(s) a detailed cost analysis of

each line item in the budget.

Part II shall contain a technical proposal that demonstrates the

applicant's capabilities in accordance with the Statement of Work

contained in this announcement. Applicants are strongly encouraged to

submit a technical proposal of less than one hundred fifty (150) pages

in length (exclusive of appendices) which sets forth the applicant's

explanation of how it proposes to accomplish the elements described in

the Statement of Work.

No cost data or reference to price shall be included in the

technical proposal. In order to assist applicants in preparing their

proposals and to facilitate the expeditious evaluation by the review

panel, proposals should be organized and presented in the same

sequential order as the Evaluation Criteria in Part IV of this

announcement.

C. Hand-Delivered Proposals

Proposals should be mailed at least five (5) days prior to the

closing date. However, if proposals are hand-delivered, they must be

received at the designate place by 2 p.m., Eastern Time by June 15,

1994. All overnight mail will be considered to be hand-delivered and

must be received at the designated place by the specified closing date.

Telegraphed and/or faxed proposals will not be honored. Failure to

adhere to the above instructions will be a basis for a determination of

nonresponsiveness.

D. Late Proposals

Any proposal received at the office designated in the solicitation

after the exact time specified for receipt will not be considered

unless it is received before award is made and it--

(1) Was sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail

not later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for

receipt of application (e.g., an offer submitted in response to a

solicitation requiring receipt of applications by the 20th of the month

must have been mailed by the 15th); or

(2) Was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service--

Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing

two working day prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals.

The term ``working days'' excludes weekends and U.S. Federal holidays.

The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a

late proposal sent either by U.S. Postal Service registered or

certified mail is the U.S. postmark both on the envelope or wrapper and

on the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. Both postmarks

must show a legible date or the proposal, shall be processed as if

mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed

impression (exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is

readily identifiable without further action as having been supplied and

affixed by employees of the U.S. Postal Service on the date of mailing.

Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk to place a

legible hand cancellation ``bull's eye'' postmark on both the receipt

and the envelope or wrapper.

E. Withdrawal of Proposals

Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram (including

mailgram) received at any time before award. Proposals may be withdrawn

in person by an applicant or an authorized representative thereof, if

the representative's identity is made known and the representative

signs a receipt for the proposal before award.

F. Period of Performance

The period of performance will be 12 months from the date of

execution.

G. Funding

DOL has set aside up to $1.8 million to be disbursed for all

categories.

H. Option to Extend

Based on the availability of funds, effective program operation,

and the needs of the Department, the grants may be extended for up to

two option years.

Part III--Statement of Work

Each of the following initiatives has a specific set of parameters,

activities, and tasks:

A. School-to-Work

The United States is the only industrialized nation that lacks a

comprehensive system to help its youth acquire the knowledge, skills

and information about the labor market necessary to make an effective

transition from school to career-oriented work. Three-fourths of

America's high school students enter the workforce without college

degrees.

Many do not possess the basic academic and occupational skills

necessary for the workplace or to pursue further education.

The Departments of Labor and Education have made the development of

a school-to-work system a high priority. The ``School-to-Work

Opportunities Initiative'' builds on earlier work of the two

Departments as well as exemplary programs at the State and local

levels. The ``School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994'' was developed

by the Departments of Labor and Education and was signed into law by

the President on May 4, 1994.

This legislation provides a broad framework for effective school-

to-work strategies and seed money for statewide and local

implementation of school-to-work systems. During Fiscal Year 1994, the

Departments are using pre-existing legislative authority to begin

developmental activities.

As envisioned, States and localities will have considerable

flexibility to design and implement programs which fit their individual

circumstances and unique needs. However all programs will share some

basic components:

1. Work-based learning that provides a planned program of job

training and experience, paid work experience, workplace mentoring and

instruction in workplace competencies and in a broad variety of

elements of an industry.

2. School-based learning that provides career exploration and

career counseling, instruction in a career major (selected no later

than the 11th grade), a program of study that is based on high academic

and skill standards and typically involves at least one year of post

secondary education, and periodic evaluations to identify students'

academic strengths and weaknesses.

3. Connecting Activities that coordinate involvement of employers,

schools and students, matching students and work-based learning

opportunities, and training teachers, mentors, and counselors.

Students, upon successful completion, will receive a high school

diplomas, or its equivalent; a certificate or diploma from a post-

secondary institution, if appropriate; and a skill certificate.

At the State level, the Governor, the chief state school officials

and state agency officials responsible for job training and employment,

economic development, post secondary education and other appropriate

offices will collaborate in the planning and development of the state

school to work system. At the local level, partnerships that consist of

employers, secondary and post secondary education institutions, labor

organizations and other local community and business leaders will

design and administer school-to-work programs.

The Departments of Labor and Education are supporting State and

local developmental and implementation activities by providing grants

and through research, evaluation, technical assistance and other

support activities. For those States who are ready to move beyond

developmental activities, the two Departments are making available a

limited number of larger, multi-year implementation grants. States will

be selected to receive these grants through a competitive process with

an anticipated award date of July 1994.

Employers must play a critical role in designing and implementing

school to work strategies. Successful programs will require the active

involvement of the business community. Employers, in partnership with

labor, must define the skill requirements for jobs, participate equally

in the governance of the program, offer quality learning experiences

for the students at the worksite, and provide jobs for students and

graduates.

Thus, development of an effective school-to-work ``system''

requires the active involvement of a substantial portion of this

nation's business community. Accomplishing this objective is a daunting

and challenging task. Employers must be convinced that it is in their

best interest to participate in such arrangements.

Employers who agree to participate may need assistance in

developing the capacity to transform their workplaces into quality

learning environments a well as assuming other partnership roles.

Experience to date suggests that a multitude of approaches are needed

to effectively mobilize this nation's business community.

State Officials involved in school-to-work transition have

indicated that this is an area where federal assistance is needed.

Accordingly, applicants interested in this portion of the solicitation

shall explain how they intend to accomplish the following objectives:

1. Create awareness among the business community about the

``School-to-Work Opportunities Initiative'' in general and, more

specifically the business role in developing and administering the

system;

2. Build demand among the business community to participate in

local partnerships;

3. Develop capacity of business to participate as an active partner

in local school-to-work opportunities program;

4. Broker the formation of coalitions of business and of local

partnerships among business, education, labor (where appropriate) and

community organizations to develop and administer local school-to-work

opportunities programs.

Provide direct assistance to State and local programs in achieving

employer involvement and assistance in developing effective local

programs. This may entail training of State and local staff, on-site

involvement to obtain major employer representation and participation

in the local School-to-Work Program and other assistance as requested

by local or state programs.

States and localities will be organizing their implementation of

school-to-work systems around broad industry/occupational clusters.

Accordingly, the Department is seeking to complement State and local

effort by providing business related assistance focused around broad

industry clusters.

Thus, the Department is seeking applicants that can organize their

efforts around broad industry groups that would at least include:

Manufacturing, service, retail and wholesale trade, and finance,

insurance and real estate. Within each sector, applicants must be able

to demonstrate their ability to enlist the support of both leading edge

companies and small and mid-size firms.

In addition, applicants must indicate the major occupational

clusters within each industry sector that the organization believes

offers the greatest potential for inclusion in school-to-work

transition opportunities programs. The Department is seeking to work

closely with the applicant(s) that is selected for these partnership

activities, but not to prescribe the methods the applicant will employ

to accomplish the objectives laid out above. The Department recognizes

that those applicants which have demonstrated the capability to deliver

services have established methods and processes for reaching and

supporting the employer community.

Each applicant proposal for this section of the Statement of Work

must include:

1. A comprehensive implementation plan for providing targeted

assistance to States as they move forward to implement their school-to-

work transition systems. Such plan must have specific actions what will

be accomplished within the grant period.

2. A brief description of all proposed technical assistance guides,

videos, promotional materials, newsletters and other materials and

publications developed under this grant. Complete drafts of these

materials are to be submitted for review and, as necessary revision

prior to publication/release.

3. A listing of significant events sponsored by the organization

that relates to the objectives of this grant, regardless of whether

this is the primary purpose of the event.

4. A plan for assessment of the incentives, both financial and

nonfinancial, that will be required to recruit their members

participation in local school-to-work opportunities programs, on a

large-scale basis.

B. Skill Standards

The Department wants to promote the active involvement of business

organizations in the development of national voluntary skill standards.

Once established these standards are designed to meet the needs of the

current and potential workforce, from high school dropouts to graduates

of school-to-work. programs, from dislocated workers to workers

progressing along a career path. Business participation and leadership

in these activities is critical to achieving our major objectives of a

common language of skill classification and a portable credential.

Therefore, proposals submitted in response to this section of the

Statement of Work should include a strategy, implementation plan and

timetable for the following elements:

1. Marketing. To include information sharing, promotion and

generate interest among the business community, broadly defined, of

activities in this area and informing workers of the benefits of the

system for enhancing their ability to enter or reenter the workforce or

move up in a career progression;

2. Coalition Building. To prepare the business community for

participation in voluntary partnerships encourage by the National Skill

Standards Board to be established under the GOALS 2000: Educate

American Act (this would include stimulating business participation as

well as courting business partnerships with representatives from the

education and training community, State and local governments,

community-based organizations and organized labor);

3. Research. To draw the linkage between high performance work

organization, skill standards and competitiveness gains, and to examine

the connection between the human resource requirements of ISO 9000 and

the Malcolm Baldrige Award using skill standards as a tool.

C. Reemployment Program Activities

Each year more than one-fourth of the workforce move to new jobs

either to advance careers or to rebound from a job loss. The

Administration plans a major investment to help experienced workers

move from one job to the next to equip workers with skills needed for

the new jobs of the future.

Currently, over 60 Federal programs deliver job training and

employment services to Americans--each with its own funding mechanisms,

eligibility criteria and range of services. DOL/ETA presently

administers six separate programs focused on dislocated workers:

Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance, Defense

Conversion Program, Defense Diversification Program, Clean Air

Employment Transition Assistance, Trade Adjustment Assistance and North

Atlantic Free Trade Act-Bridge.

Applicants seeking to submit a proposal for this portion of the

solicitation shall include the following:

1. One-Stop Career Centers. Grantees will propose a strategy for

developing effective local support for one-stop career centers and the

local level governance approach to such centers. This will require the

development of an approach to building business support for Workforce

Investment Boards, where they are created and for training of both

members of such boards and staff.

(a) The grantees will develop and introduce a strategic planning

model to assist local areas on implementing effective governance of one

stop career centers and the relationship of such centers to the needed

services. This will include the dissemination of workforce investment

principles and presentations to major employer organizations and their

membership of these principles to obtain support and participation.

(b) Develop and disseminate, in consultation with ETA, models (or

best practices) for implementing workforce Investment Boards, with

specific emphasis on the relationship with existing structures such as

Private Industry Councils or other existing local boards;

(c) Develop and provide methods to build capacity and/or orient

board members to ensure success; and,

(d) Provide recommendations on staffing needs for such local

bodies.

(2) Worker Adjustment. The Worker Adjustment initiative will

require grantees, in consultation with ETA, to undertake research

efforts and disseminate technical assistance and training materials to

support worker adjustment services for experienced workers. Proposals

shall include:

(a) Review of the delivery structure for delivery of rapid response

assistance, how it is controlled, what role substate grantees play and

``best practices'' of effective Dislocated Worker Units.

(b) Examination of effective layoff aversion through rapid response

and dissemination of what has been tried, what has worked, who does it

and how much it costs.

(c) Technical assistance material on relocation opportunities for

discrete groups of dislocated technical, professional and managerial

workers. To what extent have organizations developed systems to match

clusters of dislocated professionals with job openings in other areas

and what can be undertaken to expand or enhance these efforts.

(d) Examination of various approaches and development of a specific

approach for obtaining customer feedback (including participants,

hiring employers and discharging employers) concerning their services

offered and the timing of such services.

(e) Examination of the delivery structure for dislocated worker

services--What organizations are substate grantees under Title III? How

many are Title II administrative entities? How many use essentially the

same process for dislocated workers as disadvantaged workers? What is

the delivery structure for workers receiving services under TAA? What

recommendations can be made for improving or restructuring the delivery

of these services, especially under a comprehensive program approach?

PART IV--EVALUATION CRITERIA

Prospective offerors are advised that the selection of grantees for

awards is to be made after careful evaluation of proposals by an

evaluation panel within DOL. Applicants are advised that discussions

may be necessary in order to clarify any inconsistencies in their

applications. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding

on the Grant Officer. The final decision on the award will be based on

what is most advantageous to the Federal Government as determined by

the ETA Grant Officer. Panelists will evaluate the proposals on the

basis of the following factors:

A. Design and Approach of Project (40 points)

Applicant's planned approach for accomplishing the objectives set

forth in the Statement of Work. This includes a basic understanding of

the initiatives as reflected in the planning, development and

implementation of the program(s): The soundness of the plan to

accomplish the goals and the objectives and the establishment of

measurable outcomes.

B. Content, Scope and Quality of Proposed Project (40 points)

Consideration will be given to such factors as: organizational

structure, program components and activities, staffing and resources

and the ability of offer to accomplish the goals and objectives of the

Initiatives.

C. Demonstrated Capacity to Establish Linkages and Leverage Resources

(20 points)

The ability of the offerer to complete the objectives set forth in

the Statement of Work, to provide necessary linkages with complementary

programs, the business community, schools, State and local training

agencies and other organizations providing employment and training

services. Also evaluated will be the soundness of plans for linking

community resources and their active participation in program

objectives.

D. Costs

Costs shall be rated separately. Costs will be analyzed to

determine reasonableness. Available resources should be adequate for

the services proposed in the application.

Please indicate costs separately for each major activity area

(School-to-Work, skill standards or Reemployment program). The cost in

each areas must be reasonable in view of the anticipated results.

Applicants should document their expected costs and justify why they

consider these costs reasonable.

Applicants must indicate for each major area the principle

personnel to be assigned. If the work or most of the work would be

performed by a subgrantee, include information on the proposed

subgrantee organization and its principle personnel to be assigned to

the planned work.

Applicants are advised that awards may be made to more than one

organization for a given cluster, i.e. Skill Standards, and that awards

may be made in all or selected clusters. Awards may not be made in a

cluster area in which proposals are rated technically unacceptable.

Signed at Washington, DC this 5th day of May.

Janice E. Perry,

Grant Officer, Division of Acquisition and Assistance.

Appendices

A. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

B. SF-424A, Budget

BILLING CODE 4510-30-M

TN11MY94.012

TN11MY94.013

TN11MY94.014

[FR Doc. 94-11456 Filed 5-10-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-30-C