Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), Title IV-D, Demonstration Program: Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), Title IV-D, Demonstration

Program: Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations

AGENCY: Women's Bureau, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant

Applications (SGA 97-05).

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SUMMARY: All information required to submit a proposal is contained in

this announcement. Applicants for grant funds should read this notice

in its entirety and respond as directed. Grant proposals that are not

completed as directed will be judged nonresponsive and will not be

evaluated. The Women's Bureau (WB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

announces the fourth year of its Solicitation for Grant Applications

(SGA) first authorized by the Women in Apprenticeship and

Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Act under its Technical Assistance

(TA) grant provisions to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to

deliver TA to Employers and Labor Unions (E/LUs). The WANTO competitive

grant program is funded through the Job Training Partnership Act

(JTPA), Title IV-D discretionary funds. While the Women's Bureau has

responsibility for implementing the competitive grant process, the

WANTO Act is under the joint administration of the Women's Bureau (WB)

and the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT). The Department

expects to make three to five WANTO awards for private sector

initiatives from the funds allocated for FY 1997.

The Department's interest is to promote the commitment and

participation of employers and labor unions to the building of

reciprocal resources that link pre-apprenticeship training to

employment and sponsored apprenticeship training. The Department's goal

is to increase the participation of women in apprenticeship training

and nontraditional employment as one way to move welfare-dependent or

eligible women to a career path that can result in economic self-

sufficiency for them and their families. WANTO proposals should

identify and focus on employment paths to and in high-wage and high

employment growth careers for women, particularly occupations in

transportation, highway and bridge construction industries, and other

growing high-wage careers. Therefore, grant proposals should discuss

workplace strategies for technical assistance to employers and labor

unions that also bring to the attention of employers and labor unions

the need for them to consider cooperative strategies to provide for

transitional costs (including fees/dues, tools, and living costs),

child care and transportation for women seeking to enter and sustain

themselves in the apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations. These

are major reasons why women are unable to enter and/or complete

training or entry-level employment.

Grant proposals from CBOs who want to provide technical assistance

may be submitted with or without the employers and unions for whom CBOs

will provide technical assistance and/or who want to link

preapprenticeship to sponsored apprenticeship training for women.

Employers and Unions may submit requests for technical assistance from

CBOs directly to the Department of Labor for matching with CBOs. The

Department will give top priority to technical assistance projects in

two areas: (1) Transportation industry, particularly highway and bridge

construction, in conjunction with megaprojects; and (2) in

nonconstruction industries, such as, telecommunications, utilities, and

high-technology occupations in the health industries.

This notice describes the background, the application process,

statement of work, evaluation criteria, and reporting requirements for

Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) 97-05. WB anticipates that a

total amount of $410,000 will be available for the support of all

Fiscal Year 1997. The WB will provide the technical and policy

leadership for this project.

DATES: One (1) ink-signed original, complete grant application plus

five (5) copies of the Technical Proposal and two (2) copies of the

Cost Proposal shall be submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor,

Office of Procurement Services, Room N-5416, Reference SGA 97-05, 200

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210, not later than 4:45 p.m.

EDT, August 29, 1997. Hand-delivered applications must be received by

the Office of Procurement Services by that time.

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

Labor, Office of Procurement Services, Attention: Lisa Harvey,

Reference SGA 97-05, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harvey, Office of Procurement

Services, at (202) 219-6445. (This is not a toll-free number.)

Part I. Background

The Women In Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO)

Act--Public Law 102-530, signed October 27, 1992--The Act has three

major activities that affect this SGA:

1. Outreach to employers and labor unions. DOL will promote the

Act's program to employers and labor unions by informing them of the

availability of technical assistance and keeping a database of

employers and grant award community-based organizations.

2. Technical assistance. DOL will provide grants to community-based

[[Page 40376]]

organizations to deliver technical assistance to employers and labor

unions to prepare them to recruit, train, and employ women in

apprenticeable and nontraditional occupations.

3. Liaison role of Department of Labor. The Department of Labor is

to serve as follows: (1) Acting as a liaison between employers, labor,

and the community-based organizations providing technical assistance;

(2) coordinating; conducting regular assessment; and seeking input of

employers and labor unions.

The Women's Bureau: Improving women's employment opportunities and

related equity issues have been the driving force of the Bureau's

activities and policies since its inception in 1920. Within the

Department of Labor, the Director serves as the policy advisor to the

Secretary. For example, the Bureau has a history of encouraging women

to consider the wide array of apprenticeable and other occupations

nontraditional to women as one way to obtain economic self-sufficiency

for them and their families. Nontraditional occupations (NTOs) are

occupations where women account for 25 percent or less of all persons

employed in an occupational group. These occupations include the more

commonly known male-dominated occupations in blue-collar, skilled

trades such as carpenter, plumber, electrician, sheet metal worker or

welder in the construction and related industries. In addition, NTOs

include occupations arising from the advances of high technology

fueling improved and/or new manufacturing processes in fiber optics,

chemicals, petroleum, as well as technical skills in the electronics

and other technical occupations that require computer literacy to

customize, service, build and repair precision machinery in

manufacturing. Other high-pay computer-based jobs in the service sector

industries, such as business and professional services, radiology,

laser, and related high technology health care, including nursing;

computer-processing of financial services and records; and other high

pay jobs in utilities, telecommunications and transportation industries

are also expanding as a result of advances in technology.

Today, WB finds some increases in women's interests in NTO as

reflected in small increases in women in apprenticeship training in

such occupations and nontraditional employment. Women comprised 4

percent of apprentices and 2.5 percent of persons employed in the

construction trades in 1996. Similarly, WB finds that there have been

some changes in attitudes about whose hands (both women and men) may do

skilled work. Nonetheless, as the statistics indicate, women have not

obtained a critical mass in most trades nor have critical goals for

women in apprenticeship been obtained (i.e., 6.9 percent in

construction trades). Moreover, studies point out that once hired,

women face problems that erode their retention. (See, Laurie Wessman

LeBreton, Sara Segal Loevy, and Lauren Sugerman, Building Equal

Opportunity, and Laurie Wessman LeBreton and Sara Segal Loevy, Breaking

New Ground: Worksite 2000.) Thus, despite some increase in access in

placement, there are still barriers in recruitment and retention of

women in apprenticeship positions and NTO training and job placement.

This is in addition to problems common to all working women; i.e.,

child care, balancing work and family conflicts and responsibilities.

The Fiscal Year 1997 WANTO solicitation for CBOs to develop

preapprenticeship/apprenticeship training partnerships in

transportation construction and other nonconstruction industries (as

indicated above) will also address issues of quality, commitment and

ensuring a friendly and equitable workplace for all workers--women and

men.

The Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training: The Women's Bureau co-

administers WANTO with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT).

BAT was established in 1937 as the national administrative agency in

the Department of Labor to carry out the objectives of the National

Apprenticeship Act (also known as the Fitzgerald Act), guided by the

recommendations of the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship. BAT has the

objective to stimulate and assist industry in the development,

expansion, and improvement of apprenticeship and training programs

designed to provide the skilled workers required by the American

economy.

Under the National Apprenticeship Act, the Bureau is responsible

for providing service to existing apprenticeship programs and technical

assistance to organizations who would like to establish an

apprenticeship program. The Bureau works very closely with State

Apprenticeship Councils (SAC) and the educational system to deliver

support services at the national, State and local level. When

apprentices finish their training, they receive certificates of

completion of apprenticeship. These are issued by the State

apprenticeship agencies, or in those States not having such an agency,

by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training in accordance with its

recommended standards. The State Apprenticeship Council.

BAT is committed to improving the access of women to apprenticeship

training to increase their employment in jobs that have historically

put men on the career ladder to successful working careers. As

apprenticeship has been the building block for a skilled and stable

work force, it is also a career path that can provide an economically

stable family life in mainstream America.

Definitions: Nontraditional Occupations (NTOs) are those where

women account for less than 25 percent of all persons employed in a

single occupational group.

Preapprenticeship programs for women prepare them to keep pace with

occupational skills training or entry-level employment in

nontraditional occupations. The curriculum includes pre-vocational

instruction in identification and use of tools, blueprint reading,

basic shop skills, and safety procedures, as well as math skills, and

physical conditioning.

Apprenticeship, in general, includes a formal paid training-work

agreement where labor and management work together to promote learning

on the job; to support the ``hands on'' learning, there must be related

theoretical instruction (often classroom). After completing the program

standards successfully--usually 3 to 5 years--the apprentice is awarded

a certificate of completion by either the Bureau of Apprenticeship and

Training or the State Apprenticeship Council.

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) are as defined in Section 4(5)

of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501(5)): Private

nonprofit organizations which are representative of communities or

significant segments of communities and which provide job training

services. For this solicitation, communities or significant segment of

communities are the private nonprofit organizations that have

demonstrated at least three years experience in the development and

operation of policies and programs in the recruitment, selection,

training, placing, retaining, and otherwise preparing of Women for

Apprenticeship and other Nontraditional Occupations (NTOs).

Please Note That Eligible Applicants Must Not Be Classified Under

the IRS Tax Code as a 501(C)(4) Entity.

A. Authorities: The technical assistance grants were first

authorized under the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional

Occupations (WANTO) Act, Public Law 102-530, approved October 27, 1992.

B. Purpose of the Demonstration: The purpose of the WANTO

demonstration

[[Page 40377]]

program is to provide technical assistance to employers and labor

unions to encourage the employment of women in apprenticeship and

nontraditional occupations by preparing employers and labor unions to

recruit, select, train, retain and prepare women in other areas for

apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations in their workplaces. The

goal of WANTO is to increase the employment of women in apprenticeable

and nontraditional occupations by preparing employers and labor unions.

Part II. Application Process

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Community-Based Organizations are the only entities eligible for

grant awards. Please Note That Eligible Applicants Must Not Be

Classified Under the IRS Tax Code as a 501(C)(4) Entity.

a. Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) are the eligible applicants

to receive WANTO grants to provide technical assistance to employers

and labor unions that request assistance to recruit, select, train,

place, retain, and other areas of preparation to promote women to

nontraditional or apprenticeship positions in their workplaces and/or

are interested in linking their apprenticeship program to

preapprenticeship to support or provide for an increase or pipeline for

women in apprenticeship.

Specific Technical Assistance provided by CBOs may include:

(1) Developing outreach and orientation sessions to recruit women

into the employers' apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional

occupations;

(2) Developing preapprenticeable occupations or nontraditional

skills training to prepare women for apprenticeable occupations or

nontraditional occupations;

(3) Providing ongoing orientations for employers, unions, and

workers on creating a successful environment for women in

apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations;

(4) Setting up support groups and facilitating networks for women

in nontraditional occupations on or off the job site to improve their

retention;

(5) Setting up a local computerized data base referral system to

maintain a current list of tradeswomen who are available for work;

(6) Serving as a liaison between tradeswomen and employers and

tradeswomen and labor unions to address workplace issues related to

gender; and

(7) Conducting exit interviews with tradeswomen to evaluate their

on-the-job experience and to assess the effectiveness of the program.

b. Employers and Labor Unions are eligible to request and receive

technical assistance, provided by a community-based organization (CBO)

that has received a WANTO grant. Such technical assistance includes

linking preapprenticeship with a commitment to employer and labor union

sponsored apprenticeship training. To be selected to receive technical

assistance and matched with a CBO, employers and labor unions must

submit a request (as described below) either directly to the Department

of Labor, OASAM, Office of Procurement Services, Room N-5416,

Attention: Lisa Harvey, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC

20210 or employers and labor unions may submit requests to be matched

with a CBO with which there is an established working relationship as

an individual entity with the CBO's proposal for a WANTO grant award.

Selection of Employers and Labor Unions to receive technical

assistance must provide--

(1) A description of the need for assistance;

(2) A description of the types of apprenticeable occupations or

nontraditional occupations in which the employer or labor union would

like to train or employ women;

(3) Assurances that there are or will be suitable and appropriate

positions available in the apprenticeable occupations program or in the

nontraditional occupations being targeted; and

(4) Commitments that all reasonable efforts shall be made to place

women in apprenticeable occupations or nontraditional occupations.

B. Contents

To be considered responsive to this SGA, each application must

consist of, and follow the order of, the sections listed in Part III of

this solicitation. The applicant must also include information which

the applicant believes will address the selection criteria identified

in Part IV. Technical proposals shall not exceed 20 single sided,

double spaced, 10 to 12 pitch-typed pages (not including attachments).

Any Proposal That Does Not Conform to These Standards Shall Be Deemed

Non-Responsive to This SGA and Will Not Be Evaluated.

1. Technical proposal. Each proposal shall include: (1) A two-page

abstract summarizing the proposal and (2) a complete description of the

CBO's program for technical assistance, including information required

in Part III and IV. No cost data or reference to price shall be

included in the technical proposal.

2. Cost proposal. The cost (business) proposal must be separate

from the technical proposal. The transmittal letter shall be attached

to the business proposal, which shall consist of the following:

a. Standard Form 424 ``Application for Federal Assistance,''

(Appendix A) signed by an official from the applicant organization who

is authorized to enter the organization into a grant agreement with the

Department of Labor. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

(CFDA) is 17.700;

b. Standard Budget Form 424A ``Budget Information Form,'' (Appendix

B); and

c. Budget Narrative. Provide a narrative explanation of the budget

which describes all proposed costs and indicates how they are related

to the operation of the project. Provide this information separately

for the amount of requested Federal funding and the amount of proposed

Non-Federal contribution. In an application which proposes to fund

staff positions, the budget narrative must provide information which

describes the number of proposed positions by title and by the amount

of staff time and salary charged to Federal and Non-Federal funding

resources. The Budget Narrative provides the detailed description of

the costs reflected on the SF 424A.

C. Funding Levels

The Department expects to have $410,000 to be disbursed through

WANTO grants. The Department expects to make at least three (3) awards

to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). The Women's Bureau expects

awards to range from approximately $75,000 to $200,000, depending upon

the scope of the demonstration and technical assistance activities to

be delivered.

D. Length of Grant and Grant Awards

The initial performance period for the grants awarded under this

SGA shall be for eighteen (18) months of program performance, with the

option to extend for up to six months as a no cost extension to

complete final reports. Each applicant shall reflect in their

application the intention to begin operation no later than September

30, 1997.

E. Submission

One (1) ink-signed original, complete grant application plus five

(5) copies of the Technical Proposal and three (3) copies of the Cost

Proposal must be

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submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Procurement

Services, Room N-5416, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

20210, not later than 4:45 pm EDT, August 29, 1997. Hand delivered

applications must be received by the Office of Procurement Services by

that time. Any application received at the Office of Procurement

Services after 4:45 pm EDT will not be considered unless it is received

before award is made and:

1. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the

fifth calendar day before August 29, 1997 (i.e., not later than August

24, 1997);

2. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due

solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the U.S.

Department of Labor at the above address; or

3. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day

Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5:00 pm EDT at the

place of mailing two working days, excluding weekends and Federal

holidays, prior to August 29, 1997 (i.e., not later than 5:00 pm EDT

August 27, 1997).

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

late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S.

Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original

receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible,

an application received after the above closing time and date shall be

processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped or

otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression)

that is readily identifiable without further action as having been

applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the

date of mailing. Therefore, applicants shall request that the postal

clerk place a legible hand cancellation bull's-eye postmark on both the

receipt and the wrapper or envelope.

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

late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Mail Next Day Service-Post

Office to Addressee is the date entered by the post office receiving

clerk on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee''

label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original

receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the same meaning

as defined above. Therefore, applicants shall request that the postal

clerk place a legible hand cancellation bull's-eye postmark on both the

receipt and the envelope or wrapper.

The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at

the U.S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Office of

Procurement Services on the application wrapper or other documentary

evidence of receipt maintained by that office. Applications sent by e-

mail, telegram, or facsimile (Fax) will not be accepted.

Part III. Statement of Work--Key Features

A. Introduction and Priority

This SGA (97-05) will fund technical assistance provided to

employers and labor unions to increase the participation of women in

apprenticeship and nontraditional employment. Such assistance includes

the linking of preapprenticeship programs to employer and/or labor

union sponsored apprenticeship. With WANTO Grants, the Department wants

to increase the participation of women in higher-paying apprenticeship

and nontraditional occupational employment which includes linkages to

pre-apprenticeship and employer and/or labor union sponsored

apprenticeship to expand the employment and self-sufficiency options of

women.

The industrial priority for technical assistance is to promote an

increase of women in occupations and/or careers in (1) State highway

and bridge construction programs, particularly cooperative technical

assistance for apprenticeship and other employment under the Intermodal

Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), funded by the Department

of Transportation. ISTEA funds which allow States to support activities

to assist women and minorities to enter and remain in transportation

industry trades; and (2) other partnerships that develop or link with

programs in other nonconstruction trades in telecommunications,

utilities, and high technology health care industries.

Bonus Points. Twenty-five (25) bonus points will be added to the

technical proposal score of proposals in the priority area. Other

projects will receive consideration.

B. Key Features

1. WANTO Project Proposal Submissions should provide for technical

assistance between a Community-Based Organization (CBO) and requesting

employers and labor unions. Such an entity can also provide for the

linking of preapprenticeship programs to apprenticeship programs

sponsored by employers and labor unions. All technical assistance grant

activity has the goal to increase the employment of women in

apprenticeship and other nontraditional occupations.

Grant proposal must specify expected outcomes based on past

experience and expenditures for the following:

--The proposed number of employers and labor unions to be provided on-

site technical assistance and those to receive;

--The number of women trained, placed, promoted, and/or retained in

apprenticeship and other nontraditional employment;

--Any other activities for which grant funds will be expended.

2. CBOs that apply for funding to provide technical assistance must

provide information on their experience and accomplishments in

apprenticeship and nontraditional activities in the areas of: (1)

Policy; (2) program development; (3) program operation; (4) and the

provision of technical assistance to business, labor organizations, and

other activities in the employment and training community related to

increasing the participation of women in apprenticeship and

nontraditional employment.

a. List name, trade, and organizational position of tradeswomen and

other women in nontraditional occupations on staff or on your

organization's Board of Directors. Include the dates when tradeswomen

served in active paid or unpaid positions in your organization.

b. In addition, all applications must also include a management and

staff loading plan. The management plan is to include a project

organizational chart and accompanying narrative which differentiates

between elements of the Applicant's staff and subcontractors or

consultants who will be retained. The staff loading plan must identify

all key tasks and the hours required to complete each task. Labor

estimates for each task must be broken down by individuals assigned to

the task, including subcontractors and consultants. All key tasks must

be charted to show time required to perform them by months or weeks.

3. Proposed projects should include a discussion of support

services to participants that include (1) transitional costs (which may

include living expenses as well as fees, union dues, uniforms, etc.),

(2) child care, and (3) transportation.

4. Proposed projects should include outreach activities to improve

apprenticeship and NTO opportunities for women in their own workplaces

as well as women seeking to enter NTO career ladder employment and

training.

5. Proposed project preapprenticeship training should include three

cycles of training from 12 to 16 weeks each.

6. Proposed projects should clearly identify expected outcomes in

terms of:

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(1) Number of participants per training cycle; (2) number of

apprenticeship training commitments by employer/labor organizations;

(3) number of participants moving into NTO employment; (4) number of

women participants moving from preapprenticeship into apprenticeship

program; (5) number of preapprenticeship women moving into permanent

employment without participating in an apprenticeship program.

7. Proposed project submissions should include a listing of all

items for which grant funds will be expended. (Do not include any cost

information for this item in the technical proposal, but expenditure

items MUST be listed.)

8. Proposed project submissions should include any leverage or co-

funding anticipated by this submission.

9. Proposed project submissions should include copies of the CBO's

budget and major funding sources for the past three years, including

foundation and government grants and other types of funding.

10. In addition to the grant's final report, proposed project

submissions should include plans for a ``how-to-do-it'' project

replication manual, including awareness/outreach material, technical

assistance and curriculum manual(s) and all other materials developed

as a result of the grant activities.

11. The proposed project submission should include any activities

to encourage and promote the continuation or expansion of grant

activities beyond the grant's period of program performance.

Part IV. Evaluation Criteria and Selection

Applicants are advised that selection for grant award is to be made

after careful evaluation of technical applications by a panel. Each

panelist will evaluate applications against the various criteria on the

basis of 100 points. The scores will then serve as the primary basis to

select applications for potential award. Clarification may be requested

of grant applicants if the situation so warrants. Please see Part III,

Sections A and B for additional information on the elements against

which proposal will be reviewed.

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Points

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1. Technical Evaluation Criteria:

a. Capabilities and Qualifications of CBO and Staff (NTO

experience and education)................................. 50

b. Established or Anticipated Program Linking and Working

Relationship for WANTO.................................... 25

c. Quality and Scope of WANTO Project...................... 25

(Such as, proposed number of employers, labor unions provided

on-site technical assistance, number of women affected and

served by the WANTO project and placed in apprenticeship or

nontraditional employment; proposed career ladder and

technical assistance strategies to promote the increase in

women in apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations for

employers and labor unions; proposed job placement outcomes.)

2. Bonus Points:

a. Priority Focus.......................................... 25

(See Part III, A Statement of Work--Key Features, Bonus

Points.)

3. Cost Criteria: Proposals will be scored, based on their

costs in relation to other proposals submitted in response to

this SGA.

4. Total Score: Technical quality of proposals will be weighted

three (3) times the estimated price in ranking proposals, for

purposes of selections for award.

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Proposals received will be evaluated by a review panel based on the

criteria immediately above, in Technical Evaluation Criteria 1 and 2.

The panel's recommendations will be advisory, and final awards will be

made based on the best interests of the Government, including but not

limited to such factors as technical quality, geographic balance,

occupational/industrial impact, and diversity in service providers.

The Department wishes to make it clear that it is not simply the

best written proposals that will be chosen, but rather those which

demonstrate the greatest experience and commitment to assisting

employers and labor organizations to successfully develop successful

strategies to increase the participation of women in higher-paying

apprenticeship and nontraditional, including linkages to

preapprenticeship and employer and/or labor union sponsored

apprenticeship and to expand the employment and self-sufficiency

options of women.

During the technical panel evaluation of all proposals and

requests, the Department will bring together CBO qualifications and

capabilities with employers/labor unions requests for matching with

CBOs.

Part V

A. Deliverables

(This section is provided only so that grantees may more accurately

estimate the staffing budgetary requirements when preparing their

proposal. Applicants are to exclude from their cost proposal the cost

of any requested travel to Washington, DC.)

1. No later than four (4) weeks after award, the grantees and

partners shall meet with the Women's Bureau and the Bureau of

Apprenticeship and Training at the Post-Award Conference to discuss

employment preappenticeship, apprenticeship demonstration project and

related partnership technical assistance activities, timelines, and

technical assistance outcomes assessment for comment and final

approval. The grantees and partners and the Department will discuss and

make decisions on the following program activities:

a. Any preapprenticeship or apprenticeship activities and

responsibilities; the number of partnership employers and labor

organizations to be served.

b. The types of systemic changes anticipated by technical

assistance strategies anticipated to be incorporated into employer

ongoing recruitment, hiring, training and promotion of women in

apprenticeship and apprenticeable nontraditional occupations.

c. The occupational, industrial and geographical impact

anticipated.

d. The supportive services to be provided to employers and women

after successful placement into apprenticeship or apprenticeable

nontraditional occupations.

e. The plan for the development and maintenance of a relationship

with the State level of the Federal Bureau of Apprenticeship and

Training and the State Apprenticeship Council.

The Women's Bureau and the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training

will provide further input orally and in writing, if necessary, within

ten (10) working days after the Post-Award Conference.

2. No later than ten (10) weeks after award, the grantee and the

Women's Bureau will confirm the ``plan of

[[Page 40380]]

action'' or detailed timeline for program implementation.

3. No later than twelve (12) weeks after award, the grantee(s)

shall have begun the provision of technical assistance to employers and

labor unions to recruit, select, train, place, retain, and other areas

of preparation to promote the increase of women in apprenticeable

occupations and other nontraditional training for women, characterized

by employment growth and above average earnings.

4. No later than sixteen (16) weeks after award, the first

quarterly progress report of work done under this grant will be due.

Thereafter, quarterly reports will be due twenty (20) working days

after the end of each of the remaining quarters.

Quarterly progress reports must include:

a. A description of overall progress on work performed during the

reporting period--(a) the number of employers and labor unions provided

on-site, off-site (conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.),

(b) number of women trained, placed in apprenticeship or other

nontraditional employment. Describe:

(1) number of women affected or participating in TA programs,

include name and address of workplace/company and person responsible

for the operation; (2) number of employers and labor unions receiving

technical assistance--name, address, size of the workplace; including

proportion of women; include brief profiles of employers and labor

organizations; (3) describe any systemic workplace and policy changes--

actual or in process, including the hiring and promotion of women

already in the workplace, career ladders or other training activities;

(4) public presentations; (5) media articles or appearances; (6)

publications disseminated; and (7) publications developed.

b. An indication of any current problems which may impede the

performance of the grant and the proposed corrective action.

c. A discussion of work to be performed during the next reporting

period.

Between scheduled reporting dates the grantee also shall

immediately inform the Grant Officer's Technical Representative (GOTR)

of significant developments affecting the grantee's ability to

accomplish the work.

5. No later than sixty-four (64) weeks after award, the grantee

shall submit three (3) copies of the draft final report, an integrated

draft analysis of the process and results of the technical assistance

activities during the year. The Women's Bureau and the Bureau of

Apprenticeship and Training will provide written comments on the draft

report within twenty (20) working days if substantive problems are

identified. The grantee's response to these comments shall be

incorporated into the final report.

6. No later than seventy-four (74) weeks after award, the

grantee(s) shall submit one (1) camera-ready copy and five (5) copies

of the final report, bound in a professional manner, and not a

collection of looseleaf sheets; one (1) diskette (IBM compatible,

WordPerfect 6.1) of the Final Report; along with five (5) copies of all

products manuals, curriculum, ``how-to-do-it'' handbooks, videos, etc.,

paid for with grant funds. The report shall cover findings, final

performance data, outcome results and assessment, and employer or labor

organization plans for follow-up of participants. The report shall

provide all information to replicate the project including copies of

curriculum, technical assistance materials developed for the project

and technical assistance--videos, posters, notices, etc., as well as

any plans for replication and dissemination of information. An

Executive Summary of the findings and recommendations shall be included

in the report or accompany the report.

Signed at Washington, D.C. on July 18, 1997.

Lawrence J. Kuss,

Grant Officer.

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[FR Doc. 97-19706 Filed 7-25-97; 8:45 am]

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