Summary

This report provides information on the Indian and Native American job training program authorized under title IV of the Job Training Partnership Act. The act targets a variety of economically disadvantaged groups, including Native Americans, to receive employment-seeking skills and job training services. GAO discusses (1) the history of the relationship between the Labor Department and the Native American community with respect to the program and (2) the extent to which the act's funds are used to provide training services, one of four allowable cost categories under that program. GAO also examines disagreements between the Labor Department and Native Americans over proposed changes to program regulations and the reasonableness of such changes.

GAO found that: (1) over the past decade, relations between Labor and the Native American community have deteriorated; (2) the Native American community believes that Labor's management structure and insensitivity to Native Americans' needs contributed to the deterioration of its relationship with Labor; (3) Labor's issuance of new program regulations without the Native American community's cooperation has contributed to the increasingly confrontational relationship between Labor and the Native American community; (4) as a result of Labor's recent efforts to establish a new dialogue and partnership with Native American representatives, Labor withdrew the planned program changes and promised closer collaboration with Native American groups for additional changes; (5) 7 of the 182 Native American program grantees spent an average of 40 percent of their funds on training activities and the remaining funds on program administration, work experience, community service, and participant support activities; and (6) geographic isolation and poor economic conditions significantly affect how grant funds are spent on various program activities such as classroom training, work experience, or support services.