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Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for Business-Led H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants (SGA 03-114) Billing Code: 4510-30
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for Business-Led H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants. SUMMARY The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $50 million in grant funds for technical skills training programs.
Technical skills training grants were authorized under the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended. Fees paid by employers who bring foreign workers into the United States to work in high skill or specialty occupations on a temporary basis under H-1B nonimmigrant visas finance these grants. Twenty-five percent of the grants are to be awarded to business partnerships and seventy-five percent are to be awarded to local workforce investment boards established under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
DATE: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is September 22, 2003. Applications must be received at the address below no later than 4:00 pm EST (Eastern Standard Time). Grant applications received after this date will not be considered. ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: Mamie D. Williams, SGA/DFA 03-114, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4203, Washington, DC 20210. Telefacsimile (FAX) applications will not be accepted. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand delivered proposals will be received at the above address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mamie D. Williams, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance, Telephone (202) 693-3301. (This is not a toll free number.) You must specifically ask for Mamie D. Williams. This announcement is also being made available on the ETA web site at http://www.doleta.gov/h-1b. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Part I – BACKGROUND, DOL POLICIES AND EMPHASES A. Background ACWIA 1998 increased the annual limit on H-1B visas temporarily to 115,000 in fiscal years 1999 and 2000, and to 107,500 in 2001. In addition, a $500 user fee was imposed on employers for each H-1B application. ACWIA 1998 authorized the use of 56.3% of the fee to finance the H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant Program. Grants funded under ACWIA 1998 had the long-term goal of raising the technical skill levels of American workers in order to fill specialty occupations presently being filled by temporary workers admitted to the United States under the provisions of the H-1B visa. Eligible grant applicants were local Private Industry Councils (PICs) and Workforce Investment Boards (local boards) established under Section 117 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) or a consortium of local boards. ACWIA 1998 was amended by the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (ACWIA 2000) Pub.L. 106-313, enacted on October 17, 2000. This law increased the temporary cap of H-1B visas to 195,000 annually until the end of fiscal year 2003. Separate legislation raised the employer H-1B application fee from $500 to $1,000. ACWIA 2000 authorized the use of 55% of the funds generated by H-1B visa fees to continue the Department of Labor's H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant Program through September 30, 2003. ACWIA 2000 H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant Program statutory provisions are codified at 29 U.S.C. 2916 a. Nature of Funding: ACWIA 2000 also created a two-part eligibility and funding criteria for the H-1B program. Local boards are eligible to receive 75% of total funds awarded. These grants provide funds to partnerships consisting of one or more local boards, at least one business or business related non-profit (such as a trade association) and one community-based organization (which may be faith-based), higher education institution or labor union. The remaining 25% of funds, the subject of this solicitation, are made available through grants to eligible partnerships that consist of at least two businesses or a business-related nonprofit organization that represents more than one business. Partnerships may include any educational, labor, community and faith-based organization, or local board, but funds may be used only to carry out a strategy that would otherwise not be eligible for funds under the 75% clause due to barriers in meeting partnership eligibility criteria. The scope of the business partnerships, for example, may be national or multi-state, making the partnership ineligible for the 75% funding stream. Applications submitted by Business-Led partnerships require a 100 percent match in cash or in kind. Partners cooperating in the proposed project may divide the responsibility for the match among themselves in any way they choose to do so, provided that at least 50 percent of the match comes from the business partners (see Part II, section E, Matching Funds). ACWIA 2000 also specified that consideration be given to applicants that provide a specific commitment from other public or private sources, or both, to demonstrate the long-term sustainability of the training program or project after the grant expires. Targeted Occupations: At least eighty percent of the grants are to be awarded to projects that train workers in high technology, information technology, and biotechnology skills. For example, this includes skills needed for software and communications services, telecommunications, systems installation and integration, computers and communications hardware, advanced manufacturing, health care technology, biotechnology and biomedical research and manufacturing, and innovation services. No more than 20 percent may be awarded to projects that train for skills related to any single specialty occupation. Specialty occupations require a theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and sometimes may even require full state licensure to practice in the occupation. These occupations require at least a bachelor's degree or higher and/or experience in the specific specialty. They also may require recognition of expertise in the specialty through progressively responsible positions relative to the specialty occupation. The technical skills training portion of ACWIA 2000 (Section 111) is designed to help both employed and unemployed American workers acquire the requisite technical capabilities in high skill occupations that have shortages. Training generally is aimed at occupations at the H-1B skill levels, which are defined as a bachelor's degree or comparable experience. Under ACWIA 2000, training is not limited to skill levels commensurate with 4-year undergraduate degrees, but can include the preparation of workers for a broad range of positions along a career ladder leading to an H-1B skill level job. Occupational Skill Levels: To meet the legislative intent of training American workers to replace foreign workers under the H-1B visa program, technical skills training grants under this SGA must focus on a high level of training and on selected occupations. As shown on Table 1, foreign workers coming to the United States under the H-1B visa program are exceptionally well-educated; 50 percent possess a Bachelor’s degree, 30 percent have a Master’s degree, and 17 percent have a Doctorate or Professional degree. Fewer than 2 percent of H-1B visas go to foreign workers with less than a Bachelor’s degree. With respect to occupations in 2002, 38 percent are computer/information technology related occupations, such as programmers, database administrators and systems analysts. The second largest occupational area is architecture, engineering and surveying related occupations. It should be noted that of the medicine and health related occupations, the largest grouping is physicians and surgeons rather than nurses or other healthcare workers. Outcomes Expected from H-1B Grantees: ACWIA 2000 specified that the Secretary of Labor is to give consideration to applicants who commit to achieving certain outcome goals for individuals who complete training. These outcome goals are: 1) hiring or causing the hiring of unemployed trainees; 2) increasing the wages or salary of incumbent workers, or 3) providing skill certifications to trainees or linking the training to industry accepted occupational skill standards, certificates, or licensing requirements. Applicants may propose additional goals or combine goals. ACWIA 2000 also specified that consideration in awarding H-1B grants
be given to the use of grant funds to demonstrate a significant ability
to expand a training program or project through such means as training
more workers or offering more courses or projects resulting from collaborations,
especially with more than one small business or with a labor management
training program or project, or for a partnership that involves and
directly benefits more than one small business. Table 1. Key Facts about H-1B Visa Approved Petitions, Fiscal Year 2002
Source: Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, Fiscal Year 2002, U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, June 2003. Status of the H-1B Program: Forty-three H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants totaling $95.6 million were awarded under the provisions of ACWIA 1998. Under ACWIA 2000, the Department of Labor has awarded 56 grants totaling $148 million; of these, 42 grants totaling $113.3 million were under the 75 percent funding stream and 14 grants totaling $34.5 million were under the 25 percent funding stream. Combining all awards made under ACWIA 1998 and ACWIA 2000, the Department of Labor has awarded a total of 99 H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants totaling $243.3 million. H-1B grants under earlier SGAs were funded for up to a 24-month period, with the possibility of a no-cost extension for one additional year. Grants awarded under this solicitation will have a 36-month performance period, with the possibility of a no-cost extension for one additional year. Additional details on the background of the H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants program can be found at the H-1B Web site www.doleta.gov/h-1b. This Web site contains descriptions of current projects, legislative documents and research papers. B. Principles of Business-Led H-1B Technical Skills Training
Grants Business Leadership: Businesses generate the demand for jobs, in particular those high skill occupations currently being filled by temporary H-1B workers. Businesses know, as only a consumer can, the exact skill needs of their workforce. To ensure these needs are met, business plays the critical leadership role in formulating, developing, and operating Business-Led Technical Skills Training Grants programs. Successful H-1B training programs are those in which business is seriously invested in the program and has translated this investment into material support at all levels, including: defining program strategy and goals; designing the training program and curricula; implementing the program, and contributing financial support to the program. For the purpose of these grants, it is desirable that businesses represented in the group applying for this grant include those with current high technology skills shortages. Some of these businesses may have in the past utilized foreign workers under the H-1B visa program. Now, they intend to hire, retain, or promote graduates of the H-1B Technical Skills Training Program. Partnership Sustainability: ETA intends that local and regional partnerships and training activities sustain themselves over the long term, well after the Federal resources from this initiative have been exhausted. For this to happen, applicants are encouraged to develop and nurture partnerships that reflect commitments, both financial and non-financial, to the proposed training program as well as to the future success of the program. These partners may include businesses, non-profit industry associations, local workforce investment boards, training providers, community and faith-based organizations, state and local government agencies and should provide the foundation for developing long-term systematic solutions to the high technology skills shortage challenge for employers and workers in a regional or local area. The matching requirement is an important, but not the only, indicator of the strength of the applicant’s partnerships. The requirement that at least one-half of the matching funds must come from the business sector partners is designed to encourage the direct and active participation of employers whose high technology skills needs can be filled by this program. It may also demonstrate that business contributions could be made available in the future to operate technical skills training programs after Federal funds are exhausted. High Skill Level Focus and Innovative Service Delivery: Training selected employed and unemployed workers to fill current high skill level shortages is the immediate focus of this initiative. Training investments should be targeted in occupational areas that have been identified on the basis of H-1B occupations as high technology skills shortage areas. H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants are not intended to address lower level skill labor shortages nor are they intended to fund training programs aimed at imparting basic educational skills. In addition, H-1B grants are not intended to address occupational shortages due to reasons other than high technology skills shortages. H-1B training projects may consider utilizing either innovative or proven tools or approaches to close particular skill gaps and provide strategies for training that promote regional development. These may include, but are not limited to, on-the-job training, distance learning, or combinations of training and educational techniques. H-1B grantees should tailor training to the specific needs of the selected incumbent and unemployed workers, both in content and delivery. Qualified Target Population: Technical skills training should be geared towards employed and unemployed workers who can be trained and placed directly in high skill H-1B occupations, or in the highest echelons of an H-1B career ladder. Candidates for training funded by H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants should possess (and be identified through appropriate assessment tools) a high level of general educational background, the prerequisites for the occupational training being proposed, and certain characteristics such as drive and initiative that will help guarantee successful completion of the high skill level training. Employees at the H-1B skill level are generally characterized as having a Bachelor’s degree or comparable work experience. H-1B technical skills training is not limited to skill levels commensurate with a four-year degree and may be used to prepare workers for a broad range of positions along a specified career ladder. “Career ladder” may generally be defined as a system of career and skill level “steps” directly leading to a high skill level job within a reasonable period of time. Thus, potential trainees are not required to enter training with a four-year degree and trainees do not necessarily have to acquire a four-year degree to be successful. Many will have a four-year degree and others will possess two-year degrees. Career ladders create opportunities for individuals who may vary in experience and education levels (such as specialty training and Associate’s degrees) to advance along a defined career ladder and qualify through additional training and education for H-1B level related occupations. Use of Skill Standards: Skill standards represent a benchmark by which an individual's achieved competence can be measured. Training programs that provide individuals with professionally recognized, portable skills certifications help ensure that these individuals have received useful knowledge and skills relevant to their employers needs and to their own careers. The documentation of skills standards and skills attainment is also indicative of the program’s ability to meet industry needs and to reduce the dependence of American businesses on skilled foreign workers. Well-defined skills standards can be useful tools in matching training goals to targeted occupational areas. Work in the area of skills standards has been performed by private industry and trade associations, registered apprenticeship training systems, and public and private partnerships. Applicants are encouraged to survey the progress to date in developing occupational skills standards and incorporate appropriate ones into their H-1B Technical Skills Training Project. As alluded to earlier (In Part IA – Background), the definition of the minimum proficiency level required to be considered an H-1B occupation, contained in section 214 (i), 8 U.S.C. 1184 (i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), speaks to a very high skill level for these “specialty occupations.” These are occupations that require “theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge,” and full state licensure, if required for the occupation, to practice in the occupation. The standard for these occupations is either completion of at least a Bachelor’s degree or experience in the specialty equivalent to the completion of such a degree and recognition of expertise in the specialty through progressively responsible positions relating to the specialty. In addition to academic degrees, specialized and professionally recognized certificates may also be characteristic of a high level of technical skill. Comprehensive Local and Regional Planning: Developing and implementing a training strategy that addresses businesses’ high technology skill needs requires applicants seeking H-1B grants to engage in a process of comprehensive local and regional planning with their partners. This planning effort entails a thorough analysis and understanding of applicable local and regional labor markets, identification of high technology skills shortages in the areas, information on the employment opportunities, trends and training needs within the targeted occupations and industries, as well as knowledge of the impact of skills training in response to the identified skill shortages in the targeted regions. Applicants are strongly encouraged to utilize all available data sources to demonstrate the high technology skills shortages and training needs in their local or regional areas. Sources of data may include: area businesses and business associations, state labor and local market information systems, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), local employer surveys, academic sources, and the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, current data on approved H-1B visa petitions should be utilized to the extent feasible to describe skill shortages in specific occupations. Appendix B to this solicitation is a listing of occupations for which H-1B visa petitions have been recently approved. Requests for H-1B visas for the applicant’s region may reflect a skills shortage for those occupations. Applicants should use data from the business partners involved in submitting the H-1B grant proposal, and may consider surveying other local and regional employers to ascertain the extent of employer use of H-1B visas to obtain foreign workers and to obtain information on the specific occupations and skills imported in the regions. C. DOL Policies and Emphases Connection to the Workforce Investment System: Utilizing Federal resources along with H-1B grant funds to strengthen the overall program is a strongly recommended course of action. In order to obtain these resources, applicants are encouraged to form partnerships with local workforce investment boards. Each local workforce investment board prepares a strategic workforce investment plan for its local area and also designates One-Stop center operators and certifies or approves eligible training providers. Local boards thus have a good base of knowledge about the local area, WIA, regional training efforts, ETA grant administration, One-Stop capabilities and training providers. This knowledge and experience should materially aid business partnerships in planning, developing and implementing H-1B Technical Skills Training Projects. By building linkages to the One-Stop Career Center network, applicants can reach out, inform, and recruit individuals to participate in H-1B technical skills training and access a range of services for H-1B participants. ETA believes that co-enrollment in WIA and H-1B technical skills training allows for a much broader and comprehensive service provision for H-1B Program participants. For example, some H-1B participants may need supportive services, such as childcare and transportation, to enable them to be successful in both the learning environment and labor market. Supportive services are not allowable activities under the H-1B grant and by co-enrolling these H-1B participants in WIA, some H-1B participants may have access to a full range of supportive services available through their local One-Stop Career System, if determined necessary. Applicants may also consider working with community and faith-based organizations to access supportive services for H-1B participants. Coordination and consultation activities with the applicable state workforce agency and/or Governor’s office or State Workforce Investment Board are also highly encouraged in order to connect to other relevant skills shortages projects that may be operating in the state as well as for sustainability purposes. Although Federal resources may not be counted towards the match requirement, leveraging WIA resources will help make the technical skills training more effective. Higher Level of Training: Under this SGA, DOL’s goal is to fund
grants that will provide training at the H-1B level, a level that clearly
prepares individuals to meet the “specialty occupation”
definition of “a theoretical and practical application of a body
of specialized knowledge and sometimes may even require full state licensure
to practice in the occupation.” These occupations require at least
a bachelor's degree or higher and/or experience in the specific specialty.
This will require a higher level of training than has occurred to date
under some To train at high levels, applicants should ensure that eligible participants have a fairly advanced education and skill sets and be capable of pursing training at the college level. In addition, the applicant should determine how these individuals will possess the capacity after completion of the training to perform in jobs that were previously filled via the H-1B visa process, or could be filled at the H-1B level. If career ladder training is proposed, applicants most demonstrate that the majority of participants will complete the highest rungs of the H-1B level training under the grant within a reasonable period of time. Proposals to fund training in non-H-1B level occupations and preparatory or introductory level information technology areas will receive low selection priority under this SGA. H-1B Occupational Focus: Since a major objective of H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants is to reduce dependency upon foreign workers in specialty occupations, DOL believes that increased priority is needed in occupations that are largely reflected in approved H-1B visa petitions and that are part of ACWIA legislation. These priority occupations include higher levels of computer science and information technology and architecture, engineering and surveying occupations. In accordance with ACWIA 2000, priority will also be given to proposals related to occupations in biotechnology, biomedical research and manufacturing, and advanced manufacturing technology. Proposals to provide training in other occupational areas such as nursing will receive low selection priority. Demonstrable Results: DOL will give consideration to applicants that commit to achieving the following outcome goals upon successful completion of training: 1) hiring or causing the hiring of unemployed trainees; 2) increasing the wages or salary of incumbent workers; or 3) providing skill certifications to trainees or linking the training to industry accepted occupational skill standards, certificates, or licensing requirements. Applicants should provide a description of what demonstrable results are expected and how these results will be achieved and measured. Small Businesses: As required by ACWIA 2000, DOL will give consideration
in awarding grants to any proposal which includes and directly benefits
two or more small businesses (100 employees or less). Part II - REQUIREMENTS Citizenship Status: Training may be provided to American citizens and
nationals and immigrants authorized by the Attorney General to work
in the United States, which includes lawfully admitted permanent resident
aliens, refugees, asylees, and parolees, and other immigrants authorized
by the Attorney General. Note that workers admitted under non-immigrant
visas, such as the H-1B program and related programs, are not eligible
for training with grant funds. B. Administrative Requirements 2. Administrative Costs 3. Start-up Costs C. Reporting Requirements Quarterly Financial Reports. A Quarterly Financial Status Report (SF269) is required until such time as all funds have been expended or the period of availability has expired. Quarterly reports are due 30 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. Grantees must use ETA’s On-Line Electronic Reporting System. Progress Reports. The grantee must submit a quarterly progress report to the designated Federal Project Officer within 30 days following each quarter. Two copies are to be submitted providing a detailed account of activities undertaken during that quarter including: 1. # Completing training this quarter NOTE: DOL may require additional data elements, e.g., veteran status, to be collected and reported on either a regular basis or special request basis. Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. A narrative section is also required for each quarterly report, including: 1. General overview of project progress, new developments and resolution
of previous issues and problems. Final Report. A draft final report which summarizes project activities and employment outcomes and related results of the training project must be submitted no later than 60 days prior to the expiration date of the grant. After responding to DOL questions and comments on the draft report, three copies of the final report must be submitted no later than the grant expiration date. Grantees must agree to use a designated format specified by DOL for preparing the final report. D. Evaluation E. Matching Funds Applicants should describe the nature of the match to ensure that activities counted as match are permitted under the H-1B program. To be allowable as part of the match, a cost must be an allowable training cost that could conceivably be charged to Federal grant funds. If the cost cannot be charged to the grant funds, then it cannot be charged to match either. For the purposes of the H-1B Grant Program, there is one exception
to the allowable cost rule for matching funds. Grantees may include
as training costs the salaries and wages employers pay for their employees
while the employees are participating in skills training. These costs
are allowable as match provided that: (a) the trainees are bona-fide
employees; (b) the employer pays only regular salary and wages, but
not overtime, benefits, or other costs, for each trainee for time spent
attending classes during working hours; and (c) the trainee remains
employed with the employer for sixty days after the completion of training. Part III - APPLICATION PROCESS Grant funds awarded under the 25 percent provision may be used only to carry out a strategy that would otherwise not be eligible for funds provided through the workforce investment boards under the 75 percent provision due to barriers in meeting those partnership eligibility criteria. For example, if the scope of the business partnerships is national or multi-state, this may make the partnership ineligible for the 75% funding stream. Applicants must explain the barriers that prevent them from working through their local workforce investment board and letting the workforce investment board be the applicant. The application must clearly identify the applicant as well as the fiscal agent, the grant recipient (and/or fiscal agent), and describe its capacity to administer this project. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with entities that possess a sound grasp of the job market in the region and are in a position to address the issue of skill shortage occupations. These entities include organizations such as private, for-profit businesses - including small and medium-size businesses; business, trade, or industry associations such as local Chambers of Commerce and small business federations; and labor unions. According to Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in Section 501 (c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages in lobbying activities will not be eligible for the receipt of Federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan. NOTE: Except as specifically provided in this Notice, DOL/ETA’s acceptance of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any program(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB Circulars require and an entity’s procurement procedures must require that all procurement transactions are conducted, as much as practical, to provide open and free competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity to provide services, the DOL/ETA’s award does not provide the justification or basis to sole-source the procurement, i.e., it does not authorize the applicant to avoid competition when procuring these services. B. Submission of Proposals Part I of the proposal must contain the Standard Form (SF) 424, "Application for Federal Assistance" (Appendix C), the Budget Information Form (Appendix D) and the Project Profile Information form (Appendix E). Upon confirmation of an award, the individual signing the SF 424 on behalf of the applicant shall represent the responsible financial and administrative entity. In preparing the Budget Information form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the request. The statutory language of ACWIA 2000 is specific in stating that grant resources are to be expended for programs or projects to provide technical skills training. An illustrative, but not exclusive, list of allowable and allocable types of administrative costs is provided in the WIA regulations at 20 CFR 667.220. The budget narrative should discuss precisely how the administrative costs support the project goals. Part II of the application must contain a technical proposal that demonstrates the applicant’s capabilities to plan and implement an H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant Program in accordance with the provisions of this solicitation. Part II of the grant application is limited to twenty-five (25) double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages with one-inch margins. In addition, the applicant may provide resumes, a staffing pattern, statistical information and related material in attachments, which may not exceed fifteen (15) pages. Although not required, letters of commitment from partners or from those providing matching resources may be submitted as attachments. Such letters will not count against the allowable maximum page total. The applicant must briefly itemize those participating entities in the text of the proposal. Text type shall be 12 point or larger. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be considered. Each application must include a Time Line outlining project activities and an Executive Summary that is not to exceed two pages. The Time Line and the Executive Summary do not count against the 25-page limit. No cost data or reference to prices should be included in the technical proposal. C. Award Amount and Period of Performance Part IV - REVIEW PROCESS & RATING CRITERIA B. Rating Criteria Criterion Points Total Possible Points 100
A general description of the local area or region should provide information such as urban or rural and socioeconomic data, with a particular focus on general education and skills levels prevalent in the area. In addition, a description of the characteristics of the political, economic and administrative jurisdictions (local workforce boards, labor market areas, special district authorities) that led them to partner for the purpose of this application should be incorporated. Information on transportation patterns, demographics and other factors, as they affect the high skill shortage situation, may be useful in explaining the training needs. Business Environment: Answers should be provided to questions germane to the business environment such as:
2. LEVEL OF TRAINING and SERVICE DELIVERY STRATEGY (25 points)
Career Ladders: If career ladder training is proposed, the applicant must provide adequate detail demonstrating that all rungs of the ladder lead to H-1B training at the top rung and that it is reasonably likely that the majority of individuals on the ladder will complete the highest rungs of H-1B level training under the H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant. Innovation: Applicants should fully describe any innovative and creative approaches to be undertaken in the context of service delivery. Innovation can be represented by a wide variety of creative approaches and techniques in which training services are provided, e.g., distance learning to provide instruction, interactive video self-instructional materials, and flexible class scheduling (sections of the same class scheduled at different times of the day to accommodate workers whose schedules fluctuate). Business Involvement and Trainee Needs: The service delivery strategy must meet the needs of business partners, providing the skills identified in the statement of need. Evidence should be provided that business partners have been involved in developing the training service delivery plan, which may include designing the training program and curricula as well as operating the program. The service delivery strategy should also effectively reach out to and meet the needs of the target population, i.e., desired candidates are recruited and training conducted in such a manner that participants can attend without undo hardship (training during the workday, on weekends and/or through distance learning methods). Timing: DOL anticipates that the focus on a higher level of training and on H-1B occupations may necessitate formal education and/or a longer period of training than many other employment and training programs. As a result, applicants should carefully plan and coordinate preparatory activities, such as recruitment and assessment, with training providers to ensure that there is sufficient time for participants to complete training during the grant period. Applicants should identify assessment/enrollment and training phase activities in project operation timeline charts. 3. TARGET POPULATION (10 points) Assessment: Applicants shall describe the assessment tools used to ensure that proposed trainees are qualified for the training and have a high likelihood of successful completion of the H-1B level training, in terms of ability and educational preparation. In addition, the applicant should discuss how those individuals will be determined to possess the capacity after the completion of training to accept jobs that previously were filled via the H-1B visa process, or could be filled at the H-1B level. Specificity: The applicant should address some specific issues relating to the targeted worker population such as:
4. SUSTAINABILITY (15 points) Match: Matching resources and partnerships are considered an integral element of the project, as they support and strengthen the quality of the technical skills training provided and may contribute materially toward sustainability. Applicants must demonstrate that they will meet the statutory requirement to provide a 100 percent match to the resources for proposed projects. Applicants must describe to what extent the partners provide matching funds or services and how this contribution assists in building the foundation for a long-term partnership, i.e., sustainability. This section MUST contain a detailed discussion of the size, nature, and quality of the non-Federal match and how the match will be used to further the goals of the project. Proposals not meeting the statutory 100 percent match requirement will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered. Other Resources: Since H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant resources are limited to raising the skills levels of individuals to fill high skills H-1B occupations, applicants should identify other resources, both Federal and non-Federal, that can contribute materially toward quality outcomes and sustainability. (Note that although Federal resources may not be counted as match, they may help to demonstrate project sustainability). Applicants should enumerate these resources and describe any specific existing contractual commitments that support their sustainability strategies. 5. LINKAGES WITH KEY PARTNERS (15 points) Coordination and Consultation: In addition, the proposal should include a description of any coordination and consultation activities with the applicable local workforce board(s), state workforce agency and/or Governor’s office. Evidence of such coordination and/or consultation such as written documentation should be included in the application. The Service Delivery Strategy section describes the role of each of the partners in delivering the proposed training services, while this section is intended to look at the linkages from a more structural perspective with particular emphasis on the employers in the consortium that are experiencing skills shortages and have hiring or upgrading needs. Small Businesses: As noted previously, ETA also is interested in the extent of the involvement of small businesses in the partnership. Consideration will be given to any partnership that involves and directly benefits more than one small business (each consisting of 100 employees or less). 6. OUTCOMES, MANAGEMENT AND COST EFFECTIVENESS (25 points) (1) the hiring of unemployed trainees (if applicable); In addition, applicants should indicate if any additional goals or outcomes are anticipated and how these are expected to be achieved. Benefits as a Result of Training: Participants in the H-1B Training Program may be of differing skill levels and backgrounds and therefore, the outcomes section should discuss gains attained for individual participants in the context of their backgrounds and skills levels when they entered the program. Outcomes for employed workers may be at a somewhat higher level than for those unemployed workers who do not possess similar skills at the outset. The focus of the discussion in this section should emphasize very specifically the benefits that occurred because of the training. For example, an applicant might state that a certain skill level is projected for a given group and indicate what change in skills that represents and how that might translate into an increase in earnings. Qualifications for and Nature of Program Management: Project and Grant Management includes the organizational structure and capacity of the applicant and its partners and the utilization of automated data systems. In the management area, identification of a management entity, the proposed staffing pattern, the qualifications and experience of key staff members and detailed descriptions of the roles of the participating partners should be discussed. Each application MUST designate an individual who will serve as project director and who will devote a substantial portion of his/her time to the project, which may be defined as at least 60 percent. The applicant should also include a description of the organizational capacity and track record in high skills training and related activities of the primary actors in the partnership. Automated Tracking and Reporting: Applicants should include a description of the automated data system to be used for managing the project, collecting project data, monitoring and tracking progress, responding to issues and problems, and producing relevant reports for both the grantee and DOL. The grantee’s automated system must be capable of collecting, storing and retrieving participant and training results information and producing reports needed for administrative, management, and analytical purposes. The grantee must identify the data elements to be routinely collected and measures to ensure the accuracy and validity of information reported. Cost Benefit: Applicants should provide a detailed discussion of the expected cost effectiveness of their proposal in terms of the expected cost per participant compared to the expected benefits for these participants. Applicants should address the employment outcomes, such as placement, increased salary, promotion or retention and the level of skill to be achieved (such as attaining state licensing in an occupation), relative to the level and duration of training that the individual needed to receive to achieve those outcomes. Benefits can be described both qualitatively in terms of skills attained, including degrees and certificates attained, and quantitatively in terms of wage gains. Costs must be justified in relation to cost per participant and, when possible, contrasted with similar costs for training conducted elsewhere. The applicant’s expectations regarding these measures should also be included. Signed in Washington, D.C., this 19th day of June 2003.
Appendix A: Legislative Mandate |
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