FOA-ETA-15-02.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for the American Apprenticeship Initiative.

Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-ETA-15-02 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.268 Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is April 30, 2015.

Applications must be received no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Sara Gallagher Williams, Grant Officer, Reference FOA-ETA-15-02, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.

Executive Summary:

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $100 million in grant funds authorized by Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (codified at 29 USC 2916a), for the American Apprenticeship Initiative.

These grants are financed by a user fee paid by employers to hire foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. This initiative is intended to provide a catalyst in supporting a uniquely American Apprenticeship system that meets our country’s particular economic, industry and workforce needs. American Apprenticeships (also referred to as Registered Apprenticeships) are innovative work-based learning and post-secondary earn-and- learn models that meet national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor (or federally recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies). Grants funded by this initiative will support dynamic and sustainable public-private partnerships that:

• Support the expansion of quality and innovative1 American Apprenticeship programs into high-growth occupation(s) and industry(s), particularly those for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers, and the related activities necessary to support such programs (see Appendix A or visit the Foreign Labor Certification Data Center);

• Create career pathways that encompass American Apprenticeship and align with other post-secondary educational offerings;

• Use strategies to significantly increase apprenticeship opportunities for job seekers and workers (particularly for women and other underrepresented populations in apprenticeship, including young

1 See Appendix B for Elements of Innovation http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/performancedata.cfm men and women of color, people with disabilities; low-skilled populations; and veterans, including transitioning service members); and

• Leverage and develop public policies that increase demand for American Apprenticeship and support sustainability.

Approximately 25 grants will be awarded to the lead applicant of a public and private partnership.

Selection of grantees will be determined on the strength of the proposal, partnership, and commitments of leveraged resources, along with other factors, such as the geographic distribution of funds, mix of industries and occupations, partnership structures, scope of innovation, level of expansion (i.e., new apprentice goals), and/or other factors. Applicants must present a comprehensive strategy that is responsive to the Project Narrative requirements in Section IV.

Applicants should commit, on behalf of the partnership, to (1) work with DOL (or DOL-recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies) to register new apprenticeship programs in H-1B related industries and occupations such as, Information Technology, and/or other high-growth industries including but not limited to Advanced Manufacturing, Business Services, and Healthcare; and the types of high-demand skill sets (e.g., digital and information technology skills) now required across most industries; and (2) transform and adapt alternative work-based learning programs or rigorous educationally-based internship models into American Apprenticeship programs; or (3) significantly expand existing and successful registered programs.

Applications must include significant employer engagement, including a minimum of three employer partners with demonstrated engagement, and must describe any regional or national industry associations that are actively participating in the project. In states in which they exist, State Apprenticeship Agencies will play an important leadership and supporting role in the regional and state infrastructure to promote, develop, register, and expand apprenticeship programs.

Additionally, there are a set of requirements listed in Appendix C, which will become part of the grant award to ensure planning and implementation that support an environment for American Apprenticeship expansion and sustainability. Applicants should familiarize themselves with these requirements prior to submission of an application. Finally, the department is committed to producing strong evidence on the effectiveness of the grantee programs, and full participation (by grantee and sub-grantees) in any evaluation initiated by the department is a condition of all grant awards.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Purpose This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for the American Apprenticeship Initiative. This initiative is intended to serve as a catalyst in supporting a uniquely American Apprenticeship system that meets our particular economic, industry and workforce needs. American Apprenticeships are innovative work-based learning and post-secondary earn-and learn models that meet national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor, or with a DOL-recognized State Apprenticeship Agency. Please see Registered Apprenticeship 101 (http://social.dol.gov/blog/apprenticeship-101-earn-while-you-learn/).

http://social.dol.gov/blog/apprenticeship-101-earn-while-you-learn/

American Apprenticeship (also referred to as Registered Apprenticeship) programs combine job-related technical instruction with structured on-the-job learning experiences. 21st century apprenticeship approaches are flexible and can be easily customized to meet the needs of the employer and apprentice.

Apprentices are hired and earn a wage upon registration, and receive progressive wages commensurate with their skill attainment throughout the training program. Upon successful completion of all phases of on-the-job learning and related instruction components, registered apprentices receive nationally recognized certificates of completion leading to long-term career opportunities. For more information and to find our Quick Start Toolkit and Federal Resources Playbook for Registered Apprenticeship, please visit http://www.dol.gov/apprenticeship.

Currently, there are approximately 410,000 Registered Apprenticeships in the United States, which represents a relatively small proportion of the labor force compared with other industrialized nations. To put this number in a global context, the United States would need more than six times as many new apprentices to be on the same per capita level as Great Britain.2 It would take a sixteen-fold increase for the U.S. to be on par with the number of apprentices in Germany.3 Underutilization of apprenticeship also is evidenced when one considers that by comparison there over 19 million students in 2- and 4-year American colleges and universities.4 This underutilization of apprenticeship represents a significant lost opportunity to efficiently train American workers with 21st century skills and create a stronger American economy.

By launching the American Apprenticeship Initiative, the department is taking a critical first step in charting a new path forward for innovation in apprenticeship and raising the visibility of apprenticeship as a post-secondary education and training pathway.

Grants under this program must focus on helping more employers and workers participate in American Apprenticeships within industries and occupations for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers such as, Information Technology, and/or other high-growth industries including but not limited to Advanced Manufacturing, Business Services, and Healthcare; and the types of high-demand skill sets (e.g., digital and information technology skills) now required across most industries. The American Apprenticeship Initiative is intended to raise the technical skill levels of American workers so they can obtain or upgrade employment. While the occupations at H-1B skill levels are generally defined as commensurate with a bachelor's degree or comparable experience, education, and training, American Apprenticeship is not limited to 4-year degree skill levels and can include the preparation of workers at various points along a career pathway.5

These grants are available for the creation and/or expansion of innovative and sustainable public-private partnerships and project designs that align with regional and state economies to address the following goals:

2 Stephen Steigleder and Louis Soares, “Let’s Get Serious About Our Nation’s Human Capital: A Plan to Reform the U.S.

Workforce Training System” (Washington: Center for American Progress, 2012).

3 Jennifer Erickson and Michael Ettlinger, eds., “300 Million Engines of Growth: A Middle-Out Plan for Jobs, Business, and a Growing Economy” (Washington: Center for American Progress, 2013).

4 National Center for Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics through 2021, Table. 20, http://nces.ed.gov/programs/projections/projections2021/tables/table_20.asp.

http://www.dol.gov/apprenticeship

1. Support the expansion of quality and innovative American Apprenticeship training programs into high-growth occupations and industries for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers, and the related activities necessary to support such training (see Appendix A or Foreign Labor Certification Data Center at http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/performancedata.cfm);

2. Create career pathways that encompass American Apprenticeship programs and align American Apprenticeship with post-secondary education through innovative partnerships that leverage high-quality training and classroom-education opportunities;

3. Utilize strategies that offer innovative approaches to significantly increase apprenticeship opportunities for all American workers, particularly underrepresented populations in apprenticeship (including women and minorities); low-skilled populations; and veterans, including transitioning service members, to prepare for and successfully enter careers that provide long-term employment and family-sustaining wages in high-skill, high-growth industries;

4. Implement new and innovative public polices (at the regional, state, and local level) or public-private partnerships that increase demand for American Apprenticeship; and

5. Ensure that innovations form the basis for broader change and sustainability that encourages employers to adopt and offer American Apprenticeship opportunities.

Based on these goals, we are interested in funding innovative public-private partnerships and projects that will incorporate elements which will lead to sustainable and impactful apprenticeship programs.

These elements include:

• Promoting Apprenticeship to Employers, Workers, and Other Key Stakeholders: Increasing awareness of the value and benefits of American Apprenticeships for both employers and workers as well as educators through increased education, marketing and outreach (impact documentation);

• Increasing Apprenticeship Opportunities for All Americans: Developing strategies that increase opportunities for underrepresented (including women and minorities), low-skilled populations, and veterans into skilled occupations and industries while also addressing the barriers, income and support needs, and preparatory training unique to targeted populations; this would include quality pre-apprenticeships6 and other strategies that can serve as on-ramps to American Apprenticeship opportunities;

• Promoting Career Pathways and Aligning Apprenticeships with Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) and Workforce Investment Systems: Engaging states, regions, and local areas to align, at a minimum, education and training systems (e.g., Workforce Investment Boards/State Workforce Agencies; and career technical education, community college, and university systems) behind apprenticeship as an area for cooperation and co-investment and linking apprenticeship to credit and industry-recognized credentials that allow for further advancement (e.g., college credit, portable industry-recognized credentials; also see the Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium at http://www.doleta.gov/oa/racc.cfm);

6 Please see Training and Employment Notice 13-12, Defining a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship Program and Related Tools and Resources at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=5842.

http://www.doleta.gov/oa/racc.cfm http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=5842

• Sector Focus and Employer Commitments: It is critical that applications: (1) demonstrate clear sector strategies and must include significant employer engagement, including a minimum of three distinct employer partners to work with DOL (or federally-recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies) to register new apprenticeship programs and hire apprentices, and (2) display a commitment to transform and adapt alternative work-based learning programs or rigorous education-based internship models into American Apprenticeship programs, and/or (3) significantly expand existing and successful registered programs (e.g., scaling industry models to a national, multi-state, regional, or statewide level through an industry association with multiple employer partners, a national employer with multiple sites and other employers that are part of its supply chain, or state-led initiatives that imbed apprenticeship strategies in support of state and regional labor market needs;

• Innovative Public Policies and Public-Private Partnership Models: Implementing new and innovative public polices (e.g., tax credits, apprenticeship utilization requirements for publicly-funded state or local projects, expansion of eligibility for educational benefits or funding, leveraging workforce or other funding streams, or other policies) at the regional, state, and local level or public-private partnerships that increase demand for American Apprenticeship and support long-term sustainability (see Elements and Strategies of Innovation in Appendix B.);

• Planning for a Sustainable Expansion: Demonstrating thoughtful plans and policies for sustainably expanding the apprenticeship models and documenting the evidence for continued investment;

• Program Evaluation: Ensuring full participation (by grantee and sub-grantees) in any evaluation initiated by the department as a condition of all grant awards (see details of program evaluation requirements in Section IV.E Funding Restrictions); and providing a strong plan to report the achievement of the project’s goals and milestones and effectively measure its outputs and outcomes.

B. Allowable Activities Applicants must identify key innovations that they are seeking to implement and demonstrate the ability and commitment to train significant numbers of new apprentices and scale programs at a statewide, multi-state, regional, or national level. Grant funds are intended to offset initial startup and implementation costs and to play a catalytic role in American Apprenticeship expansion. Projects under this FOA are required to leverage a wide range of other private and public sector resources to ensure significant scaling of apprenticeship in terms of the number of new programs and numbers of new apprentices served.

Allowable activities under this grant must help employers grow a more productive workforce and assist workers in gaining the skills and competencies needed to obtain or upgrade employment in high-growth industries and occupations, or along career pathways for such industries and occupations. A career pathway may generally be defined as a system of career options which allows opportunities for professional growth and upward mobility.

DOL will fund American Apprenticeship training and supporting activities to ensure that the program(s) meet the needs of employers and apprentices. American Apprenticeship training is distinguished from other types of workplace training by several factors: (1) participants who are newly hired (or already employed) earn wages from employers during training; (2) programs must meet national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor (or federally recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies;

(3) programs provide on-the-job learning and job related technical instruction; (4) on-the-job learning is conducted in the work setting under the direction of one or more of the employer’s supervisory personnel; and 5) training results in an industry recognized credential.

Below are some examples of allowable activities that may be funded by AAI grant funds:

1. On-the-Job Learning (OJL) OJL combined with job related technical instruction comprise the core training components of any apprenticeship. Grant funds may be used to support the OJL to reimburse employers for extraordinary costs of training not to exceed $10,000 per apprentice over the period of training. This reimbursement can help offset overhead associated with providing the training, shadowing, mentoring and additional supervision that are part of a quality on-the-job learning. The majority of these training costs are typically borne by the employer.

2. Job Related Technical Instruction (RTI) Grant funds may be used to support the RTI (sometimes referred to as classroom training) of an American Apprenticeship. RTI allows apprentices to learn the theoretical aspects of the job. Allowable costs may include (1) the development of courses at the post-secondary level that are integrated into the apprenticeship program; (2) apprentice tuition or other educational fees; (3) and the delivery of instruction requirements (e.g., virtual learning technology, classroom instructors, etc.); and (4) costs for training facilities.

3. Pre-Apprenticeship Training Grant funds may be used to support quality pre-apprenticeships (as defined in Training and Employment Notice 13-12 at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=5842) and other strategies that can serve as on-ramps to American Apprenticeship opportunities. Pre-Apprenticeship services and programs are designed to prepare a diverse pool of individuals to enter and succeed in American Apprenticeship by providing career specific training and readiness skills needed on the job. In addition to providing preparatory skills for future apprentices, pre-apprenticeship training can be an effective vehicle to streamline the recruitment process and help move job-ready apprentices into apprenticeship.

The most effective pre-apprenticeship programs are those which utilize employers or other program sponsors to articulate eligibility requirements and qualifications that lead to hiring into an apprenticeship. DOL is interested in funding pre-apprenticeship services that demonstrate clear pathways for underrepresented populations to American Apprenticeship placements. Please note that YouthBuild programs that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Labor meet the quality pre-apprenticeship requirements outlined in ETA’s definition within Training and Employment Notice 13-

12. For more information about YouthBuild programs, please visit http://doleta.gov/Youth_services/Youth_Build.cfm.

4. Other Activities that Support American Apprenticeship In implementing American Apprenticeship, applicants may propose to use grant funds for a wide range of activities that create an environment for American Apprenticeship expansion and training opportunities including but not limited to the following:

• Sector strategy and career pathway development activities;

• Partnership building activities, such as:

o Development and/or implementation of system alignment activities, including the development of articulation agreements with universities and other educational partners that allow for http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=5842 http://doleta.gov/Youth_services/Youth_Build.cfm recognition of apprenticeship training toward college credit and other activities to support the Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium;

o Meetings, training, briefings of consortia members;

• Development of outreach and promotion to support increased awareness of American

Apprenticeship for employers, potential participants (particularly underrepresented populations), educators, the general public, etc.;

• Career awareness models for underrepresented populations;

• Recruitment of eligible participants;

• American Apprenticeship program design and implementation costs, such as:

o The development of curricula and standards of apprenticeship;

o Costs associated with the development of competency based apprenticeship training or other accelerated learning models;

o Hiring/developing qualified instructors and subject matter experts (including the costs of salaries and benefits) to assist in the delivery of new curricula;

o Use of subject matter experts from industry, apprenticeship, education, or other areas to assist in updating, replicating or customizing existing industry-recognized curricula to support RTI;

o Enhancing the information technology infrastructure used to provide American Apprenticeship education and training and related activities;

• Conducting prior learning assessments to determine the number of college credits that can be awarded for apprentices who receive their American Apprenticeship certificate of completion;

• Conducting assessments to determine skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and competencies of participants;

• Supportive services to support on-going participation of apprentices while in training (e.g., materials needed on the job including uniforms, tools, and supplies);

• Costs related to awarding of Certificates of Training and/or Certificates of Completion of

Apprenticeship credentials;

• System/infrastructure capacity to organize, and/or analyze program data for continuous improvement and program evaluation;

• Program oversight and management, grant reporting, and other administrative functions.

Grant funds cannot be used to pay participant wages (see Section IV.E of the FOA). Applicants should also refer to Section VI of the FOA for a list of relevant OMB Circulars related to cost principles, administrative and other requirements that apply to this funding opportunity and to Section IV.E for a discussion of costs that are not allowable under this Solicitation.

C. Targeted Industries and Occupations American Apprenticeship grants will fund projects across a diversity of industries and occupations for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers. These are high-job-growth industries and occupations that: 1) are projected to hire substantial numbers of new workers; 2) are being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skill sets for workers; 3) are new and emerging businesses that are projected to grow; or 4) have a significant impact on the economy overall or on the growth of other industries and occupations. According to recent data, a wide range of industries may meet these criteria in local and regional areas around the country.

To position American workers for highly skilled positions, and to reduce the need for foreign workers under the H-1B visa program, we are interested in funding innovative program designs that focus on industries and occupations for which employers are using H–1B visas to hire foreign workers, such as Information Technology, and/or other high-growth industries including but not limited to Advanced Manufacturing, Business Services, and Healthcare; and the types of high-demand skill sets (e.g., digital and information technology skills) now required across most industries.

Applicants should review the attached list of industries and occupations that are using H–1B visas to hire foreign workers to assist your program alignment (see Appendix A). This list is not exhaustive and applicants are advised to also refer to the Foreign Labor Certification Data Center.

D. Program Authority This program is authorized under Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (codified at 29 U.S.C. 2916a), and subject to the requirements of Section 104, Division H, of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, P.L. 113-76, Jan.17, 2014, 128 Stat 5).

II. Award Information

A. Award Type and Amount Funding will be provided in the form of a grant. Approximately $100 million is expected to be available to fund approximately 25 grants. You may apply for a grant amount ranging from $2.5 - 5 million. We will not fund any project for less than $2.5 million or above the ceiling amount of $5 million.

Applicants should request funding that is commensurate with the scope and scale of the project.

Projects must clearly demonstrate the ability and commitment to train significant numbers of new apprentices and scale programs at a statewide, multi-state, regional, or national level commensurate with the grant request. This could include, but is not limited to, scaling industry models through an industry association with multiple employer partners, through a national employer looking to expand an apprenticeship program to additional facilities/locations and with other employers that are part of the supply chain, or through a State-led, regionally-led, or locally-led apprenticeship initiative that will implement apprenticeship in support of state and regional labor market needs.

To ensure that grant funds result in services to significant numbers of apprentices, we have established goals for the minimum numbers of apprentices to be served during the period of performance based on the amount of funds requested by the applicant (see table below). The number of apprentices served should reflect those individuals who receive grant funded services in support of their apprenticeship training (in a program that meets national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor or a federally recognized State Apprenticeship Agency). Therefore, this goal does not include individuals served through pre-apprenticeship or other grant activities that are outside of the registered program. The table below represents the minimum levels of apprentices to be served based on the funding request. Project goals, including estimated numbers of apprentices to be served, must be included in the project narrative (described in more detail in Expected Outcomes and Outputs under Section IV.B.3 Project Narrative).

DOL recognizes that underrepresented or harder-to-serve populations may require more expensive service delivery strategies to create greater access to quality apprenticeships. In addition, apprenticeship training strategies frequently have higher upfront costs compared to less intensive training options. This grant investment is intended to offset costs of training and to play a catalytic role in American Apprenticeship expansion, but it will be essential that applicants acquire adequate leveraged resources to accomplish the project’s overall goals and milestones. Public and private leveraged resources must be sufficient to allow all apprentices to successfully complete training.

Minimum Goals for Apprentices Served during the Grant Period Based on Funding Request

Funding Request Apprentices Served

$2,500,000 – $2,999,999..

$3,000,000 - $4,000,000..

$4,000,001 - $5,000,000.. 1000

Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of Federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, we reserve the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this announcement.

B. Period of Performance The period of performance is 60 months. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. The process for program development and registration should begin immediately and apprenticeship enrollments should be expedited, with the expectation of apprentice enrollments to begin in the first 12 months of the grant.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Primary Partnership Composition In keeping with the authority provided by Congress under ACWIA, grants under this program will be awarded to a partnership of private and public sector entities. ETA seeks a diversity of partners and partnership structures to support innovation and seed diverse approaches. The primary partnership must include at least one public and one private sector entity. To be eligible for consideration, applications must include at least one each from the following:

Private Sector: A business, a consortium of businesses, business-related nonprofit organization, or a private organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses (see Section III.A.1); and

Public Sector: At least one representative from one of the following three types of entities: 1) the workforce investment system; 2) public education or training provider; or 3) DOL-recognized State

Apprenticeship Agency (note: State Apprenticeship Agencies are in 25 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam7). (See Section III.A.2).

Eligible private sector and public sector entities are further described below in Sections III.A.1 and III.A.2 of the FOA. The partnership between the private entity (i.e., business or business-related entity) described above in Section III.A.1. and a public entity described in Section III.A.2 will be considered the “primary partnership.” An eligible entity cannot serve as more than one type of entity for the purpose of meeting the minimum requirements of the primary partnership.

1. Eligible Private Sector Entity for the Primary Partnership

Business, Consortium of Businesses, Business-related Nonprofit Organizations, Private Organizations Functioning as Workforce Intermediaries for the Expressed Purpose of Serving the Needs of Businesses

The primary partnership must include one or more of the following: a business (one of or in addition to the three required participating employers), a consortium of businesses, business-related nonprofit organization, or private organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses. Business-related nonprofit organizations include trade or industry associations such as local Chambers of Commerce, small business federations, and labor-management organizations. Organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses include labor unions, labor-management organizations, industry associations, community-based organizations, private non-profit service providers. As discussed in Section III.A, a business-related non-profit organization or a non-profit organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses may act as the lead applicant.

Note: while a for-profit private business or for-profit consortium of businesses can be an entity included in the primary partnership, they may not be the lead applicant.

Any of these organizations can provide expertise on the skill needs of the workplace. Businesses and business associations lend their expertise on skills development by: 1) defining the program goals and activities; 2) identifying necessary skills and competencies; 3) providing resources to support education/training (such as equipment, instructors, on-the-job learning and other work-based learning activities); 4) providing assistance with American Apprenticeship program design and implementation;

5) hiring qualified apprentices; and 6) helping to solicit employer feedback on the skills and competencies of workers completing training. Organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses may lend their expertise by: 1) having credibility with employers and workers; 2) serving as a partner, coordinator, and management services organization; and 3) bringing together project partners to plan, govern, manage, and track performance of customized services to program participants and employers.

7 For a full list of USDOL recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies, please visit http://www.doleta.gov/oa/stateagencies.cfm.

http://www.doleta.gov/oa/stateagencies.cfm

2. Eligible Public Sector Entity for the Primary Partnership

At least one public sector entity from the following list must be included in the primary partnership.

Any of the following types of public workforce system entities are eligible lead applicants and eligible entities to be part of the primary partnership:

i. The Workforce Investment System

Organizations involved in administering the workforce investment system established under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), (including state and local Workforce Investment Boards and American Job Center Operators (as discussed under Section 121 of WIA of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2841) and Section 121 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2015 (WIOA) (29 U.S.C. 3151) and Indian and Native American entities as discussed under Section 166 of WIA (29 U.S.C. 2911) and Section 166 of WIOA (29 U.S.C. 3221). These organizations have expertise in workforce development and may provide leadership in implementing the following types of activities: 1) understanding and analyzing the need for education and training in the local labor market and regional economy; 2) identifying targeted industries, occupations, regional clusters, hiring needs, and populations to be served;

3) providing relevant sources of data, including labor market information and other tools or reports; 4) assessing potential participants for the grant program; 5) identifying and referring candidates for education and training in the grant program; 6) providing additional supportive services; 7) connecting and placing participants with employers that have Registered Apprenticeships; and 8) collecting, tracking, and reporting participant data to ETA.

ii. Education and Training Providers

For the purposes of this FOA, eligible education and training institutions include state college coordinating entities such as a community college system office or a single state educational board;

institutions of higher education (IHEs), as defined in Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); joint labor-management training partnerships, non-profit and community-based organizations that offer job training; and organizations that have been approved as Eligible Training Providers under Section 122 of WIA (29 U.S.C. 2842) or Section 122 of WIOA (29 U.S.C. 3152).

Note: for-profit education/training providers cannot be the lead applicant (see Section III.B) and also do not count as a “public” entity.

IHEs include public or other non-profit educational institutions. Eligible institutions must be accredited, by the closing date of this FOA, by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A database of institutions that are accredited by bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Generally, institutions of higher education include 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, and institutions that serve minorities (including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and/or Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, such as those designated by the U.S. Department of Education at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html), among others.

The training providers described above provide a range of customizable and short-term, as well as longer-term, training and education programs that may result in industry-recognized credentials and may http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html include basic skills training, technical skills training, supportive services, and workforce development services.

iii. State Apprenticeship Agency (only for projects occurring in the 25 states and the District of Columbia and Guam that utilize such agencies and have been recognized by USDOL)

The department anticipates that State Apprenticeship Agencies will play a leadership role in any state-wide application and that state leadership will ensure that there is sufficient infrastructure, including staffing, in place to manage and support the American Apprenticeship expansion strategies identified in the application.

The Fitzgerald Act, also known as the National Apprenticeship Act, officially authorized and established the national apprenticeship system. This Act gave the U.S. Secretary of Labor authority over Registered Apprenticeship programs, established an Office of Apprenticeship within the U.S. Department of Labor, and provided for the recognition of State Apprenticeship Agencies to register and administer apprenticeship programs for federal purposes. (Find a complete list of DOL recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies at http://www.doleta.gov/oa/stateagencies.cfm).

Twenty-five states plus the District of Columbia and Guam have recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies (as defined in 29 CFR 29.2). These State Apprenticeship Agencies are defined as agencies of a state government that have responsibility and accountability for apprenticeship within the state for Federal purposes. Only a State Apprenticeship Agency which has been properly constituted under an acceptable law or Executive Order may be recognized by the Office of Apprenticeship and authorized to register and oversee apprenticeship programs and agreements for Federal purposes. These agencies may serve as the lead applicant or satisfy the public entity of the primary partnership.

State Apprenticeship Agencies can assist in the development and registering of apprenticeship programs that meet Federal and state standards. They also play a key role in: 1) protecting the safety and welfare of apprentices; 2) issuing nationally recognized and portable Certificates of Completion to apprentices;

3) promoting the development of new programs through marketing and technical assistance; 4) assuring that all programs provide high quality training; and 5) assuring that all programs produce skilled competent workers.

In the remaining 25 states, DOL administers apprenticeship programs and will work with American Apprenticeship grantees on the registering of programs developed as part of the project.

B. Eligible Lead Applicants Grants will be awarded to a lead applicant within the primary partnership, which will serve as the grantee and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant. A lead applicant must be a public or non-profit organization that meets the definition of one of the types of eligible entities in Eligible Public Sector and Private Sector Entities described above (see Sections III.A.1 and III.A.2).

There are two exceptions where an entity is eligible to be a part of the primary partnership but not eligible to apply as a lead applicant:

1. For-profit private business or for-profit consortium of businesses or for-profit business organizations cannot be the lead applicant.

http://www.doleta.gov/oa/stateagencies.cfm

2. For-profit education/training providers cannot be the lead applicant.

An eligible entity cannot serve as more than one type of entity for the purpose of meeting the minimum requirements of the primary partnership.

The lead applicant must be the organization specified in Section 8 of the SF-424 Application Form, and will be: 1) the point of contact with the department to receive and respond to all inquiries or communications under this FOA and any subsequent grant award; 2) the entity with authority to withdraw or draw down funds through the Department of Health and Human Services - Payment Management System (HHS-PMS); 3) the entity responsible for submitting to the department all deliverables under the grant, including all technical and financial reports related to the project, regardless of which partnership member performed the work; 4) the entity that may request or agree to a revision or amendment of the grant agreement or statement of work; 5) the entity with overall responsibility for carrying out the programmatic functions of the grant, as well as for the stewardship of all expenditures under the grant; 6) the entity responsible for coordinating with the national evaluator, including participating in a random assignment evaluation and other studies, if selected by DOL; and 7) the entity responsible for working with DOL to close out the grant.

C. Other Optional Partners In addition to the primary partnership, we strongly encourage applicants to collaborate with other public and private sector partners (which may be appropriate sub-grantees depending on the project design).

These partners may include:

• Businesses (above and beyond the 3 required employer partners);

• Business intermediaries (for example, the role of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership8 for the manufacturing industry);

• Workforce intermediaries;9

• Intergovernmental organizations;

• Economic development agencies;

• State and local governments;

• Foundations and philanthropic organizations;

• Partnering with and leveraging resources from other Federally-funded programs, where allowed by the law that authorizes the grant; such grants may include other DOL grants, Adult Basic Education, Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Social Security disability benefits, Small Business Development Centers, federal financial aid such as Pell Grants and Federal Work Study, GI Bill Benefits for veterans, as well as other programs administered by Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Transportation, Energy, etc.

• Community-based, faith-based, or advocacy organizations with proven capacity to reach and engage individuals from under-served populations (including women, young men and women of color, 8 The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology leads Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). For more information about MEP, please visit http://www.nist.gov/mep/.

9 Workforce intermediaries can help broker local, regional and national workforce solutions. Often they help job seekers find jobs and employers find workers, convene employers and community partners to determine workforce trends, and may assist in blending and braiding funding and services to create more impactful workforce solutions.

http://www.nist.gov/mep/ persons with disabilities, veterans, including transitioning service members, among others), as they are key providers of basic skills training, technical skills training, supportive services, and workforce development services in communities across the country. Examples include national disability organizations, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) organizations, organizations dedicated to supporting people of color, etc.

• Other providers of supportive and specialized services, such as financial counseling and behavioral health.

D. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching funds are not required for this program. Cost sharing or match is not one of the application screening criteria. Please note that any other resources contributed to the project are considered leveraged resources and do not constitute cost sharing or matching funds. Applicants will be scored based on the strength of leveraged resources and these leveraged resources should be considered a critical component of the Project Design. More information on leveraged resources may be found in Section IV.B.2 Project Budget.

E. Other Information

1. Application Screening Criteria You should use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package to ensure that the application has met all of the screening criteria. Note that this checklist is only an aid for applicants and should not be included in the application package. We urge you to use this checklist to ensure that your application contains all required items. If your application does not meet all of the screening criteria, it will not move forward through the merit review process and will not be considered for funding.

****DO NOT OMIT THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS ***

Application Requirement Instructions Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met. Section IV.C

If submitted through Grants.gov, the components of the application are saved in any of the specified formats and are not corrupt.

(We will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening.)

Section IV.C

Applicant submits no more than one application as the lead applicant in response to this FOA.

Section

III.E.2

Application request is not below $2,500,000 and does not exceed the ceiling amount of $5,000,000.

Section II.A

Applicant has registered with SAM and maintains an active account (note: allow Section proper lead time for registration). IV.B.1

Signed SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance.

Section

IV.B.1

Signed SF-424 includes a DUNS Number. Section

IV.B.1

SF-424A, Budget Information Form. Section

IV.B.2

Budget Narrative. Section

IV.B.2

Project Narrative. Section

IV.B.3

Abstract. Section

IV.B.4

2. Number of Applications To Be Submitted You may only submit one application as the lead applicant in response to this FOA. However, you may be included as a partner in one or more applications submitted where you are not the lead applicant.

Applicants that submit more than one application as the lead applicant will be considered non-responsive, and none of their applications will be considered for funding.

3. Eligible Participants

a) Participants Eligible to Receive Training

Participants served through the project can be either: a) youth that are at least 16 years of age and not currently enrolled in school within a local secondary educational agency (i.e., high school) or, b) at least 18 years of age.

Additionally, one of the key goals of the American Apprenticeship Initiative is to open up access to apprenticeship opportunities for underrepresented populations. Therefore, projects should demonstrate strategies to employ and train underserved populations in apprenticeship such as women, young men and women of color, persons with disabilities, low-skilled populations, veterans, including transitioning service members, and others (see Project Design requirements in Section IV.B.3 Project Narrative). Strategies should include the use of onramps to American Apprenticeship such as integrated/accelerated Pre-Apprenticeship strategies that reduce the barriers underrepresented populations face in pursuing careers in high growth industries and occupations particularly in the Information Technology industry and occupations that use information technology skills, and other industries, including but not limited to Advanced Manufacturing; Businesses Services; and Healthcare.

b) Veterans’ Priority for Participants

There is a legal requirement, found at 38 U.S.C. 4215, that grantees must provide priority of service for veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations implementing this priority of service can be found at 20 CFR Part 1010. In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible spouse, the veterans’ priority of service provisions require that the grant recipient give the veteran or eligible spouse priority of service by first providing him or her that service. To obtain priority of service, a veteran or spouse must meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on veterans’ priority. ETA’s Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in all qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL. TEGL No. 10-09 is available at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. How to Obtain an Application Package This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov and http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm, contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding. Applicants should note that hyperlinks to portions of the FOA are included in various parts of the Announcement. Applicants are required to comply with all parts of the FOA, including those parts found at the hyperlinks.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission Applications submitted in response to this FOA must consist of four separate and distinct parts: (1) the SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance;” (2) Project Budget; (3) Project Narrative; and (4) attachments to the Project Narrative. It is your responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.

1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15).