foa-eta-16-01.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for Grant Applications for H-1B TechHire Partnership Grants

Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-ETA-16-01 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.268

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is March 11, 2016. 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: Melissa Abdullah, Grant Officer, Reference FOA-ETA-16-01, 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:

America has about 5.4 million open jobs today, substantially more than in any year since 2001.1 The new openings in information technology (IT) fields including software development, network administration, and cybersecurity are projected to grow at a rate that is two-thirds higher than the average for all jobs.2 The average salary in a job that requires IT skills – whether in manufacturing, advertising, retail or banking – is more than 50 percent higher than the average private-sector American job.3 Helping more Americans train and connect to these jobs is an important opportunity to get more people into the middle class, but it is also an economic imperative for America’s continued leadership in global innovation. Today our IT training pipeline is dramatically under-producing workers to fill these good jobs, which is costing employers, workers, and the U.S. economy. As this is the case, communities across the country are in need of more cost-effective, timely, agile, and market-responsive training pipelines for these jobs.

As President Obama said at the launch of his TechHire initiative: “It doesn’t matter where you learned code, it just matters how good you are in writing code. If you can do the job, you should get the job.”4 The good news is that new training models are emerging to take advantage of this opportunity both in universities and community colleges, but also nontraditional approaches like

1 http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm 2 http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_102.htm 3 http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#15-0000 4 https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology/techhire http://www.whitehouse.gov/techhire http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_102.htm http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm%2315-0000 https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology/techhire

“coding bootcamps”5, high-quality online courses, or competency-based programs at more traditional institutions that can rapidly train workers for a well-paying job or entrepreneurial opportunities, often in just a few months. And new industry-trusted talent placement organizations are helping Americans trained in non-traditional pathways get connected to employers based on their skills even if their resumes may look different from the typical candidate. In addition, the Department of Education is launching experimental efforts to explore the quality and benefits of these accelerated and non-traditional training models with the Education Quality through Innovative Partnerships (“EQUIP”) Title IV Pilot.

The Administration is committed to making sure that Americans who are most in need— specifically youth and young adults ages 17-29, individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and individuals with criminal records and other unemployed, dislocated, underemployed, and front-line incumbent workers —have access to new, innovative training opportunities that produce quality results, and to the customized guidance and supportive and specialized services to gain employment in and advance to new positions in H-1B occupations and industries. These funds can be used to support training services in occupations for which H-1B visas have been certified, or other occupations in industries in which a significant number of H-1B visas are certified. A list of the H-1B industries that are acceptable for applications under this FOA can be found in Appendix F.

For that reason, The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $100,000,000 in grant funds for the TechHire partnership grant program. We expect to fund approximately 30-40 grants, with individual grant amounts ranging from $2 million to $5 million. This grant program is designed to equip individuals with the skills they need through innovative approaches that can rapidly train workers for and connect them to well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries such as IT, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and broadband.

These grants are financed by a user fee paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. This program is authorized under Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (codified at 29 USC 3224a). Grant awards will be made only to the extent that funds are available.

Grants will be awarded to the lead applicant of a public and private partnership of entities that includes:

• the public workforce investment system;

• education and training providers, such as community colleges, community-based and faith-based organizations, and “bootcamp” style tech programs; and, 5 Bootcamps may be short, intensive, and rigorous courses of training.

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/fact-sheet-department-education-launches-educational-quality-through-innovative-partnerships-equip-experiment-provide-low-income-students-access-new-models-education-and-training

• a business-related nonprofit organization, an organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses, a consortium of three or more of businesses, or at least three independent businesses

At least $50 million of this funding opportunity will be awarded to applicants proposing programs serving out-of-secondary school6 youth and young adults between the ages of 17 and 29 with barriers to training and employment as their primary target population. Applications must include significant employer engagement, including a minimum of at least three employer partners, or a regional industry association consisting of at least three employers, with demonstrated engagement in the project. Additional partners that reflect the character and resources of the local or regional economy and the community are strongly encouraged. This funding opportunity announcement describes the application submission requirements that are listed in Section VI.B, Content and Form of Application Submission. Finally, the Department is committed to producing strong evidence on the effectiveness of the grantee programs; therefore, full participation in any national evaluation initiated by DOL is a condition of all grants awarded.

While this funding opportunity supports the broader goals of the White House TechHire Initiative (https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology/techhire), there is no preference given to designated TechHire communities. This funding opportunity is open to all eligible applicants identified in Section III.A, Eligible Applicants. Further, applicants may propose to serve local, regional, or multi region (national) areas.

6 Secondary school generally refers to the last four years of formal instruction. The standard U.S. qualification awarded to students who graduate from secondary school after 12 years of formal instruction is a High School diploma, or equivalent secondary diploma or certificate.

Table of Contents:

I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Purpose B. Targeted Industries and Occupations C. Training and Service Strategies that Support Customized Interventions for

Employment D. Program Authority

II. Award Information A. Award Type and Amount B. Period of Performance

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants B. Required Employer Partners C. Optional Partners D. Cost Sharing or Matching E. Geographic Scope F. Other Information

IV. Application and Submission Information A. How to Obtain an Application Package B. Content and Form of Application Submission C. Submission Date, Times, Process, and Addresses D. Intergovernmental Review E. Funding Restrictions F. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information A. Criteria B. Review and Selection Process

VI. Award Administration Information A. Award Notices B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements C. Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

A. Transparency B. Web-Based Resources C. Industry Competency-Models and Career Clusters D. Workforce3one Resources

IX. OMB Information Collection X. Appendix

A. Definitions B. Labor Market Information C. Suggested Outcome Measures Table D. Suggested Project Work Plan Format E. Suggested Abstract Format F. List of H-1B Industries and Occupations

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Purpose

This Announcement solicits applications for the H1-B TechHire partnership (TechHire) grant program. On March 9, 2015, the President announced the TechHire initiative, a multi-sector approach to train workers with the information technology (IT) skills required for well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of industries such as IT, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and broadband. Filling these jobs is critical for employers throughout the United States, and the TechHire initiative aims to bring together communities, employers, and workers to meet the demands of the resurging American economy and fuel the next generation of American innovations.

Over the past five years, the United States has enjoyed the longest recorded streak of private-sector job growth in American history. Beginning in February of 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recorded the highest number of open jobs since this data was collected in

2000.7 More than 600,000 of these jobs were well-paid IT positions, and they are only available to job seekers with the appropriate skills and training. Technology-related skills are essential not only to gaining employment in IT industries, but also to accessing middle- to high-skilled jobs across all industries.

Despite this record job growth and the resurgence of the American economy, many Americans face significant barriers to accessing well-paying, middle- and high-skilled technology jobs in high-growth industries such as IT, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and other in-demand sectors. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that 16 percent of youth and young adults in the United States between the ages of 15 and 29 are not in employment, education, or training.8 The impact of youth unemployment is damaging over the long-term on individual career and financial prospects, as those who experienced youth unemployment are more likely to become unemployed later in life. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund indicates that “youth unemployment also has broader social consequences and contributes significantly to growing income inequality in advanced economies.”9

Similar to the far reaching consequences of youth unemployment, Americans with disabilities are disproportionately unemployed and twice as likely to be poor. The Department of Labor and the White House Council of Economic Advisors found that only one-third of working-age Americans with disabilities were employed between 2010 and 2012. They also identified many emerging opportunities for persons with disabilities in high-growth occupations where computer use is important, as the development of new

7 http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm 8 https://data.oecd.org/youthinac/youth-not-in-employment-education-or-training-neet.htm 9 http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2012/03/morsy.htm http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm https://data.oecd.org/youthinac/youth-not-in-employment-education-or-training-neet.htm http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2012/03/morsy.htm technologies creates opportunities to overcome particular physical and cognitive limitations, and increase workplace productivity.10

The TechHire grant program will focus on individuals who are at least 17 years of age, out-of-secondary school, and have barriers to training and employment opportunities, including:

• Youth and young adults who are out-of-secondary school, between the ages of 17 and 29, and have barriers to training and employment; and

• Special populations: individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, or individuals with criminal records with barriers to training and employment.

For complete information on the eligible participants that may be served by projects funded by this grant program, see Section III.F.3, Eligible Participants.

Projects funded by this grant program will help participants begin careers in H-1B occupations and industries which are in-demand and/or high growth in the area applicants are proposing to serve. On a limited basis, this grant program will also enable applicants to work with companies on increasing the skills of existing workers in lower-skilled jobs to move into more highly skilled positions requiring technology-related skills.

These grants will pilot and scale public-private partnerships among the workforce investment system, education and training providers, and business-related nonprofit organizations to address the following goals for the target populations:

1) Expand access to accelerated learning options that provide the fastest paths to good jobs, such as “bootcamp” style programs, online options, and competency-based programs to give people the skills required for employment in three months to two years among people with historic barriers to accessing employment and training;

2) Improve the likelihood that those populations complete training and enter employment, through specialized training strategies, supportive services and other focused participant services that assist targeted populations to overcome barriers, including networking and job search, active job development, transportation, mentoring, and financial counseling;

3) Connect those who have received training or who already have the skills required for employment, but are being overlooked, to employment, paid internships, or Registered Apprenticeship opportunities that allow them to get work experience and prove themselves to hiring employers;

4) Demonstrate strong commitment to customer-centered design and excellence in customer experience, so that the programs and services reflect real need of employers

10 http://www.dol.gov/odep/pdf/20141022-KeyPoints.pdf http://www.dol.gov/odep/pdf/20141022-KeyPoints.pdf and participants, through human centered design methodology and other methods of design thinking; 11 and

5) Ensure that innovations form the basis for broader change and sustainability over time and that a clear strategy exists for adapting to rapidly changing market needs after the initial period of the grant.

To bridge the divide between employers seeking to fill well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries and the low-skill workers with barriers to training and employment opportunities, the TechHire grant program will fund approximately 30 to 40 private and public partnerships with grants ranging from $2 million to $5 million. At least $50 million will be awarded for projects serving youth or young adults with barriers to training and employment opportunities and no more than $50 million will be awarded to projects serving special populations. These grants will be awarded based on three critical design elements including:

1) Target populations: Applicants may apply for funding for one of two types of projects: 1) projects that serve out-of-secondary school youth and young adults between the ages of 17 and 29 with barriers to training and employment, or 2) projects that serve special populations, defined as individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, or individuals with criminal records.

These individuals must be at least 17 years of age and out of secondary school. For more information about eligible participants, see Section III.F.3, Eligible Participants.

2) Leveraged resources: To help ensure a successful project, applicants are expected to secure leveraged resources equal to at least 25 percent of the total requested funds to support grant activities and accomplish the project’s overall goals and milestones.

The leveraged resources must be sufficient to allow applicants to meet the proposed performance goals during the grant period of performance. Applicants will be scored on the amount and sufficiency of these resources as described in Section IV.B.3.(6)(b), Leveraged Resources.

3) Evidence-based design: For applicants that request more than $4 million and up to $5 million in grant funds, applications will be assessed along a continuum of innovation and evidence, from new promising ideas to well-tested ideas being adapted to new contexts. Of particular interest are new promising ideas developed through human centered design methodology and behavioral insight research. We will award up to $5 million to fund projects that have been tested and are supported by evidence and a maximum of $4 million for new programs that do not have the level of supporting evidence as described in Appendix A. Applicants that request more than $4 million in grant funds and do not provide evidence for the proposed training and approach(es) in a separate attachment will not be reviewed. Applicants that propose projects of $4

11 Human centered design and customer-centered methodologies are approaches to systems design that consider usability and particularly, the needs and limitations of a system’s users and or customers.

million or less are not required to submit evidence of program design as an attachment, and this information will not be reviewed from such applicants.

In line with the authority provided by Congress under the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act (ACWIA), grants under this program must focus on preparing and placing individuals into jobs within H-1B occupations and industries. H-1B occupations and industries are occupations for which H-1B visas have been certified, or other occupations in industries in which a significant number of H-1B visas are certified. A list of the H-1B industries that are acceptable for applications under this FOA can be found in Appendix F.

Occupations at H-1B skill levels generally require a bachelor’s degree or comparable experience and are middle to-high-skill level. While program participants do not need to have these educational credentials or skill levels to enter the program, they should receive interventions that directly lead to job placement during the grant period in middle- and high-skill jobs and grantees must provide information about the career pathway12 to these jobs.

B. Targeted Industries and Occupations

TechHire grants will fund projects that support well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries in the area applicants are proposing to serve. “High-growth” jobs, are defined as those which: 1) are projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy; 2) are being transformed by technology and innovation that require workers to obtain new skill sets; and 3) 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 across the country, such as IT and cyber security, as well as a variety of non- IT industries and occupations that require technology skills, including but not limited to advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services. In fact, over two-thirds of technology jobs are outside of the technology sector.13

To meet the legislative intent of positioning American workers to reduce the need for skilled foreign workers under the H-1B visa program, applicants must design their programs to support occupations for which H-1B visas have been certified, or other occupations in industries in which a significant number of H-1B visas are certified.

Refer to Appendix F to see a list of H-1B industries we have identified as permissible for applications to target under this grant competition. If proposing to target a specific occupation or occupations that fall outside of the identified industries, the application must provide data showing that the occupation is one for which H-1B visas have been certified.

12 For the full definition of career pathway, see Appendix A.

13 http://www.executiveboard.com/sites/exbd/human-resources/talent-neuron/us-it-talent-market/index.page http://www.executiveboard.com/sites/exbd/human-resources/talent-neuron/us-it-talent-market/index.page

C. Training and Services Strategies that Support Customized Interventions for

Employment and Advancement

Projects funded under this FOA will provide a range of interventions that lead to middle and high-skilled employment, including assessment, coaching and counseling, short-term or accelerated training, and longer-term training leading to degrees and/or industry-recognized credentials. All projects will incorporate a strong up-front assessment component that allows for a customization of services and training to meet the needs of the targeted population(s) to become employed, retain their employment, or advance to a new position.

Participants will be assessed and provided training and services in one or more of the following three customized intervention tracks to employment:

1) Intensive coaching and other short-term, specialized services culminating in direct job placement into middle- and high-skilled jobs, paid internships, or Registered Apprenticeships. Generally, this track is intended to serve individuals who have the skills and competencies to be placed directly into middle- and high-skilled, high growth H-1B occupations, and industries without additional training, but need intensive participant services and job placement services to secure employment in middle and high-wage jobs or Registered Apprenticeship. For example, this track would help individuals who may lack traditional qualifications but do have the skills necessary for employment in middle- and high-skilled jobs.

2) Short-term or accelerated training that may or may not result in an industry-recognized credential, but will lead to middle- and high- skilled high-growth jobs in H-1B occupations and industries. Generally, this track is intended to serve individuals who need short-term and intensive training (such as “bootcamp” style programs and online options) to refresh or upgrade their skills and competencies and other participant and job placement services that lead to employment in middle and high-skilled jobs.

3) Training along a career pathway that leads to an industry-recognized credential and employment in middle- and high-skilled jobs in H-1B occupations and industries.

Generally, this track is intended to serve individuals who need more intensive training that results in a degree or credential to gain new skills and competencies, as well as other participant and job placement services to support their progression along a career pathway and placement into middle- and high-skilled employment in H-1B occupations and industries upon program completion.

For the third track, a career pathway is defined under this FOA as a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services that provide participants with a sequence of education and training courses or career options which allows opportunities for professional growth and upward mobility. Under this FOA, training along a career pathway may start with entry-level occupations, but must lead to employment in middle- and high-skilled occupations in H-1B occupations and industries. We encourage applicants to consider accelerated or more intensive training options that will shorten the time to program completion, credential attainment, and employment.

Within these three customized tracks, employment and training activities can include a variety of specialized services, accelerated training, and related activities that lead to employment in middle- and high-skilled jobs, assist participants in gaining the skills and competencies needed to obtain employment in in-demand or high-growth H-1B occupations and industries, and provide training along a career pathway that leads to an industry-recognized credential and employment in well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries. In all three customized tracks, projects must also ensure that employment and training strategies are offered that allow individuals to access accelerated training and services based on their individual needs. Projects must also provide information about the career pathway to these jobs.

1. Training Strategies

We will fund projects with training strategies that may include: on-the-job training (OJT); paid work experience; paid internships; Registered Apprenticeship; competency-based programs that give participants credit for skills they have already developed;

innovative programs, such as “coding bootcamps” and other accelerated learning options;

online programs; and other training strategies, or any combination of these training strategies. Across all of the strategies listed below, we are interested in training programs that are willing to be reimbursed for training on the basis of specific employment and earnings outcomes of participants. To ensure that these programs meet the needs of the targeted population(s), all training strategies will:

• target skills and competencies in demand in the applicant’s regional economy and reflect those industries and occupations for which employers are using H–1B visas to hire foreign workers (see Appendix F);

• provide skills development for jobs currently available;

• provide accelerated education and work-based training that is appropriate for and meets the needs of the participants and businesses in H-1B occupations and industries;

• integrate activities with services to ensure that participants have the necessary support to complete education/training and overcome barriers to employment, as appropriate;

• provide job development and placement assistance; and,

• result in an industry-recognized credential for longer-term training or enable advancement along a career pathway for shorter term training. We encourage applicants to use program models with demonstrated evidence of success in serving the targeted population(s), especially models shown by rigorous program evaluations to have positive impacts on participants’ employment and earnings outcomes.

a. On-the-Job Training (OJT)

OJT can bridge the divide between unemployment and employment by addressing gaps in an individual’s skills and what is required for a particular occupation.

Individuals who participated in OJT in the past have demonstrated improved labor market attachment and enhanced job tenure, as illustrated by higher rates of job placement and retention. OJT also offers participants a “learn and earn” training option, allowing individuals to learn new skills while earning a regular paycheck.

OJT is distinguished from other types of workplace training, including customized training, in several ways: (1) participants are hired and earn wages from employers during training; (2) it is based on an individualized training plan that reflects the results of an individual skills assessment and analysis of job requirements; (3) training is conducted in the workplace under the direction of one or more of the employer’s supervisory personnel; and (4) the grantee pays the employer a reimbursement to cover the extraordinary costs of the training. Under this FOA, OJT has specific requirements which are detailed in Section IV.E, Funding Restrictions. Incumbent workers are not eligible to participate in OJT.

b. Paid Work Experience Work experience is defined as a planned and structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace for a limited period of time. For the purposes of this FOA, work experiences are required to be paid work experiences. The specific requirements of these paid work experience are detailed in Section IV.E, Funding Restrictions. Incumbent workers are not eligible to participate in paid work experience.

c. Paid Internships Internships provide a monitored or supervised work or service experience in an individual’s career field where he or she has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what is learned throughout the experience. These learning goals can include: academic learning, career development, and skill development.

Internships are part of a structured program where the grantee establishes the criteria for determining who will participate in these programs; are for a set period of time that is generally limited in duration, but may be flexible to allow interns to spend limited time in the classroom; support the attainment of credentials in the individual’s expected career field (where such credentials exist); relate to training provided through the grant and help participants prepare for employment opportunities on which the grant focuses; and, do not necessarily carry an offer of regular employment upon successful completion of the internship.

For the purposes of this FOA, internships are required to be paid internships.

Under this FOA, paid internships have specific requirements which are detailed in Section IV.E, Funding Restrictions. Incumbent workers are not eligible to participate in paid internships.

d. Registered Apprenticeships Registered Apprenticeship programs combine job-related technical instruction with structured on-the-job learning experiences. 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 (SAAs). Most Registered Apprenticeship opportunities include on-the-job training and classroom instruction that is provided through apprenticeship training centers, technical schools, community colleges, and even distance learning. Often Registered

Apprenticeship sponsors work directly with community colleges that ultimately provide college credit for Registered Apprenticeships. 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.

After completion of a Registered Apprenticeship program, the apprentice earns a nationally recognized credential from the Department of Labor that is portable and stackable. Registered 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 SAAs); (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 personnel; and 5) training results in an industry-recognized credential and/or college credit.

e. Incumbent Worker Training

Up to 25 percent of participants served by applicants may be incumbent workers, particularly front-line, lower-skilled, and lower-wage workers who need training to upgrade their skills. As such, we encourage you to work with employer partners to develop plans to create career pathways towards and vacancies in middle- and high-skill jobs for low-skill, low-wage workers by using incumbent worker training to move existing workers into higher-skill jobs in H-1B occupations and industries. This may also include customized training, for particular employers or groups of employers.

f. Other Training Strategies In addition to the types of training previously listed, a variety of other types of training strategies may include but are not limited to: classroom occupational training that is accelerated and contextualized; distance learning and technology-based learning; and accelerated and competency-based training. Accelerated and competency-based training strategies can rapidly train participants efficiently and effectively for employment. They can include competency-based programs that give participants credit for skills they have already developed and allow participants to move through coursework based on mastery of skills, as well as innovative programs, such as “coding bootcamps” or online programs that prepare those with little technical know-how for jobs in middle- to high-skill and high-growth jobs in H-1B occupations and industries.

Credentialing, while not a training strategy in and of itself, is a valuable component of many training strategies to employers and workers alike. For employers, credentials demonstrate and document a worker’s skills. At the same time, credentials improve a worker’s labor market experience through higher wages, greater mobility, and enhanced job security. Training and Employment Guidance Letter 15-10, Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System, describes among other pertinent topics, the strategies that state and local workforce agencies, their strategic partners, and ETA discretionary grantees can adopt to both increase the rate of credential attainment among workforce program participants and improve the quality of those credentials.

2. Program Activities We will fund projects that incorporate programmatic activities that support customized interventions and training to meet the needs of the targeted population(s) to become employed, retain their employment, and advance to new positions, including but not limited to:

• Design of innovative programs that are shaped by a deep understanding of the customer experience for employers and participants in order to improve customer experience and outcomes;

• Adapting existing industry-recognized curricula to support direct education and training provided through the grant;

• Incorporating entrepreneurial skills training into an overall training strategy;

• Obtaining accreditation for employer- and/or industry-recognized credentials;

• Other program development activities, such as using subject matter experts from industry, education, and other areas to assist in program design and delivery;

• Accessing real-time labor market information, as it relates to identifying the labor market demand, skills transferability, and job openings;

• Developing and implementing articulation agreements with colleges, universities, and other education and training partners that allow for recognition of course credits in exchange for the education and/or training provided;

• Outreach and recruitment of eligible participants; and

• Initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, competencies, integrated participant services, supportive service, and employment needs.

3. Service Strategies We will fund projects that incorporate services into strategies that support customized interventions and training to meet the needs of the targeted populations to become employed, retain their employment, and advance to new positions. These strategies may include a wide range of specialized participant services that support the skill development and employment of eligible participants and include but are not limited to the following:

• Job development, job search and placement assistance, and where appropriate, career counseling;

• Case management services;

• Specialized participant services that facilitate successful completion of education/training activities and job placement to become employed, such as vocational rehabilitation services, appropriate assistive technologies, personal assistance services including attendants, readers, and interpreters for individuals with disabilities, community orientation and mobility training (e.g. accessible transportation, bus routes, housing, health clinics), benefits-planning counseling, including information that will help the transition from public assistance to self-http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL15-10acc.pdf http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL15-10acc.pdf sufficiency, financial assistance consultation, behavioral health counseling, mentoring (e.g. job shadowing, job coaching, and other one-on-one or small group coaching or assistance), and relocation assistance; (see Section IV.E, Funding Restrictions); and,

• Supportive services that will allow individuals to participate in the training provided through the grant (see Section IV.E, Funding Restrictions).

Only activities and services directly related to the development, implementation, and provision of education, training, job placement assistance, and services that support a participant’s participation in services that lead to direct placement and/or participation in the training program for high-growth H-1B occupations and industries are allowable activities under this grant. Please refer to Section IV.E, Funding Restrictions of the FOA for a list of relevant regulations, cost principles, administrative and other requirements that apply to this Announcement as well as a discussion of costs that are not allowable under this Announcement.

D. Program Authority

The TechHire training program is authorized under Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (29 U.S.C. 3224a).

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 30-40 grants with individual grant amounts ranging from $2 million to $5 million. At least $50 million will be awarded to support projects designated to serve out-of-secondary school youth and young adults with barriers to training and employment as the primary target population and no more than $50 million will be awarded to support projects designed to serve special populations. You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $5 million. 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.

Applicants should request funding that is commensurate with the scope and scale of the project. As such, regional partnerships are encouraged to apply and support smaller scale projects and programs serving rural communities. Additionally, applicants that request total funding of more than $4 million must provide evidence for the training approach(es) proposed in a separate attachment that will be evaluated by a panel of experts based on the definitions of strong, moderate, and preliminary evidence in Appendix A. Applicants that propose projects of more than $4 million and up to $5 million must propose to replicate, at multiple sites and/or with the targeted and other populations, strategies that have been shown by prior research to have evidence of positive impacts on education and/or employment outcomes. Applicants that request total funding of more than $4 million in grant funds and do not provide evidence for the proposed training approach(es) in a separate attachment will not be reviewed.

To ensure that grant funds result in services to significant numbers of participants, we established goals for the minimum numbers of participants to be served during the period of performance based on the amount of funds requested by the applicant (see table below). The number of participants served should reflect those individuals who receive grant funded services in support of their training and/or education project goals. Applicants must identify in the project narrative (described in more detail in Expected Outcomes and Outputs under Section IV.B.3, Project Narrative) the number of participants to be served through the project, in alignment with the FOA established goals based on the amount of funds requested.

DOL recognizes that individuals with barriers to training and employment opportunities may require more expensive service delivery strategies to create greater access to quality training that leads to employment in well-paying, middle- to high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries. In addition, training strategies for middle- and high-skilled occupations frequently have higher upfront costs compared to less intensive training options. While this grant investment is intended to offset costs of support services and training, to help ensure a successful project and meet the minimum goal for participants served, applicants must secure in leveraged resources an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the total requested funds to support higher service and training costs and accomplish the project’s overall goals and milestones. Applicants should ensure public and private leveraged resources are sufficient to meet the service and training needs of all participants served. Leveraged resources are a critical component of the project design and applicants will be scored based on the strength of these leveraged resources as described in section IV.3.(6)(b), Project Narrative.

The Department is also interested in programmatic, financing and technological innovations that deliver high-quality training at substantially lower costs. Long-term sustainability of the project is likely to be impacted by costly training designs, presenting barriers for both individuals and employers after the grant period of performance. Therefore, we are interested in applications that produce quality employment outcomes for a lower cost per participant and, where federal investment is used, applications that propose to scale up the project when the grant is completed. These strategies could include:

• requiring that training providers pay for the total or a portion of the cost of training if a participant does not get employed at a certain wage after graduation;

• having students take advantage of free training models to lower the overall cost of the training;

• focusing on placement of disadvantaged individuals who lack traditional credentials, but who already have the necessary skills and competencies to get employed if they are validated by an industry-trusted organization; and

• other innovative approaches.

Figure 1. Minimum Goals for Participants Served during the

Grant Period Based on Funding Request*

Funding Request

Minimum Participants Served

$2,000,000 –$3,000,000

$3,000,001 - $4,000,000

$4,000,001 - $5,000,000 525 – 2,500+

*The minimum goals, listed above in Figure 1, identify the minimum number of participants to be served during the grant period, based on the funding amount requested by applicants.

These numbers are minimum outcome goals applicants must propose for the numbers of participants to be served through the gran, and applicants are encouraged to serve more than the minimum thresholds. Applicants should propose participant targets based on the FOA requirements and that are appropriate for the scope of their project. Applicants should refer to the scoring criteria for more information on how they will be scored on proposed targets specifically, Section IV.B.3.(2) Expected Outcomes and Outputs.

B. Period of Performance

The period of performance is 48 months with an anticipated start date of June 1, 2016. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. These activities include employment services; the completion of education/training activities and the award of employer- or industry-recognized credentials, if appropriate; placement activities; and, participant follow-up for performance outcomes. We expect that start-up activities such as hiring appropriate program staff, project design activities, negotiation and implementation of OJT contracts, paid work experiences, or paid internship opportunities, will begin immediately. We also expect that grantees will begin serving participants no later than 6 months after the date of grant award. We strongly encourage grantees to develop their project work plans and timelines accordingly. Grantees must plan to expend fully grant funds during the period of performance while ensuring full transparency and accountability for all expenditures.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

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. While this funding opportunity supports the broader goals of the White House TechHire Initiative (https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology/techhire), there is no preference given to designated TechHire communities. This funding opportunity is open to all eligible applicants as identified below.

Grants will be awarded to the lead applicant, which will serve as the grantee and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant. Eligible lead applicants must be public or non-profit organizations that: 1) meet the definition of one of the three types of eligible entities described below; and 2) apply in partnership with at least one representative of each of the three types of eligible entities (including the lead applicant), which collectively form the “primary partnership.” An eligible entity cannot serve as more than one type of entity for the purpose of meeting the requirements to include three types of entities in the primary partnership.

At least one entity in the primary partnership or an optional partner will serve the function of what is generally referred to as a workforce intermediary, having expertise and credibility with employers and workers in the H-1B occupations and industries targeted through the project, access to and experience with the targeted population(s), as well as the capacity to manage a multi-partner and complex initiative. A range of organizations can serve in the intermediary role, including any of the following: Workforce Development Boards, community colleges, labor unions, industry associations, community-based organizations, non-profit workforce agencies, and state and local government agencies.

1. Eligible Entities

To be eligible for consideration, applications must include at least one representative of each of the following three types of entities: a) the workforce investment system; b) education and training providers; and c) business-related nonprofit organizations, an organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses, or a consortium of three or more businesses, or at least three independent businesses. Applications that do not include all three entities mentioned above will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Detailed eligibility requirements for each type of entity are provided below.

a. The Workforce Investment System Organizations involved in administering the workforce investment system established under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), (including state and local Workforce Development Boards and American Job Center Operators under Section 121 of WIOA and Native American Program entities eligible for funding under 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 area, including identifying targeted industries, occupations, regional clusters, and hiring needs, and populations to be served, and providing relevant sources of data, including labor market information, and other tools or reports; 2) assessing potential participants for the grant program; 3) identifying and referring candidates for education and training in the grant program; 4) providing additional supportive services; 5) connecting and placing participants with employers that have job openings; and 6) collecting, tracking, and reporting participant data to ETA.

b. Education and Training Providers

For the purposes of this FOA, training providers include institutions of higher education as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001), joint labor-management training partnerships, non-profit and community-based organizations that offer job training, for-profit organizations that provide job training, and organizations that have been approved as WIOA Eligible Training Providers. While a for-profit education/training provider can be an entity included in the primary partnership, for-profit education/training providers cannot be the lead applicant. Eligible lead applicants must be a public or non-profit organization.

Institutions of higher education include public or other nonprofit educational institutions and must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.