FOA-ETA-19-09.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gaps

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-19-09

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.268

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is September 24, 2019. We must receive applications no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: Address mailed applications to:

The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management Attention: Brinda Ruggles, Grant Officer Reference FOA-ETA-09 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716 Washington, DC 20210

For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV. Application and Submission Information.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Building on the experience abroad and in the United States, apprenticeships have emerged as a proven skills instruction model to meet industry’s demand for a skilled American workforce. As the 21st economy requires greater skills development with an estimated 65 percent jobs of all jobs requiring some post-secondary education by 2020,1 apprenticeship programs can bolster the employability and technical skills of workers while meeting the workforce needs of business and industry.

Apprenticeships address both the supply and demand sides of the labor market. They are especially effective in training and educating individuals, which equips them with the skills needed in the workplace. Apprenticeship is also an answer to closing the skills gap – the gap between the needs of employers for a skilled workforce and the skills currently available in the workforce. Since classroom learning is applied in real-world settings, workers are more likely to retain academic as well as occupational skills. Employers are able to sustain high productivity and good-paying jobs when they can rely on those completing an apprenticeship to have mastered an array of relevant skills and to have gained experience in using those skills. 2

Some industries with defined career pathways, such as construction and building trades, have embraced apprenticeship’s earn-as-you-learn approach, which combines educational or instructional training with a structured, paid, work-based learning component. As job growth surges in other key sectors, such as information technology, including cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and health care, there is increasing interest in adopting this approach within these sectors. With the emergence of applications for artificial intelligence, the 21st century economy also offers new opportunities for using the proven model of apprenticeship to reskill and prepare the workforce.

In June 2017, the President issued Executive Order 13801 on Expanding Apprenticeship in America, which lays out an expansive vision for apprenticeship that would increase the number of apprentices in the nation to an unprecedented level across all industries. Noting that apprenticeships “provide affordable paths to good jobs and, ultimately, careers,” the Executive Order directs the Federal government to promote “…apprenticeships and effective workforce development programs,” and encourages trade and industry groups, employers, educational institutions, unions, joint labor-management organizations, and other third parties to collaborate

1 Carnevale, Anthony, Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements through 2020, Georgetown University, 2 Lerman, Robert I. Building a Robust Apprenticeship System in the U.S. Why and How? Meetings of the Labor and Employment Relations Association Allied Social Science Association January 5-7, 2018 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to create new apprenticeship solutions. The Executive Order also directs the Secretary to “use available funding to promote apprenticeships.”

There are more than 7.1 million job openings right now in the United States,3 many of which require a skilled workforce. These include in-demand cybersecurity professions and emerging occupations involving artificial intelligence (AI) across several industry sectors. Expanding apprenticeships can help individuals gain the skills necessary to fill these vacancies and help employers find skilled workers more readily.

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 (originally codified at 29 USC 2916a and transferred to 29 USC 3224a), for the Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gaps grant program. We will award up to $100 million in H-1B funds initially to fund approximately 16 to 30 apprenticeship grants, with awards ranging from $500,000 to $6 million. The amount of grant funding an applicant can receive will depend on the proposed geographic scope of the apprenticeship project. Additional grants may be awarded depending on availability of funds.

The purpose of this grant program is to promote apprenticeships as a significant workforce solution in filling current job vacancies and closing the skills gap between employer workforce needs and the skills of the current workforce. The overarching goals of this grant program are threefold: (1) to accelerate the expansion of apprenticeships to industry sectors and occupations that have not traditionally deployed apprenticeships for building a skilled workforce, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and health care; (2) to promote the large-scale expansion of apprenticeships across the nation to a range of employers, including small and medium-sized employers; and (3) to increase apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans.

Recognizing that apprenticeship is a training strategy that operates on both the supply side and the demand side of the labor market, this grant program aims to increase both the number of apprenticeship positions and the ability of all Americans to gain access to this proven pathway to family-sustaining careers.

Grant funds will be awarded to an apprenticeship partnership of public and private sector entities which together seek to develop and implement new apprenticeship models; or expand an existing apprenticeship program to a new industry sector or occupation, a new population, on a local/regional, statewide, or national scale. A lead applicant may include any of the following organizations: an institution of higher education (IHE), an IHE representing a consortium of

3 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey – February 2019.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm institutions of higher education, as defined in Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); or a state system of higher education, such as a community college system office or a single state higher educational board, or a nonprofit trade, industry or employer association, labor union, or labor management organization.

The purpose of this grant investment is to provide apprenticeship skills instruction and partially offset the costs of these programs for apprentices. It is not the intention of this grant program to fund the full costs of an apprenticeship program. To further magnify the reach of this grant program, we are requiring these public-private partnerships to secure matching funds, as described in Section III.B. Cost Sharing or Matching.

Given the source of grant funding, the focus of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is on training apprentices to reach middle- to high-skilled jobs along a career pathway in a variety of H-1B industries and occupations. A substantial portion of the grant must therefore fund training activities, including the development and implementation of programs that include a paid, work-based learning component and an educational or instructional component that results in the issuance of an industry-recognized credential, and that meet appropriate quality assurance standards. Funds may be used for the provision of supportive services to help apprentices participate in and successfully complete an apprenticeship program. To significantly grow the number of new apprentices, projects funded under this FOA must have the capacity to develop and deploy such training and related services shortly after receiving grant funds.

This grant program will also support an array of activities designed to assist industry in developing and expanding new apprenticeship programs. These activities will include the development of industry-approved, competency-based curricula for both on-the-job and classroom training; and the development of appropriate quality assurance and data systems and processes. Among other benefits, such activities help simplify program development and reduce program start-up times and costs, making it easier for employers to deploy the programs; and promote program consistency and quality, thus facilitating industry-wide acceptance of the apprenticeship model.

On the supply side, this grant program aims to ensure a sustained, rich pool of talent for apprenticeship programs over the long term. Hence, grant funds will support a variety of efforts to increase access to apprenticeship among all Americans, particularly veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members, and underrepresented populations in apprenticeship, including women, people of color, and ex-offenders.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Purpose B. Program Authority C. Target Industries D. Geographic Scope E. Program Activities/Allowable Activities

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Award Type and Amount B. Period of Performance

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing or Matching C. Other Information

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

B. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

G. CRITERIA

H. Standards for Evaluating the Applicant’s Response to each Requirement I. Review and Selection Process

C. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

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

D. AGENCY CONTACTS

E. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Web-Based Resources B. Apprenticeship Resources C. Industry Competency Models and Career Clusters D. SkillsCommons Resources

E. WorkforceGPS Resources

F. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

APPENDIX A: LIST OF H-1B INDUSTRIES

APPENDIX B: OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER)

APPENDIX C: NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL FRAMEWORKS

APPENDIX D: SUGGESTED PERFORMANCE OUTCOME MEASURES TABLE

APPENDIX E: SUGGESTED PROJECT WORK PLAN FORMAT

APPENDIX G: SUGGESTED ABSTRACT FORMAT

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications for the Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gap grant program. The purpose of this program is to promote apprenticeships as a significant workforce solution in filling current middle- and high-skilled job vacancies and closing the skills gap between employer workforce needs and the skills of the current workforce.

In June 2017, the President issued Executive Order 13801 on Expanding Apprenticeship in America, which lays out an expansive vision for apprenticeship that would increase the number of apprentices in the nation to an unprecedented level across all industries. The overarching goals of this grant program are threefold: (1) to accelerate the expansion of apprenticeships to new industry sectors and occupations, such as cybersecurity and those involving artificial intelligence; (2) to promote the large-scale expansion of apprenticeships across the nation to a range of employers, including small- and medium-sized employers; and (3) to increase apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans.

Research suggests that employers in the U.S. find value in apprenticeships. In one comprehensive study, nearly all employers surveyed reported that they would recommend their program to others, citing as key benefits the program’s ability to help them meet their demand for skilled workers, demonstrate which workers have the needed skill sets, raise productivity and morale, and reduce safety issues.4 Moreover, apprenticeships offer a solid return on investment for everyone involved, including the nation as a whole. A 2012 evaluation of 10 states found that, for every dollar invested in apprenticeships, there were $27 in net benefits and $35 in total benefits to the public.5 We believe that the magnitude of such returns justifies expanding this earn-as-you-learn approach across sectors, including manufacturing, transportation, information technology, health care, and the skilled trades.

Accordingly, this grant program supports the expansion of apprenticeships to industries that have not typically used this model to recruit new apprentices into the workforce, and to upskill those already employed in the industry to bolster the sector’s competitiveness. Given the funding source, the industries and occupations that can be targeted with this funding are those

4 Lerman, Robert, et al., The Benefits and Challenges of Registered Apprenticeship: The Sponsors’ Perspective,” p.

16 (The Urban Institute Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population, 2009).

http://webarchive.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411907_registered_apprenticeship.pdf 5 Reed, Debbie, et al., An Effectiveness Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Registered Apprenticeship in 10 States, p. 40 (Mathematica Policy Research, 2012).

http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP_2012_10.pdf. See also Helper, Susan, et al., The Benefits and Costs of Apprenticeships: A Business Perspective (Case Western Reserve University and the U.S.

Department of Commerce, 2016). https://www.esa.gov/sites/default/files/the-benefits-and-costs-of-apprenticeships-a-business-perspective.pdf http://webarchive.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411907_registered_apprenticeship.pdf http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP_2012_10.pdf https://www.esa.gov/sites/default/files/the-benefits-and-costs-of-apprenticeships-a-business-perspective.pdf https://www.esa.gov/sites/default/files/the-benefits-and-costs-of-apprenticeships-a-business-perspective.pdf for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers, such as information technology (IT) and IT-related industries, health care, and advanced manufacturing. The Department is particularly interested in expanding the apprenticeship model to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) professions. In addition, these grants seek to increase the level of apprenticeship activity among employers within these industry sectors that have not traditionally implemented apprenticeship programs, particularly among small- and medium-sized businesses. We believe that investing this funding in apprenticeships within these additional industry sectors and across the range of business types and sizes will have multiplier effects on private sector spending in apprenticeships and in establishing apprenticeship systems as alternative pathways for transitioning workers and for those entering the workforce.

To promote new, high-quality apprenticeship programs and the expansion of existing apprenticeship programs, this grant program will award grant funds to an apprenticeship partnership of public and private sector entities which, working together, will develop and implement new apprenticeship models or expand an existing apprenticeship program to a new industry sector, new population, or a local/regional, statewide, or national scale. These public-private partnerships (as described in Section III.A. Eligible Applicants) will boost apprenticeships by undertaking two major types of interrelated activity: training apprentices and taking apprenticeship programs to scale.

All apprenticeship programs funded through the grant program must include recognized standards of high-quality apprenticeship programs. Moreover, apprenticeship programs that 1) include a paid, work-based learning component and a required educational or instructional component that results in the issuance of an industry-recognized credential, and 2) meet appropriate quality assurance standards, can help fill current job vacancies.

Apprenticeship programs funded and developed under this grant program must have the following characteristics:

1. Paid Work Component Apprenticeship programs must pay apprentices at least the applicable Federal, state, or local minimum wage or a Federally approved stipend under Federal wage requirements if otherwise applicable, and must describe wage progression requirements. Additionally, programs must address how they will provide apprentices the opportunity to gain upward mobility in the industry.

2. Work-based Learning and Mentorship An important aspect of apprenticeship programs is offering apprentices the opportunity to apply what they are learning to their work through well-designed and highly structured work experiences. While they are learning on the job, programs must provide mentors to support apprentices and provide guidance on an industry or company culture, and industry or workplace policies and procedures.

3. Educational and Instructional Component

Apprenticeship programs must provide or arrange for classroom or related instruction that is high-quality and adequate to help apprentices achieve their proficiency goals and earn certifications or equivalent credentials. As an important indication of quality programs must lead to an industry-recognized, portable credential, and may also be designed to ensure that apprentices receive college credit for classroom or related instruction.

4. Industry-Recognized Credentials Earned Apprentices must earn industry-recognized credential(s) as part of their apprenticeship programs. The credential(s) earned in the program must be portable, and applicants must identify all of the portability benefits in the application. In sectors in which generally accepted credentials already exist, or will be issued by industry organizations or credentialing bodies, applicants must describe whether program completion will result in one or more of these existing credentials or qualify an apprentice to sit for relevant credentialing exams. In sectors where independent credentials exist and are not issued by the apprenticeship program, the applicant must describe the alternative credential(s) that apprentices may earn and information on who is offering the exam

5. Safety, Supervision, and Equal Employment Opportunity Apprenticeship programs must have policies and procedures in place to ensure a safe working environment that adheres to all applicable Federal, state, and local safety, employment, and equal opportunity laws and regulations.

Grantees may establish new apprenticeship programs, create the training infrastructure/network necessary to deploy these programs, expand existing apprenticeships, and promote all grant-funded apprenticeship programs within a local/regional, statewide or national scope.

Grant funds must be used primarily to support the training of apprentices in new or expanded programs. Allowable training and training-related activities include funding the costs of developing and delivering training through the educational or instructional components, paid, work-based learning components, and some supportive services, such as childcare and transportation, designed to assist apprentices to participate and remain in an apprenticeship program.

A related activity necessary to support the expansion of training for apprentices is assisting partners in their efforts to create and implement the new or expanded apprenticeship programs, which is another critical component of the work under this grant program.

Key activities that will help partners accelerate the expansion of apprenticeship programs may include the development of industry-approved, competency-based curricula for both educational or instructional training, and paid, work-based learning components; the creation of competency-based occupational standards for a particular industry sector or occupation, including industry-issued, nationally recognized, portable credentials related to the applicant’s targeted industry and/or occupation(s) (hereinafter “industry-recognized credentials” and described further in Section I.E. Program Activities/Allowable Activities) 6; the development of appropriate quality assurance and data systems and processes to ensure the consistency and quality of the new apprenticeship programs; and outreach to a range of small- and medium-sized businesses to expand apprenticeships broadly within industry sectors.

To enlarge the field of apprenticeship sponsors, we intend for this grant program to raise the visibility of apprenticeship as an effective and innovative post-secondary education and training pathway. In parallel, these efforts are meant to increase industry confidence in the model. As a result, we expect that this infusion of public funds will increase the willingness of the private sector to further invest in apprenticeships as a model to close the skills gap within specific industry sectors and/or occupations. To accelerate the realization of this goal, we are requiring that the public-private partnerships funded under this FOA secure a 45 percent match, as discussed in Section III.B. Cost Sharing or Matching.

In addition to expanding the reach of apprenticeships by increasing the number of employers willing to sponsor them, this grant program aims to ensure a sustained, rich supply of talent for apprenticeship programs over the long term. Thus, additional efforts are needed to expand the pool of workers who see apprenticeships as a well-respected training opportunity that is available to them. Grant-funded projects should strive to increase apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans, focusing particularly on veterans, military spouses, transitioning service members, and underrepresented populations in apprenticeship, including women, people of color, and ex-offenders.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

The Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gaps grant 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. 3224a). 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.

C. TARGET INDUSTRIES

6 For more information on credentials, see ETA Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 15-10, “Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System,” particularly Attachment 2, “Credential Reference Guide,” at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2967.

The Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gaps grant program will fund projects that expand apprenticeships to industries in which apprenticeships may traditionally be unavailable or underrepresented by providing apprenticeship training that leads to well-paying, middle- and high-skilled jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries and occupations. While program participants do not need to have those skill levels to enter the apprenticeship programs, the grant projects must be set up to help move apprentices along a career pathway to earn the education and paid work-based learning experience that will result in employment in middle-and high-skilled jobs.

To help American industry reduce the need for skilled foreign workers under the H-1B visa program, applicants must design their apprenticeship programs to target one of the following:

Option 1: Occupations in an H-1B industry – Applicants may choose to expand apprenticeships in an H-1B industry. An H-1B industry is an industry in which the Department has certified H-1B visas for occupations in that industry. The list of H-1B industries that are acceptable for applications is found in Appendix A. These industries are the information technology (IT) and IT-related industries, health care, and advanced manufacturing. Applicants may propose occupations across one or more H-1B industries, target multiple occupations within an H-1B industry, or narrow their focus to a specific occupation within an H-1B industry.

If using Option 1, applicants that do not clearly identify they are serving one of the H-1B industries identified in Appendix A will be found non-responsive and will not be considered.

Option 2: H-1B occupations – Applicants may choose to target a specific H-1B occupation(s) for which a significant number of H-1B visas have been certified, even if that occupation is not in one of the identified H-1B industries listed in Appendix A. If this occupation is not within the H-1B industries identified in Appendix A, the application must provide data showing that the H-1B occupation is one for which a significant number of H-1B visas have been certified. Applicants must use verifiable data to make this demonstration, such as data provided by DOL’s Foreign Labor Certification Data Center. Applicants may propose to serve more than one H-1B occupation. The Department is particularly interested in expanding apprenticeships in cybersecurity and AI occupations.

If using Option 2, applicants that do not demonstrate they are proposing to serve an H-1B occupation and provide justification for a specific H-1B occupation(s) on the application will be found non-responsive and will not be considered.

D. GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

Applicants must identify the geographic scope of the proposed project. Applicants may choose one of the following geographic scopes: local/regional, statewide, or national. The geographic scope is the physical service area in which awarded applicants will serve participants.

• Local/regional means serving a part of one state or a contiguous area that includes multiple sites in a regional workforce area that may cross more than one state.

• Statewide means serving an entire state or multiple non-contiguous sites within one state.

• National means serving multiple states in multiple locations across the country. The service area does not need to be contiguous.

Applicants that demonstrate, in their abstract, that at least one census tract within their physical service area is designated by the Secretary of Treasury as a qualified Opportunity Zone will receive two points toward their overall application score. Applicants will not receive additional points for multiple Opportunity Zones within the proposed physical service area.

For more information on Opportunity Zones, go to:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/opportunity-zones-frequently-asked-questions.

Please be aware the IRS list provides the full 11-digit census tract number. Use the example below to identify your census tract number(s):

E. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES/ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES

The Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gaps grant program will expand apprenticeship opportunities within H-1B occupations and industry sectors, particularly those sectors that have not deployed apprenticeships on a large scale previously, and increase the number and types of workers participating as apprentices. Therefore, grant project activities will include establishing new apprenticeship programs or expanding existing apprenticeship programs, creating the training infrastructure/network to deploy the new programs, promoting apprenticeship programs on a local/regional, statewide, or national scale, and developing training activities for an expanded pool of individual apprentices in the newly certified or expanded programs.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/opportunity-zones-frequently

Applicants must design workforce development strategies that comprise all of the following activities:

1) Expanding existing apprenticeships or deploying a new apprenticeship program within an H-1B industry or for an H-1B occupation in a local/regional, statewide or national scope. This includes developing program standards, meeting quality standards, and obtaining promotion and adoption by a significant number of employers within the sector;

2) Recruiting a diverse and large number of apprentices for a robust workforce;

3) Offering earn-as-you-learn education and training models that prepare individuals to successfully move into middle- to high-skilled employment;

4) Engaging a wide array of employers, large and small, in the adoption and deployment of apprenticeships to greatly expand apprenticeship opportunities; and

5) Developing a system for reviewing, approving, collecting data from, and monitoring apprenticeship programs to assess the quality of the training standards, materials, and programs.

In addition, all applicants must provide outreach plans for promoting apprenticeship to a broad network of employers, including small employers. The outreach plans must demonstrate significant reach within the identified occupation(s) or industry sector(s). Applicants must also provide customer-focused and technical assistance supports to this network of employers to enable them to implement the new apprenticeship programs.

1. Deploying Apprenticeship Training

A central goal of this grant program is to catalyze the training of significant numbers of new apprentices. These apprentices may include unemployed individuals seeking entry or reentry into the workforce, underemployed workers in need of new skills and opportunities, incumbent workers who need to increase their skills to remain competitive, employed individuals who would like to transition to a career in an H-1B industry and/or occupation, and military service members who are transitioning to the civilian workforce.

DOL will fund apprenticeship training and supporting activities to ensure that the program(s) meet the needs of employers and apprentices. The characteristics of high-quality apprenticeship programs described in Section I. A. Program Purpose distinguish apprenticeship programs from other types of work-based learning. All apprenticeship programs funded through the grant program must include recognized standards of high-quality apprenticeship programs.

a) Allowable Training Activities

Applicants may use grant funds to support the following training and training-related activities:

1) Establish New Apprenticeship Programs

Appplicants may propose the development of new high-quality apprenticeship programs where an individual obtains workplace-relevant knowledge and skills that include both a paid, work-based learning component combined with an educational or instructional component. As an important indication of quality, programs must lead to an industry-recognized, portable credential. The educational or instructional component may also be designed to ensure that apprentices receive college credit for classroom or related instruction.

2) Expand Registered Apprenticeships Programs (RAPs)

Registered Apprenticeship Programs (29 CFR part 29) combine an educational or instructional component with a paid work-based learning component. 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 work-based learning and related instruction components, registered apprentices receive nationally recognized certificates of completion leading to long-term career opportunities. For more information on RAPs, please visit www.apprenticeship.gov.

3) Supportive Services

Grant funds may be used to provide some supportive services for training apprentices, up to 10 percent of grant funds. Supportive services are those necessary to enable an individual to participate in education and training activities funded through this grant program. Examples of such services may include transportation, childcare, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments. Grantees may fund supportive services through various means, including, but not limited to, providing the actual supportive service (e.g., childcare), providing apprentices with a voucher for the service (e.g., public transportation cards or tokens), or providing a stipend directly to the apprentice. See Section IV.E.5. Use of Funds for Supportive Services.

A wide range of activities may assist applicants in their efforts to deploy apprenticeship training, establish new apprenticeships, and/or expand existing apprenticeship programs.

Accordingly, applicants may propose to use grant funds to undertake additional activities designed to create an environment for apprenticeship expansion and training opportunities, including, but not limited to those listed in Section I.E.1b) and 1c) below:

b) Allowable Activities for Establishing New Apprenticeships

Applicants may use grant funds to support the following activities for establishing new apprenticeships:

http://www.apprenticeship.gov/

• Developing apprenticeship programs in the proposed geographic scope as described in Section I.D. Geographic Scope;

• Engaging employers in developing standardized or centralized training (such as online programs delivered by an education provider or trade association) to train mentors and other trainers who may be experts in their craft, but have limited experience teaching and mentoring novice workers;

• Developing competency-based apprenticeship standards for the proposed industry sector(s) or occupation(s) that include, at a minimum, the provision of industry-recognized credentials;

• Developing educational resources and training materials that could be used by community colleges, training providers, trade associations or individual companies to facilitate high-quality and consistent educational or instructional components - thus addressing one of the most significant barriers to apprenticeship program development.

ETA encourages applicants to leverage existing educational and instructional resources by adapting the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grantee resources and materials to align with industry standards. See Appendix B for links to a web tool for identifying TAACCCT grantees and an online repository of TAACCCT grantee materials;

• Developing new occupational standards, or leveraging existing occupational standards, that document the level of skill, education, and knowledge required in a range of occupations to achieve an apprenticeship credential. ETA encourages applicants to adopt or adapt the National Occupational Frameworks (NOFs), a set of voluntary, consensus-based apprenticeship standards that are approved by DOL and developed in partnership with employers and a range of other partners. While designed to support competency-based programs, the NOFs can easily be adapted to support time-based or hybrid programs as well. See Appendix C for a link to the NOFs on the Urban Institute’s web page;

• Conducting outreach to employers to expand apprenticeship broadly within the proposed industry sector(s) or occupation(s). Beyond training materials and models, businesses may receive technical assistance to deploy apprenticeship training;

• Establishing third-party review of apprenticeship standards, including educational materials, curriculum standards, and work-based learning standards to determine college credit equivalency through organizations such as the National College Credit Recommendation Service or the American Council on Education; and

• Developing a process or system for reviewing, approving, and collecting data from apprenticeship programs to assess the quality of the training standards, materials, and programs.

c) Allowable Activities that Support the Expansion of Apprenticeship Opportunity

• Updating existing curricula to meet the needs of employer partners;

• Tailoring apprenticeship-training activities for online or virtual application to meet the needs of apprentices;

• Developing outreach and promotion campaigns to support increased awareness of apprenticeships for employers, potential apprentices (particularly veterans, military spouses, transitioning service members, and underrepresented populations in apprenticeships, including women, people of color, and ex-offenders), educators, the general public, etc.;

• Recruiting eligible individuals;

• Developing career awareness materials;

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

• Hiring, assigning, or developing qualified instructors and subject matter experts (including the costs of salaries and benefits) to assist in the delivery of new curricula;

• Using subject matter experts from industry, apprenticeship, education, labor, or other areas to assist in updating, replicating, or customizing existing industry-recognized curricula to support educational or instructional components;

• Developing articulation agreements with universities and other educational partners that allow for recognition of apprenticeship training toward college credit;

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

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

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

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

• Leveraging and aligning existing Federal resources to ensure that efforts can move from planning to implementation to sustainability; and

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

Applicants should also refer to Section VI. Award Administration Information for a list of relevant regulations and guidance related to cost principles, administrative, and other requirements that apply to this funding opportunity, and to Section IV.E. Funding Restrictions for a discussion of costs that are not allowable under this Announcement.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant. We expect availability of approximately $100 million to fund approximately 16 to 30 grants ranging from $500,000 to $6 million each based on the geographic scope of the project. You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $6 million. You must request funding that is commensurate with the geographic scope of the project proposed, as described below. Awards made under this Announcement are subject to the availability of Federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, we may use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this Announcement.

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 geographic scope of the project (see Figure 1 below). These minimum numbers are reflective of the number of apprentices to be served with grants funds combined with the 45 percent matching funds requirement. The intent of this grant investment is to provide apprenticeship training and partially offset the costs of training and services for apprentices. To successfully meet the minimum goal for apprentices served, applicants must secure matching funds in an amount equal to 45 percent of the total requested funds.

Applicants should identify cash and in-kind matched resources to meet the service and training needs of all apprentices served. This includes support from private sector investment funds (e.g., staff, time, services, products, and other non-cash resources matched from businesses, industry associations, labor organizations, or education and training providers). Matched resources are a critical component of the project design and applicants will be scored based on the strength of these matched resources, as described in Section III. B1. Matching Funds.

The number of apprentices served means those individuals who receive grant-funded and/or match-funded services in support of their apprenticeship training goals. Applicants must identify in the project narrative (described in more detail in Section IV.B.3.b) Expected Outcomes and Outputs) the number of apprentices to be served through the project, in alignment with the FOA-established goals based on the geographic scope of the project and the amount of funds requested. Only projects proposing a national geographic scope may request a funding level of $4 to $6 million. See Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Minimum Goals for Grant Apprentices Served During the Grant Period, Based on Funding Request7

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

FUNDING LEVEL

(H-1B Funds Requested + Required 45% Matching Funds)

MINIMUM

APPRENTICES

SERVED

Local/Regional Scale

Serving a part of one state, or a contiguous area that includes multiple sites in a regional workforce area that may cross more than one state.

or

Statewide Scale

Serving an entire state or multiple non-contiguous sites within a state.

or

National Scale

Serving multiple states in multiple locations across the country. The service area does not need to be contiguous.

$500,000 (+ $225,000 match) to $1,000,000 (+ $450,000 match) 800

$1,000,001(+ $450,001 match) to $2,000,000 (+ $900,000 match) 1,600

$2,000,001(+ $900,001 match) to $4,000,000 (+ $1,800,000 match ) 3,200

National Scale

Serving multiple states in multiple locations across the

$4,000,001 (+ $1,800,001 match) to $6,000,000 (+ $2,700,000 match) 5,000+

7 The minimum goals, listed above in Figure 1, identify the minimum number of apprentices the project must serve during the grant period, based on the applicant’s requested funding amount. These are the minimum numbers of apprentices to be served through the grant, and applicants are strongly encouraged to serve more than the minimum thresholds. Applicants must propose apprentice targets that are based on the FOA requirements and that are appropriate for the geographic scope of their proposed project.

country. The service area does not need to be contiguous.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is 48 months with an anticipated start date of February 1, 2020.

This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. These activities include: promoting apprenticeship programs within the targeted H-1B industry and/or occupation(s) on a local/regional, statewide, or national scale; developing or expanding training activities for apprentices; providing training to apprentices; and follow-up for tracking and reporting performance outcomes. We expect hiring appropriate grant project personnel and undertaking start-up activities will begin immediately and expect that grantees will begin enrolling apprentices no later than nine months after the date of grant award. For those applicants that propose a national scope for their project, we also expect that applicants will begin to expand their apprenticeship program nationally, at least by the beginning of the fourth year of the grant. We strongly encourage applicants to develop their project work plans and timelines accordingly. Grantees must plan to fully expend grant funds during the period of performance.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

In keeping with the authority provided by Congress under ACWIA, grants under this program will be awarded to an apprenticeship partnership of public and private sector entities. Grants will be awarded to the lead applicant of an apprenticeship partnership, which will serve as the grantee and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant. The apprenticeship partnership must 1) include as lead applicant an institution of higher education (IHE), or an institution of higher education representing a consortium of IHEs, or a state system of higher education, such as a community college system office or a single state higher educational board; or a nonprofit trade, industry, or employer association; labor union; labor-management organization and 2) include representatives of each of the required partner entities, which collectively form the “apprenticeship partnership.” The apprenticeship partnership, including the lead applicant, must include public and private sector entities;

otherwise the application will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered or reviewed. Applications that do not have an institution of higher education (IHE) or an institution of higher education representing a consortium of IHEs or a single state higher educational board as the lead entity, and the required public and private partners, or a nonprofit trade, industry, or employer association, labor union, labor management organization will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered or reviewed. An entity cannot serve as more than one type of required partner for the purpose of meeting FOA requirements.

The requirement for a private sector partner is described in Section III.A.2.a)1) Required Partner(s), Employer Partner(s).

1. Eligible Lead Applicant Entities

This funding opportunity is open to all eligible applicants as identified below. The following organizations are eligible to apply as a lead applicant:

For the purposes of this FOA, the lead applicant in the apprenticeship partnership are an institution of higher education (IHE), or an IHE representing a consortium of IHEs, as defined in Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); or a state system of higher education, such as a community college system office or a single state higher educational board; or a nonprofit trade, industry or employer association; labor unions; labor-management organizations8. Applications that do not include a lead applicant that meets the eligibility requirements of one of the types of entities mentioned above will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

To be eligible for inclusion in the apprenticeship partnership, a lead applicant that is an IHE must be accredited, by the closing date of this FOA and remain so throughout the entity’s performance in this grant program, 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 are two-year and four-year colleges and universities, including institutions that serve minorities (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, or others designated by the U.S. Department of Education at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html).

Lead applicants must identify their institution type in Section 9 of the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance. A lead applicant that is an IHE must submit documentation as an attachment verifying that it is an institution of higher education accredited by an agency that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants that do not provide this documentation will be considered non-responsive.

8 Trade, industry, or employer associations, also known as industry trade groups, business associations, sector associations, or industry bodies, are nonprofit organizations founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry.

Please note that all elements of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards) and 2 CFR Part 2900 (DOL’s Supplement to 2 CFR Part 200) apply to any entity that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient, including for-profit organizations. This includes the monitoring and the examination of their records. In addition, the entity may not earn or keep any profit resulting from Federal financial assistance.

a) Role of Lead Applicant

In the required Abstract (see Section IV.B.4. Attachments to the Project Narrative), you must clearly identify the lead applicant and each member of the apprenticeship partnership.

The lead applicant will serve as the grantee, 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 an evaluation and other studies, if selected by DOL; and 7) the entity responsible for working with DOL to close out the grant.

2. Apprenticeship Partnership

The applicant must identify and include the required partners listed below, and represents both public and private partner institutions. Those organizations collectively form the “apprenticeship partnership,” and demonstrate strong engagement of the required partners necessary to expand apprenticeships.