FOA-ETA-23-13.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: Critical Sector Job Quality Grants

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-23-13

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.280

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is 07/17/2023. We must receive applications no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

Submit all applications in response to this solicitation through https://www.grants.gov. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.

This FOA has two closing dates. We must receive your application by 7/17/2023 for the first open period. Based on the availability of funds, a second period will open on 04/01/2024 and close on 07/01/2024. See Section II. Award Information for more information on the first and second open periods.

A pre-recorded Prospective Applicant Webinar and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document will be available on or around 05/31/2023 at:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

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

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. WEB-BASED RESOURCES

B. INDUSTRY COMPETENCY MODELS AND CAREER CLUSTERS

C. WORKFORCEGPS RESOURCES

D. SKILLSCOMMONS RESOURCES

IX. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

APPENDIX A: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

APPENDIX B: KEY DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX C: EXAMPLE APPROACHES TO SUPPORT GOOD JOBS PRINCIPLES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $15,000,000 in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) sec. 169(c) and appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103, Div. H) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328, Div. H) for carrying out Demonstration and Pilot projects related to the employment and training needs of new entrants to the workforce, dislocated workers, and incumbent workers for the Critical Sectors Job Quality Grant Program.

The purpose of this demonstration program is to support transformative efforts to improve job quality and availability of good jobs, particularly for the benefit of historically marginalized populations and communities that have experienced barriers to employment in good jobs. The primary focus of these demonstration grants is expanding job quality in the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors. These demonstration grants will do so through industry-led, worker-centered sector strategies built through labor-management partnerships. The projects funded by these grants will be centered on the needs of workers—designing training models and providing training that promotes equity, job quality, and worker voice.

Applicants must submit projects that connect workers to good jobs as described in the Good Jobs Principles, a shared federal vision of job quality published in June 2022 by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce. Generally, these Principles describe safe, stable, and well-paying jobs that allow workers the opportunity to organize. You can read the full Principles here.

Projects under this announcement will fund both short-term capacity-building planning grants to support initial convening and strategizing for future impacts as well as longer-term implementation grants that will use existing sector partnerships to directly impact job quality within the chosen sector. Both grant types will develop a strategic plan that centers around four core elements: a job quality strategy, the use of strategic partnerships, industry-driven workforce development, and worker voice and engagement. Tier 1 planning grants will be up to $500,000 for an 18-month period of performance; Tier 2 implementation grants will fund 36-month projects ranging from $500,000 to $3,000,000.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

The purpose of the Critical Sectors Job Quality Grant Program is to expand job quality in the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors (described more fully in Section C. Target Industries and Occupations). These sectors represent a cross-section of occupations that are critical to our economy’s continued growth and vitality (care and climate resiliency), and a sector that provides income and support for the most marginalized populations and which was https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles devastated by the pandemic and continues to struggle to rebound (hospitality). These sectors are vital to the future of work and the American people, but they historically provide jobs at the lower end of the pay scale with few benefits, fewer worker protections, and less stability in scheduling and terms of employment. To improve working conditions in these sectors, this grant program will develop evidence-based workforce strategies that provide employers a pathway to improve employment in these sectors, with a particular focus on workers in underrepresented populations that have faced social, economic, and other barriers to jobs with higher-quality working conditions. Applicants must propose projects that fit in one of two tiers—smaller planning grants or larger implementation grants—both of which require strong partnerships with industry, labor, and local economic leaders.

Good jobs are the foundation of an equitable economy that lifts all workers and families and makes U.S. businesses and the economy more competitive. Good jobs create attractive opportunities that bring skilled workers into the labor market, and many companies recognize that providing quality jobs make them an employer of choice, which is a clear competitive advantage when it comes to recruitment, retention, and the execution of a company’s mission.

Historically low unemployment has increased employer competition for talent. Improving job quality better positions employers to retain the workers they have now. Creating more equitable pathways for underrepresented populations enables employers to reach into untapped talent pools to find the workers they need.

In January 2022, the Biden Administration announced the Good Jobs Initiative, led by the Department of Labor, to provide critical information to workers, employers, and government entities as they seek to improve job quality and create access to good jobs – free from discrimination and harassment – for all workers and job seekers. [1] Foundational to this initiative are the Good Jobs Principles, jointly identified by the Departments of Commerce and Labor. [2]

Good jobs, for the purposes of this grant program, include those that align with the eight Good Jobs Principles, described below:

i. Recruitment and Hiring. Employers that prioritize good jobs are intentional in their recruitment and hiring activities. They actively recruit applicants from underserved communities, in recruitment drives designed to ensure equal opportunity as set forth under applicable nondiscrimination requirements. Further, applicants are evaluated using skills-based requirements, which may include nontraditional pathways and an emphasis on prior experience. Applicants and employees with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations, as appropriate. When offering good jobs, employers do not require excessive—as defined by industry and occupational standards—educational, credentialing, and experience requirements.

ii. Benefits. Employers that prioritize good jobs provide both full- and part-time workers with family-sustaining benefits. These include, but are not limited to, health insurance, retirement plans, workers’ compensation benefits, equal access to remote and telework work opportunities, and family benefits (such as paid leave and caregiving supports).

Further, workers are empowered and encouraged to use those benefits.

iii. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). All workers in a good job are respected, empowered, and treated fairly. DEIA is a core value in the workplace, and individuals from underserved populations (i.e., those adversely affected by persistent poverty, discrimination, or inequality) must not face systemic barriers to advancement.

Workers in a good job also receive any necessary disability accommodations without difficulties or additional barriers.

iv. Empowerment and Representation. Workers can form and join unions and can engage in protected activity without fear of retaliation. Workers contribute to decisions about their work and organizational direction. Workers are informed of their rights and ways to resolve any issues that may develop on the job.

v. Job Security and Working Conditions. Workers have a safe, healthy, and accessible workplace, built on input from workers and their representatives. Workers have job security without arbitrary or discriminatory discipline or dismissal. Workers also have adequate hours and predictable schedules. Workers are also free from harassment, discrimination, and retaliation at work, including at a minimum complying with EEO regulations. Finally, workers are properly classified under applicable laws; temporary or contractor labor solutions are minimized.

vi. Organizational Culture. All workers belong, are valued, contribute meaningfully to the organization, and are respected. This may be facilitated via strategies such as regular feedback sessions where workers can communicate with responsive, engaged leadership, through a transparent Human Resources infrastructure including processes for sharing concerns.

vii. Pay. All workers are paid a stable and predictable living wage, as determined by the local area cost of living, before overtime, tips, and commissions. Workers’ pay is fair, transparent, and equitable (i.e., workers with similar skills and experience are paid the same wage for the same work). Workers’ wages grow commensurate with increased skills and experience.

viii. Skills and Career Advancement. Workers have equitable opportunities and tools to progress to future jobs. Workers have transparent promotion or advancement opportunities. Workers have access to high-quality occupational training, such as on-the-job training (OJT), and continuing education opportunities. [3]

Project Tiers

Projects under this announcement will fund both short-term capacity-building planning grants and longer-term implementation grants. Recognizing the capacity building that may be needed to form new partnerships and undertake new activities, potentially in new industry sectors, ETA will fund projects through two separate tiers of funding. The first tier allows for initial planning activities to build capacity for addressing job quality, while the second tier will invest in implementation activities for more established and mature partnerships or intermediaries to expand or scale well-established models. Both tiers require strong partnerships to develop industry-led, worker-centered sector strategies which incorporate the core elements described below.

1. Tier 1: Developing New Partnerships and Programs (Planning Grants)

This tier will provide smaller grants (Up to $500,000 for 18 months) to support the formation of worker-centered sector partnerships in local or regional economic areas to design workforce strategies to enhance equity and job quality within the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors.

2. Tier 2: Launching Effective Worker-Centered Sector Strategy Programs (Implementation Grants)

This tier will provide larger grants ($500,000 to $3 million for 3 years) to invest in established partnerships that have a proven history of implementing sector strategies and are ready to implement specific worker-centered sector strategies that will improve job quality within the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors.

Core Elements

The Critical Sectors Job Quality Grant program builds on evidence-based models for worker-centered sector partnerships (such as California’s High Road Training Partnerships) that have identified key elements that have led to successful outcomes. [4] [5] Central to these models are strong partnerships that involve both industry and worker voice in developing strategies for improving job quality. The Department of Labor is requiring applicants to address “core elements” across these models in their plans to help funded projects accomplish the goals for the Critical Sectors Job Quality Grant program. The four core elements that both tiers of applicants must address are described below: Job Quality Strategy; Strategic Partnerships; Industry-driven Workforce Development; and Worker Voice and Engagement.

1. Job Quality Strategy

A good job helps workers achieve economic stability and mobility, while prioritizing equity and worker voice. Applicants will need to demonstrate how they are integrating the Good Jobs Principles into their workforce strategies, including training design, employer partnerships, and supportive services. All applicants must select at least two of the Good Jobs Principles they will focus on during the grant period; applicants may address more than two and it is the goal of this grant program that successful applicants will continue to address job quality, furthering all eight principles, through post-grant sustainability planning. Examples of approaches to address the Good Jobs Principles, which are meant to be illustrative rather than prescriptive, can be found in Appendix C. Applicants must explain why they chose those Good Jobs Principles and how the chosen principles align with the identified workforce needs within the selected critical sector. For Tier 1 applicants, the Department acknowledges that the two principles selected may be preliminary and that applicants may revisit the chosen principles during their planning grant. Tier 2 applicants — those ready to implement a job quality strategy — must describe that strategy and indicate what activities they will undertake to make progress on at least two of the Good Jobs principles. This includes describing how the employers within the partnership will commit to specific actions that increase job quality as defined by the chosen Good Jobs Principles. Key foundational resources for workforce system partners, policymakers, and practitioners are the Department’s Good Jobs Initiative site (https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs) and the Department’s Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL 07-22), Increasing Employer and Workforce System Customer Access to Good Jobs. Helpful non-government resources on job quality include materials published by the Aspen Institute’s Job Quality Center of Excellence, The Families and Workers’ Fund, Results for America, and The Good Jobs Institute.

An important part of the job quality strategy is the identification of the target industry sector and related occupations applicants will be working to improve. Applicants must provide evidence, or an evidence-informed hypothesis and rationale, that proposed activities will lead to improved access to and attainment of good jobs for historically marginalized populations and communities, https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2022/TEGL%2007-22/TEGL%2007-22%20%28Accessible%20PDF%29.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2022/TEGL%2007-22/TEGL%2007-22%20%28Accessible%20PDF%29.pdf file:///C:/Users/smith.jenn/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Word/aspeninstitute.org/programs/job-quality-center-of-excellence/ https://familiesandworkers.org/job-quality-report/ https://jobquality.results4america.org/ https://goodjobsinstitute.org/what-is-a-good-job/ including changes in the quality of jobs offered by the employer partners. Any job quality strategy must also provide baseline data on the current state of job quality in the identified sector within the target region, as it relates to the Good Jobs Principles. In addressing the job quality strategy, applicants must describe how they will work with employers and other partners to ensure the jobs for which their programs will train participants will result in jobs that have higher job quality than typical in the industry.

Additionally, applicants must consider end goals for the job quality strategy from the beginning.

ETA expects both Tier 1 (planning) and Tier 2 (implementation) applicants will effectively identify and describe the expected end state for job quality at the end of the grant period of performance. This means that applicants must carefully consider what milestones and metrics will be necessary to track and assess the effectiveness of the job quality strategy; this is particularly important for this grant program, as ETA is interested in learning more on how to effectively measure job quality and job quality improvement. While the applicant is responsible for defining these milestones and metrics and they will look different for Tier 1 and Tier 2 grantees, below are some metrics and descriptions that may be beneficial to consider in developing the expected outputs and outcomes (see Section IV.B.3.b) for these grants. Please note, Tier 2 grantees will be expected to submit WIOA performance data, which includes the following:

Credential Attainment Employment Rate 2nd and 4th quarter after participant exit Median Wage 2ndquarter after participant exit Measurable Skill Gains

More information about WIOA performance reporting can be found at the WIOA performance Indicators and Measures website. Additionally, TEGL 14-18, Aligning Performance Accountability Reporting, Definitions, and Policies Across Workforce Employment and Training Programs Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), provides additional context and performance indicator definitions for WIOA. ETA will provide relevant technical assistance, as needed, for grantees. More information on reporting can be found below.

Grantee performance for Tier 1 may include qualitative and quantitative milestones and measures, which will be reported on the Quarterly Narrative Report (QNR), related to these:

How has the grantee included worker voice in the planning of programs? This will be measured via qualitative description.

How many employers are included in the planning of programs? How were they involved in the design of the program?

What strategies is the grantee using to address barriers facing marginalized populations in the target sector?

What metrics for success has the grantee identified for this program? For example, in what ways did employer partners in the grant plan for changes to increase job quality as a defined by the chosen Good Jobs Principles, e.g., increased wages, adjusted worker schedules to be more predictable, added benefits to work compensation, developed mechanisms for worker voice within the business, or addressed a specific DEIA barrier in the workplace?

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/performance/performance-indicators https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/performance/performance-indicators

Grantee performance for Tier 2 may include qualitative and quantitative milestones and measures, which will be reported through both the QNR and a Quarterly Performance Report (QPR), such as these:

How many individuals were enrolled in a training program as a component of this project? This is a required performance measure in WIOA and will be reported via QPR.

How many individuals from historically underserved communities, as defined by the application, were enrolled in a training program as a component of this project? This will be reported via QPR.

How many individuals enrolled in the program entered employment in the identified sector at above-average wages? Average wages are determined by local economic factors and should be defined for the targeted occupations within the state in which the local or regional economic area exists.

How many exiters that enter the workforce in a related industry indicate they have entered a good job, as defined by the Good Jobs Framework? This information may be determined via post-exit services or surveys.

What metrics for success has the grantee identified for this program? For example, in what ways did employer partners in the grant adopt changes to increase job quality as defined by a specific Good Jobs Principle, e.g., increased wages, adjusted worker schedules to be more predictable, added benefits to work compensation, developed mechanisms for worker voice within the business, or addressed a specific DEIA barrier in the workplace?

2. Strategic Partnerships

Strategic partnerships are the foundation for successful worker-centered sector strategies and are therefore essential for developing and implementing a job quality strategy. Both tiers of this FOA require robust partnerships incorporating the core elements into their design. All applicants must, at minimum, establish partnerships in the target sector with each of the following:

State or local workforce boards or tribes or tribal nonprofits Labor or worker organizations, and Industry representatives.

Other partners may be invaluable to this work as well, even if they are not required. These organizations could provide proven practices that create good jobs and economic mobility and offer effective strategies for reaching underrepresented and historically marginalized individuals.

Such partners include education and training providers and community-based organizations, including nonprofits that are affiliated with or experts in the target sectors (care, climate resiliency, and hospitality) or that provide service delivery to individuals from historically marginalized populations and communities, including people with disabilities among others.

Accordingly, while not required, all applicants must describe how they plan to identify and convene such partners in a thoughtful and strategic manner.

Tier-Specific Partnership Requirements

Robust partnerships are not only helpful to implementing the grant, but also in sustaining activities beyond the grant period of performance.

Tier 1 applicants may use their funds to help establish their partnerships, although required partners must be identified at the time of application.

Tier 2 applicants must have already formed partnerships at the time of their grant application, allowing DOL to invest in these projects knowing that infrastructure is in place to maximize the effectiveness of federal funds.

Engagement to Support Equity Ensuring that these partnerships reach and engage with historically marginalized populations and communities is key. Some strategies to ensure this engagement include:

Identifying Minority Business Enterprises, Minority-Owned Businesses, Woman-Owned Businesses, Veteran-Owned Businesses, Disabled-Owned Businesses, tribal employers, and small businesses to include as employer partners;

Collaborating with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), which include Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Native American Non-Tribal Institutions (NANTIs), Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHI), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) as education and training partners;

Identifying optional partners that work with specific historically marginalized populations, such as women, people of color, Native Americans, justice-impacted individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other populations with employment barriers that hinder movement into career pathways leading to good jobs; and

Engaging with Civil Rights Organizations, community-based organizations, and worker organizations to identify, recruit, and serve historically marginalized populations and communities, as well as to collaboratively address training needs and to identify on-the-job peer mentors. These organizations can include labor unions and organizations, labor-management partnerships, worker centers and organizations that represent workers in the identified industries or sectors.

3. Industry-Driven Workforce Development

Industry and employer representation are central to the success of this sector strategy. Meeting current workforce and talent needs assures participants can find good jobs at the conclusion of their program. However, perhaps the most important role employer partnerships will play in this project is securing employer commitments to improving job quality in their sectors and taking concrete steps toward doing so. Employers engaged in the initiative must be committed to and supported in making specific changes to the quality of the jobs they offer. Through worker-centered industry sector partnerships, employers collectively develop strategies to address their own workforce challenges. This approach builds sustainable job quality improvements that support recruitment of workers from historically marginalized populations and communities, increase worker retention, train workers in skills that can advance them in career pathways, and assure an agile workforce prepared to meet immediate and future workforce needs.

In forming industry and employer partnerships:

Tier 1 applicants must demonstrate the methods by which they will identify collective workforce needs in partnership with industry, and the initial work that will be undertaken by the sector partnership to identify potential education and training strategies that will support good jobs.

Tier 2 applicants must provide evidence that the jobs for which their projects will train participants are good jobs as defined by the Good Jobs Principles selected for this project.

In doing so:

o Tier 2 applicants must demonstrate the methods by which their existing partnerships identify the collective workforce needs. They must also describe how industry partners will inform the education and training program design necessary to develop the skills aligned with good jobs and career pathway advancement to meet industry demand.

o Tier 2 applicants also must identify and deliver the training and education needed for workers to enter good jobs, particularly those workers from historically marginalized populations and communities.

o Tier 2 applicants must demonstrate that their work draws from evidence-based training approaches that combine academic learning with work-based training activities, such as the use of Registered Apprenticeships, paid internships, and on-the-job training.

o Tier 2 applicants must identify and demonstrate how they will provide needed supportive services for participants to complete the grant program and successfully obtain good jobs.

o Tier 2 applicants must describe how they will sustain the initial job quality improvements achieved, as well as furthering additional dimensions of job quality to eventually address all eight Good Jobs Principles.

4. Worker Voice and Engagement

Workers and worker organizations are essential members of the job quality strategy, and their input and engagement are key components of the Good Jobs Principles. The vision of job quality described in the Good Job Principles emphasizes that workers should be partners in the workplace, with employers valuing their input on working conditions and allowing them to exercise their right to organize if they so choose.

Applicants for both Tiers must demonstrate how they are embedding worker voice into these grant projects including by engaging worker organizations during the initial grant proposal development phase to align the program design with worker needs and affirming protection of workers’ rights (including their right to freely and fairly organize unions and collectively bargain). Building on the initial grant proposal, successful applicants must describe efforts to ensure ongoing engagement of workers and worker organizations throughout the project.

Both Tier 1 and 2 applicants must identify worker organizations in the targeted sector or occupation and strive to include perspectives from historically marginalized populations in the target service area. Additionally:

Tier 1 applicants will document how worker perspectives have influenced or will influence the strategic planning process for their new partnership.

Tier 2 applicants must demonstrate how worker voice and engagement is strategically a central component or aspect of the grant project, from initial program design, identification of key job quality principles that should be targeted, and the use of workers for training design. The applicant also must show how worker engagement provides feedback and evaluation of the grant efforts toward meeting its outcomes.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

The funding for these grants is authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) sec. 169(c) and appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L.

117-103, Div. H) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328, Div. H) for carrying out Demonstration and Pilot projects related to the employment and training needs of new entrants to the workforce, dislocated workers, and incumbent workers.

C. TARGET INDUSTRIES AND OCCUPATIONS

The Critical Sectors Job Quality Grants will fund demonstration projects that aim to improve job quality and availability of good jobs in the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors.

Applicants must clearly identify one industry sector on which to focus.

The Critical Sectors Job Quality Grants will target the following industry sectors:

Care

The care sector encompasses occupations that support home care (also known as direct care or elder care), direct support services related to employment, and childcare. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated worker shortages in these fields — childcare, healthcare, and home care workers (including direct support professionals providing employment-related supports) burnt out from increasingly demanding working conditions during the pandemic that were not matched with family-sustaining wages, leading to record resignations in these professions. [6] [7] [8]

Limited care options for children, older adults, and family members with disabilities push women out of the workplace, as care responsibilities continue to disproportionately fall on women. [9] A June 2022 survey found that nearly 40 percent of female caregivers surveyed either quit their jobs or reduced their hours or work responsibilities due to the pandemic. [10] At the same time, our economy depends on a robust care sector. Absent action to address these care sector worker shortages, “the U.S. will lose about $290 billion a year in GDP in 2030 and beyond” due to the dual issues of lost wages from potential care sector workers and reduced labor force participation (disproportionately for women) as workers are forced to reduce their work hours or drop out of the labor force to provide care for family members. [11]

Jobs in the care sector are sorely needed but undervalued and of poor quality. There are approximately 1.8 million vacancies for jobs in the care sector (a 15% vacancy rate), but average hourly pay of $14 per hour and poor benefits make it difficult to recruit individuals into these positions. [12] Those workers who do work in the care sector are disproportionately women of color [13], further exacerbating historical inequities for these individuals. The need for quality jobs in this sector is clear. By 2060, there will be twice as many adults over the age of 65 than in 2016, and projections indicate that there will be 8 million long-term care job openings over the next decade. [14] As we continue to recover from the pandemic, the United States must strengthen its care sector by improving job quality, in order to build back this critical sector workforce. The focus on this sector also supports Executive Order 14095, Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers.

Climate Resiliency https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/04/18/executive-order-on-increasing-access-to-high-quality-care-and-supporting-caregivers/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/04/18/executive-order-on-increasing-access-to-high-quality-care-and-supporting-caregivers/

Climate resiliency as a sector supports the ability to anticipate, prepare for or mitigate, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to climate; it includes occupations related to engineering (energy and solar), emergency management, atmospheric and hydrological sciences, and sustainable and renewable construction. These efforts are sometimes in the energy communities that are diversifying their economies away from solely fossil fuels towards clean energy and a broader array of sectors. As those communities undergo economic adjustment, the focus on job quality becomes even more important to ensure economic stability and growth.

This grant, which focuses on improving job quality, can focus on those occupations within the climate resiliency sector that may currently offer low wages, no or poor benefits, or few worker protections. For instance, the climate resiliency sector also includes occupations associated with the immediate after-effects of an emergency, such as hazardous materials removal, debris removal, firefighting, and construction labor and demolition, which have a higher potential of danger and risk to workers.

Earth’s climate is changing and will continue to change, the results of which we are already beginning to see through rising temperatures, increased frequency and intensity of precipitation, and increased coastal flooding. [15] Climate change negatively impacts the job quality and safety of many types of workers, such as those who work outside in agriculture and construction during extreme weather, warehousing and manufacturing workers who often work in poorly ventilated enclosed spaces, and emergency response workers in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters and catastrophes. [16] Increased natural disasters and extreme weather events will also create an increased need for individuals who work to prevent, mitigate, and respond to these events. These are necessary but dangerous jobs, which the Department seeks to make safer and more rewarding while also supporting an equitable transition to clean energy that does not leave the most vulnerable populations behind. This grant program supports the Biden Administration’s commitment to improving our country’s resilience to the impacts of climate change and efforts to mitigate further climate change. [17] [18]

Hospitality

The hospitality sector encompasses a broad category of occupations within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, travel, and tourism. Hospitality was another industry that was disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 574,000 long-tenured leisure and hospitality workers were displaced from their jobs between 2019 and 2021, which accounted for nearly half of the increase in displaced workers during that time period. [19] However, the leisure and hospitality sector is projected to grow over the next decade. Between 2021 and 2031, 23.1 percent—nearly one-quarter—of all new jobs are expected to be in the leisure and hospitality sector. [20] Despite this demand for hospitality workers, hourly wages for these workers are significantly lower than the average for all employees ($20.64 per hour for hospitality workers, compared to $32.82 per hour for private sector workers at large). [21] Additionally, hospitality occupations have much less work schedule stability than other sectors, with three in four leisure and hospitality workers knowing their schedule less than a month in advance, and more often, less than two weeks in advance. [22]

Applicants for both Tiers must identify which of these three critical sectors they will focus on for this grant project. Tier 2 applicants must outline specific occupations within that industry, which currently are marked by low job quality, that will be part of the job quality strategy and training model for their proposed project. The Department may take diversity of sectors represented in grants when making final award determinations. See Section IV.B.1. Merit Review and Selection Process for more information.

D. GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

The geographic scope is the physical service area in which awarded applicants will serve participants. Applicants must identify the geographic scope of the proposed project. All applicants must focus their worker-centered sector strategy on a local or regional economic area that encompasses both the economic region of the target sector, as well as the laborshed of the workers. The identified service area should be tied to not just economic factors but also should align with the historically marginalized populations and communities that are the target population for these grants.

Economic regions are defined primarily by the movement of goods, capital, labor, consumption, and other economic forces within a geographic area. Defining an economic region involves identifying the surrounding area, communities, counties, and municipalities that have similar industry and employment characteristics, looking beyond traditional political boundaries, and identifying the workforce needs of the identified areas and the populations that reside there.

While Tier 1 applicants must focus on a local or regional economic area for their initial sector strategy convening efforts, Tier 2 applicants may expand their existing sector strategy partnership to a broader region or to multiple local or regional areas, as long as the chosen sector is in-demand within the selected labor markets and the strategic local partners are participating in those regions.

E. PROGRAM DESIGN AND ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES

The Critical Sectors Job Quality Grants will support the planning and implementation of industry-led, worker-centered sector strategies that improve job quality and availability of good jobs in the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors—especially for the historically marginalized populations disproportionately employed in the in-demand but lower paid occupations within these sectors. Successful applicants for Tier 1 will address the goals of the grant program by designing their grant projects from a strategic level, such as describing their planned activities for convening sector partnerships, assessing the current state of job quality within the target sector and the related workforce needs within a specific geographic scope, and/or devising a comprehensive job quality training strategy. Successful Tier 2 applicants will address the goals of the grant program by designing their grant projects from both the strategic level and an operational level, such as incorporating in their plans how they will implement their comprehensive workforce strategy or deploy the training activities.

Tier 1: Developing New Partnerships and Programs (Planning Grants)

To support the development of local or regional worker-centered sector partnerships and to design workforce strategies to enhance equity and job quality within the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors, Tier 1 applicants may propose projects that include, but are not limited to, the following services or activities:

a. Convening Partners Identifying and convening partners in the care, climate resiliency, or hospitality sectors that are committed to improving job quality. For certain sectors, this can include other public agencies; for instance, in the care sector this can include state Medicaid, aging, disability, and childcare agencies.

Building relationships among partners and securing letters of commitment, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), or partnership agreements to form a worker-centered sector strategy partnership.

Identifying and recruiting worker representation to actively participate in the sector strategy partnership, including the initial grant project development.

b. Needs Assessment and Planning Soliciting feedback from employers to identify their needs (i.e., in-demand skills and credentials, job descriptions and roles, number and type of workers needed).

Soliciting feedback from worker organizations to ensure worker voice is at the center of the sector partnership. Note: The Department has resources that can help workers, employers, and other partners to better engage with and support worker voice and rights. As an example, the Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a workers’ rights resource page that provides key information to workers and employers on worker rights and protections. [23] More recently, the Department has launched the Worker Organizing Resource and Knowledge (WORK) Center to share resources and advocate for effective program models designed with worker voice in mind. [24]

Otherwise identifying workforce needs in a particular industry. For instance, applicants that target the care sector, and direct care occupations, can consult the resources within the Direct Care Workforce Capacity Building Center hosted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living.

Conducting community-based listening sessions within the service area to identify needs of both industry and workers.

Conducting an initial assessment of the economic region’s strengths and needs related to the target sector.

Defining key terms (what constitutes a “good job” in the service area) and identifying goals (i.e., secure commitments from 15 employers during the period of performance) for the purposes of the applicant’s sector strategy partnership.

Identifying potential tools and assets that can be used (i.e., employer incentives, Community Benefits Agreements, etc.) to encourage improved job quality.

Planning for sustainability of activities, including implementation of the job quality strategy, after the period of performance ends.

c. Designing Career Pathways Using Labor Market Information (LMI) to identify which occupations are most in-demand in the service area, understanding median wages and wage trajectories for those occupations, and determining which jobs are high-demand but low-quality. This data will inform the choice of target occupation(s).

Identifying which skills and credentials will be needed to inform subsequent training needs for occupations that meet the Good Jobs Principles.

Strategically planning how in-demand occupations within the targeted sector fit together along a career pathway that would allow an individual to enter and advance in the workforce, receiving continued wage progression and career advancement opportunity as skills and credential attainment increases. This can include, but is not limited to, the preparations for developing a Registered Apprenticeship program.

d. Other Capacity Building Activities o Hiring and/or training staff (including the costs of salaries and benefits) to assist in the development of a worker-centered sector strategy.

Tier 2: Launching Effective Worker-Centered Sector Strategy Programs (Implementation Grants)

To support established partnerships that are ready to implement worker-centered sector strategies that will improve job quality within the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors, Tier 2 applicants may propose projects that include, but are not limited to, the following services or activities:

a. Convening Partners Identifying and recruiting worker representatives to actively participate in the sector strategy partnership, including the initial grant project development.

Convening the sector partners on a routine basis to maintain and sustain partnership throughout the period of performance.

Engaging partners in the implementation of the grant activities from initial grant project development through training and employment of participants.

Developing partnership commitments to support long-term impacts for job quality within the identified sector, which may include the development of Community Benefit Agreements, Registered Apprenticeship programs, or providing robust supportive services that allow for training success. In the care sector, this may also include adjusting reimbursement rates for public payers.

Using data to assist employers with understanding their turnover costs and the return on investment from ensuring good jobs for their workforce.

b. Designing Career Pathways Using LMI to identify which occupations are most in-demand in the service area for the chosen targeted industry sector.

Identifying which skills and credentials will be needed to inform subsequent training needs for occupations that meet the Good Jobs Principles.

Strategically planning how in-demand occupations within the targeted sector fit together along a career pathway that would allow an individual to enter and advance in the workforce, receiving continued wage progression and career advancement opportunity as skills and credential attainment increases.

c. Training and Work-Based Learning Models

Assessing employers’ skilled workforce needs and current training alignment with occupations that support job quality. This may include developing Good Jobs Frameworks with employers to crosswalk worker needs with skill development to ensure training certifications will lead to good job opportunities.

Developing education and training curricula that are skills and competency-based, accessible and which align with in-demand industry certifications to support accelerated skill development and placement.

Developing evidence-based workforce training in the identified sector that supports the goals of the project and the Good Job Principles to be addressed by the project. The Department encourages applicants to review resources available on the Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research’s webpage for information on evidence-based workforce training. Some of the allowable training and work-based learning approaches include, but are not limited to:

o traditional classroom training;

o work-based learning such as on-the-job training, customized training programs, incumbent worker training, Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs), Pre-apprenticeship programs that articulate to RAPs, paid work experience and paid internships that lead to a recognized postsecondary credential, or other work experiences; or o competency-based and online training strategies.

Note: Applicants are encouraged to investigate existing training curricula and approaches, including those housed on the SkillsCommons website at www.skillscommons.org. However, if existing curricula or appropriate tools do not exist that align with, or meet the goals of, the proposed project, grant funds may be used to develop appropriate curricula.

d. Other Employment-Related Activities Examples of allowable employment-related services are those allowable basic and career services, which include, but are not limited to:

o In-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and development of individual employment plans; and o Career planning (that includes a career pathway approach), job coaching, and job matching services.

More information about allowable Title I basic and career services can be found in TEGL 19-16, which provides guidance on services provided through the Adult and Dislocated Worker formula programs.

e. Business Services Business services activities for this grant can include providing technical assistance to adapt business practices to increase job quality. This also can include supporting a business becoming a Registered Apprenticeship sponsor, exploring pay scale adjustments and benefit options, adjusting schedules to increase stability and predictability for workers, and providing training on responsibilities for worker safety and health, preventing and addressing harassment in the workplace, and promoting equal opportunity for all.

https://clear.dol.gov https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-19-16

f. Participant Supportive Services Supportive services are those activities or resources designed to provide a participant with the resources necessary to enable their participation in career and training services or to gain or retain good jobs. Grant recipients may offer supportive services to participants directly or through partner organizations, based upon the specific needs and focus of the project plan. Generally, supportive service strategies meet the specific needs of an individual and may include, but are not limited to:

o linkages to community services, including services offered by partner organizations designed to support grant participants;

o assistance with transportation;

o assistance with childcare and dependent care;

o assistance with housing;

o needs-based payments, which are financial assistance given to participants to ensure they are able to participate in the program or to obtain/retain employment;

o assistance with uniforms or other appropriate work attire and work-related tools, including such items as eye glasses and protective eye gear;

o assistance with laptops or tablets, books, fees, school supplies, and other necessary items for students enrolled in training, work-based learning, or other elements of…