FOA-ETA-24-12.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) Optional Demonstration Grants on Sector-Based Training for Low-Income Older Adult Workers

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-24-12

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.235

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is 06/10/2024. 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.

On September 12, 2023, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) hosted a Prospective Applicant Webinar (“New Demonstration Evaluation on Sector-Based Training for Low-Income Older Adult Workers”) for the SCSEP Demonstration Grant Awards funding opportunity, which will be competed concurrently with the SCSEP National Grants Competition for PY 2024. The webinar provided an overview of the SCSEP Sector-Based Training Demonstration Grants and gauged interest from potential applicants on their capacity to participate in the pilot evaluation. A pre-recorded copy of the webinar is available at the following link: https://www.workforcegps.org/events/2023/08/24/14/50/Preview-of-New- Evaluation-on-Sectoral-Training-for-Low-Income-Older-Adults. While review of this webinar is strongly encouraged to support successful grant applications, it is not mandatory for prospective applicants.

https://www.workforcegps.org/events/2023/08/24/14/50/Preview-of-New-Evaluation-on-Sectoral-Training-for-Low-Income-Older-Adults https://www.workforcegps.org/events/2023/08/24/14/50/Preview-of-New-Evaluation-on-Sectoral-Training-for-Low-Income-Older-Adults

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: Literature Review on Employment for Older Workers

APPENDIX B: Resources on Sector Strategies

APPENDIX C: Resources on Evidence-Informed Design Models

APPENDIX D: Suggested Project Abstract Format (Optional)

APPENDIX E: Examples of Good Jobs Principles for Program Design

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $19,000,000 in grant funds authorized by the Older Americans Act (OAA), as amended (42 U.S.C. § 3056 et seq.), for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (commonly referred to as “SCSEP”) Sector- Based Training for Older Workers Demonstration Grants.

Current SCSEP National grantees may apply for additional grant funds as part of a demonstration of sector-based training for older workers (Sector-Based Training for Older Workers Demonstration Grants, or Demonstration Grants), of which ETA plans to conduct a rigorous four-year evaluation study to measure the impact of industry- or sector-based training on employment outcomes for older workers.

This funding is authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act (OAA), as amended (42 U.S.C. § 3056 et seq.), for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (commonly referred to as “SCSEP”). The Department anticipates awarding up to six demonstration grants ranging from $2 million to $5 million to current SCSEP National grantees. Current SCSEP National grantees that apply for the optional Sector Training Demonstration Grants must be selected as an awardee in the PY 2024 SCSEP National Grant Competition to receive demonstration grant funding. Funding for the SCSEP Sector-Based Training for Older Workers Demonstration Grants will be referred to as “SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants” under this FOA.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program is a community service and work-based training program for older workers, providing subsidized, part-time, community service training for unemployed, low-income individuals aged 55 or older who have poor employment prospects.

Participants are placed in a wide variety of community service assignments (CSAs) at non-profit and public facilities where participants receive on-the-job training (OJT) from partner host sites.

The type of training and supportive services that grantees provide vary based on the needs and goals of individual participants, but in general, SCSEP grantees must have service delivery strategies that are designed to effectively prepare participants for placement into unsubsidized employment. The goal of the SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants is to measure the effectiveness of industry or sector-based training as a bridge to unsubsidized employment for older workers.

Separately, ETA announced the availability of approximately $312 million in grant funds authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act (OAA), as amended (42 U.S.C. § 3056 et seq.), for the SCSEP National Grants Competition for Program Year (PY) 2024. Additional information on the PY 2024 SCSEP National Grants competition is listed in a separate funding opportunity announcement, “FOA-ETA-24-11,” available at grants.gov/search-results-detail/352098. Applicants must successfully apply to the National Grant Competition to receive https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/352098 an award from this Demonstration Grant Competition. Applicants must submit separate applications for both competitions. Refer to the application instructions of both FOAs for specific due dates for each application.

The Department is committed to investing its funds to promote better working conditions for all workers. Accordingly, this funding opportunity requires applicants specifically address The Good Jobs Principles,[i] a shared federal vision of job quality describing the elements of a good job. Published in2022 by the Departments of Labor and Commerce, the Principles have informed billions of the generational investments made in communities through President Biden’s Invest in America Agneda. These Principles describe working conditions particularly important to older workers and their ability to thrive through employment, including competitive salaries, predictable schedules, benefits, and creating opportunities for inclusion, accessibility and career advancement.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is the only Federally sponsored employment and training program specifically targeting low-income older individuals who seek to enter or re-enter the workforce. SCSEP participants receive paid work experience at local public or non-profit agencies for approximately 20 hours per week while in community service assignments (CSAs), and other job training activities [42 U.S.C. § 3056(b)(1); 20 CFR part 641, subpart E] outlined in their Individual Employment Plan (IEP). CSAs are provided through a host agency and this type of training is generally offered at the workplace rather than in the classroom setting. The IEP clarifies participants’ goals, supportive services needs, and training(s) required in order to attain unsubsidized employment. The dual goals of the SCSEP program are to promote useful work experience opportunities through community service activities, and to move SCSEP participants into unsubsidized employment.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for optional SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants, to understand how sector-based occupational training provided to SCSEP participants can help low-income older adults increase their job-readiness, employment, and earnings in unsubsidized employment. The demonstration projects will provide sector-based occupational training, which includes a combination of career navigation, occupational training, and on-the-job training (OJT), and other services to eligible SCSEP participants interested in sector-based training. In general, SCSEP participants are low-income, older individuals who have poor employment prospects, who would benefit from unsubsidized employment in the public or private sector, and who are not job-ready[ii] (see section III.C.1 for the technical definition of eligible participants). While DOL does not generally expect that SCSEP applicants will lead or be part of a full-scale regional sector strategy, this FOA requires applicants to demonstrate that they will incorporate and embed key elements of worker-centered, sector-based training into their project design. Worker-centered sector strategies promote systems change and worker power to build an economy based on equity, skills, innovation, and shared prosperity.

Applicants should include the core principles of worker-centered sector-based training into their grant project design, including: 1) strategies for ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, both through the inclusion of targeted project partners that are primarily minority-serving (such as institutions of higher education, community-based organizations, and employer https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3056 partners), as well as by prioritizing recruitment, training, and retention of a workforce that is representative of the local community demographics, in particular historically marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented populations; 2) career pathways that lead to skill and wage progression; and 3) approaches for helping SCSEP participants move into high-quality jobs.

These core principles help ensure equitable access to in-demand, quality jobs that are responsive to local and regional employer needs. See additional information about the sector strategies implementation framework, including sector-based service delivery.

Only current SCSEP National grantees that apply for PY 2024 SCSEP National Grant funding are eligible to apply for a SCSEP Sector Demonstration Grant, and an applicant must receive a PY 2024 SCSEP National Grant to be awarded a SCSEP Demonstration Grant. Successful applicants under this FOA will receive funding to carry out a demonstration on sector-based training for older workers. Applicants must submit separate applications for both the PY 2024 SCSEP National Grant Competition (FOA-ETA-24-11) and the SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grant competition (FOA-ETA-24-12) to be considered for the Sector Training Demonstration Grant opportunity.

1. Overview of Funding Opportunity: SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants

The Department strives for as many SCSEP participants as possible to achieve unsubsidized employment, recognizing that they have a broad range of skill sets, interests, and barriers to employment. Through the optional SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants, the Department aims to understand how sector-based training approaches provided to interested SCSEP participants can help low-income older adults increase their job-readiness, employment, and earnings in unsubsidized employment. The available funding will primarily be used to:

1. Create and strengthen partnerships with employers, local workforce development boards, training providers, and other workforce stakeholders to align the skills of older workers with the workforce needs of industry; and

2. Provide training services and supportive services that upskill and prepare older workers for in-demand occupations through sector-based training opportunities.

The participant outcomes that the demonstration seeks to increase, as measured by a third-party evaluator, focus on post-exit unsubsidized employment and earnings; however, other exploratory outcomes such as post-exit job satisfaction, increased job readiness, access to “good” jobs (jobs with employer-provided benefits, improved job security and working conditions, reduction in hiring discrimination, etc.), and reduced social isolation may be captured through the evaluation.

Awarded grantees will capture the appropriate data through the Grantee Performance Management System used for performance reporting, also called GPMS, to determine the observable outcomes of the demonstration to measure important process outcomes, including but not limited to, creating and strengthening partnerships for providing sector-based training services and supports.

Like other SCSEP participants, Sector Training Demonstration Grant participants will receive financial support (e.g., wages) and/or supportive services (as defined at 20 CFR 641.545) to promote financial stability while they receive training, paid for through a combination of SCSEP National Grant funds and Demonstration Grant funds (see section IV.E.5, Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages and Services, for more information about cost allocation between the two https://businessengagement.workforcegps.org/resources/2016/04/12/13/53/Sector-Strategies-Implementation-Framework https://businessengagement.workforcegps.org/resources/2016/04/12/13/53/Sector-Strategies-Implementation-Framework awards). The main Demonstration project costs will include tuition, training instruction costs and fees, career navigation services, and OJT wages for participants.

DOL is interested in learning from the Sector Training Demonstration grantees’ experiences;

therefore, DOL is funding an evaluation of this demonstration in which successful applicants will be expected to participate. The evaluation team intends to use a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to better understand to what degree sector training approaches can help low-income older adults who are interested in occupational training increase their unsubsidized employment. This means SCSEP participants (both new enrollees and those already enrolled in a SCSEP program prior to this funding opportunity) who are interested in receiving occupational training and on-the-job training with an employer, and agree to be in the study, will enter into a lottery (that is, be randomly assigned) to either receive the demonstration’s sector-focused occupational training in addition to standard SCSEP services (“treatment group”), or standard SCSEP services only (“control group”). Standard services typically provided under SCSEP include community service assignments (CSAs), general and specialized training, case management, and supportive services. Randomization allows for directly comparing treatment and control group outcomes to determine the impact of the sector-based training services program on unsubsidized employment and earnings.

This FOA refers to SCSEP participants throughout the document according to the following categories:

• “Standard SCSEP participants” are those who are enrolled only in normal (“standard”) SCSEP services because they are either outside of the geographic area(s) identified for your demonstration, or they are not interested in participating in sector-based training (as determined by assessment). These participants receive standard SCSEP services only.

• “Demonstration SCSEP participants” or “Demonstration participants” are those who are identified from a pool of SCSEP participants (both new enrollees and existing participants) as interested in sector-based training and who are located in the geographic area(s) identified in the proposed project demonstration.

As explained above, demonstration participants will be randomly assigned to fall into one of two groups:

• “Treatment Group” participants are those assigned by lottery to receive some standard SCSEP services as well as the sector-based demonstration interventions described in this FOA; and

• “Control Group” participants are those assigned by lottery to receive standard SCSEP services only.

For more information on the use of funds for each category of participant, see section IV.E.5.

By applying for SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants, applicants agree to implement evaluation procedures in partnership with the evaluation team. ETA will require awarded grantees to support the evaluation activities as follows: 1) develop a plan, in partnership with the evaluator, for recruiting enough participants to meet the study enrollment goal; 2) assess participants’ interest in sector training; 3) obtain participant consent to be in the evaluation and participate in random assignment; 4) ensure needed baseline and demonstration activities data, and other evaluation-related data, are collected during the grant period of performance via

DOL’s electronic grantee performance management system, GPMS; 5) provide programmatic assurances to access/utilize other data management systems provided by DOL/the evaluator specific to the demonstration and evaluation-related data; and 6) participate in monthly calls to monitor evaluation activities and track participant recruitment.

Meeting participant enrollment goals for the Demonstration will be important for the evaluation;

thus, the evaluation team will provide training and technical assistance for introducing sector training opportunities for new and current SCSEP participants. Specifically, the evaluation team will support grantees with conducting assessments of participants’ interest in sectoral training, explaining the evaluation to participants, and providing materials for enrolling participants in the evaluation, which includes a consent form to be in the evaluation, a random assignment tool, and a baseline information form that will collect minimal data from the participant prior to random assignment and will be used to ensure the study groups are comparable. The evaluation team will provide grantees with the necessary intake forms and corresponding data management instructions, as well as support grantee learning during the grant period of performance by providing training and technical assistance on evaluation activities throughout the grant duration.

The evaluators will also monitor the intake and assessment process to ensure uniformity of approach and comparability of the participants across grantee demonstrations.

2. Core Elements of Sector Training Demonstration Grants

There are numerous models and strategies for providing workers with occupational skills training. Under this FOA, sector-based training is defined as a model that deeply engages employers, targets training to high-growth industries with in-demand jobs, and often leads to industry-recognized credentials. Applicants must propose worker-centered training programs that are industry-driven and responsive to local and regional sector demands in the proposed service area(s). Elements of high-quality sector training for older workers include a labor market needs analysis of which occupations are in-demand, occupational training contextualized to meet the needs of older workers, paid on-the-job training (OJT) to practice new occupational skills and improve readiness for unsubsidized employment, and partnerships with employers, training providers, community-based organizations (CBOs), and the public workforce system at-large.

Standard SCSEP participants utilize on-the-job experiences (OJE) or skill-specific training as a way for participants to transition from a CSA to unsubsidized employment. While OJE could focus on specific job-readiness skills for broader employment readiness, OJT is occupationally focused/driven.

Applicants may propose to offer sector training in more than one industry within the scope of their proposed project. Both occupational skills training and OJT are required for all treatment group participants under the Sector Demonstration Grants. The demonstration will run for up to 48 months, starting slightly after the SCSEP National Grants have been awarded. For this demonstration, grantees must offer sector training services that will last up to one year (not to exceed 12 months). While there is no minimum training period required, training should be aligned to participants’ IEPs, competency based, connected to a specific occupation, and span an adequate length of time to increase participants’ skill(s) and job readiness. The Department expects grantees to plan accordingly for occupational training and OJT offered to participants.

Applicants have the flexibility to design projects with the appropriate duration of time necessary for occupational training and OJT. On average, the Department expects occupational instruction will likely take approximately 3-6 months for participants to complete, and OJT will likely span approximately 3-6 months. (These two activities can occur sequentially or overlap, depending on the design of the applicant’s training program). Grantees are allowed a 3-to-6-month planning period to set-up and prepare their demonstrations. Study enrollment begins when the planning period concludes and ends at month 36 of the 48-month project.

The Department is requiring applicants to address eight “core elements” when designing their demonstration projects. These elements must be addressed in an applicant’s Project Narrative.

(See Project Narrative requirements in section IV.B.3). The core elements are described in detail below

a. Target Industry(ies), Occupation(s), and Employers based on Local Labor Market Demand

Grant activities must focus on one or more specified industry sectors and occupations that have in-demand jobs. Grant activities must also include robust strategies for engaging and working with specific employers that are in the target industry(ies) and/or that employ the targeted occupation(s). Demonstration projects must be responsive to the skill needs and hiring demand of employers, and section 1.A.2.e.ii below provides additional information on the Department’s expectations for the quantity and quality of employer partnerships under this FOA.

Industry and occupation demand is typically determined using current and projected labor market data (LMI) available for the geographic area in which the grantee plans to offer sector training.

DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants researching LMI. See FOA section VIII.A, Web-Based Resources, for sources of LMI and examples of analytic products that can be used to support investment into a particular industry(ies). Applicants may reference DOL websites (e.g., https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/performance/labor-market-data), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Economy at a Glance website (https://www.bls.gov/eag/), which provides customized tables for regions, states and geographic areas (i.e., metropolitan statistical areas or MSAs), as well as other sources of LMI. It is also helpful to consult with partners within the workforce system (e.g. local workforce boards, employers and industry associations, training providers, etc.) on the LMI projections to help refine the industries, occupations, and employers of focus.

The Department encourages applicants to consider sectors and occupations that are in-demand within their designated geographic service area(s) and present opportunities for older workers to obtain stable employment in good jobs in their local economies. The Department encourages applicants to consider occupations with wages that allow for economic independence and that include opportunities for skills growth and wage growth, as well as occupations in the care economy, hospitality sector, and other sectors representing occupations that are critical to our economy’s continued growth and vitality, and provide income and support for marginalized populations. The care economy sector encompasses occupations that support home care (also known as direct care or elder care), direct support services related to employment, and childcare.

The need for quality jobs in this sector is clear and supported by Executive Order 14095, Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers. 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. The hospitality sector, which encompasses occupations within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, travel and tourism, is also projected to grow over the next decade.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/performance/labor-market-data https://www.bls.gov/eag/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/04/18/executive-order-on-increasing-access-to-high-quality-care-and-supporting-caregivers/

Between 2021 and 2031, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of all new jobs are expected to be in the leisure and hospitality sector.[iii]

Applicants should identify specific occupations and employers within their chosen industry(ies), and include strategies to improve the job quality of participants’ post-training employment opportunities in their applications / project proposals. It is important to consider how well the requirements of the occupation(s) (e.g., physical demands, length of training, work schedule/hours, etc.) align with the workforce needs and abilities of SCSEP participants. This may be determined by showing how occupations in the chosen industry/sector are more likely to have characteristics described in the eight Good Jobs Principles and align with older workers’ abilities and preferences.

b. Career Navigation

Career navigators work one-on-one with Sector Training Demonstration Grant participants to guide and facilitate their training and employment opportunities (career counseling), and develop required partnerships with training providers and employer partners (partnership development).

While no universal definition of a navigator exists, common elements include helping individuals navigate “within and across complex and inaccessible systems” (Anderson & McConnell, 2020, p. 4) and coordinate services that reduce barriers to service delivery access for targeted populations.[iv] Navigator activities can be grouped into seven categories: (1) recruitment and uptake, (2) engagement, (3) direct service, (4) referral and direction, (5) partner and system coordination, (6) policy improvement, and (7) capacity building. Applicants may propose a unique combination of these roles and responsibilities for career navigators under the Demonstration Grant project.

Qualifications of the staff proposed as career navigators must be carefully considered, as this position requires strategic partnership-building and case management. These staff may be part of an applicant’s existing grantee or local site staff, or newly hired staff; however, their tasks and role in serving the treatment group participants must be distinct and separate from the services provided to all SCSEP participants. The Career Navigator position must not be held by a currently enrolled SCSEP participant as a part of their CSA (e.g., the Career Navigator cannot be a “participant staff” position). Career navigator staff must have professional qualifications and applicants must describe how career navigation services will be provided to treatment group participants (beyond what all SCSEP participants receive), including the number of career navigators they plan to utilize and which specific activities or services they will provide. For example, an applicant could propose two (2) FTE career navigator staff for every 100 treatment group participants. While there is some flexibility in staffing arrangements for career navigators (e.g., a site may prefer to allocate 25 percent of an existing staff member’s time to serve the sector demonstration grant participants with career navigator services that are not available to all SCSEP participants), applicants must ensure necessary controls are in place to prevent career navigators from serving both non-treatment group participants and treatment group participants with the same career navigation services. Career navigator responsibilities for treatment group participants include:

• Developing partnerships with employers, training providers, the public workforce system, and other community-based organizations.

• Providing career/training support, including:

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/goodjobs/Good-Jobs-Summit-Principles-Factsheet.pdf o Recruiting and enrolling participants in the study and conducting random assignment;

o Assessing career interests and alignment with available sector training opportunities;

o Career counseling and advising to help participants identify what careers or jobs suit their interests and pay well;

o Supporting enrollment and retention in sector training program(s) with training provider(s);

o Helping participants identify and apply for OJT opportunities;

o Coordinating with SCSEP staff on payment of wages for OJT participants;

o Supporting participants with individualized needs to promote retention in OJT opportunities; and o Helping participants identify, connect to, and apply for unsubsidized jobs in their occupation of focus.

• Coordinating with the evaluation team by:

o Helping conduct study recruitment, assessment of interest, informed consent, and random assignment;

o Meeting with the evaluation team to monitor and track random assignment and the intervention; and o Providing requested data on demonstration participants and supporting other data collection via communication with the demonstration participants.

c. Occupational Skills Training

Occupational skills training targeted to high-growth or high-demand industries with in-demand jobs is a required and key element of this demonstration. Occupational skills training provides classroom instruction (in-person, online, or hybrid) for specific occupational skills that lead to proficiency in performing actual tasks and technical functions required by certain occupational fields. Occupational skills training includes training programs that lead to recognized post-secondary credentials that align with in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area.

The training may be contextualized for the population being served (e.g., supplemental math or English language instruction combined with the occupational skills being taught). Additional supports such as basic skills education, tutoring or digital skills training may also be provided.

d. On-the-Job Training (OJT)

OJT is paid training provided by an employer to a participant engaged in productive paid work that: 1) provides knowledge or skills essential to the full and adequate performance of the job; 2) is made available through a program that reimburses the employer for a portion of the wage rate of the participant; and 3) is limited in duration based on the requirements of the occupation for which the participant is being trained, taking into account the content of the training, the prior work experience of the participant, and the service strategy of the participant, as appropriate. To help participants succeed, grantees can provide employment supports (in addition to career navigation) to participants during their OJT assignments. Employers typically assign a staff person to each OJT participant, and the site-based staff are available to provide job-specific training, monitor participant performance, and troubleshoot any challenges the participants may encounter on the job. Grantees may also place staff at the OJT sites to support participants.

Grantees and employers should formalize the terms of their OJT opportunities that specify roles and responsibilities, including which party will be responsible for providing which services, such as employment supports to participants.

e. Partnerships for Developing and Supporting Sectoral Training Opportunities

Strategic partnerships are essential for planning and implementing sectoral training strategies.

Given the occupational training and OJT requirements under the Demonstration, applicants are required to have confirmed partnerships with training provider(s) and employer(s). This includes creating and maintaining agreements/relationships with: 1) training providers that offer occupational training (plus paid on-the-job training opportunities, if possible); 2) employers that provide high-quality training experiences and future unsubsidized job opportunities; and 3) the public workforce system and other community partners. All applicants must, at a minimum, establish partnerships for their proposed sector(s) with each of the following:

i. Sectoral Training Providers

Occupational training in the target sector can be provided by a range of institutions and organizations, including community and technical colleges and systems; nonprofit and community-based organizations that offer job training; unions and labor-management partnerships; and institutions of higher education, as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1001). Training providers can, but are not required to, include organizations that offer programs that have been approved as WIOA Eligible Training Providers, or training associated with a registered apprenticeship.

Training provider partners must be able to provide classroom instruction of approximately 3- 6 months for targeted occupations in the target sector and help support participants with finding on-the-job training opportunities in the same or related occupation. Applicants should consider the cost per participant for training services when selecting training provider partners, in order to accurately budget for training within the grant award range. Training-related costs such as books, equipment, and uniforms may also be needed to support training opportunities, and are allowable grant costs, but these costs will vary based on the training program selected (see subsection g below). Applicants must ensure that their proposed funding request aligns to their anticipated demonstration enrollment goals according to the table in section I.A.2.f., Participant Interest, Engagement and Retention. Training costs per participant should be realistic, supported by market research, and appropriate for the sectors/occupations and training(s) being proposed.

ii. Employers

This FOA requires that applicants have initial partnership commitments from no less than two (2) employers for each proposed industry sector. Such employers should be representative of the proposed industry sector and may include both private/for-profit and non-profit organizations. Applicants may fulfill this requirement through partnership with an industry/trade association that represents multiple employers. An industry/trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association, or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry.

Applicants should use LMI to identify the sector(s) their project will focus on and identify employer or industry association partners to help design training for participants, factoring employers’ worker skills needs into training curricula. Applicants must work with local and/or regional employer(s) representing in-demand sectors in their chosen geographic service area(s).

Employer partners will have several roles, including advising on the skills demanded in the sector and specific occupations, assisting in identifying training programs that produce the skills needed on the job, and hosting OJT participants. Applicants should select employer partners that have employment opportunities, and which can commit to hiring program participants upon successful completion of occupational skills training and OJT. Applicants are expected to secure an adequate number of employer partnerships such that they have a reasonable expectation that, collectively, their employer partners will be able to provide enough OJT slots and post-OJT placements for all treatment group participants over the course of the demonstration. In general, employer partners should not commit to more OJT slots than the number of available employment opportunities that they reasonably expect to offer to participants following successful training and OJT. Applicants may also consult with area employers in the proposed target sector(s) to validate skills necessary for target occupations and to review training curriculum.

iii. Local Workforce System Partners

Applicants must collaborate with their local workforce development system partners to implement the demonstration activities. Entities involved in administering the public workforce system established under WIOA, including State and Local Workforce Development Boards, American Job Centers (AJC), and Indian and Native American Program entities eligible for funding under section 166 of WIOA, have expertise in workforce development and may provide leadership and assistance in implementing the demonstration. For example, local workforce development boards/councils may provide guidance to applicants on reliable LMI data sources for the applicant’s proposed geographic scope and help to identify education and training institutions that can provide treatment group participants with occupational training. Applicants should consult local workforce partners on good quality training, identifying high-growth sectors/occupations and in demand jobs, and what partner employers are looking for in potential job candidates. Applicants are not expected to co-enroll SCSEP participants into WIOA programs (i.e., WIOA Adult program); however, as appropriate, applicants should plan to make referrals for services, as identified in participants’ IEPs, which may result in co-enrollment in WIOA or another program. Examples of demonstration-related activities that AJC and other workforce partners could carry out to help treatment group participants secure unsubsidized employment include:

o Analyzing the need for education and training in the local area, including identifying targeted industries, occupations, and sector strategies;

o Identifying employers for OJT opportunities and helping place treatment group participants into OJT slots;

o Identifying high-quality training providers (including those on the Eligible Training Provider List);

o Providing additional career counseling, career information, job search assistance, job listings, and similar employment-related services and follow-up services; and o Identifying and referring candidates for SCSEP.

f. Participant Interest, Engagement and Retention

Enrolling enough demonstration participants is critical for learning if and how sector training can be effective for providing training and employment opportunities to low-income older adults.

Too few participants engaged in the demonstration could mean the evaluation is not able to determine if sector training has successfully increased participants’ job readiness and increased employment. Applicants must be able to enroll an adequate number of demonstration participants in order to determine whether the demonstration causes an increase in measured outcomes.

For this grant opportunity, applicants must show that they can recruit and enroll a total of at least 400 participants in the study over the course of the four-year grant period of performance, with half randomly assigned into the treatment group and half into the control group (i.e., 200 will receive regular SCSEP plus sector demonstration services; 200 will receive regular SCSEP services, only). Participant enrollment may occur up through month 36 of the 48-month demonstration. (Enrollment concludes at least 12 months before the end of the grant period of performance).

In general, applicants under this FOA must request funding proportionate to the number of participants they expect to enroll in the demonstration. While this FOA does not impose a specific cap on the cost per participant under the demonstration, applicants must ensure that their proposed funding request aligns to their anticipated demonstration enrollment goals according to the following table:

Grant Award Funding Request Minimum Expected Study Enrollment (combined Treatment & Control groups)

$2 million - $2,999,999 million 400 $3 million - $3,999,999 million 600 $4 million - $5 million 800

Successful applicants must complete assessments of participant interest in sectoral training and participation in the demonstration. Grantees may utilize flexibility in how they recruit participants for the evaluation; however, the evaluation team will provide a common consent form and common assessment of interest processes that will be implemented consistently across all SCSEP Sector Demonstration projects. Additionally, applicants must provide plans for how they will support enrollment goals and participant retention over the course of the demonstration.

To determine how many participants a grantee can enroll in the demonstration, it is necessary to understand the following:

• Level of interest of SCSEP participants in the proposed geographic area(s) in sector training (how many might express interest if offered this opportunity);

• Availability of occupational training and OJT openings or positions for these participants with partnering training providers and employers;

• The number of control group participants the grantee can afford to serve through regular SCSEP National Grant funds, and the number of treatment group participants the grantee can afford to serve through a combination of SCSEP National Grant funds and Sector Demonstration Grant funds (taking into account the number of modified positions for the relevant service area under the PY 2024 SCSEP National Grant, and the requirements specified in section IV.E.5, Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages and Services).

g. Supportive Services (Training-Related Supports)

Training-related services and supports (commonly referred to as “supportive services” in SCSEP) are those activities or resources designed to provide participants with the supports necessary to enable their successful participation in career and training services or to obtain employment that is retained for at least 12 months. Every SCSEP participant must be assessed for supportive service needs, and grantees must try to meet these needs to the fullest extent feasible. Grant recipients may offer training-related supports/supportive services to participants directly or through partner organizations, based upon the specific needs and the focus of the project plan. Generally, training-related supports/supportive services meet the specific needs of an individual, as evidenced in their IEP, and may include, but are not limited to:

• Linkages to community services, including services offered by partner organizations designed to support grant participants;

• Assistance with transportation;

• Assistance with childcare and/or dependent care;

• Assistance with housing;

• Needs-based payments, which are financial assistance payments given to participants to ensure they are able to participate in the training or to obtain/retain employment;

• Assistance with uniforms or other appropriate work attire and work-related tools, including such items as eyeglasses and protective eye gear;

• 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 the proposed grant project; and

• Payments and fees for employment and training related applications, tests, or certifications.

h. Organizational, Administrative and Fiscal Capacity

Applicants must have the organizational, administrative, and fiscal capacity to effectively manage a sector demonstration grant project, including fiscal and administrative controls in place to manage federal funds. This FOA requires that applicants describe their past experience providing sector-based training (including OJT or occupational skills training) in the Project Narrative, section IV.B.3.viii.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA), as amended, (42 U.S.C. § 3056 et seq.), authorizes the SCSEP program and provides the funding authority for the PY 2024 SCSEP National Grant Competition. Section 502(e) of the OAA [42 U.S.C. § 3056(e)] authorizes this demonstration and evaluation project. Funding awarded to evaluation grants under this competition was appropriated under Division H, Title I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103), which further authorized the Department to recapture unexpended funds under the authority of section 517(c) of the OAA [42 U.S.C. § 3056o(c)].

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant. Successful applicants for SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants will receive dedicated funding, separate from and in addition to their PY24 SCSEP National Grant award provided under FOA-ETA-24-11.

We expect approximately $19 million to be available for funding up to six (6) SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants awards in Program Year 2024. In the event that additional recaptured or reserved SCSEP funds become available this program year or in subsequent years, we reserve the right to award additional funding to SCSEP Sector Demonstration grantees.

Maximum Request for Funding: SCSEP Sector Demonstration applicants may apply for up to $5 million in funding. As noted earlier in section I.A.2.f, applicants under this FOA must request funding proportionate to the number of participants they expect to enroll in the demonstration. Applicants proposing to enroll a total of at least 800 participants in the demonstration study may apply for the maximum award amount of $5 million.

Minimum Request for Funding: Applicants must apply for at least $2 million for SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants funding. Applicants must propose to enroll a total of at least 400 participants in the demonstration study to apply for the minimum award amount of $2 million.

Note: The Department ensures that SCSEP services are provided equitably within each state through an Equitable Distribution (ED) plan, in accordance with Section 507 of the OAA (42 U.S.C. § 3056e). Grantees may only enroll SCSEP participants under their SCSEP Sector Demonstration Grant projects who reside in a county in which they have secured available Authorized Positions through the PY24 SCSEP National Grants competition.

Applicants must apply to provide services under the Demonstration Grant within the same geographic service area (scope) covered under their PY24 SCSEP National Grant application, but may propose to serve the treatment group in a subset of their project’s proposed geographic scope. For example, if the applicant is proposing to cover three entire states under their SCSEP National Grant project, the applicant could propose to carry out the demonstration in only one state, or just the western region of one state. Note: Sector Demonstration grantees may be awarded a geographic service area (territory) for their sector demonstration project that is different from the territory they applied for under the PY24 SCSEP National Grant competition.

In other words, a Sector Demonstration project may be awarded a different territory than what the applicant applied for under their SCSEP National Grant project. If the awarded geographic scope of the PY24 SCSEP National Grant results in a mismatch between what the grantee proposed to serve under their Sector Demonstration Grant project, the grantee must submit a revised geographic scope for their Sector Demonstration Grant project that falls within the territory awarded for their SCSEP National Grant (if selected for a SCSEP Sector Demonstration grant award).

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is 48 months with an anticipated start date of 10/01/2024. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

The Department will award grants dedicated to SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration projects, separate from and in addition to funding awarded to PY24 SCSEP National Grant competition winners under FOA-ETA-24-11. SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grants will be awarded in PY 2024, with an anticipated award date of October 1, 2024. The sector demonstration grants will have a four-year (48 month) period of performance ending on 09/30/2028. The first 3-6 months of the SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grant year will serve as the planning period, and participant intake would begin in approximately late-winter 2024/early-spring 2025.

Applicants should budget their requested funds to last for the entire four-year period of performance. The Department may make available additional funding in subsequent years to those awarded grants under this FOA. Such funding can be used for providing training and services to additional participants or expanding to additional employers or sectors. The Department will not grant period of performance extensions for Sector Training Demonstration Grants beyond the 48 months under this FOA.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

To be eligible to apply for the SCSEP Sector Training Demonstration Grant funding under this FOA, applicants must be a current SCSEP National grantee, having received a direct award in PY 2020 under funding opportunity number FOA-ETA-20-09.