sga-dfa-py-10-06.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for the Career Pathways Innovation Fund Grants Program

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Notice of Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA-PY-10-06 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.269

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is March 31, 2011.

Applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. A pre-recorded Webinar will be on-line (Uhttp://www.workforce3one.orgU) and accessible for viewing by March 4, 2011, and will be available for viewing anytime after that date. While a review of this webinar is encouraged it is not mandatory that applicants view this recording.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or the Department) announces the availability of up to $122 million in grant funds to be awarded under the Career Pathways Innovation Fund (CPIF) Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA, or Solicitation). Based on statutory requirements, at least $65 million of the total designated funds will be reserved for projects that focus on the health care sector.

Four types of entities are eligible to apply as lead grantees: Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs), individual community and technical colleges, community college districts, and state community college systems. For the total amount of funds available through this SGA, DOL intends to fund approximately 40 to 50 grants ranging from $1 million to $5 million. In addition, DOL intends to reserve funding of approximately $6.25 million of the total appropriation to award additional funding to support grantee efforts to conduct a third-party evaluation of the grant activities.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: Donna Kelly, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 10-06, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This solicitation consists of nine (9) sections:

Section I provides a description of this funding opportunity.

Section II provides award information.

Section III provides eligibility information.

Section IV provides information on the application and submission process.

Section V describes the criteria against which applications will be reviewed and explains the proposal review process.

Section VI describes award administration information.

Section VII provides agency contacts.

Section VIII provides additional resources of interest to applicants.

Section IX provides other information.

I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Overview and Goals of the Grant Program

Competitive grants funded through this CPIF SGA will continue DOL’s support for community colleges, with a particular focus on career pathway programs implemented by community colleges in partnership with other organizations in the community. This program replaces the Community-Based Job Training Grants.

Career pathway programs are clear sequences of coursework and credentials that help individuals of varying skill levels earn credentials valued by employers, enter rewarding careers in in-demand and emerging industries and occupations, and advance to increasingly higher levels of education and employment. As noted in the recent report UFunding Career Pathways and Bridge ProgramsU, “Ideally, career pathways are not a separate program, but a framework for weaving together adult education, training, and college programs that are currently separated into silos and connecting those services to employers’ workforce needs” (CLASP, May 2010). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one third of all job openings and nearly half of all new jobs that will be created between 2008 and 2018 will require a postsecondary degree or credential. Career pathways are an approach to linking and coordinating education and training services in ways that enable students to attain such credentials, and which support students in obtaining employment.

The grants awarded under this Solicitation will support successful applicants in developing and implementing career pathway programs in partnership with employers and other relevant organizations in the community. The overarching goals for projects funded under this SGA are to: 1) increase the number of individuals who earn credentials that enable them to compete for employment in in-demand and emerging industries and occupations; 2) lead to employment for program participants; 3) articulate and ease academic and employment transitions, through the implementation of articulation agreements and other activities, for students of different skill levels and at varying academic levels, including students with low English or basic skills proficiency; 4) establish multiple entry and exit points for students along the post-secondary education continuum; and, 5) create systemic change that will last beyond the grant period by establishing partnerships, agreements, processes, and programs that better connect the education, training, workforce, and supportive services necessary to achieve the preceding four goals, including strengthening the role of the public workforce system in career pathway programs.

The Department expects that applicants for grants under this SGA will use evidence in the design of program strategies, such as evaluation studies indicating successful outcomes for similar programs. Evidence-based designs are essential to direct limited federal resources toward strategies that have demonstrated positive education, training, and employment outcomes for participants. If no rigorous evidence exists or an applicant is proposing a new or innovative strategy, the applicant must make as strong a case as possible using related research, theories, or strong logic that the proposed strategy would produce positive impacts. In addition, the Department will help to expand the body of research that is available on career pathways by awarding approximately $6.25 million of funding to grantees that submit a strong evaluation plan for a third party to examine whether the implementation of the career pathway programs funded through the grant are successful and what types of impacts they have on program participants.

The Department is particularly interested in supporting broad-based partnerships of institutions that will collaborate to develop career pathway programs and implement systemic change across a number of institutions, adopting the career pathway models on a larger scale. Ultimately, the partner organizations should integrate successful career pathway strategies and activities into their day-to-day operations.

Finally, the Department will ensure that deliverables resulting from projects developed with these funds are available to the public. This means that curricula, course materials, teacher guides, and other products developed with grant funds will be considered grant deliverables and provided to the Department before completion of the grant period of performance.

B. Critical Elements of Successful Grant Applications

1. Required Types of Career Pathway Programs

To ensure that the goals described in Section I.A are met, successful applicants to this SGA must propose projects that develop and/or enhance, and ultimately implement, at minimum, career pathway program types (ii) and (iii) defined below.

In addition to the two required types of career pathways programs, DOL encourages applicants to propose projects that include additional types of career pathway programs, as appropriate for the targeted industries and occupations and populations to be served.

For each type of career pathway program targeted by a given project, the Department expects that at least one group of participants will complete the associated education and training activities, including receiving the associated credential, within the grant period.

There are at least four types of career pathway programs that applicants may choose to include as project components:

i. Secondary education (such as high schools, alternative high schools, Job Corps programs, career academies, and secondary career technical education programs) to postsecondary education (such as occupational certificate programs offered by community colleges, Registered Apprenticeship programs, associates degree programs, and bachelors degree programs).

ii. Pre-college “bridge” programs that provide low-skilled adults with “on-ramps” (entry points) to postsecondary education and training. This type of career pathway program is a required project component under this SGA. These are generally accelerated or contextualized programs that integrate adult basic education (including, as appropriate, English as a Second Language) with occupational skills training and result in credit-bearing certificates and degrees that are valued by employers and can be applied toward additional education or training. Programs should include access to comprehensive academic advising and support services for all participants.

iii. Postsecondary education for individuals to upgrade their skills and attain industry-recognized credentials that are in-demand in the local labor market. This type of career pathway program is a required project component under this SGA. Postsecondary education could include occupational certificate programs offered by community colleges, Registered Apprenticeship programs, associates degree programs, and bachelors degree programs. Programs should include access to comprehensive academic advising and support services for all participants, and should concurrently advance student gains in academic and workplace skills.

iv. Community college postsecondary education to 4-year colleges and universities, including programs to ease transfer planning and degree completion by minimizing the need to repeat prior coursework.

2. Required Critical Elements

In addition to including the two required types of career pathway programs as described above, applicants must incorporate each of the five critical elements described below into their proposed strategies. Applicants should note that strategies discussed here are not all-inclusive and applicants may identify other strategies as appropriate.

The five required critical elements are:

i. Evidence-Based Program Development and Implementation Strategies Applicants must include strategies and techniques that have demonstrated effectiveness for delivering, scheduling, and/or sequencing education and training courses that result in the attainment of industry-recognized credentials. These credentials must lead to progressively higher-level credentials or degrees, and may include “stackable” credentials of value in the labor market.

In incorporating this critical element into proposals, applicants could include the following practices, which have shown promising outcomes in research, including studies listed in Attachment B:

• Strategies to accelerate educational and career advancement for individual participants, regardless of their skills at the point of entry;

• Development and implementation of articulation agreements governing the transfer of academic credits between cooperating institutions. These formal agreements can help to minimize the need for students to repeat previously-completed coursework;

• Instructional strategies that make work a central context for learning (contextualized learning) and help students attain work readiness skills. This may include, as appropriate for the individual, integrating occupational skills training with adult education services;

• “Cohort” learning strategies that are designed to enable project participants to pursue coursework with the same classmates over a fixed period of time. Cohort groups can foster shared knowledge and a sense of continuity that helps to assure that each individual is able to complete the requirements of a training program within a specific timeframe; and/or,

• Strategies to address the needs of working adults by accommodating student work schedules through techniques such as flexible and non-semester-based scheduling, alternative class times and locations, and/or the innovative use of technology (such as distance education).

ii. Assessments and Services to Support Students in Completing Training and Transitioning from One Step of a Career Pathway to the Next Applicants must include assessments and services to support students in progressing as quickly as possible through the proposed career pathway programs.

Accordingly, applicants should include strategies to provide initial assessments of academic skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and supportive service needs of participants, as well as appropriate mechanisms to award credit for prior learning.

Applicants should also include academic advising, career coaching, and individual career development planning. To support these program functions, applicants should include a graphic display of the career pathways they are building (see Section IV.B Part III.4), which can be used by counselors, workers and students to visualize and understand the career pathways available to them, and the entry and exit points and credentials along the way.

Applicants should include wrap-around support services, particularly at critical points of transition. Supportive services should be organized to meet the particular needs of adults, and may include childcare, transportation, and other supports necessary to enable individuals to participate in education and training.

iii. Substantive Involvement of Employers in the Development and Implementation of Career Pathway Programs

To maximize the employment prospects for program participants, successful applicants must align their career pathway programs with the skill needs of industries important to the local labor market, which may include industry clusters with a regional concentration of businesses linked by common workforce needs. Applicants must consult with employers to determine the skill requirements for employment or career progression in in-demand occupations. Employers should also play a critical role in providing worksite training and hiring program participants.

iv. Strong Partnerships between Eligible Institutions, Employers and Industry Organizations, and Other Relevant Organizations/Stakeholders within the Community In order to better integrate and coordinate the provision of education, training, and supportive services, successful applicants must implement their projects through close partnerships with other organizations in the community. As described in detail in Section III.A and III.B of this SGA, eligible institutions must apply as part of a partnership that includes, at a minimum, the public workforce system, a community or technical college, and employers.

Strong partnerships between the relevant organizations will encourage tighter coordination in the provision of services (such as adult basic education, developmental education, skills development, and other postsecondary education systems), ultimately leading to more seamless transitions and stronger support systems for program participants.

Applicants must propose projects that provide the public workforce system with a strong role in career pathway programs. Additional discussion of the potential roles for the public workforce system can be found in Section III.B.1.

v. Effective Mechanisms for Implementing Systemic Changes that Last Beyond the Grant Period The Department seeks to promote the more widespread adoption of career pathway models, including the systemic changes necessary to better align the goals and funding streams of organizations that provide education, training, workforce development, and supportive services. In order to work toward this goal, applicants must include strategies and activities that will allow them to identify the successful project components that should be sustained, as well as identify funding and organizational policies that will enable the continued operation of those project components beyond the grant period.

C. Industry and Occupational Focus Areas

As stated in Section I.A of this SGA, DOL intends to fund projects that increase the number of individuals who earn credentials that enable them to compete for employment in in-demand and emerging industries and occupations (see Section VI.B.4.ii for the definition of “credential”), and which lead to employment for program participants in such industries and occupations. Consistent with these credentialing and employment goals, this SGA requires applicants to provide strong rationale for the industries and occupations targeted by their projects. This rationale must include sound evidence, based on credible local labor market information, that the targeted industries and occupations will yield opportunities for program participants to obtain employment in good jobs or advance in their careers (see Section V.A.1 of the SGA Evaluation Criteria).

As specified in Section II.A, at least $65 million of the total designated funds under this SGA will be reserved for projects that focus on the health care sector. For the remaining funds, DOL is interested in funding projects focused on other in-demand and emerging industries and occupations, which may include: advanced manufacturing, information technology (IT), law enforcement, wireless and broadband deployment, transportation and warehousing, biotechnology, and other industries and occupations for which the applicant can provide the evidence described above.

For background information on the health care sector and other in-demand and emerging industries and occupations, refer to Section VIII.D.

D. Proposed Activities

i. Allowable Activities Applicants may only propose activities that directly support: (1) development, enhancement, and implementation of career pathway programs; and, (2) the provision of education and training to workers in those career pathway programs. A community or technical college, as defined in Section III.A.2, must be the primary training provider through the grant. Within the framework of goals and critical elements in this SGA, a broad range of activities are allowable and applicants must propose budgets commensurate with their proposed project design. Applicants should refer to Section VI.B.1 of the SGA for a list of relevant OMB Circulars (codified at 2 CFR) and DOL regulations (codified at 20 and 29 CFR) that prescribe cost principles, administrative, and other requirements that apply to this Solicitation.

Within these parameters, successful applicants to this SGA may use grant funds to pay for activities that directly support (1) the development, enhancement, and implementation of career pathway programs, such as:

• Developing and/or delivering new curricula. Curriculum development in isolation is not encouraged, and is only appropriate if new curriculum is essential to support direct education/training activities provided through this grant and is necessary to achieve the training and employment outcomes proposed for the grant;

• Leasing space that is used for education and training and related activities;

• Developing and implementing articulation agreements with universities and other educational partners;

• Designing contextualized learning, distance learning, and internship programs;

• Incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills into education/training activities;

• Accrediting employer- and/or industry-recognized credentials;

• Designing interim and stackable credentials to accelerate and increase credential attainment, or adjusting curricula into shorter pieces that are linked to both specific occupations and a postsecondary degree (this may also be known as “chunking”);

• Developing adequate numbers of qualified instructors, such as through train-the-trainer and professional development activities;

• Developing and disseminating career awareness information; and,

• Performing other appropriate program development activities, such as using subject matter experts from industry, education, and other areas to assist in curriculum design.

Within the parameters described above, successful applicants to this SGA may use grant funds to pay for activities that directly support (2) the provision of education and training to eligible participants, such as:

• Performing initial assessments of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, competencies, and supportive service needs;

• Performing prior learning assessments that result in college credit;

• Providing case management services;

• Providing supportive services or payments for supportive services that enable individuals to participate in education and training activities (see Section IV.E.8 for specific requirements related to supportive services);

• Providing basic skills training, such as adult basic education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and job readiness training. As existing training is readily available, development of basic skills training in isolation is not encouraged, and is only appropriate if existing basic skills training does not meet the needs of the target populations to be served;

• Providing classroom occupational training;

• Providing on-the-job training activities that lead to permanent employment (see Section

IV.E.7 for specific requirements related to on-the-job training);

• Developing and implementing Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, or collaboration with existing programs;

• Providing contextualized learning;

• Providing distance learning;

• Developing and operating internship programs (see Section IV.E.6 for specific requirements related to internship programs);

• Providing customized training for particular employers or groups of employers, as defined in WIA section 663.715;

• Providing training in STEM skills to targeted populations and demographic groups, such as women;

• Conducting job development activities;

• Providing job search assistance, and career coaching;

• Providing job placement assistance; and

• Implementing job-retention strategies, such as placing job-retention specialists at work sites to assist participants who have entered unsubsidized employment by providing counseling, or coordinating with external services that promote job retention, such as transportation or child care provided through leveraged resources. Applicants should note that projects funded under this SGA may not use grant funds to provide supportive services (such as transportation and child care) to participants who are no longer enrolled in grant-funded training.

Allowable costs related to the above activities include, but are not limited to: costs of faculty/instructors, including salaries and fringe benefits; in-house training staff; support staff such as lab or teaching assistants; costs of staff providing assessment, case management, placement, and other services; classroom space; and books, materials, and supplies used in the training course, including specialized equipment. Grants funded under this SGA may produce tangible products and deliverables, such as updates to existing curriculum. Curriculum development, modification, or expansion is only appropriate if new curriculum is essential to support direct education/training activities provided through this grant and is necessary to support grant activities. As stated in Section II.B, Period of Performance, curriculum development should be completed within the first year of the grant, as it is the Department’s intent that education and training activities begin no later than January, 2012.

As with all costs charged to the grant, the costs of equipment must meet the standards in the applicable Federal cost principles, including that the costs are reasonable and necessary to achieve grant outcomes. While grant funds may be used to purchase appropriate equipment that is used for training and education activities provided through the proposed project, applicants are strongly encouraged to use leveraged resources to support these costs to maximize the use of their grant funds.

For additional information on costs related to equipment purchases and curriculum development, please see Section II.B.

ii. Characteristics of Training Activities All projects must incorporate training activities that:

• Address skills and competencies demanded by the targeted industries and occupations;

• Support participants’ advancement on an articulated career ladder and/or career lattice, or other defined career pathway;

• Result in industry-recognized credentials (see definition of credential in Section VI.B.4.ii) that indicate a level of mastery and competence in a given field or function, where such a credential exists. The credential(s) awarded to participants must be based on the type of training provided through the grant and the requirements of the targeted occupation, and should be selected based on consultations with employers, which may include regional industry clusters, as well as labor organizations if appropriate. It is allowable and encouraged to award multiple credentials along the career pathway;

• Take place at times and locations that are convenient and easily accessible for the targeted populations;

• As appropriate, integrate occupational training with basic skills training to ensure that participants have the foundational skills necessary to obtain and retain employment; and,

• As appropriate, integrate training activities with supportive services to ensure that participants have the necessary support to overcome barriers to employment.

II. Award Information A. Award Amount

Under this SGA, DOL intends to award up to approximately $122 million in grant funds to eligible institutions as described in Section III.A. Based on statutory requirements, at least $65 million of the total designated funds will be reserved for projects that focus on the health care sector.

Organizations that received a grant through previous Community-Based Job Training (CBJT) SGAs may submit proposals for funding through this SGA, but may only propose projects that focus on different industries and occupations than they targeted through their previous grants that were funded through a CBJT SGA. DOL does not intend to award grants to sustain projects previously funded under CBJT SGAs.

For the total amount of funds available through this SGA, DOL intends to fund approximately 40 to 50 grants ranging from $1 million to $5 million. These ranges do not preclude DOL from funding grants at a lower amount than requested based on the type and number of quality submissions, however, DOL does not expect to fund any project for less than $1 million. UDOL will consider requests for greater than $5 million non–responsive, and such applications will not be considered for funding.U Within the funding ranges specified above, applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for quality projects at a funding level that is appropriate to the project.

Applicants that submit an evaluation plan may request additional funding to conduct the evaluation, which may exceed the $5 million maximum funding amount specified above. The maximum amount of supplementary evaluation funding that applicants can request depends on the type of evaluation proposed, as defined in the following parameters:

• For applicants proposing a random assignment evaluation, supplementary evaluation funding cannot exceed 20% of the funding amount requested in the primary Cost Proposal (i.e. the funds that will be used to implement the program development and education/training activities in the Technical Proposal).

• For applicants proposing to implement an evaluation using a study methodology Uother thanU random assignment, supplementary evaluation funding may not exceed 10% of the funding amount requested in the primary Cost Proposal (i.e. the funds that will be used to implement the program development and education/training activities in the Technical Proposal).

This additional request for funding must be included with the applicant’s submission package, but in a supplementary attachment that is separate and apart from the applicant’s technical proposal, as explained in Section V.B. This additional request will be reviewed separately from the main application.

Applications that combine the main application documentation with the supplementary documentation will be found non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

In the event additional funds become available, ETA reserves the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this solicitation.

B. Period of Performance

DOL expects to make awards by June 30, 2011. The period of grant performance for these awards will be up to 36 months from the date of execution of the grant documents for program development and direct education and training activities provided through the grant. This performance period includes all necessary grant activities for program development and direct education and training activities provided through the grant including: the development and implementation of career pathways models; the completion of education/training activities and the award of employer- or industry-recognized credentials for at least one group of participants in each type of career pathway targeted by the grant; placement activities for at least one cohort of participants for each career pathway targeted through the grant; and participant follow-up for employment and credential outcomes.

DOL also expects that the grant start date will be July 1, 2011, and start-up activities, such as hiring appropriate program staff and specialized equipment purchases, will begin immediately upon award.

The Department also expects that at least some participants will begin education and training activities no later than January, 2012. The Department strongly encourages grantees to develop their project work plans and timelines accordingly. In addition, the Department intends that all grantees complete appropriate equipment purchases within the first year of the grant. Further, applicants should plan to fully expend grant funds during the period of performance, while ensuring full transparency and accountability for all expenditures. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to carefully consider their ability to spend the level of funding requested within the 3 year timeframe of these grants.

Grantees who are awarded additional funds to conduct an evaluation of their career pathways program will have an additional year in their period of performance. During this year they must use grant funds solely for activities related to the evaluation, and will not be permitted to use grant funds for any activities related to program development and direct education and training activities provided through the grant.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants

In order to be eligible for consideration under this solicitation, the lead applicant must be an eligible institution, as defined in this paragraph, and must submit an application in partnership with the required partners identified in Section III.B. Applicants must specify their applicant type in the Abstract, as described in Section IV.B Part III.1. Eligible institutions are: (1) Local Workforce Investment Boards, which partner with one or more community or technical college(s) where education/training activities will occur under the grant; (2) community or technical colleges; (3) community college districts; and, (4) State community college systems. Requirements for each of these lead applicant types are provided below.

1. Local Workforce Investment Boards

Under this category, eligible applicants are legal entities that represent the local workforce investment system as follows:

• A Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB), as established under Section 117 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) (Pub. L. 105–220), that has been incorporated; or,

• In areas where the LWIB is not incorporated, the legal entity that serves as the fiscal agent for the Local Workforce Investment Board. To apply under this category, this entity must provide, as an attachment to their application, a letter from the chair of the Local Workforce Investment Board that:

affirms that the applicant is the legal entity that serves as the fiscal agent for the LWIB, confirms that the applicant is submitting the application on behalf of the LWIB, and includes the applicant’s legal name and Federal Tax Identification Number.

To apply under this category, the Local Workforce Investment Board must specify, in their Abstract, one or more community or technical college(s) (as defined in Section III.A.2) where education/training activities will occur under the grant.

2. Community or Technical Colleges

Applicants under this category are institutions of higher education as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001) which offer programs that can be completed in not more than 2 years. These "institutions of higher education" include public and other nonprofit educational institutions. Private for-profit educational institutions are not eligible to apply.

Eligible institutions under this category must be accredited, as of the closing date of this SGA, by an accrediting agency or association that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of

Education. A database of institutions that are accredited by bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education can be found at Uhttp://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/U. Applicants are strongly encouraged to check this website, as the Department will reference this database in determining an applicant’s accreditation to ensure eligibility. If an applicant under the Community or Technical College category is UnotU shown by this database to have active accreditation status, the applicant must provide additional verifiable documentation, in an attachment, which demonstrates that the applicant’s institution is accredited as of the closing date of this SGA. If an applicant does not have active accreditation status as of the closing date of this SGA (for example, if the institution has been denied accreditation or candidacy), the application will be found non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

In determining eligibility, the Department will also use the IPEDS Data Center (Uhttp://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/U) to evaluate if an applicant is a public or private nonprofit educational institution, and if the institution offers programs that can be completed in not more than 2 years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to check this website as well.

Institutions of higher education that meet the requirements stated above may include 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions, among others.

3. Community College Districts

Applicants under this category are community college districts established by the State as a separate entity, or governed by a community education board, for the purpose of carrying out a common objective on behalf of a group of community or technical colleges. The community college district must serve as the programmatic and fiscal agent for the grant, having ultimate responsibility for implementing the grant’s statement of work, meeting all fiscal and administrative requirements as required by the grant, and ensuring the grant adheres to all other requirements of the grant agreement.

The applicant must specify, in the Abstract, one or more community or technical colleges within the district where education/training activities will occur under the grant.

4. State Community College Systems

Applicants under this category are the agencies primarily responsible for the State supervision of a unified statewide system of community and technical colleges. The State community college system must serve as the programmatic and fiscal agent for the grant, having ultimate responsibility for implementing the grant’s statement of work, meeting all fiscal and administrative requirements as required by the grant, and ensuring the grant adheres to all other requirements of the grant agreement.

State system applications must specify, in the Abstract, one or more community college(s) within the State where education/training activities will occur under the grant.

B. Required Partners and their Roles

All eligible lead applicants must meet the requirements of one of the categories of eligible institutions defined in Section III.A of this SGA, and must submit an application on behalf of a partnership that includes at least one organization from each of the following partner categories: (1) the public workforce investment system, such as Local Workforce Investment Boards and their One-Stop systems; (2) community or technical colleges; and (3) public and/or private employers. A lead applicant under category (1) or (2) need not have an additional partner in its own category to satisfy the partnership requirement. However, lead applicants are encouraged to include more than one representative of the required and suggested partners.

By including all of these types of organizations in a comprehensive partnership, applicants can ensure they are maximizing available resources and organizational expertise for each project, and that individual participants within the project have the support they need to successfully complete training, overcome barriers to employment, and obtain jobs and advance along career ladders. These partners can contribute a wide array of knowledge and activities to each project, and must work together to leverage each other’s expertise and resources.

Each partner category is defined below:

1. The Public Workforce Investment System, such as Local Workforce Investment Boards and their One-Stop Systems DOL requires that LWIBs and/or their One-Stop Systems serve as partners in the proposed project. DOL is interested in projects that include substantive roles for the public workforce investment system in developing and implementing career pathway programs. Therefore, either the LWIB or their One-Stop System must serve as a partner in the applicant’s overall strategy and project work plan (applicants may also choose to partner with both the LWIB and the One-Stop System). In addition, DOL strongly encourages applicants to leverage, where possible, WIA training, core, and/or intensive services provided through the public workforce system. The public workforce system must provide core and/or intensive services, funded with either grant funds or leveraged resources, to support the proposed project. Its role may include but is not limited to the following activities: (1) understanding and analyzing the need for education/training and employment in the local area; (2) identifying targeted industries, occupations, hiring needs, and populations to be served; (3) connecting the applicant to relevant sources of data, including the workforce investment board’s strategic plan, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports, and other relevant state tools or reports; (4) leading or supporting the employer engagement component of a career pathway program; (5) assessing potential participants for the career pathways program; (6) identifying and referring candidates for education/training in the career pathways program; (7) job development services, including connecting and placing participants with employers that have job openings; (8) collecting, tracking, and reporting participant performance data to DOL; and, (9) coordinating strategies, resources, and programs across organizations, including providing information on potential eligibility for Pell Grants and other financial aid. This could involve making referrals for participants in the CPIF program, if eligible, who are in need of supportive services in order to overcome barriers to education/training and employment and ensure successful outcomes.

2. Community or Technical Colleges, as Defined in Section III.A.2 DOL requires that community or technical colleges serve as partners in the proposed project.

DOL is particularly interested in applications that include multiple community or technical colleges as partners in the project. Applicants that apply under the Community or Technical College category will satisfy the partnership requirement for this category.

3. Public and/or Private Employers DOL requires that employers serve as partners in the proposed project. These organizations should be actively engaged in the project and may contribute to many aspects of grant activities, such as defining the program strategy and goals, identifying necessary skills and competencies, providing resources to support education/training (such as equipment, instructors, funding, internships, access to laboratory facilities, or other work-based learning activities or situations), and where appropriate, hiring qualified program participants. DOL encourages applicants to focus on employers that are significant in the regional economy and belong to growing or emerging industries, including regional industry clusters.

C. Suggested Partners

In addition to the required partners, DOL strongly encourages applicants to include other partners to further assist the project. Other partner organizations can offer additional resources and expertise such as assistance with the development and implementation of Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs; contextualized learning; internship programs; basic skills training, such as adult basic education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and job readiness training; initial assessment of participant skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, competencies, and supportive service needs;

career counseling; case management services; and comprehensive retention strategies.

1BThese organizations could include, but are not limited to:

i. The education and training community, including secondary schools, other community and technical colleges, four-year colleges and universities, apprenticeship programs, adult education providers, technical and vocational training institutions, and other education and training entities;

ii. Nonprofit organizations, such as community or faith-based organizations, or intermediaries, that have direct access to the target populations and often have demonstrated experience in serving these populations;

iii. Labor organizations;

iv. State Apprenticeship Agencies (SAAs) or the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA), in those states where OA is the registration agency for registered apprenticeship programs.

Applicants who wish to include apprenticeship as a partner should note that the DOL Office of Apprenticeship is the registration agency for apprenticeship programs in 25 States and is available to partner in states with any grantee who requests to do so;

v. Local veterans’ agencies and local veterans service organizations;

vi. Economic Development organizations;

vii. Industry employer associations that represent member companies within an industry or sector; and,

viii. Organizations that have received funding from other Federal agencies, such as the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, or Housing and Urban Development, to develop related training and education, or to provide other services to individuals. For example, the Department of Health and Human Services/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has made grants for curriculum and training for individuals interested in pursuing careers in health informatics.

Applicants proposing a career pathway in this field are encouraged to partner with these grantees in order to avoid duplication of effort.

D. Other Eligibility Criteria

Eligible institutions may submit only one application in response to this SGA as the lead applicant. Applicants that submit more than one application as the lead applicant will be found non-responsive and none of their applications will be reviewed. However, eligible institutions may submit an application as a lead applicant, and also serve as a partner in applications in which they are not designated the lead applicant.

E. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching funds are not required as a condition for application, but leveraging other resources is strongly encouraged.

F. Eligible Participants

Applicants must propose projects that serve only individuals who are at least 17 years of age and fall within one of the following two categories: unemployed workers and incumbent workers.

Within these two categories, applicants may serve a wide variety of individuals, including individuals with barriers to employment, such as limited English proficiency; youth 17 years of age and older who have dropped out of school and are seeking employment; persons with disabilities; and ex-offenders. In-school high school students and other students enrolled in secondary education programs are not eligible participants under this SGA.

Applicants may propose projects with program development activities that may benefit individuals younger than 17 years of age; however, grant funds may not be used to directly provide education/training or other grant-funded services, such as tuition costs or faculty salaries, to serve individuals younger than 17 years of age. Applicants are encouraged to use leveraged resources to serve any individuals younger than 17 years of age.

The two categories of eligible participants are defined as follows:

1. Unemployed Workers For the purposes of this SGA, DOL defines “unemployed worker” as an individual who is without a job and who wants and is available to work. This can include the long-term unemployed (individuals who have been unemployed for six months or more).

2. Incumbent Workers

For the purpose of this SGA, this term refers to individuals who are employed but need training to secure full-time employment, advance in their careers, or retain their current occupations. This can include low-income individuals; dislocated workers who have received a notice of termination or lay-off from employment; and individuals with barriers to employment progression, such as individuals with limited English proficiency.

G. Veterans Priority for Participants

The Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288) requires grantees to provide priority of service for veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations implementing this priority of service can be found at 20 CFR part 1010. In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible spouse, the veterans priority of service provisions require that the grant recipient give the veteran or eligible spouse priority of service by first providing him or her that service. To obtain priority of service, a veteran or spouse must meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on veterans priority. ETA’s Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in all qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL. TEGL No. 10-09 is available at Uhttp://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816U.

H. Other Grant Specifications

1. Grant Recipient Training

Grant recipients are required to participate in all DOL training activities related to orientation, financial management and reporting, performance reporting, product dissemination, and other technical assistance training as appropriate during the life of the grant. These trainings may occur via conference calls, through virtual events such as webinars, and in-person meetings. Applicants should budget for two staff members to each attend two in-person training events during the life of the grant, one in Washington, D.C. and the other in the location of the ETA regional office that will manage the grant.

Applicants should visit the following link to see which ETA regional office manages grants in its state:

Uhttp://www.doleta.gov/regions/U.

2. Required Disclaimer for Grant Deliverables

The grantee must include the following language on all Work developed in whole or in part with grant funds, including its incorporation in the License (as described in Section IV.E.4): “This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.”

3. Transparency

The Department is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes. Applicants are advised their application and information related to its review and evaluation (whether or not the application is successful) may be made publicly available, either fully or partially. In addition, information about grant progress and results may also be made publicly available.

IV. Application and Submission Information 2BA. How to Obtain an Application Package

This SGA contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

Proposals submitted in response this SGA must consist of three separate and distinct parts: (I) a cost proposal; (II) a technical…