National Laboratory Jobs Apprenticeship for Complete and Committed Employment for Specialized Skills

The ACCESS Program is a pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship program that- 1) leads to recognized postsecondary credentials for secondary school and postsecondary students; 2) is focused on skills and qualifications needed, as determined by the Secre

The NNSA manages 8 major facilities. Each of these facilities has unique needs and requires a steady flow of personnel in skilled trades and technical fields to maintain a highly skilled technical workforce in multiple disciplines, many of which are amenable to apprenticeship programs. A partial list includes: mechanical trades, electrical trades, industrial hygiene, fire protection engineer, health physics, radiological control technician, nuclear criticality and safety, engineers-mechanical/electrical/computer/pulsed power, test and measurement, information technology/cybersecurity professionals, project management and project controls, and many more.

An eligible entity is a workforce intermediary or an eligible sponsor of a pre-apprenticeship program or apprenticeship program that: (1) demonstrates experience in implementing and providing career planning and career pathways toward pre-apprenticeship programs or apprenticeship programs; (2)(A) has a relationship with a National Laboratory or covered facility of the National Nuclear Security Administration; (B) has knowledge of the technician workforce needs of the laboratory or facility and the associated security requirements of the laboratory or facility; and (C) is eligible to enter into an agreement with the laboratory or facility that would be paid for in part or entirely from grant funds received under this section; (3) demonstrates the ability to recruit and support individuals who plan to work in relevant technician positions upon the successful completion of the pre-apprenticeship program or apprenticeship program; (4) provides students who complete the pre-apprenticeship program or apprenticeship program with, or prepares such students for obtaining, a recognized postsecondary credential; (5) uses related instruction that is specifically aligned with the needs of the laboratory or facility and utilizes workplace learning advisors and on-the-job training to the greatest extent possible; and (6) demonstrates successful outcomes connecting graduates of the pre-apprenticeship program or apprenticeship program to careers relevant to the program.

Fund pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs for specialized skills for the Department of Energy National Laboratories.

5 year grants.

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Proposals should be submitted as specified in the funding opportunity announcement posted at http://www.grants.gov/.

1. Quality of the proposed program. Quality (Size and Diversity) of the recruiting pool for apprentice candidates. Is there an organized and systematic form of instruction. 2. Relevance. Does the program recruit and train candidates that provide the specialized skills that are needed at the NNSA sites. Cooperation with NNSA sites. Program flexibility in adapting to future needs. 3. Qualifications and experience of the management team.

Applications will receive an administrative screening to determine if they are complete and in compliance with the terms of the solicitation. Proposals will be reviewed based on merit review criteria posted in the solicitation. Selection decisions are made by a Headquarters program official within the Program Office. Selected proposals will be forwarded to the NNSA Office of Partnership and Aquisition Services (PAS) for grant development, negotiation, and award.