[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8992-8993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03682]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Comment Request for Information Collection for H-1B Technical
Skills Training (H-1B) and the H-1B Jobs and Innovation Accelerator
Challenge (JIAC) Grant Programs, Extension With Revisions
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (Department), as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a
preclearance consultation program to provide the public and Federal
agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)] (PRA). The PRA helps ensure that
respondents can provide requested data in the desired format with
minimal reporting burden (time and financial resources), collection
instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection
requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the collection of
data about H-1B Technical Skills Training (TST), H-1B Jobs and
Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JA), and H-1B Ready To Work (RTW)
grant programs. Data collection for these grant programs is currently
approved under OMB Control No. 1205-0507, expiration March 31, 2016.
If an extension with revisions of this information collection is
approved, this data collection will only be applicable for the H-1B
TST, JA, and RTW grantees. All future H-1B grantees will not report in
accordance with this data collection, and instead will report in
accordance with the information collection for WIOA reporting
requirements, as applicable.
DATES: Submit written comments to the office listed in the addresses
section below on or before April 25, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Ayreen Cadwallader, Division of
Strategic Investments, Room C-4518, Employment and Training
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone number: 202-693-3311 (this is not a
toll-free number). Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may
access the telephone number above via TTY by calling the toll-free
Federal Information Relay Service at 1-877-889-5627 (TTY/TDD). Email:
[email protected]. To obtain a copy of the proposed information collection
request (ICR), please contact the person listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Baird. [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
In applying for the H-1B TST, JA, and RTW grant programs, grantees
agreed to submit participant-level data and quarterly aggregate reports
for individuals who receive services through these programs and their
partnerships with business-related nonprofit organizations, education
and training providers, including community colleges and other
community-based organizations, entities involved in administering the
workforce investment system established under Title I of WIA, and
economic development agencies, among others. The reports include
aggregate data on demographic characteristics, types of services
received, placements, outcomes, and follow-up status. Specifically,
they summarize data on
[[Page 8993]]
employment and training services, placement services, and other
services essential to successful unsubsidized employment through H-1B
programs.
This document requests approval for an extension with revisions of
an existing information collection currently approved under OMB Control
No. 1205-0507, expiration March 31, 2016. The request will support
efforts to meet the (1) reporting, (2) recordkeeping, and (3) program
evaluation requirements of the grant programs through an ETA-provided,
Web-based Management Information System (MIS), called the HUB Reporting
System. The HUB system already exists and is currently in use by the H-
1B TST, JA, and RTW grantees.
Grantees will report on a number of leading indicators that serve
as predictors of success. These include participant support services
necessary to support training and employment activities, attainment of
degrees or certificates, placement into post-secondary education or
vocational training, on-the-job training (OJT), classroom occupational
training, contextualized learning, distance learning, apprenticeships,
customized training, including incumbent worker training, and placement
into unsubsidized jobs. These measures are also necessary for effective
program management and conveying full and accurate information on the
performance of these grant programs to policymakers and stakeholders.
This information collection maintains a reporting and record-
keeping system for a minimum level of information collection that is
necessary to comply with Equal Opportunity requirements, to hold
grantees appropriately accountable for the Federal funds they receive,
and to allow the Department to fulfill its oversight and management
responsibilities.
The information collection for program evaluation includes setting
up a Participant Tracking System (PTS) through the MIS to collect
baseline information similar to the quarterly reports but at the
individual participant level. The baseline data covered by this
clearance will enable the evaluation to describe the characteristics of
study participants at the time they are randomly assigned to a
treatment or control group, ensure that random assignment was conducted
properly, create subgroups for the analysis, provide contact
information to locate individuals for follow-up surveys, and improve
the precision of the impact estimates. Such data will be collected on
the basis that the evaluation will consist of an experimental design
employing random assignment of participants into treatment and control
groups. A Web-based PTS will execute the random assignment procedures
and compile baseline data on study sample members. This PTS will assure
that participant data will be in a consistent format across sites.
A rigorous program evaluation also requires clear and specific
documentation of the services provided to treatment group members in
each of the grantee sites and the services available to control group
members. This qualitative information will enable the evaluation to
describe the program design and operations in each site, interpret the
impact analysis results, and identify lessons learned for purposes of
program replication. The process study site visits will include semi-
structured interviews and focus group discussions with various program
stakeholders.
II. Review Focus
The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses.
III. Current Actions
Type of Review: Extension with revisions.
Title: H-1B Technical Skills Training (H-1B) and the H-1B Jobs and
Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JIAC) grant programs.
OMB Number: 1205-0507.
Affected Public: Existing H-1B TST, JA and RTW grantees, and
participants served through these programs.
Estimated Total Annual Respondents: 25,230.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total number of Number of responses per Total annual Average time per Total annual
Form/Activity respondents respondent response response (hours) burden hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Participant Data Collection (including 25,000 participants....... Continual................. 25,000 2.66.................... 66,500
baseline data for evaluation).
Quarterly Narrative Progress Report... 85 Grantees............... 12 (4 times per year)..... 340 10...................... 3400
Quarterly Performance Report.......... 85 Grantees............... 12 (4 times per year)..... 340 10...................... 3400
Site Visit Data Collection............ 60 total staff............ three (once per year)..... 60 1 hour.................. 60
Totals............................ 25,230.................... .......................... 25,740 ........................ 73,360
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 25,740.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 73,360.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: There are no annual
costs, as ETA will be responsible for the annual maintenance costs for
the HUB Reporting System, a free, Web-based data collection and
reporting system.
We will summarize and/or include in the request for OMB approval of
the ICR, the comments received in response to this comment request;
they will also become a matter of public record.
Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2016-03682 Filed 2-22-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FP-P