[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 95 (Monday, May 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27319-27327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13156]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice Inviting Proposals for Promoting Employer Participation in
School-to-Work (STW) Systems
SUMMARY: This notice contains all of the necessary information and
forms to apply for grant funding. The Departments of Labor and
Education jointly are accepting proposals for a new award in FY 97, as
authorized under section 403 of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of
1994 (the Act). This award will provide for coordination of the overall
effort to engage employers in STW activities, the identification and
collaboration with national business leaders to advocate for and
promote the visibility of business participating in STW, the provision
of technical assistance to business leaders, the dissemination of
products and information related to employer participation in STW, and
the marketing and dissemination of research findings related to
employer participation in STW. The Departments believe that a targeted
approach to employer involvement through a unified, singular and
strategically managed award, has the potential to increase the number
of employers participating in STW systems, build their capacity to
influence and benefit from STW partnerships, and increase the ability
of other STW stakeholders to develop effective, sustainable
partnerships with employers.
DATES: Applications will be accepted commencing May 18, 1998. The
closing date for receipt of applications is July 2, 1998, at 4 P.M.,
(Eastern Time) at the address below.
ADDRESSES: Applicants shall be mailed to U.S. Department of Labor,
Employment and Training Administration, Division of Acquisition and
Assistance, Attention: Patricia Glover, Reference: SGA/DAA 98-005, 200
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S-4203, Washington, D.C. 20210.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions should be faxed to Ms.
Patricia A. Glover, Grants Management Specialist, Division of
Acquisition and Assistance, Fax (202)219-8739. This is not a toll-free
number. All inquiries should include the SGA number (DAA 98-005) and a
contact name and phone number. This solicitation will also be published
on the Internet, and the Employment Administration's Home Page at
http://www.doleta.gov. Award notifications will also be published on
this Home Page.
Employer Technical Support Coordination Solicitation
I. Purpose
To invite proposals to coordinate an array of national efforts to
engage employers in STW and to provide technical support to STW
partners that will increase and maximize employer participation in
these partnerships.
II. Background
The School-to-Work Opportunities Act was signed into law by the
President on May 4, 1994. Jointly administered by the Departments of
Labor and Education, this Act is a new approach to education that seeks
to better prepare all American Youth for careers in high skill, high
wage jobs and to strengthen the linkages between what is learned in
school with work. Under the Act, venture capital grants are provided to
States and local communities to undertake systemic reform. Grants are
for a limited duration with the Federal investment declining over time.
These investments are intended to support the one-time costs of States
and local communities to restructure learning experiences for all
students. The Act also provides a set-aside of funds for national
activities to support School-to-Work system building nationwide. These
funds are used for technical assistance and capacity building, for
outreach, and for research and evaluation. Section 403 of the Act,
relating to training and technical assistance, specifically directs the
Secretaries to ``work in cooperation with * * * employers and their
associations * * * to increase their capacity to develop and implement
effective School-to-Work programs.''
III. Statement of Work
Employer Participation in STW
Changes in the economy, technology and global competition are
driving forces behind efforts to improve the academic performance and
career preparedness of today's youth. Among its purposes, the National
School-to-Work Act was enacted to: ``utilize workplaces as active
learning environments in the educational process by making employers
joint partners with educators in providing opportunities for all
students to participate in high quality, work-based learning
experiences.'' Work based learning is one of the three key components
within a STW system (school-based learning and connecting activities
are the other two). At the early stages of STW implementation, one of
the key considerations was to build employer
[[Page 27320]]
participation in STW at such a scale and depth as to provide the vast
number of work-based learning opportunities necessary for all of the
nation's students to experience meaningful connections between the
classroom and the workplace. Thus, an unprecedented scale of employer
commitment and involvement in education is critical for the
implementation and sustainability of STW systems. Employers participate
in STW systems through a number of different activities involving
students, teachers and with State and local governing bodies. The
Employer Participation Model, published by the National Employer
Leadership Council (NELC), outlines more than 50 different
opportunities for employer involvement in STW. State and local
communities are actively working to engage employers in becoming
partners and active participants within their STW systems.
Status of Employer Investments
To date, the two Departments through the National School-to-Work
Office have made a number of investments to support employer knowledge
and participation in aspects of emerging STW systems. A major
investment included support for the establishment and development of
the National Employer Leadership Council (NELC), the purpose of which
has been to enlist the leadership of highly visible CEOs of major
companies in order to promote STW at the highest levels of corporate
business. Another significant investment included one through an
existing ETA grant to the National Alliance of Business (NAB). The
purpose of this project was to promote participation in STW through
ETA's workforce development infrastructure featuring a partnership
comprised of NAB, NELC, the Association of Private Industry Councils,
and the National Employer Council. The National STW Office also
invested in specific outreach activities and publications targeted to
business entities and employers. Recently, the National STW Office
released a solicitation in which up to 5 awards will be made to
national industry and trade associations. The successful applicants
will be expected, through their membership infrastructures, to capture
for STW participation a critical mass of employers in growth industries
and/or those with high potential for providing jobs with career
pathways for new job entrants.
Additional investments have been made in research and evaluation to
collect data on employer participation. These studies support the
notion that the investments made to date are having a modest impact,
but there is still a long way to go before employer participation can
be considered at a scale sufficient to sustain STW systems. One recent
study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research revealed that employers
are playing an active role in local partnerships, participating widely
in governing in and more than a quarter of the cases are actually
chairing these bodies. They are offering varied forms of work-base
learning opportunities, hosting teacher internships and contributing to
curriculum development. However, according to the Mathematica report,
partnerships still face significant challenges as they try to recruit
the numbers of employers needed. The report concludes that ``Employer
recruiting will have to expand participation manyfold beyond the 1996
levels if the goals states are setting for workplace activity are to be
realized.'' Other research shows, however, that employers are ready and
eager to participate in STW and that their numbers are expanding. The
National Employer Leadership Survey conducted by the Center on
Educational Quality of the Workforce illustrated a clear desire by
employers to participate in and provide appropriate leadership to STW.
Significantly, another study conducted through the NELC shows that
there is economic incentive to do so. Preliminary data from its Return
on Investment Study shows a quantitative value of STW participation
ranging from $.44 to over $5 for every dollar invested. In addition,
companies are likely to experience non-monetary returns on investment
such as increased employee morale when they participate in STW.
There are other encouraging indications that employer participation
is beginning to accelerate. Part II of the National Employer Survey
released in November 1997 revealed that over one in four employers with
20 or more employees are involved in STW. However, the survey also
shows that mentoring and job shadowing are the predominant modes of
participation and that larger companies participate in greater numbers
than small companies. Thus, to further take STW to scale and build
employer capacity there need to be efforts to (1.) continue to broaden
the number of employers; (2.) expand the nature of employer
participation to include more in-depth participation through such
activities as internships; and (3.) increase the number of small and
medium sized businesses participating in STW. Although investments to
date have built awareness of STW in the business community and an
encouraging level of employer involvement, we now need to build greater
depth and capacity in employer participation. STW initiatives need to
engage companies of all sizes and all industries in order to build
capacity beyond basic awareness and peripheral participation.
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
GPRA requires that each government entity develop goals and
objectives against which performance can be measured. Building strong
employer participation in STW is chief among the objectives the
Departments have established for the National School-to-Work Office.
The Departments have identified two indicators of achievement for this
objective: 1. by fall 2000, 600,000 employers will engage in at least
one recognized STW activity; and 2. by fall 2000, 40% of all employers
participating in STW systems will offer work-based learning
opportunities. As of December 1995, the most recent data available,
150,000 employers nationally were engaged in at least one STW activity.
When the next Progress Measures report is issued this number is likely
to be significantly higher. However, it is apparent that strategic
approaches for recruitment of employers remains an urgent necessity.
There is a need to develop prototype products and to work with key
organizations to raise critical awareness of STW among employers. In
addition, the Departments recognize the importance of supporting the
development, testing, dissemination and implementation of various
approaches to employer participation in order to meet the GPRA
objectives. This solicitation represents a major component of the
Departments' strategy to achieve its objective of building employer
participation in STW.
Required Areas of Effort
Reaching a critical mass of employers participating in STW will
require concentrated and strategic effort. This effort will require:
that both private and public sector employers increase their knowledge
of the breadth of STW participation options; that employer
participation is easily facilitated; that other stakeholders are ready
and knowledgeable enough to partner with employers; that employers are
able to influence other institutions for their own benefit; that
employers help infuse STW into other workforce development and
community systems; that there is research--both hard evidence and
anecdotal examples--to demonstrate the conditions under which there is
a return on investment when they participate;
[[Page 27321]]
and that investments in employer participation grow and leverage other
resources. Based on lessons learned from previous investments in
awareness building and research, the Departments believe it necessary
to approach building the levels of employer participation by requiring
the successful applicant for this solicitation to demonstrate concerted
effort in the following four areas of concentrated activity.
1. Building employer knowledge base about STW and cultivating
corporate leadership. This area required effort includes but is not
limited to those activities that (1) address perceived barriers to
employer participation in STW; (2) provide more information to
employers; (3) organize employer events (such as employer conferences)
regarding STW; (4) highlight effective and best practices; (5) publicly
recognize commendable examples of employer participation in STW; (6)
disseminate research findings pertinent to employer participation in
STW; and (7) generally provide outreach to the employer community and
promote participation in STW. The Departments are particularly
interested in activities that instruct and sustain employers in leading
efforts to promote and implement STW systems' leadership at the
national, state, and local levels.
The Departments have determined that these activities proceed most
effectively when they are guided by business leaders who have
demonstrated their commitment to STW and their willingness to promote
the program within the larger business community. As discussed above,
several employer groups, such as the NELC, NAB, NAPIC, and NEC, have
substantially increased the visibility of STW in the business
community. Accordingly, the Departments expect the successful applicant
to: (1) operate an active national advisory council of business
leaders, including representatives from employer groups such as those
listed above; (2) describe, with specificity, the roles and activities
of the advisory council; and (3) identify the business leaders who have
committed themselves to serve on the council.
2. Organizing and participating in strategic alliances with
national business groups and organizations. This area of required
effort involves activities designed to maximize the coordination of
STW-related initiatives. The Departments recognize that national
organizations which represent and serve a wide variety of businesses
and business interests have been demonstrating increasing interest in
STW. Some of these groups have established STW initiatives of varying
scope and intensity. As a result, there are several simultaneous
national efforts to inform about STW and to engage them in STW
initiatives. The Departments believe that where possible, coordinated
alliances between these groups would strengthen the overall impact of
these efforts. Accordingly, the Departments are interested in
activities that would strategically convene divergent business efforts
to increase knowledge of, and participation in STW, that includes
serving when necessary as the collective voice of business in the
ongoing dialogue around STW issues.
3. Providing technical assistance to State STW systems in
cultivating employer participation. States need various degrees of
assistance in recruiting employers to actively participate in STW.
Also, previous experience indicates that employer involvement becomes
tenuous when employers are in a ready posture to participate, but STW
systems are not fully ready to engage employers. The Departments are
therefore interested in direct technical assistance to selected State
STW systems that will help these systems expand and intensify employer
participation. Examples of such technical assistance include helping
states develop strategic plans for developing employer leadership,
assisting states develop products and tools for working with employers
as well as for organizations working with employers, and dissemination
of products and materials for engaging employer leadership in State
systems.
4. Providing support and coordination to national industry specific
STW initiatives. The Departments are in the process of awarding up to 5
new awards (Reference # : SGA/DAA 98-003) to provide support to
industry groups and trade associations to undertake outreach, technical
assistance, and other activities to engage and build capacity of
employers in their industry to participate in STW systems. The
Departments believe that, through industry-specific initiatives,
industry groups representing high growth industries and/or those that
have a high potential for providing jobs with career pathways for new
job entrants can build a strong base of employer participation in STW.
Accordingly, it is expected that the successful applicant for this
solicitation will convene the successful offerors from SGA/DAA 98-003
on a quarterly basis and coordinate their efforts to share activities
and results across industries. This requirement is to insure that the
National STW Office's investments in employer engagement are closely
allied and are strategically consistent.
IV. Eligible Applicants
National business organizations or associations, or a national
consortium of business organizations experienced in business
partnership management and School-to-Work. Potential applicants,
however, should note the Departments' priority in seeking an
organization with a thorough knowledge of School-to-Work, familiarity
with The Employer Participation Model, demonstrated competence in
promoting and supporting education/business partnerships, and a strong
knowledge base concerning the needs, circumstances and conditions of
businesses that participate in School-to-Work. In preparing the
proposal, please use the following headings and respond to the
information in each of the following categories.
1. Project Description. Summarize the scope of the project,
outline how its activities will relate to the four broad areas of
activity described in the previous section, provide succinct and
measurable project objectives, and show how the objectives will help
the Departments meet the STW goals and objectives established
pursuant to GPRA.
2. Operational Plan. Provide a detailed work plan that includes
a description of the proposed activities matched to the objectives
presented in the Project Description, with accompanying time lines,
and the targeted audiences for each of these activities. Provide an
organizational structure and clear management plan detailing the
staff and organizational resources to be devoted to the project. The
offeror should demonstrate how the proposed work will contribute to
bringing STW to scale and how it will lead to sustainability.
Indicators demonstrating whether the work plan is likely to help
bring STW to scale include:
Showing the impact usefulness at the national, state,
and local levels and demonstrating a strong ``outreach'' effort to
enhance this impact;
Articulating how the planned activities will build
linkages between business and other STW stakeholders;
Connecting to, and collaborating with, other
organizations and initiatives designed to promote employer
participation in STW;
Identifying, developing, and disseminating materials
for professional development in the area of effective employer
engagement in STW; and
Building linkages with industry groups and
organizations which, through their membership, are in a position to
promote broader employer participation in STW, in particular, those
industry/trade consortiums funded by the National School-to-Work
Office. Indicators demonstrating whether the plan demonstrates
sustainability after the federal investment has ended include:
Identifying both federal and non-federal funding
sources a that amplify the federal investment and outlast it;
[[Page 27322]]
Describing in business terms how the plan addresses
business problems or needs;
Inviting other entities with similar experiences and
interests to identify related products, resources, findings and
interests in order to take advantage of activities in the larger
arena of STW implementation; and
Building upon existing, or creating new coalitions that
maximize business involvement and participation in STW.
3. Connecting to related initiatives and entities. The offeror
should demonstrate how its proposed plan of activities will build
upon existing or create new coalitions that maximize business
involvement and participation in STW; and/or connect with other
entities with similar experiences and interests to identify related
products, resources, funding and interests in order to take
advantage of activities in the larger arena of STW implementation,
and/or involve the public and private sectors in ways that
capitalize on, and connect to, existing infrastructures and overall
workforce development systems.
4. Results. The offeror should provide specific and quantifiable
outcomes that are anticipated from the proposed plan of activities
and that are measured with STW GPRA performance indicators. The
proposed outcomes should be sufficiently rigorous to allow the
Departments to meet its performance objectives and indicators
established pursuant to GPRA. In identifying outcomes, the offeror
should also explain how it will collect data, document results and
use these results to inform its ongoing workplan.
5. Capability. The offeror should demonstrate the capability of
the organization and the key staff assigned to undertake the work
plan, including examples of prior related efforts that demonstrate
success in providing outreach and capacity building efforts to
employers and employer organizations.
V. Funding Availability and Period of Performance
The Departments expect to make one award under this competition.
The award will be for $750,000. The period of performance will be for
12 months from the date the grant is awarded. The Departments may, at
their option, provide additional funds for another 24 months, depending
on fund availability and performance of the awardee.
VI. Application Submittal
Applicants must submit four (4) copies of their proposal, with
original signatures. The applications shall be divided into two
distinct parts: Part I--which contains Standard Form (SF) 424,
``Application for Federal Assistance,'' (Appendix A) and ``Budget
Information Sheet,'' (Appendix B) . All copies of the SF 424 MUST have
original signatures of the designated fiscal agent. Applicants shall
indicate on the SF-424 the organization's IRS status, if applicable.
According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Section 18, an
organization described in Section 501(C) 4 of the Interal Revenue Code
of 1986 which engages in lobbying activities shall not be eligible for
the receipt of federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan. The
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 17.249. In addition,
the budget shall include--on a separate page(s)--a detailed cost break-
out of each line item on the Budget Information Sheet. Part II shall
contain the program narrative that demonstrates the applicant's plan
and capabilities in accordance with the evaluation criteria contained
in this notice. Applicants must describe their plan in light of each of
the Evaluation Criteria. No cost data or reference to price shall be
included in this part of the application. Applicants MUST limit the
program narative section to no more than 30 double-spaced pages, on one
side only. This includes any attachments. Applications that fail to
meet the page limitation requirement will not be considered.
VII. Late Applications
Any application received after the exact date and time specified
for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be
considered, unless it is received before awards are made and it--(a)
Was sent by registed or certified mail not later than the fifth
calendar day before the date specified for receipt of applications
(e.g., and application submitted in response to a solicitation
requiring receipt of applications by the 20th of the month must have
been mailed/post marked by the 15th of that month); or (b) Was sent by
the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service to addresses not
later than 5:00 P.M. at the place of mailing two working days prior to
the date specified for receipt of applications. The term ``working
days'' excludes weekends and federal holidays. The term ``post marked''
means a printed, stamped or otherwised placed impression (exclusive of
a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable,
without further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date
of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
VIII. Hand Delivered Proposals
It is preferred that applications be mailed at least five days
prior to the closing date. To be considered for funding, Hand-delivered
applications must be received by 4:00 p.m., (Eastern Time), on the
closing date.
Telegraphed and/Faxed Applications Will Not Be Honored
Failure to adhere to the above instructions will be a basis for a
determination of nonresponsiveness. Overnight express mail from
carriers other than the U.S. Postal Service will be considered hand-
delivered applications and Must Be Received by the above specified date
and time.
IX. Review Process
A careful evaluation of applications will be made by a technical
review panel who will evaluate the applications against the criteria
listed below. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding
on the Grant Officer. The government may elect to award the grants with
or without discussions with the offeror. In situations without
discussions, an award will be based on the offeror's signature on the
SF-424, which constitutes a binding offer. Awards will be those in the
best interest of the Government.
X. Evaluation Criteria
1. The extent to which the offeror outlines a clear and detailed
plan of operation. (40 points)
Is the plan specific as to the activities proposed and how
these activities will result in broad employer participation?
Are the outcomes proposed specific and realistic?
Is the plan specific as to staff assignments and level of
effort?
Do the activities directly relate to the four areas of
required effort?
Does the application demonstrate how the proposed work
will contribute to expanding the scope and breadth of employer
participation in STW?
How will the proposed activities lead to sustainability of
the federal investment to engage employers in STW systems?
How will the proposed outcomes help the Departments to
meet its performance objectives and indicators established pursuant to
the GPRA?
2. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capability
and capacity to meet the requirements of this solicitation. (30 points)
Does the organization have clear links to the employer and
business communities?
Does the applicant identify specific corporate entities
and leaders (e.g., individuals associated with particular business
groups) who have committed to actively participate on a national
advisory council; and does the organization clearly delineate the roles
and activities of this advisory body?
[[Page 27323]]
Has the applicant demonstrated the ability to recruit
business leaders, who represent a mix of industry types, sizes and
geographic locations, for its proposed STW activities?
Are the personnel assigned to the effort well qualified to
carry out the activities represented in the operational plan?
Are the organization and assigned staff well positioned to
provide the range of technical assistance to employers, employer
partners and STW systems as required?
Does the organization demonstrate the capacity to perform
the range of required activities on a national scale?
3. The extent to which applicant demonstrates the willingness and
ability to engage and convene other related national initiatives that
seek to inform and develop employer participation in STW. (20 points)
Does the applicant propose specific activities that are
likely to result in strategic alliances with other business groups?
Does that applicant show relevant past experience in
collaborating with national business groups?
Does this experience span a range of industry sizes and
types?
4. The overall utility of the applicant's plan to evaluate its
activities and use its results to inform its ongoing plan. (10 points)
Is the plan for evaluation clearly tied to clear
objectives and specific outcomes?
Is there a clear mechanism for adjusting the workplan
based on results?
Are there clear descriptions of the type of data to be
collected and a clear data collection plan?
The grants will be awarded based on applicant response to the above
mentioned criteria and that which is otherwise most advantageous to the
Departments.
XI. Reporting Requirements
The Departments are interested in insuring that the grantee work
closely with the industry and trade associations that are successful
applicants for the previously referenced competition (Reference # DGA/
DDA 98-003). The Departments expect the successful offeror will convene
these associations' STW project staff on a quarterly basis. The grantee
will also be asked to submit periodic reports in a format to be
determined and on a semi-annual basis.
Signed at Washington, D.C., this 11th day of May 1998.
Janice E. Perry,
Grant Officer.
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P
[[Page 27324]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18MY98.012
[[Page 27325]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18MY98.013
[[Page 27326]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18MY98.014
[[Page 27327]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18MY98.015
[FR Doc. 98-13156 Filed 5-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-C