Billing Code 4510-30-M
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
ACTION: 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 (date of
publication). The closing date for receipt of applications is
[45 days from the date of publication ], 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: 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 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 that 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;
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;
- 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 Propsals. 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?
- 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
gramtee 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
Appendices
Appendix A: Application for Federal Assistance, SF Form 424
Appendix B: Budget Information Form
