Note: This new USDOL Grant opportunity for
Regional Workforce Boards is related to the recent RFP for
grassroots FBCOs [see March 25, 2005 Gateway Alert]. We have
learned that there will not be any separate USDOL "Intermediaries" grant
competition this year but that local workforce boards are
encouraged to partner with intermediaries on this grant.
Last year one of the national awardees was WorkNet Pinellas,
in partnership with Catholic Charities of St. Petersburg,
and Catholic Charities in turn awarded competitive sub-grants
to several local FBCOs serving youth, ex-offenders and other
hard-to-serve populations.
The deadline for this grant application is May 4, 2005.
WFI and AWI grant specialist staff are available to assist
Regional Workforce Boards and local FBCO/intermediary partners
in applying for these grants, including assisting with letters
of endorsement/support from "the state."
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Department of Labor Announces Grant Opportunity for Workforce
Investment
Boards to Build Partnerships Between Faith-Based and Community
Organizations and Local One-Stop Delivery Systems
Summary: The Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based
and Community Initiatives and the Employment and Training
Administration (ETA), have announced the availability up
to $5 million for grants to eligible Workforce Investment
Boards (WIBs) that have demonstrated successfully the ability
to form working partnerships with grassroots faith-based
and community organizations (FBCOs). Grassroots FBCOs may
include faith-based and community organizations, minority-led
or immigrant-led non-profit or community development organizations
and/ or other small non-profit organizations.
This grant will build upon successful ETA grants from program
years (PY) 2001 to 2004 that focused on the use of intermediaries
and WIBs to build partnerships between FBCOs and local One-Stop
systems. The WIB will develop and implement an 18-month project
to encourage the formation of long-term contractual and non-contractual
partnerships with FBCOs that meet an unmet community need
related to hard-to-serve populations (e.g., ex-offenders,
limited-English, welfare-to work, etc.).
This investment supports and complements the President's
High Growth Training Initiative: http://www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/ .
The foundation of this initiative is the creation of partnerships
to work collaboratively in the development of solutions to
the human resource challenges facing our growth industries,
while developing maximum access for American workers to gain
the competencies they need to obtain good jobs.
This grant also complements ETA's ongoing sectoral employment
research and evaluations -- i.e., identifying workforce needs
and opportunities within a local or regional industry or
cross-industry occupational group while retaining a focus
on economic performance and competitiveness. FBCOs can discharge
a significant community role in assisting Boards by bringing
new entrants to the job market that can be trained and equipped
to meet emerging and evolving industry needs. Each applicant
Board will identify up to three businesses or industry sectors
to collaborate with the Board and FBCOs within the local
One-Stop system to provide jobs for qualified employees from
the identified geographic areas.
Due Date: The closing date for applications is May 4, 2005.
Grant Amount: The Department expects to award approximately
10 to 20 grants based on the rating of applications and other
factors, which may include urban/rural and geographical balance.
The grant amount for each WIB is expected to range between
$300,000 and $500,000. The period of performance will be
18 months from the date of execution by the Department.
Announcement of this award is expected to occur by July
1, 2005. The March 28 FEDERAL REGISTER provides full background
on this competition and the application requirements. View
the Grant Application. ( HTML http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800
/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-6022.htm)
| ( PDF http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-6022.pdf ).
