Note: Here is an excellent opportunity for a partnered grant-funded project to help youth offenders (aged 16-21) get needed skills and enter the demand workforce. It is funded by USDOL for up to $1.2 Million for about 10 demonstration grants. The solicitation encourages FBCO involvement, and mandates partnering with workforce, education and juvenile justice programs.
Applications are due May 23, and WFI is encouraging Florida applications. If you and local or state-level partners are intending to apply, please let us know and request a letter of support. If you are interested in putting together a local project, contact your respective Regional Workforce Board. If you are interested in putting together a state-level project, contact the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, or Workforce Florida, Inc.

*************************************************************

Employment and Training Administration

Workforce Investment Act--Demonstration Grants; Solicitation for
Grant Applications--Preparing Youth Offenders To Enter High Growth and
High Demand Industries
Announcement Type: New. Solicitation for Grant Applications.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY-04-09.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.261.
Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this
announcement is May 23, 2005. Applications must be received not later
than 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). Application and submission
information is explained in detail in Section IV of this SGA.
Summary: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately
$15 million in Responsible Reintegration of Youthful Offender grant
funds to address the specific workforce challenges of youth offenders
and to utilize strategies that prepare them for new and increasing job
opportunities in high-growth/high-demand and economically vital
industries and sectors of the American economy. Projects funded under
this competition will be consistent with both the President's High
Growth Job Training Initiative and DOL's Youth Vision.
Grant funds awarded under this competition can be used to implement
a variety of approaches to helping youth offenders enter high-growth/
high-demand industries, including occupational training provided by
organizations that grant industry-recognized credentials; on-the-job
training, apprenticeships, internships, and other work-based learning
opportunities; job placement efforts; reading and math remediation to
assist youth offenders succeed in education and training programs;
efforts to help youth offenders already employed upgrade to skilled
positions; and efforts to help youth offenders enter community colleges
and four-year colleges.
Each application must reflect a strategic partnership between the
public workforce system, business representatives from high-growth/
high-demand industries, the education and training community, and the
juvenile justice system. Partnerships with the child welfare agency and
with faith-based and community organizations are also encouraged. It is
anticipated that individual awards will average $1 million for the
first year of operation to serve 200 youth per site.

Supplementary Information:

I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Background and Purpose

The White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth identifies young
people in the juvenile justice system as one of the neediest youth
populations in the country. The Task Force notes that illiteracy and
school failure are serious and widespread among youth in detention,
correctional, or shelter facilities, with such youth typically scoring
between grades 5 and 7 in reading and between grades 5 and 9 in math.
An American Bar Association Report notes that an estimated 36 percent
of juvenile offenders have learning disabilities and that an additional
13 percent have mental retardation. The report notes that the
percentage of youth in juvenile correctional facilities who were
previously identified and served in special education programs prior to
their incarceration is at least three to five times the percentage of
the public school population identified as disabled.
Court-involved youth are predominantly male and disproportionately
minority youth. In 2000, minority youth made up about 32 percent of the
U.S. population, but 58 percent of youth in juvenile facilities.
African American youth under age 18 make up 15 percent of the youth
population, but 26 percent of all juvenile arrests and 44 percent of
the detained population.
Multiple risk factors and events converge in the lives of young
people that put them at high-risk for coming into contact with the
justice system. The Department of Justice (DOJ) collects data on youth
offenders and adjudicated youth both through research studies and
reports from the State corrections departments. One study by DOJ's
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) that
surveyed administrators at public and private detention centers and
training schools found that 75 percent of the offenders come from
families affected by problems such as divorce and separation, 52
percent showed signs of depression, and 51 percent appeared to have
been abused by a parent or adult. Mental illness is also especially
high among youth offenders. Studies estimate that 80 percent of youth
in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health
disorder and many also suffer from co-occurring substance abuse
disorders.
These combined risk factors make it very difficult for youth
offenders to compete in the labor market, especially for jobs that can
lead to a career. This grant announcement combines two DOL priorities--
the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative and the Youth
Vision--in order to assist youth offenders to move into jobs and
careers in high-growth/high-demand industries. We hope through this SGA
to develop demonstration sites across the country showing that
strategic partnerships can be formed between business, community
colleges, the workforce investment system, and the juvenile justice
system to help youth offenders enter such careers.

2. DOL's Youth Vision

The White House Taskforce on Disadvantaged Youth notes that despite
the billions of Federal, State, local, and private dollars spent on
needy youth and their families, many out-of-school, at-risk youth are
currently being left behind in our economy because of a lack of program
focus and emphasis on outcomes. Well-designed and coordinated programs
offer youth who have become disconnected from mainstream institutions
and systems additional opportunities to successfully transition to
adult roles and responsibilities.
DOL's Youth Vision has been developed in response to the White
House Task Force Report on Disadvantaged Youth. Developed in
collaboration with our partners at the Departments of Education, Health
and Human Services, and Justice, this new strategic vision aims to more
effectively and efficiently serve out-of-school and at-risk youth
through the workforce investment system by focusing on four major
areas:
Improving alternative education services to youth;
Meeting the demands of business, especially in high-growth
industries and occupations;
Serving the neediest youth; and
Improving program performance.
In order to accomplish these goals, collaboration across youth-
serving agencies at the state and local levels is expected.

3. The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative

The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative is a strategic
effort to prepare workers for new and increasing job opportunities in
high-growth/high-demand and economically vital
industries and sectors of the American economy. The initiative is
designed to provide national leadership for a demand-driven workforce
system by identifying high-growth/high-demand industries, evaluating
their skills needs, and funding demonstration projects that provide
workforce solutions to ensure individuals can gain the skills needed to
get good jobs in these rapidly expanding or transforming industries.
The foundation of this initiative is partnerships between the
publicly-funded workforce investment system, business and industry
representatives, and education and training providers, such as
community colleges. The purpose of these partnerships is to develop
innovative solutions or replicate models that address a particular
industry's workforce issues. These solutions demonstrate how a demand-
driven workforce system can more efficiently serve the workforce needs
of business, while effectively helping workers find good jobs with good
wages and promising career paths.
The High Growth Job Training Initiative engages each partner in its
area of strength. Industry representatives and employers define
workforce challenges facing the industry and identify the competencies
and skills required for the industry's workforce. Community colleges
and other education and training providers assist in developing
competency models and training curricula and train new and incumbent
workers. The publicly-funded workforce investment system accesses human
capital (youth, unemployed, underemployed, and dislocated workers),
assists with training programs, and places trained workers in jobs.

4. Areas of ETA Emphasis for This SGA

ETA has developed five areas of emphasis for youth offender
projects funded through this SGA: (1) Helping youth offenders enter
high growth/high demand industries; (2) helping youth offenders improve
reading and math skills to attain their high school diploma or GED and
to enter post-secondary education and training; (3) building strategic
partnerships; (4) leveraging resources; and (5) achieving high-
performance outcomes.
Helping Youth Offenders Enter Into High Growth/High Demand
Industries. This SGA places great emphasis on ensuring that high
growth/high demand industries, as illustrated by the President's High
Growth Job Training Initiative, are targeted to allow youth offenders
access to new, emerging, and better job opportunities, with promising
career ladders. Guiding youth offenders into high-growth industries
requires that applicants and their partners work to identify the
workforce needs in high-growth/high-demand and economically critical
industries based on their State and local economies and to fully
understand the workforce challenges facing these industries and the
necessary preparation required to succeed in those occupations. This
information may be obtained through a variety of sources including
current State and local labor market information as well as formal
communication with business and industry representatives in order to
obtain up-to-date, primary source information on issues that pertain to
workforce development.
Helping Youth Offenders Improve Reading and Math Skills To
Attain Their High School Diploma or GED and To Enter Post-Secondary
Education and Training. This SGA also places great emphasis on
improving the basic education skills of youth offenders; helping them
receive high school diplomas or GEDs; and assisting them to enter post-
secondary education and training. We are particularly interested in
youth receiving high school diplomas. We encourage grantees to boost
the reading and math skills of youth and to help youth make up lost
high school credits. We also encourage grantees to coordinate with
local public schools to help youth offenders return to regular high
schools if appropriate or to be referred to quality alternative schools
that provide high school diplomas, certifiable credentials, and
opportunities for post-secondary educational placement. We encourage
coordination with local community colleges and four-year colleges to
assist youth with the transition to post-secondary education. We
encourage grantees to develop mentoring for youth and to use work-based
learning opportunities. In all cases, this emphasis on reading and math
remediation should lead to post-secondary education and training.
Building Strategic Partnerships. ETA believes that
strategic partnerships between the public workforce system, business
and industry representatives, the juvenile justice system, and
education and training providers such as community colleges, need to be
in place in order to ensure that youth offenders gain the necessary
skills and competencies for jobs and career pathways in high-growth/
high-demand industries. We also believe that additional partnerships
with the child welfare agency and faith-based and community
organizations also could enhance this effort.
In order to maximize success, each partner needs to be engaged in
its area of strength and have a clearly defined role in the
partnership. For example, industry representatives define workforce
challenges facing the industry, identify competencies and skills
required, and may provide work-based opportunities for participants.
Community colleges and other education and training providers assist in
developing competency models and curricula for training new and
incumbent workers. The juvenile justice system makes referrals to the
program, while faith and community-based organizations provide
mentoring and case management to provide encouragement, tutoring, and
assistance to help participants achieve their goals. The workforce
investment system may assist with the assessments of youth, develop
individual service strategies and training programs, and place trained
youth into jobs. This example does not preclude other partner roles and
responsibilities in the design and implementation of a youth offender
project.
Leveraging Resources. Youth offender investments should
leverage funds and resources from key entities in the strategic
partnership. Leveraging resources in the context of strategic
partnerships accomplishes three goals: (1) Allowing for the pursuit of
resources driven by strategy; (2) increasing stakeholder investment in
the project at all levels, including design and implementation phases;
and (3) broadening the impact of the project itself.
Consistent with the new youth vision, this SGA provides the
opportunity for strong collaboration between State and local youth-
serving agencies. Businesses, faith-based and community organizations,
and foundations often invest resources to support workforce
development. In addition, other government programs may provide
resources, including WIA funds reserved for Statewide activities, local
WIA formula youth funds, State juvenile justice funds, Federal No Child
Left Behind education funds, Chaffee, Runaway and Homeless funds and
State education funds. ETA encourages applicants and their partners to
be entrepreneurial as they seek out, utilize, and sustain these
resources, whether in-kind or cash contributions, when creating
effective, innovative projects for youth offenders.
Applicants will be rated in part on their ability to demonstrate
commitments of leveraged non-Federal resources. These leveraged non-
Federal resources can be either cash or in-kind.
In addition, 5 bonus points will be provided for applicants that
leverage 20 percent in cash of the total amount requested for the grant
from State or Federal resources. Applicants must describe in detail how
such leveraged funds will be used and demonstrate how these funds will
contribute to the goals of the project.
High Performance Outcomes. DOL expects that 200 youth
offenders will be served during the first year of operation at each
site awarded a grant under this SGA. The outcomes for this initiative
will include placement in employment, post-secondary education, and
advanced training, attainment of a degree or certificate (both of which
are part of the new common measures for youth employment and training
programs), and reduced recidivism.

5. Examples of Projects That Could Be Funded Under This Solicitation

Types of projects that could be funded under this SGA include, but
are not limited to, the following examples. Please note that these are
only examples, and we welcome applicants to propose alternative
approaches. All proposals will be judged on their own merits.
Example 1: The local Workforce Investment Board, the education
and training community, juvenile court, and representatives of local
high-growth industries set up a comprehensive system for assisting
all youth returning home from correctional facilities to enter
careers in high-growth industries. The local high-growth employers
identify the skills and competency needs of their high-growth
industries as the focus of the effort. The juvenile court agrees to
refer all youth returning to the local area from correctional
facilities, as well as youth who have previously been released from
correctional facilities or who have been sentenced to probation
rather than confinement. The child welfare agency refers foster
youth who have been involved in the juvenile justice system. The
community college and industry representatives design and implement
a set of apprenticeship, on-the-job training, and internship
opportunities for youth offenders in the high-growth industries
identified, as well as implement an educational component to improve
the math and reading skills of youth offenders and to assist them in
working towards acquiring an associate's and/or bachelor's degree
from a community college or four-year college. The workforce
investment system implements the assessments for the participants,
provides the supportive services, and after training, is involved in
job placements in those identified high-growth industries. Faith-
based and community organizations agree to provide mentors, case
management, and other support services to youth offenders. Any of
the above agencies or organizations could be the lead agency for the
project.
Example 2: The State agencies that oversee workforce
development, community colleges, and juvenile justice coordinate
with industry representatives to identify occupations in high-growth
industries that could be taught at State juvenile correctional
facilities and to implement instructional courses in these
occupations in one or more juvenile correctional facilities in the
State. The new instructional courses emphasize project-based
learning. The State Workforce Agency then coordinates with local
Workforce Investment Boards and local employers to develop
apprenticeships, on-the-job training, internships, and job
placements for youth offenders from these correctional facilities
when they are released. Faith-based and community organizations
agree to provide mentors and case management for the youth.
Example 3: A consortium of Workforce Investment Boards serving a
common labor market coordinate with the community colleges that
serve the broader area, the juvenile courts that serve the area, and
industry representatives to set up a regional approach to assisting
youth returning from correctional facilities to enter high-growth/
high-demand industries. The consortium identifies two or three high-
growth industries to be the focus of the effort. The juvenile courts
agree to refer to this new effort all youth returning to the local
area from correctional facilities. The child welfare agencies refer
foster youth who have been involved in the juvenile justice system.
The Workforce Investment Boards and the industry representatives
design a set of apprenticeship, on-the-job training, and internship
opportunities, and conduct job placement for youth offenders in the
identified high-growth industries. The community colleges implement
an educational component to improve the math and reading skills of
youth offenders and to assist youth offenders to enter a community
college or four-year college. The Workforce Investment Boards,
industry representatives, and local community colleges also develop
a training program to help employed youth offenders upgrade their
skills and move to skilled positions in high-growth industries.
Faith-based and community organizations agree to provide mentors and
case management for youth offenders. Any of the above agencies or
organizations could be the lead agency for the project.

II. Award Information

1. Award Amount

ETA expects to award grants for 15 projects at an average grant
amount of $1 million. Applicants may submit proposals within the range
of $800,000 to $1.2 million.

2. Period of Performance

The initial period of grant performance will be for one year of
operation. Depending on the availability of funds and satisfactory
progress, additional years of funding may be available for these
grants. In addition, ETA may elect to exercise its option to award no-
cost extensions to these grants for an additional period based on the
satisfactory progress of the program in placing participants in jobs,
education, and training, and reducing the recidivism of participants.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Applicants may be public, private for-profit, and private non-
profit organizations, including faith-based and community
organizations. The applicant will be the lead agency representing a
partnership of the public workforce system, business and industry
representatives from high-growth/high-demand industries, the education
and training community, and the juvenile justice system.
Applicants must demonstrate the existence of a partnership that
includes at least one entity from each of four categories: (1) The
publicly-funded workforce investment system, which may include the
State Workforce Board, State Workforce Agency, local Workforce
Investment Board, or a consortium of neighboring local Workforce
Investment Boards; (2) the education and training community, which may
include the State agencies overseeing secondary and post-secondary
schools, local school districts, local community and technical
colleges, four year colleges and universities, or other training
entities; (3) employers and industry representatives in high-growth/
high-demand industries; and (4) the juvenile justice system, which may
include the State juvenile justice agency or the local family or
juvenile court system. Collaborations also are encouraged with other
entities, including child welfare and foster care agencies, faith-based
and community organizations, substance abuse treatment providers, and
social service agencies.

2. Grantee Resources

There are no matching requirements for these grants. Applicants
will be rated in part on their ability to demonstrate commitments of
leveraged non-Federal resources.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

Beneficiary Eligibility. Individuals aged 16 to 21 who have been
involved in the juvenile justice system may be served by these grants.
This includes youth currently being held in correctional facilities or
detention centers, youth who have been released from correctional
facilities or detention centers, and youth who have been sentenced in
juvenile court to probation or alternative sentences.
Veterans Priority. This program is subject to the provisions of the
``Jobs for Veterans Act,'' Pub. L. 107-288, 38 U.S.C. 4215), which
provides priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain
veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement
services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in
part, by DOL. To obtain priority of service, a veteran must meet the
program's eligibility requirements. ETA Training and Employment
Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03 (Sept. 16, 2003) at http://www.doleta.gov/Seniors/other_docs/TEN5_03_VETS.pdf
provides general

guidance on the scope of the veterans priority statute and its effect
on current employment and training programs.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

This SGA contains all of the information and forms needed to apply
for grant funding.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applicants must submit an original signed application and three
hard copies to DOL. The proposal must consist of two separate and
distinct parts. Applications that fail to adhere to the instructions in
this section will be considered non-responsive and will not be
considered.
Part 1 of the proposal is the Cost Proposal and must include the
following two items:
The Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal
Assistance'' (Appendix A) (also available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sf424.pdf
). The SF 424 must clearly identify the applicant

and be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a grant
agreement. Applicants are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS)
number which is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely
identifies business entities. To obtain a DUNS number, access the Web
site at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711.

Applicants must supply their DUNS number in item 5 of the new
SF 424 issued by OMB (rev. 9-2003).
The Budget Information Form SF 424A (Appendix B) (also
available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sf424a.pdf). In
preparing the SF 424A, the applicant must provide a concise narrative
explanation for each line item to support the request and should
discuss precisely how the administrative costs support the project
goals. The applicant must also provide a detailed back-up budget that
includes the number of staff to be hired by job title.
Part 2 of the application is the Technical Proposal, which
demonstrates the applicant's capabilities to plan and implement the
grant project in accordance with the provisions of this SGA. The
guidelines for the content of the Technical Proposal are provided in
Section V(1)(A-D) of this SGA; emphasis should be placed on the areas
listed in Section I(4) of this SGA. The Technical Proposal is limited
to fifteen double-spaced, single-sided pages with twelve point text
font and one-inch margins. In addition, the applicant must provide
letters of support from the partnering agencies, a list of proposed
staff positions to be funded by the grant, a time line outlining
project activities, and a two-page Executive Summary. These additional
materials do not count against the fifteen page limit for the Technical
Proposal. The additional materials may not exceed fifteen pages in
addition to the Technical Proposal.

3. Submissions Dates, Times, and Address

The closing date for receipt of applications under this
announcement is May 23, 2005. Applications must be received at the
address below not later than 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).
Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (fax) will not be
accepted. Applications that do not meet the conditions set forth in
this notice will not be considered. No exceptions to the mailing and
delivery requirements set forth in this notice will be granted.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Reference SGA/DFA-PY 04-09, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4220, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants
are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area may be delayed
due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand delivered applications
will be received at the above address. All overnight mail will be
considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated
place by the specified closing date.
Applicants may apply online at http://www.grants.gov. For
applicants submitting electronic applications via Grants.gov, it is
strongly recommended that you immediately initiate and complete the
``Get Started'' steps to register with Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted.
Registration will probably take multiple days to complete which should be factored into plans for electronic application submission in order to avoid facing unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of your application. It is recommended that applicants experiencing problems with electronic transmission submit their application by overnight mail until the electronic issues are resolved.
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 U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail
not later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for
receipt of applications (e.g., an application required to be received
by the 20th of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month)
or (b) was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or Online to
addressee not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing or electronic
submission one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of
applications. It is highly recommended that online submissions be
completed one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of
applications to ensure that the applicant still has the option to
submit by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail in the event of any
electronic submission problems. ``Post marked'' means a printed,
stamped or otherwise 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. Therefore, applicants should
request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's
eye'' postmark on both the receipt and the package. Failure to adhere
to the above instructions will be a basis for a determination of
nonresponsiveness.

4. Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO)
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

5. Funding Restrictions

All proposal costs must be necessary and reasonable in accordance
with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made
in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles, as
identified in OMB Circulars A-122, A-87, A-21 or at 48 CFR part 31 (See
29 CFR 95.27, 97.22). Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant
that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal Cost Principles or other conditions contained in the grant. Applicants will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.
The government is prohibited from providing direct support to
religious activity.\1\ See 29 CFR part 2, subpart D. Provisions
relating to the use of indirect support, such as through vouchers, are
found at 29 CFR 2.33(c) and 20 CFR 667.266. These grants may not be
used to directly support religious instruction, worship, prayer,
proselytizing, or other inherently religious practices. Neutral,
secular criteria that neither favor nor disfavor religion must be
employed in the selection of grant and sub-grant recipients. In
addition, under DOL regulations implementing the nondiscrimination
provisions of WIA, a recipient may not use direct Federal assistance to
train a participant in religious activities, and a recipient may not
employ participants to construct, operate, or maintain any part of any
facility that is used or to be used for religious instruction or as a
place for religious worship, except as provided in 29 CFR 37.6(f).
Under WIA, ``no individual shall be excluded from participation in,
denied the benefits of, subjected to discrimination under, or denied
employment in the administration of or in connection with, any such
program or activity because of race, color, religion, sex (except as
otherwise permitted under Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972), national origin, age, disability, or political affiliation or
belief.''
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\1\ The term ``direct'' support is used to describe funds or
other support that are provided ``directly'' by a governmental
entity or an intermediate organization with the same duties as a
governmental entity, as opposed to funds that an organization
receives ``indirectly'' as the result of the genuine and independent
private choice of a beneficiary within the meaning of the
Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Other Submission Requirements

Applications may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram,
including mailgram, received at any time before an award is made.
Applications may be withdrawn in person by the applicant or by an
authorized representative thereof, if the representative's identity is
made known and the representative signs a receipt for the application.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria for Review

This section identifies and describes the criteria that will be
used to evaluate the proposals submitted in response to this
solicitation. These criteria and point values are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criterion Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Need for the Project...................................... 15
B. Project Design and Service Strategy....................... 40
C. Linkages to Key Partners and Leveraged Resources.......... 30
D. Program Management and Organization Capacity.............. 15
** Bonus: Leveraged State or Federal Cash Resources.......... 5
----------
Total Possible Points...................................... 105
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A. Need for the Project (15 Points)
The points for need will be assigned based on a combination of the
number of youth involved in delinquency cases in the area to be served
by your proposed project and the justification that you make in your
application for the need for the project. Ten points under this
criterion will be assigned by the number of youth in delinquency cases
based on a scale that uses data provided voluntarily by juvenile courts
across the country to the National Juvenile Court Data Archive (NJCDA),
a project maintained by the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ)
with funds provided by OJJDP. These Juvenile Court Statistics include
State and county-level caseload statistics describing the annual
delinquency, status offense, and dependency cases handled by juvenile
courts. These county-level statistics are available on the OJJDP Web
site under Easy Access to State and County Juvenile Court Case Counts
at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/ezaco/asp/overview.asp. We will be
using the data on petitioned delinquency cases.
If you are from Louisiana, Oregon, or Wisconsin, please provide the
number of petitioned delinquency cases in the county or counties that
will be serving for the latest year available as the national base does
not include these statistics for these three States. If you are
applying from any other State, you do not need to provide in your
application the statistics for the area that you will be serving as we
can access that information from the national data base as long as you
indicate in the Needs Section of your application the county or
counties that you will be serving or whether you will be serving a
state-wide area. If you are from Connecticut, indicate the venue
district that you will be serving.
The remaining five points under this criterion will be based on the
justification that you provide in your application for the need for
this project in the area that you will be serving. Discuss the extent
of juvenile delinquency in the area that you will be serving, the
extent of youth gang problems, and other information relevant to
establishing the need for your project.
B. Project Design and Service Strategy (40 Points)
Applicants are requested to describe how they plan to effectively
prepare and place youth offenders in high-growth/high-demand
industries. Describe how credible labor market information was used to
focus on selected industries. Show evidence that the industry(s)
selected is high-growth or in demand in the area to be served by the
grant. Describe how the training curricula and competency models
proposed will upgrade the basic and occupational skills of
participants.
Describe how the juvenile justice system will refer youth to the
program. Discuss the role of youth correctional facilities in referring
youth to the program. Describe how coordination will be maintained
between juvenile probation officers and the education and employment
components of the program. If some youth are assigned to this project
as part of an alternative sentence, describe how coordination will be
maintained between the juvenile court and the education and employment
components of the program.
Identify what assessment tools and/or methods will be used to
determine the skills and aptitudes of participants. Describe the
specific strategies and methods that will be used for measuring skills
acquisition during the training process. Describe the service process
that will be used in the project including the sequence of services
(i.e., assessments, training, etc.) in the overall process, how the
specific services for participants are determined, and which partner
will provide the services. In addition, identify the supportive
services, if applicable, that will be provided to participants and
describe how such services will facilitate participation. Identify what
supportive services will be provided pre- and post-employment/
placement, as well as during and post-training. Describe the rationale
for the services that are necessary for participants to attain, retain
or advance in the job. Indicate what services will be provided by
project partners or other sources other than the grant.
DOL expects that each project site will serve 200 youth offenders
each year and that outcomes will include placement in employment, post-
secondary education, and advanced training, attainment of a degree or certificate (both of which are part of the new common measures for youth employment and training programs), and reduced recidivism. Discuss how your project will be able to attain these outcomes, taking into consideration that youth entering this program may have low basic skills levels and may require extensive remediation and skills training. Also provide numerical goals for each
of these outcome measures. Please be realistic in setting these
numerical goals. Your discussion of outcome goals should include the
methods proposed to collect and validate outcome data in a timely and
accurate manner.
Describe the job placement strategies that you will use in your
program. Discuss the extent to which the high-growth/high-demand
industry representatives will assist in the job placement. Discuss the
role of the local workforce investment system and One-Stop Centers in
your job placement efforts.
Scoring on this criterion will be based on how well the service
plan/project design provides solutions to the workforce challenges of
the youth offender population to be served while addressing the needs
of high-growth/high-demand employers for a skilled workforce.
Important factors include:
The existence of a work plan that is responsive to the
applicant's statement of need and target population, and that includes
specific goals, objectives, activities, implementation strategies, and
a timeline;
Local labor market information and other evidence that
support the credibility of the high-growth/high-demand industry(s)
identified;
The demonstrated link between the proposed project and the
workforce challenges identified for youth offender workers and
employers;
The existence of a sound strategy for coordinating with
the local juvenile justice system and youth correctional facilities for
referring youth into the program;
A sound strategy for coordinating with juvenile probation
officers in this project;
Links with the child welfare agency, faith-based and
community organizations, and other social service agencies;
Participant characteristics including their literacy and
basic and occupational skill needs;
An effective set of job placement strategies;
The industry and occupation, in which participants are to
be placed, retained, or advanced relative to target skills and wage
goals;
Documented skill shortages for industry or occupations
targeted;
Evidence that the training curricula is developed, if
applicable, to meet identified skills and competencies required by
high-growth employers;
The length of the project for participants;
The ability of the applicant to achieve the stated
outcomes within the time frame of the grant;
The appropriateness of the outcomes with respect to the
requested level of funding; and
The extent to which the project will be of significant and
practical use to the public workforce investment system.
C. Linkages to Key Partners and Leveraged Resources (30 Points)
Applicants must demonstrate the existence of a partnership that
includes at least one entity from each of four categories: (1) The
publicly-funded Workforce Investment System, which may include the
State Workforce Board, State Workforce Agency, local Workforce
Investment Board, or a consortium of neighboring local Workforce
Investment Boards; (2) the education and training community, which may
include the State agencies overseeing secondary and post-secondary
schools, local school districts, local community and technical
colleges, four year colleges and universities, or other training
entities; (3) employers and industry representatives in high-growth/
high-demand industries; and (4) the juvenile justice system, which may
include the State juvenile justice agency or the local family or
juvenile court system. Collaborations also are encouraged with other
entities, including child welfare and foster care agencies, faith-based
and community organizations, substance abuse treatment providers, and
social service agencies. DOL encourages, and will be looking for,
applications that go beyond the minimum level of partnerships and
demonstrate broader, substantive, and sustainable partnerships. The
applicant must identify the partners and explain the meaningful role
each partner plays in the project as well as how resources will be
leveraged among the partners.
Scoring on this criterion will be based on the comprehensiveness of
the partnership, the degree to which each partner plays a committed
role, and the amount and quality of non-Federal leveraged resources.
Important factors include:
The number of partners involved, the nature of their in-
kind or monetary contribution, their knowledge and experience
concerning the proposed grant activities, and their ability to impact
the success of the project;
The overall completeness of the partnership, including its
ability to manage all aspects and stages of the project and to
coordinate individual activities with the partnership as a whole;
Evidence that key partners have expressed a clear
commitment to the project and understand their areas of responsibility.
Examples include a letter of commitment or an MOU;
Evidence of a plan for interaction between partners at
each stage of the project, from planning to execution;
Evidence that the partnership has the capacity to achieve
the outcomes of the proposed project; and
The amount and quality of the non-Federal leveraged
resources, including an itemized description of each cash or in-kind
contribution and a description of how each contribution will be used to
further the goals of the project. By quality of the non-Federal
leveraged resources, we mean whether the proposed leveraging represents
a dedication of resources to this specific project as opposed to simply
representing a use of resources that would have occurred even in the
absence of this project.
Bonus: Leveraging of State and Federal Cash Resources. Applicants
who plan to leverage 20 percent of the requested grant amount in State
or Federal Cash Resources for the proposed project will receive 5 bonus
points. By cash resources, we mean State or Federal resources that are
dedicated specifically to this project, and that in effect increase the
budgeted amount available for your project to spend. Applicants must
describe in detail how such funds will be used, the source of funds,
and how these funds will contribute to the goals of the project.
D. Program Management and Organization Capacity (15 Points)
Applicants must demonstrate that they have the capability of
providing the services proposed. The applicant must also include a
description of organizational capacity and the organization's track
record in projects similar to that described in the application and/or
related activities of the primary actors in the partnership. Applicants
must identify a project manager, discuss the proposed staffing pattern
and the qualifications and experience of key staff members, provide
detailed descriptions of the roles of the participating partners, and
give evidence of the utilization of data systems to track outcomes. Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence of the following:
The time commitment of the proposed staff is sufficient to
assure proper direction, management, and timely completion of the
project;
The roles and contribution of staff, consultants, and
collaborative organizations are clearly defined and linked to specific
objects and tasks;
The background, experience, and other qualifications of
the staff are sufficient to carry out their designated roles; and
The applicant organization has significant capacity to
accomplish the goals and outcomes of the project, including appropriate
systems to track outcome data.

2. Review and Selection Process

A technical review panel will make careful evaluation of
applications against the criteria set forth in V.1. These criteria are
based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in this
SGA. The ranked scores will serve as a primary basis for selection of
applications for funding, in conjunction with other factors such as
urban, rural, and geographic balance, the availability of funds, and
which applications are most advantageous to DOL. The panel results are
advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant
Officer may consider any information that comes to his attention. DOL
may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions with the
applicants. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the award
will be based on the applicant's signature on the SF 424, which
constitutes a binding offer.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

DOL will notify selected and non-selected applicants by mail. All
award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage at http://www.doleta.gov.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All grantees, including faith-based organizations, will be subject
to all applicable Federal laws, including provisions of appropriation
laws, regulations, and the applicable OMB Circulars. The grant(s)
awarded under this SGA must comply with all provisions of this SGA and
will be subject to the following administrative standards and
provisions, as applicable to the particular grantee:
a. 20 CFR part 667.220 Administrative Costs.
b. OMB Circulars, A-122 Cost Principles, A-21 Cost Principles, A-87
Cost Principles, 48 CFR part 31 Cost Principles.
c. 29 CFR part 2, subpart D--Equal Treatment in Department of Labor
Programs for Religious Organizations, Protection of Religious Liberty
of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and Beneficiaries;
d. 29 CFR part 30--Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship
and Training;
e. 29 CFR part 31--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs
of the Department of Labor--Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964;
f. 29 CFR part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in
Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial
Assistance;
g. 29 CFR part 33--Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of
Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of
Labor;
h. 29 CFR part 35--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the
Department of Labor;
i. 29 CFR part 36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in
Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial
Assistance;
j. 29 CFR part 37--Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and
Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(WIA).
k. 29 CFR part 93--Lobbying;
l. 29 CFR part 95--Grants and Agreements with Non-Profit
Organizations, Commercial Organizations, International Organizations,
Foreign Governments, and Others;
m. 29 CFR part 96--Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts and
Other Agreements;
n. 29 CFR part 97--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments;
o. 29 CFR part 98--Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-
Procurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace;
and
p. 29 CFR part 99--Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-
Profit Organizations.

Note: Except as specifically provided in this SGA, DOL/ETA's
acceptance of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor
any programs(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant requirements
and/or procedures. For example, the OMB circulars require that an
entity's procurement procedures must require that all procurement
transactions must be conducted, as practical, to provide open and
free competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity to
provide the services, the DOL/ETA's award does not provide the
justification or basis to sole-source the procurement, i.e., avoid
competition.

3. Reporting

The grantee is required to provide the reports and documents listed
below:
Quarterly Financial Reports. A Quarterly Financial Status Report,
SF 269, is required until such time as all funds have been expended or
the grant period has expired. Quarterly reports are due thirty days
after the end of each calendar year quarter. Grantees must use ETA's
On-Line Electronic Reporting System.
Quarterly Progress Reports. The grantee must submit a quarterly
progress report to the designated Federal Project Officer within thirty
days after the end of each quarter. Two copies are to be submitted
providing a detailed account of activities undertaken during that
quarter. DOL may require additional data elements to be collected and
reported on either a regular basis or special request basis. Grantees
must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. The quarterly progress
report should be in narrative form and should include:
1. In-depth information on accomplishments, including project
success stories, upcoming grant activities, promising approaches and
processes, and progress in achieving performance outcomes;
2. Challenges, barriers, or concerns regarding project progress;
3. Lessons learned in the areas of project administration and
management, project implementation, partnership relationships and other
related areas.
MIS Data. Grantees will be required to submit updated MIS data on
enrollment, services provided, placements, outcomes, and follow-up
status. DOL will coordinate with sites after grant award to implement
an MIS system for this project.

VII. Agency Contacts

Any questions regarding this SGA should be directed to B. Jai
Johnson, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance,
at (202)-693-3296; fax: (202) 693-2879. This is not a toll-free number.
You must specifically address your fax to the attention of B. Jai
Johnson and should include SGA/DFA PY 04-09, a contact name, fax and
phone number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact James Stockton, Grants
Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance, on (202) 693-
3335. This is not a toll-free number. This
announcement is also being made available on the ETA Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/sga/sga.cfmand http://www.grants.gov.

VIII. Other Information

Resources for the Applicant

DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of
assistance to applicants. The webpage for the ETA's Business Relations
Group (http://www.doleta.gov/BRG) is a valuable source of background on

the President's High-Growth Job Training Initiative. America's Service
Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org) provides a directory of our

nation's One-Stop Career Centers. Applicants are encouraged to review
``Understanding the Department of Labor Solicitation for Grant
Applications and How to Write an Effective Proposal'' (http://www/dol.gov/cfbci/sgabrochure.htlm). ``Questions and Answers'' regarding this SGA will be posted and updated on the Web (http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce).


Signed at Washington, DC, this 20th day of April, 2005.
James W. Stockton,
Grants Officer.