Request for Information on Adoption of Career Pathways Approaches for the Delivery of Education, Training, Employment, and Human Services, 22662-22667 [2014-09274]

Download as PDF wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 22662 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 78 / Wednesday, April 23, 2014 / Notices reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ fund/grant/apply/appforms/ appforms.html. 4. Performance Measures: The overall purpose of the i3 program is to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on improving student achievement or student growth for high-need students. We have established several performance measures for the i3 Validation grants. Short-term performance measures: (1) The percentage of grantees that reach their annual target number of students as specified in the application; (2) the percentage of programs, practices, or strategies supported by a Validation grant with ongoing well-designed and independent evaluations that will provide evidence of their effectiveness at improving student outcomes; (3) the percentage of programs, practices, or strategies supported by a Validation grant with ongoing evaluations that are providing high-quality implementation data and performance feedback that allow for periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes; and (4) the cost per student actually served by the grant. Long-term performance measures: (1) The percentage of grantees that reach the targeted number of students specified in the application; (2) the percentage of programs, practices, or strategies supported by a Validation grant that implement a completed welldesigned, well-implemented and independent evaluation that provides evidence of their effectiveness at improving student outcomes; (3) the percentage of programs, practices, or strategies supported by a Validation grant with a completed well-designed, well-implemented and independent evaluation that provides information about the key elements and the approach of the project so as to facilitate replication or testing in other settings; and (4) the cost per student for programs, practices, or strategies that were proven to be effective at improving educational outcomes for students. 5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made ‘‘substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.’’ This consideration includes the review of a grantee’s progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:37 Apr 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR [Docket ID: ED–2014–OVAE–0044] Request for Information on Adoption of Career Pathways Approaches for the Delivery of Education, Training, Employment, and Human Services Kelly Terpak, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W111, Washington, DC 20202– 5930. Telephone: (202) 453–7122. FAX: (202) 205–5631 or by email: i3@ed.gov. If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1– 800–877–8339. AGENCY: VIII. Other Information SUMMARY: Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to either program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice. Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site. You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department. Dated: April 18, 2014. Nadya Chinoy Dabby, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement. [FR Doc. 2014–09262 Filed 4–22–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of Education; Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services; Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor. ACTION: Request for Information. Through this Request for Information (RFI), the Departments of Education (ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Labor (DOL) (the Departments) seek to further support the development of high-quality career pathways systems by jointly soliciting information and recommendations from a broad array of stakeholders in the public and private sectors, as well as in State, regional, tribal, and local areas. The Departments will analyze the career pathways information collected from the RFI to: (1) Inform and coordinate policy development, strategic investments, and technical assistance activities; and (2) improve coordination of Federal policy development with investments at the State, tribal and local levels. DATES: Responses must be received by June 9, 2014. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal or via U.S. mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. We will not accept comments by fax or by email or those submitted after the comment period. To ensure that we do not receive duplicate copies, please submit your comments only once. In addition, please include the Docket ID and the term ‘‘Career Pathways RFI’’ at the top of your comments. If you are submitting comments electronically, we strongly encourage you to submit any comments or attachments in Microsoft Word format. If you must submit a comment in Portable Document Format (PDF), we strongly encourage you to convert the PDF to print-to-PDF format or to use some other commonly used searchable text format. Please do not submit the PDF in a scanned or read-only format. Using a E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 78 / Wednesday, April 23, 2014 / Notices wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES print-to-PDF format allows ED to electronically search and copy certain portions of your submissions. Federal eRulemaking Portal: To submit your comments electronically, go to www.regulations.gov. Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site under ‘‘Are you new to the site?’’ U.S. Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery: If you mail or deliver your comments, address them to Alicia Bolton, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW., Room 11108, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202. Please note that mail sent through the U.S. Mail is subject to x-ray or heat treatment, which typically results in delays and may damage paper products. Privacy Note: ED’s policy for comments received from members of the public (including comments submitted by mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery) is to make these submissions available for public viewing in their entirety on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Therefore, commenters should be careful to include in their comments only information that they wish to make publicly available on the Internet. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alicia Bolton, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW., Room 11108, PCP, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245–6868 or by email at: Alicia.Bolton@ed.gov. Stanley Koutstaal, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW., Room 5C0059, Washington, DC 20447. Telephone: (202) 401–5457 or by email at: Stanley.koutstaal@acf.hhs.gov. Andrala Walker, U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Office of Workforce Investment 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room S–4203, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693–3948 or by email at: Walker.andrala@dol.gov. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Ensuring robust economic growth, a thriving middle class, and broadly shared prosperity will require a significant expansion of the skills and knowledge of American workers over the next few decades. However, even as millions more Americans seek the VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:37 Apr 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 postsecondary education and training necessary to secure good jobs that pay family-sustaining wages,1 employers continue to report difficulty finding the skilled workers they need.2 In a time of intense global economic competition, and increasing income inequality at home, the United States must find innovative and cost-effective ways to help youths and adults gain the educational and industry-recognized credentials they need to participate fully in our economy and our society. Education, workforce, and human service agencies are critical partners in the development, implementation, and funding of systems that build the knowledge and skills our economy needs to thrive. Career pathways systems represent a promising strategy for meeting the skills challenge by offering distinct but complementary workforce, education, and support services that are aligned with the needs of business and industry. In April 2012, the Departments issued a joint letter on career pathways 3 (joint letter) encouraging State, tribal, and local policymakers to adopt career pathways approaches to promote alignment in the delivery of employment, training, and education services. For purposes of this RFI, and in the joint letter, the term ‘‘career pathways’’ generally refers to a series of connected education and training strategies and support services that enable individuals to secure industryrecognized credentials,4 obtain employment within an occupational area, and advance to higher levels of future education and employment in 1 In its 2013 publication, Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements through 2020, The Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce reports that 65% of the job openings by 2020 will require some form of postsecondary education beyond high school and that individuals possessing only a high school diploma will have fewer employment options. See cew.georgetown.edu/recovery2020/. 2 In a 2012 survey of a representative sample of its members, the Society for Human Resources Management found that 66 percent of respondents who were currently hiring full-time staff indicated that they were having a difficult time recruiting for specific job openings. See www.shrm.org/Research/ SurveyFindings/Articles/Pages/SHRM-RecessionRecruiting-Skill-Gaps-Technology.aspx. 3 See the April 2012 Joint Letter on Career Pathways at: www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/ ten-attachment.pdf. 4 See U.S. Department of Labor Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 15–10, Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System. While the Joint Letter on Career Pathways references ‘‘certification,’’ the term ‘‘credential,’’ as defined in the TEGL, is an ‘‘umbrella term which encompasses postsecondary degrees, diplomas, licenses, certificates, and certifications’’—all of which career pathways seek to prepare individuals to attain. PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 22663 that area. The joint letter also discusses the Departments’ views on the essential components of a career pathways system. While the Departments’ understanding will be further strengthened by research and experience, what we have learned to date from our investments in this area, in addition to States’ efforts in career pathways, leads us to believe that essential components of a career pathways system should include the following: • Alignment of systems: secondary, postsecondary and workforce development; • Rigorous, sequential, connected, and efficient coursework that connects basic education and skills training and integrates education and training; • Multiple entry and exit points; • Comprehensive support services, such as career counseling, childcare, and transportation; • Financial supports or flexibility to accommodate the demands of the labor market in order to allow individuals to meet their ongoing financial needs and obligations; • Active engagement of business in targeted industry sectors that aligns with the skill needs of industries important to the local, regional, and/or State economies; • Appropriate curriculum and instructional strategies that make work a central context for learning and work readiness skills; • Credit for prior learning and the adoption of other strategies that accelerate the educational and career advancement of the participant; • Organized services to meet the particular needs of adults, including accommodating work schedules with flexible and non-semester-based scheduling, alternative class times and locations, and the innovative use of technology; • A focus on secondary and postsecondary industry-recognized credentials, sector-specific employment, and advancement over time in education and employment within that sector; and • A collaborative partnership among workforce, education, human service agencies, business and other community stakeholders to manage the system. One of the hallmarks of a career pathways system is its potential to provide an effective strategy for integrating educational instruction, workforce development, and human services and linking them to labor market trends and employer needs. The Departments believe that the more career pathways systems are aligned at the State, local, regional, and tribal E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1 22664 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 78 / Wednesday, April 23, 2014 / Notices wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES levels, the easier it is to create a level of integration necessary to develop career pathway programs and ensure an individual’s success. The joint letter was the Departments’ first step to formally adopt a common definition and shared vision for career pathways systems, with the expectation that a common language would facilitate the forging of cross-agency partnerships and systems development. The joint letter was also the first time each of the Departments overseeing the major Federal funding streams for employment, training, education, and support services formally recognized their shared support for career pathways approaches. The impetus for the joint letter came from the awareness among Federal leaders of a growing convergence of strategies for promoting skills acquisition and labor market successes that fit loosely under the rubric of career pathways. While there are differences in emphasis and terminology, the Departments are using discretionary and formula funding 5 to encourage their State, tribal, and local partners to build cross-agency partnerships and to integrate the delivery of employment, education, and support services. The convergence of strategies is evidence of recent Federal investments aimed at building skills and employability. Since the publication of the joint letter, leaders and staff from the Departments have continued to explore opportunities to improve the alignment of their programs at the State, tribal, or local levels through the creation of an Interagency Working Group (IWG). During fiscal year 2012, the IWG jointly delivered technical assistance to a wide variety of stakeholders, including discretionary and formula grantees, Federal staff, and State, tribal, and local policymakers. In addition, each of the Departments invested in the creation and dissemination of key resources and technical assistance tools to help States, regional and local areas, and tribal 5 The primary funding streams that are leveraged as part of a career pathways systems include, but are not limited to: Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), the Wagner Peyser Act and the Trade Act, administered by DOL; Title II of the WIA (also known as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act of 1998), the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins), and the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, administered by ED; and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act administered by HHS. Competitive grants and contracts managed by each Department also play an important role in many career pathways initiatives, as well as programs and funding systems administered by other Federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Transportation. VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:37 Apr 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 communities adopt career pathways systems. For example, DOL developed a comprehensive set of technical assistance tools, including the Career Pathways Framework and Toolkit and Competency Model Clearinghouse, which can be found at its Community of Practice at: learnwork.workforce3one.org. ED implemented a variety of national activities, including ‘‘Designing Instruction for Career Pathways’’ 6 and ‘‘Advancing Career and Technical Education in State and Local Career Pathways,’’ 7 both of which intend to strengthen connections between adult education, career and technical education, the public workforce system, human service agencies, and businesses and other employers. Each of the Departments has also made investments in research on the effectiveness of career pathways programs, including the HHS ten-year Innovative Strategies for Increasing SelfSufficiency (ISIS) 8 assignment evaluation of a number of different career pathways programs around the country. Career pathways systems have demonstrated promise for meeting the distinct but complementary goals of a number of Federal agencies, including the DOL goals for increasing credential attainment rates and helping individuals secure good jobs at familysustainable wages, ED’s goal of increasing college success and careerreadiness, and HHS’s goal of supporting family self-sufficiency and stability. Thus, this RFI builds on the joint letter and on related efforts across the Federal government to better coordinate investments in human capital and economic development while reducing waste and duplication. A subcommittee of the IWG, comprised of the Departments’ leaders and staff, developed the RFI questions and will jointly analyze the responses. This RFI marks the first time that the Departments are jointly collecting and analyzing information, a process that we believe will yield important insights on: (1) The challenges to aligning diverse funding streams, programs, and stakeholders; and (2) efforts to serve low-income youth and adults, lowskilled youth and adults, out-of-school youth, individuals with disabilities, Temporary Assistance to Needy 6 See www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/ AdultEd/factsh/difcp.pdf. 7 See cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_ cte.cfm. 8 See www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/research/ project/innovative-strategies-for-increasing-selfsufficiency. PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Families program 9 (TANF) recipients, tribal communities, English learners, immigrants, rural populations, veterans, currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, dislocated workers, and trade-affected workers. We expect the analysis period to deepen our shared vision and understanding of career pathways systems. In addition, the joint analysis will generate essential information that can inform policy development and the next generation of investments and technical assistance by providing us with greater clarity on the facilitators and obstacles to career pathways systems development. Instructions: Who Should Respond We invite practitioners, policy makers, funders, business and industry associations, and researchers to provide information, including those who are, or those who work in: • Employers, Businesses, and/or Associations of Employers, such as local and regional employers and businesses, trade/industry associations, and others. • Education, such as State and local agencies; adult education, corrections/ re-entry, elementary/secondary special education, and career and technical education programs; community and technical colleges; institutions of higher education; tribal, community, and faithbased organizations; youth service providers; and student organizations. • Workforce Development, such as State, regional, tribal and local agencies; youth service providers; State and local workforce investment boards; training providers; community- and faith-based organizations; workforce intermediaries; sector-based training partnerships; American Job Centers; Registered Apprenticeship programs; student organizations (career-focused); and others in the workforce development field. • Human Services, such as State, tribal, and local TANF agencies; and community- and faith-based organizations. • Economic Development, such as State and local agencies, regional skills partnerships, planning and development organizations, area development districts, councils of governments, economic development associations, and economic development corporations. • Others, such as research organizations, philanthropic funders, advocacy organizations, think tanks, and associations. 9 See www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title04/ 0400.htm. E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 78 / Wednesday, April 23, 2014 / Notices Guidance for Submitting Documents We strongly recommend that you limit the narrative in your electronic word document, or hard copy submission to the equivalent of no more than 10 pages using the following standards: • A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ × 11″, on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. • Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. • Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). • Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. • If submitting electronically, please do not upload attachments, but you may include hyperlinks to additional materials you would like reviewed. On page 1 of your submission, please indicate your name, the name of your organization (if applicable), and your contact information (including phone number, postal address, and email address). While not required, it would assist us in reviewing your information if you also included the type of organization you represent (public, private, not-for-profit, or philanthropic), the field(s) in which you work (education, workforce development, human services, economic development, or other), and the level at which you operate (national, State, regional, local or tribal). wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Request for Information Through this RFI, the Departments are soliciting ideas and information from a broad array of stakeholders on improving outcomes for youth and adults through the use of career pathways approaches, including how to facilitate comprehensive, multi-system approaches and how to use existing resources in more coordinated and comprehensive ways. Responses to this RFI will inform the work of each Department as they design investments, policies, and legislative strategies to improve outcomes for youth and adults. This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the participating Federal agencies. We ask respondents to address the following questions, where possible, in the context of the discussion in this document. You do not need to address VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:37 Apr 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 every question and you should focus on those where you have relevant expertise. You may also provide relevant information that is not directly responsive to a particular topic but may nevertheless be helpful. Please clearly indicate which question(s) you are addressing in your response. The Questions 1. Using the list of key components of career pathways discussed in the Background section of this RFI as a general guideline, please describe any Federal, State, or local policies, frameworks, or initiatives of which you are aware that have been used to support the development of career pathways systems.10 2. What factors, in your opinion, have facilitated the implementation of career pathways systems at the State or local level (e.g., the use of key resources or technical assistance tools)? What factors have made career pathways systems difficult to implement and/or replicate on a large scale? 3. What Federal, State, or local governmental and non-governmental funding streams are you aware of that have been used to support career pathways initiatives? If applicable, to what extent is your State or local area aligning or braiding 11 funding from across different funding streams to support career pathways? Please describe facilitators and/or challenges to aligning and braiding funding. If you are not aligning and/or braiding funding, please describe any specific barriers. 4. For your career pathways system, please describe the roles and responsibilities of each of the following partners with whom you work (please answer only for those that are applicable). What factors facilitate and/ or create obstacles to successful partnership efforts? a. Businesses/employers and industry associations b. Education providers (e.g. K–12 education, special education, institutions of higher education including but not limited to community and technical colleges, and/or other training providers) c. Workforce development agencies (e.g. Workforce Investment Boards and American Job Centers) d. Community-based organizations and human service providers that address barriers to employment (e.g. cash assistance/TANF, child care, 10 See the Background section of this notice for a discussion of the term ‘‘career pathways.’’ 11 Braiding funds refers to using two or more sources of funds for the same or similar purpose in such a way that the funds can be accounted for separately. PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 22665 transportation, housing, food assistance/ SNAP 12, etc.) e. Philanthropic organizations/ intermediaries f. State, regional, local, and/or tribal government agencies g. Other (please describe) 5. Is your career pathways system connected to a State, regional, local, or tribal economic development strategy? If so, how? 6. How do you ensure that your career pathways system is staying current with labor market trends, particularly current demand, to respond to the need for particular skills and credentials in emerging industry sectors? 7. How can career pathways systems be made accessible to diverse populations and responsive to their needs beyond education and training (e.g., support services such as childcare, transportation, housing, etc.)? We are particularly, but not exclusively, interested in learning about efforts to serve low-income youth and adults, low-skilled youth and adults, out-ofschool youth, individuals with disabilities, TANF recipients, tribal communities, English language learners, immigrants, rural populations, veterans, currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, dislocated workers, and trade-affected workers. 8. Which populations would you like to serve, but are unable to serve or face special challenges in serving? What are the barriers to serving these particular populations and what are the strategies, recommendations, or lessons learned that can be used to achieve positive outcomes in serving these populations? 9. What are the challenges and/or facilitators to building and/or offering stackable and portable, industryrecognized credentials? 13 How can these industry-recognized credentials be 12 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. the context of workforce development generally, the term credential refers to an attestation of qualification or competence issued to an individual by a third party (such as an educational institution or an industry or occupational certifying organization) with the relevant authority or assumed competence to issue such a credential. Examples of credentials include: (1) Educational Diplomas and Certificates (typically for one academic year or less of study); (2) Educational Degrees, such as an associate’s (2-year) or bachelor’s (4-year) degree; (3) Registered Apprenticeship Certificate; (4) Occupational Licenses (typically, but not always, awarded by State government agencies); and (5) Industry-recognized or professional association certifications; also known as personnel certifications; and Other certificates of skills completion. For more details, see U.S. Department of Labor Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 15–10, Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System, available at: wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL15–10.pdf. 13 Within E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1 22666 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 78 / Wednesday, April 23, 2014 / Notices wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES incorporated into and/or aligned in a successful career pathways system? 10. How are participants’ outcomes measured, and to what extent are the data used to monitor and improve the strength of your career pathways system? Please indicate if there are any other data points or ongoing evaluation efforts used to improve the strength of your career pathways system. 11. How do performance measures associated with specific Federal funding statutes/streams (i.e., WIA, Perkins, TANF, etc.) facilitate or impede the tracking of participant outcomes? 12. Do you have any suggestions for how Federal, State, regional, tribal, and local governments could support the development of high-quality career pathways systems and/or address gaps in current efforts? If so, please describe the specific changes that would be necessary in each of the following categories (please answer only for those that are applicable): a. Legislation, statutes and/or regulations; for example, (i) Administrative flexibility (i.e., waivers on use of funds or program eligibility) (ii) Expanded eligibility for financial aid and/or other support services (iii) Changes to performance measurement and program accountability rules b. Technical assistance activities and/ or non-regulatory guidance; c. Funding strategies; d. Research and evaluation activities; e. Other proposed changes. 13. For business and industry respondents only,14 please indicate what successes and/or challenges you have faced at local, State, regional, and/ or national levels when developing a pipeline of workers. What strategies would you suggest to sustain the successes and/or mitigate the challenges? Rights to Materials Submitted By submitting material (e.g., descriptions of use or barriers to use of career pathways approaches) in response to this RFI, the respondent is agreeing to grant the Departments a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to use the material and to make it publicly available. Further, the respondent agrees that it owns, has a valid license, or is otherwise authorized to provide the material to the Department. The Departments will not provide any 14 If you are not a business and industry respondent, but you have access to one or more business and industry entities that could respond to this question, please feel free to include their response to this question in your submission. VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:37 Apr 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 compensation for material submitted in response to this RFI. Request for Metadata Tags To make the best use of the information submitted in response to this RFI and to make it easier for interested parties to search the responses, the Departments will include specific words or phrases—also known as ‘‘keywords’’ or metadata ‘‘tags’’— with the material submitted. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to use keywords or tags to identify components of the strategies described in your responses. The keywords or tags should be linked to, and accurately reflect substantial components of, the strategies, practices, programs, or other activities described in your submission. To simplify searches of the responses, Appendix A of this RFI provides a list of standard keywords and tags. You are encouraged to select from among these standard keywords and tags to the greatest extent possible. In the event that none of the words or phrases in Appendix A is sufficiently precise for the strategy that is the subject of your response, you may substitute other keywords or tags. Please do not provide more than eight keywords or tags for each strategy, and please limit each tag to no more than three words per tag and 28 characters per word. Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of the Departments published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site. You may also access documents of the Departments published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Departments. Authority: 20 U.S.C. 3402(2) and (4) and 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1); 42 U.S.C. 1310; and 29 U.S.C. 2811. PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dated: April 18, 2014. John Uvin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Delegated Authority to Perform the Duties and Functions of the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education. Eric Seleznow, Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Administration. Mark Greenberg, Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration for Children and Families. Appendix Standard Keywords and Tags Population Descriptors • At-Risk Youth • Disadvantaged Youth • Dropouts • Foster Youth • Homeless Youth • In-school Youth • Incarcerated individuals • Individuals with Disabilities • Out-of-School Youth • Runaway Youth • Vulnerable • Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth • Youth in Adult Education • Young Adults • Adults • Basic-skills Deficient • Dislocated Workers • Immigrants • Limited English Proficient (LEP)/English Language Learner (ELL)/English as a Second Language (ESL) • Long-term Unemployed • Low-skilled Adults • Low-skilled Youth • Low-income Adults • Low-Income Youth • Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Recipients • Trade-Adjusted (TA) Workers • Trade-affected Workers • Tribal Communities • Unemployed • Veterans Service Descriptors • Accommodations • Adult Basic Education (ABE) • Adult Education (AE) • Apprenticeship • Basic Skills • Career and Technical Education (CTE) • Career Pathways • Immigrant Integration • Reentry • Special Education • Workforce Development • Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Services • Wrap Around Services • Youth and Basic Skills • Youth Development • Youth Service • Youth Workforce Development Strategy and Practice Descriptors • Alignment • Articulation E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 78 / Wednesday, April 23, 2014 / Notices • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Career Ladders Career Lattices Career Pathways Certificates Certifications Collaboration Competency-based Education Competency Models Credentials Dual Enrollment Employer Engagement Holistic Innovation Integrated Integrated Education and Training Outreach Partnerships Pay For Success Funding Performance-Based Funding Professional Development Sector Strategies Shared [FR Doc. 2014–09274 Filed 4–22–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, NV Department of Energy. Notice of Open Meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Nevada. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register. DATES: Wednesday, May 21, 2014; 5:00 p.m. ADDRESSES: Bob Ruud Community Center, 150 N. Highway 160, Pahrump, Nevada 89060. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Ulmer, Board Administrator, 232 Energy Way, M/S 505, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030. Phone: (702) 630– 0522; Fax (702) 295–5300 or Email: NSSAB@nnsa.doe.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE–EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities. wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: Tentative Agenda 1. Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program Assessment Improvement Opportunities—Work Plan Item #7 2. Recommendation Development for Fiscal Year 2015–2016 Membership 3. Recommendation Development for Ways to Increase/Enhance Communication Regarding Waste Transportation and Disposal—Work Plan Item #9 VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:37 Apr 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 Public Participation: The EM SSAB, Nevada, welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Barbara Ulmer at least seven days in advance of the meeting at the phone number listed above. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral presentations pertaining to agenda items should contact Barbara Ulmer at the telephone number listed above. The request must be received five days prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comments can do so during the 15 minutes allotted for public comments. Minutes: Minutes will be available by writing to Barbara Ulmer at the address listed above or at the following Web site: https://nv.energy.gov/nssab/ MeetingMinutes.aspx Issued at Washington, DC on April 18, 2014. LaTanya R. Butler, Deputy Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. 2014–09245 Filed 4–22–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site Department of Energy. Notice of Open Meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register. DATES: Monday, May 19, 2014; 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2014; 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ADDRESSES: Hilton Garden Inn Savannah Midtown, 5711 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31405. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerri Flemming, Office of External Affairs, Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, P.O. Box A, Aiken, SC, 29802; Phone: (803) 952–7886. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 22667 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE–EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities. Tentative Agenda Monday, May 19, 2014: 1:00 p.m.—Combined Committees Session. Order of committees: • Strategic & Legacy Management • Administrative & Outreach • Nuclear Materials • Waste Management • Facilities Disposition & Site Remediation 4:45 p.m.—Public Comments Session. 5:00 p.m.—Adjourn. Tuesday, May 20, 2014: 8:30 a.m.—Opening, Pledge, Approval of Minutes, Chair and Agency Updates. 10:00 a.m.—Recommendation & Work Plan Status. 10:15 a.m.—Public Comments Session. Break (10:30 a.m.) Strategic & Legacy Management Report. Waste Management Report. 12:45 p.m.—Public Comments Session. 1:00 p.m.—Lunch Break. 2:30 p.m.—Facilities Disposition & Site Remediation Report. Nuclear Materials Report. Administrative & Outreach Report. 4:45 p.m.—Public Comments Session. 5:00 p.m.—Adjourn. Public Participation: The EM SSAB, Savannah River Site, welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Gerri Flemming at least seven days in advance of the meeting at the phone number listed above. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact Gerri Flemming’s office at the address or telephone listed above. Requests must be received five days prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comments will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 78 (Wednesday, April 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22662-22667]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09274]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Docket ID: ED-2014-OVAE-0044]


Request for Information on Adoption of Career Pathways Approaches 
for the Delivery of Education, Training, Employment, and Human Services

AGENCY: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of 
Education; Administration for Children and Families, Department of 
Health and Human Services; Employment and Training Administration, 
Department of Labor.

ACTION: Request for Information.

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SUMMARY: Through this Request for Information (RFI), the Departments of 
Education (ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Labor (DOL) (the 
Departments) seek to further support the development of high-quality 
career pathways systems by jointly soliciting information and 
recommendations from a broad array of stakeholders in the public and 
private sectors, as well as in State, regional, tribal, and local 
areas.
    The Departments will analyze the career pathways information 
collected from the RFI to: (1) Inform and coordinate policy 
development, strategic investments, and technical assistance 
activities; and (2) improve coordination of Federal policy development 
with investments at the State, tribal and local levels.

DATES: Responses must be received by June 9, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
or via U.S. mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. We will not 
accept comments by fax or by email or those submitted after the comment 
period. To ensure that we do not receive duplicate copies, please 
submit your comments only once. In addition, please include the Docket 
ID and the term ``Career Pathways RFI'' at the top of your comments.
    If you are submitting comments electronically, we strongly 
encourage you to submit any comments or attachments in Microsoft Word 
format. If you must submit a comment in Portable Document Format (PDF), 
we strongly encourage you to convert the PDF to print-to-PDF format or 
to use some other commonly used searchable text format.
    Please do not submit the PDF in a scanned or read-only format. 
Using a

[[Page 22663]]

print-to-PDF format allows ED to electronically search and copy certain 
portions of your submissions.
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: To submit your comments electronically, 
go to www.regulations.gov. Information on using Regulations.gov, 
including instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting 
comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site under ``Are 
you new to the site?''
    U.S. Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery: If you mail or 
deliver your comments, address them to Alicia Bolton, U.S. Department 
of Education, 550 12th Street SW., Room 11108, Potomac Center Plaza 
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202. Please note that mail sent through the 
U.S. Mail is subject to x-ray or heat treatment, which typically 
results in delays and may damage paper products.
    Privacy Note: ED's policy for comments received from members of the 
public (including comments submitted by mail, commercial delivery, or 
hand delivery) is to make these submissions available for public 
viewing in their entirety on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. Therefore, commenters should be careful to include 
in their comments only information that they wish to make publicly 
available on the Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alicia Bolton, U.S. Department of 
Education, 550 12th Street SW., Room 11108, PCP, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 245-6868 or by email at: Alicia.Bolton@ed.gov. Stanley 
Koutstaal, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW., Room 5C0059, Washington, DC 20447. Telephone: (202) 
401-5457 or by email at: Stanley.koutstaal@acf.hhs.gov. Andrala Walker, 
U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Office 
of Workforce Investment 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room S-4203, 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-3948 or by email at: 
Walker.andrala@dol.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Ensuring robust economic growth, a thriving middle class, and 
broadly shared prosperity will require a significant expansion of the 
skills and knowledge of American workers over the next few decades. 
However, even as millions more Americans seek the postsecondary 
education and training necessary to secure good jobs that pay family-
sustaining wages,\1\ employers continue to report difficulty finding 
the skilled workers they need.\2\ In a time of intense global economic 
competition, and increasing income inequality at home, the United 
States must find innovative and cost-effective ways to help youths and 
adults gain the educational and industry-recognized credentials they 
need to participate fully in our economy and our society. Education, 
workforce, and human service agencies are critical partners in the 
development, implementation, and funding of systems that build the 
knowledge and skills our economy needs to thrive. Career pathways 
systems represent a promising strategy for meeting the skills challenge 
by offering distinct but complementary workforce, education, and 
support services that are aligned with the needs of business and 
industry.
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    \1\ In its 2013 publication, Recovery: Job Growth and Education 
Requirements through 2020, The Georgetown Center for Education and 
the Workforce reports that 65% of the job openings by 2020 will 
require some form of postsecondary education beyond high school and 
that individuals possessing only a high school diploma will have 
fewer employment options. See cew.georgetown.edu/recovery2020/.
    \2\ In a 2012 survey of a representative sample of its members, 
the Society for Human Resources Management found that 66 percent of 
respondents who were currently hiring full-time staff indicated that 
they were having a difficult time recruiting for specific job 
openings. See www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Pages/SHRM-Recession-Recruiting-Skill-Gaps-Technology.aspx.
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    In April 2012, the Departments issued a joint letter on career 
pathways \3\ (joint letter) encouraging State, tribal, and local 
policymakers to adopt career pathways approaches to promote alignment 
in the delivery of employment, training, and education services. For 
purposes of this RFI, and in the joint letter, the term ``career 
pathways'' generally refers to a series of connected education and 
training strategies and support services that enable individuals to 
secure industry-recognized credentials,\4\ obtain employment within an 
occupational area, and advance to higher levels of future education and 
employment in that area. The joint letter also discusses the 
Departments' views on the essential components of a career pathways 
system. While the Departments' understanding will be further 
strengthened by research and experience, what we have learned to date 
from our investments in this area, in addition to States' efforts in 
career pathways, leads us to believe that essential components of a 
career pathways system should include the following:
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    \3\ See the April 2012 Joint Letter on Career Pathways at: 
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/ten-attachment.pdf.
    \4\ See U.S. Department of Labor Training and Employment 
Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 15-10, Increasing Credential, Degree, and 
Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce 
System. While the Joint Letter on Career Pathways references 
``certification,'' the term ``credential,'' as defined in the TEGL, 
is an ``umbrella term which encompasses postsecondary degrees, 
diplomas, licenses, certificates, and certifications''--all of which 
career pathways seek to prepare individuals to attain.
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     Alignment of systems: secondary, postsecondary and 
workforce development;
     Rigorous, sequential, connected, and efficient coursework 
that connects basic education and skills training and integrates 
education and training;
     Multiple entry and exit points;
     Comprehensive support services, such as career counseling, 
childcare, and transportation;
     Financial supports or flexibility to accommodate the 
demands of the labor market in order to allow individuals to meet their 
ongoing financial needs and obligations;
     Active engagement of business in targeted industry sectors 
that aligns with the skill needs of industries important to the local, 
regional, and/or State economies;
     Appropriate curriculum and instructional strategies that 
make work a central context for learning and work readiness skills;
     Credit for prior learning and the adoption of other 
strategies that accelerate the educational and career advancement of 
the participant;
     Organized services to meet the particular needs of adults, 
including accommodating work schedules with flexible and non-semester-
based scheduling, alternative class times and locations, and the 
innovative use of technology;
     A focus on secondary and postsecondary industry-recognized 
credentials, sector-specific employment, and advancement over time in 
education and employment within that sector; and
     A collaborative partnership among workforce, education, 
human service agencies, business and other community stakeholders to 
manage the system.
    One of the hallmarks of a career pathways system is its potential 
to provide an effective strategy for integrating educational 
instruction, workforce development, and human services and linking them 
to labor market trends and employer needs. The Departments believe that 
the more career pathways systems are aligned at the State, local, 
regional, and tribal

[[Page 22664]]

levels, the easier it is to create a level of integration necessary to 
develop career pathway programs and ensure an individual's success.
    The joint letter was the Departments' first step to formally adopt 
a common definition and shared vision for career pathways systems, with 
the expectation that a common language would facilitate the forging of 
cross-agency partnerships and systems development. The joint letter was 
also the first time each of the Departments overseeing the major 
Federal funding streams for employment, training, education, and 
support services formally recognized their shared support for career 
pathways approaches. The impetus for the joint letter came from the 
awareness among Federal leaders of a growing convergence of strategies 
for promoting skills acquisition and labor market successes that fit 
loosely under the rubric of career pathways.
    While there are differences in emphasis and terminology, the 
Departments are using discretionary and formula funding \5\ to 
encourage their State, tribal, and local partners to build cross-agency 
partnerships and to integrate the delivery of employment, education, 
and support services. The convergence of strategies is evidence of 
recent Federal investments aimed at building skills and employability. 
Since the publication of the joint letter, leaders and staff from the 
Departments have continued to explore opportunities to improve the 
alignment of their programs at the State, tribal, or local levels 
through the creation of an Interagency Working Group (IWG). During 
fiscal year 2012, the IWG jointly delivered technical assistance to a 
wide variety of stakeholders, including discretionary and formula 
grantees, Federal staff, and State, tribal, and local policymakers. In 
addition, each of the Departments invested in the creation and 
dissemination of key resources and technical assistance tools to help 
States, regional and local areas, and tribal communities adopt career 
pathways systems. For example, DOL developed a comprehensive set of 
technical assistance tools, including the Career Pathways Framework and 
Toolkit and Competency Model Clearinghouse, which can be found at its 
Community of Practice at: learnwork.workforce3one.org.
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    \5\ The primary funding streams that are leveraged as part of a 
career pathways systems include, but are not limited to: Title I of 
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), the Wagner Peyser Act 
and the Trade Act, administered by DOL; Title II of the WIA (also 
known as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act of 1998), the 
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 
(Perkins), and the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 
administered by ED; and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 
programs of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act 
administered by HHS. Competitive grants and contracts managed by 
each Department also play an important role in many career pathways 
initiatives, as well as programs and funding systems administered by 
other Federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, 
Energy, and Transportation.
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    ED implemented a variety of national activities, including 
``Designing Instruction for Career Pathways'' \6\ and ``Advancing 
Career and Technical Education in State and Local Career Pathways,'' 
\7\ both of which intend to strengthen connections between adult 
education, career and technical education, the public workforce system, 
human service agencies, and businesses and other employers.
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    \6\ See www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/factsh/difcp.pdf.
    \7\ See cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_cte.cfm.
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    Each of the Departments has also made investments in research on 
the effectiveness of career pathways programs, including the HHS ten-
year Innovative Strategies for Increasing Self-Sufficiency (ISIS) \8\ 
assignment evaluation of a number of different career pathways programs 
around the country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ See www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/research/project/innovative-strategies-for-increasing-self-sufficiency.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Career pathways systems have demonstrated promise for meeting the 
distinct but complementary goals of a number of Federal agencies, 
including the DOL goals for increasing credential attainment rates and 
helping individuals secure good jobs at family-sustainable wages, ED's 
goal of increasing college success and career-readiness, and HHS's goal 
of supporting family self-sufficiency and stability. Thus, this RFI 
builds on the joint letter and on related efforts across the Federal 
government to better coordinate investments in human capital and 
economic development while reducing waste and duplication.
    A subcommittee of the IWG, comprised of the Departments' leaders 
and staff, developed the RFI questions and will jointly analyze the 
responses. This RFI marks the first time that the Departments are 
jointly collecting and analyzing information, a process that we believe 
will yield important insights on: (1) The challenges to aligning 
diverse funding streams, programs, and stakeholders; and (2) efforts to 
serve low-income youth and adults, low-skilled youth and adults, out-
of-school youth, individuals with disabilities, Temporary Assistance to 
Needy Families program \9\ (TANF) recipients, tribal communities, 
English learners, immigrants, rural populations, veterans, currently 
and formerly incarcerated individuals, dislocated workers, and trade-
affected workers. We expect the analysis period to deepen our shared 
vision and understanding of career pathways systems. In addition, the 
joint analysis will generate essential information that can inform 
policy development and the next generation of investments and technical 
assistance by providing us with greater clarity on the facilitators and 
obstacles to career pathways systems development.
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    \9\ See www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title04/0400.htm.
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Instructions: Who Should Respond

    We invite practitioners, policy makers, funders, business and 
industry associations, and researchers to provide information, 
including those who are, or those who work in:
     Employers, Businesses, and/or Associations of Employers, 
such as local and regional employers and businesses, trade/industry 
associations, and others.
     Education, such as State and local agencies; adult 
education, corrections/re-entry, elementary/secondary special 
education, and career and technical education programs; community and 
technical colleges; institutions of higher education; tribal, 
community, and faith-based organizations; youth service providers; and 
student organizations.
     Workforce Development, such as State, regional, tribal and 
local agencies; youth service providers; State and local workforce 
investment boards; training providers; community- and faith-based 
organizations; workforce intermediaries; sector-based training 
partnerships; American Job Centers; Registered Apprenticeship programs; 
student organizations (career-focused); and others in the workforce 
development field.
     Human Services, such as State, tribal, and local TANF 
agencies; and community- and faith-based organizations.
     Economic Development, such as State and local agencies, 
regional skills partnerships, planning and development organizations, 
area development districts, councils of governments, economic 
development associations, and economic development corporations.
     Others, such as research organizations, philanthropic 
funders, advocacy organizations, think tanks, and associations.

[[Page 22665]]

Guidance for Submitting Documents

    We strongly recommend that you limit the narrative in your 
electronic word document, or hard copy submission to the equivalent of 
no more than 10 pages using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5 x 11, on one side 
only, with 1 margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
     If submitting electronically, please do not upload 
attachments, but you may include hyperlinks to additional materials you 
would like reviewed.
    On page 1 of your submission, please indicate your name, the name 
of your organization (if applicable), and your contact information 
(including phone number, postal address, and email address). While not 
required, it would assist us in reviewing your information if you also 
included the type of organization you represent (public, private, not-
for-profit, or philanthropic), the field(s) in which you work 
(education, workforce development, human services, economic 
development, or other), and the level at which you operate (national, 
State, regional, local or tribal).

Request for Information

    Through this RFI, the Departments are soliciting ideas and 
information from a broad array of stakeholders on improving outcomes 
for youth and adults through the use of career pathways approaches, 
including how to facilitate comprehensive, multi-system approaches and 
how to use existing resources in more coordinated and comprehensive 
ways. Responses to this RFI will inform the work of each Department as 
they design investments, policies, and legislative strategies to 
improve outcomes for youth and adults. This RFI is for information and 
planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or 
as an obligation on the part of the participating Federal agencies.
    We ask respondents to address the following questions, where 
possible, in the context of the discussion in this document. You do not 
need to address every question and you should focus on those where you 
have relevant expertise. You may also provide relevant information that 
is not directly responsive to a particular topic but may nevertheless 
be helpful. Please clearly indicate which question(s) you are 
addressing in your response.

The Questions

    1. Using the list of key components of career pathways discussed in 
the Background section of this RFI as a general guideline, please 
describe any Federal, State, or local policies, frameworks, or 
initiatives of which you are aware that have been used to support the 
development of career pathways systems.\10\
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    \10\ See the Background section of this notice for a discussion 
of the term ``career pathways.''
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    2. What factors, in your opinion, have facilitated the 
implementation of career pathways systems at the State or local level 
(e.g., the use of key resources or technical assistance tools)? What 
factors have made career pathways systems difficult to implement and/or 
replicate on a large scale?
    3. What Federal, State, or local governmental and non-governmental 
funding streams are you aware of that have been used to support career 
pathways initiatives? If applicable, to what extent is your State or 
local area aligning or braiding \11\ funding from across different 
funding streams to support career pathways? Please describe 
facilitators and/or challenges to aligning and braiding funding. If you 
are not aligning and/or braiding funding, please describe any specific 
barriers.
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    \11\ Braiding funds refers to using two or more sources of funds 
for the same or similar purpose in such a way that the funds can be 
accounted for separately.
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    4. For your career pathways system, please describe the roles and 
responsibilities of each of the following partners with whom you work 
(please answer only for those that are applicable). What factors 
facilitate and/or create obstacles to successful partnership efforts?
    a. Businesses/employers and industry associations
    b. Education providers (e.g. K-12 education, special education, 
institutions of higher education including but not limited to community 
and technical colleges, and/or other training providers)
    c. Workforce development agencies (e.g. Workforce Investment Boards 
and American Job Centers)
    d. Community-based organizations and human service providers that 
address barriers to employment (e.g. cash assistance/TANF, child care, 
transportation, housing, food assistance/SNAP \12\, etc.)
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    \12\ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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    e. Philanthropic organizations/intermediaries
    f. State, regional, local, and/or tribal government agencies
    g. Other (please describe)
    5. Is your career pathways system connected to a State, regional, 
local, or tribal economic development strategy? If so, how?
    6. How do you ensure that your career pathways system is staying 
current with labor market trends, particularly current demand, to 
respond to the need for particular skills and credentials in emerging 
industry sectors?
    7. How can career pathways systems be made accessible to diverse 
populations and responsive to their needs beyond education and training 
(e.g., support services such as childcare, transportation, housing, 
etc.)? We are particularly, but not exclusively, interested in learning 
about efforts to serve low-income youth and adults, low-skilled youth 
and adults, out-of-school youth, individuals with disabilities, TANF 
recipients, tribal communities, English language learners, immigrants, 
rural populations, veterans, currently and formerly incarcerated 
individuals, dislocated workers, and trade-affected workers.
    8. Which populations would you like to serve, but are unable to 
serve or face special challenges in serving? What are the barriers to 
serving these particular populations and what are the strategies, 
recommendations, or lessons learned that can be used to achieve 
positive outcomes in serving these populations?
    9. What are the challenges and/or facilitators to building and/or 
offering stackable and portable, industry-recognized credentials? \13\ 
How can these industry-recognized credentials be

[[Page 22666]]

incorporated into and/or aligned in a successful career pathways 
system?
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    \13\ Within the context of workforce development generally, the 
term credential refers to an attestation of qualification or 
competence issued to an individual by a third party (such as an 
educational institution or an industry or occupational certifying 
organization) with the relevant authority or assumed competence to 
issue such a credential.
    Examples of credentials include: (1) Educational Diplomas and 
Certificates (typically for one academic year or less of study); (2) 
Educational Degrees, such as an associate's (2-year) or bachelor's 
(4-year) degree; (3) Registered Apprenticeship Certificate; (4) 
Occupational Licenses (typically, but not always, awarded by State 
government agencies); and (5) Industry-recognized or professional 
association certifications; also known as personnel certifications; 
and Other certificates of skills completion. For more details, see 
U.S. Department of Labor Training and Employment Guidance Letter 
(TEGL) No. 15-10, Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate 
Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System, available 
at: wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL15-10.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    10. How are participants' outcomes measured, and to what extent are 
the data used to monitor and improve the strength of your career 
pathways system? Please indicate if there are any other data points or 
ongoing evaluation efforts used to improve the strength of your career 
pathways system.
    11. How do performance measures associated with specific Federal 
funding statutes/streams (i.e., WIA, Perkins, TANF, etc.) facilitate or 
impede the tracking of participant outcomes?
    12. Do you have any suggestions for how Federal, State, regional, 
tribal, and local governments could support the development of high-
quality career pathways systems and/or address gaps in current efforts? 
If so, please describe the specific changes that would be necessary in 
each of the following categories (please answer only for those that are 
applicable):
    a. Legislation, statutes and/or regulations; for example,
    (i) Administrative flexibility (i.e., waivers on use of funds or 
program eligibility)
    (ii) Expanded eligibility for financial aid and/or other support 
services
    (iii) Changes to performance measurement and program accountability 
rules
    b. Technical assistance activities and/or non-regulatory guidance;
    c. Funding strategies;
    d. Research and evaluation activities;
    e. Other proposed changes.
    13. For business and industry respondents only,\14\ please indicate 
what successes and/or challenges you have faced at local, State, 
regional, and/or national levels when developing a pipeline of workers. 
What strategies would you suggest to sustain the successes and/or 
mitigate the challenges?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ If you are not a business and industry respondent, but you 
have access to one or more business and industry entities that could 
respond to this question, please feel free to include their response 
to this question in your submission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rights to Materials Submitted

    By submitting material (e.g., descriptions of use or barriers to 
use of career pathways approaches) in response to this RFI, the 
respondent is agreeing to grant the Departments a worldwide, royalty-
free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to use the material 
and to make it publicly available. Further, the respondent agrees that 
it owns, has a valid license, or is otherwise authorized to provide the 
material to the Department. The Departments will not provide any 
compensation for material submitted in response to this RFI.

Request for Metadata Tags

    To make the best use of the information submitted in response to 
this RFI and to make it easier for interested parties to search the 
responses, the Departments will include specific words or phrases--also 
known as ``keywords'' or metadata ``tags''--with the material 
submitted. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to use keywords or 
tags to identify components of the strategies described in your 
responses. The keywords or tags should be linked to, and accurately 
reflect substantial components of, the strategies, practices, programs, 
or other activities described in your submission. To simplify searches 
of the responses, Appendix A of this RFI provides a list of standard 
keywords and tags. You are encouraged to select from among these 
standard keywords and tags to the greatest extent possible. In the 
event that none of the words or phrases in Appendix A is sufficiently 
precise for the strategy that is the subject of your response, you may 
substitute other keywords or tags. Please do not provide more than 
eight keywords or tags for each strategy, and please limit each tag to 
no more than three words per tag and 28 characters per word.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of the Departments published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Departments published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Departments.

    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 3402(2) and (4) and 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1); 
42 U.S.C. 1310; and 29 U.S.C. 2811.

    Dated: April 18, 2014.
John Uvin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Strategic Initiatives, 
Delegated Authority to Perform the Duties and Functions of the 
Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
Eric Seleznow,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Administration.
Mark Greenberg,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration for Children and 
Families.

Appendix

Standard Keywords and Tags Population Descriptors

     At-Risk Youth
     Disadvantaged Youth
     Dropouts
     Foster Youth
     Homeless Youth
     In-school Youth
     Incarcerated individuals
     Individuals with Disabilities
     Out-of-School Youth
     Runaway Youth
     Vulnerable
     Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth
     Youth in Adult Education
     Young Adults
     Adults
     Basic-skills Deficient
     Dislocated Workers
     Immigrants
     Limited English Proficient (LEP)/English Language 
Learner (ELL)/English as a Second Language (ESL)
     Long-term Unemployed
     Low-skilled Adults
     Low-skilled Youth
     Low-income Adults
     Low-Income Youth
     Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult
     Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) 
Recipients
     Trade-Adjusted (TA) Workers
     Trade-affected Workers
     Tribal Communities
     Unemployed
     Veterans

Service Descriptors

     Accommodations
     Adult Basic Education (ABE)
     Adult Education (AE)
     Apprenticeship
     Basic Skills
     Career and Technical Education (CTE)
     Career Pathways
     Immigrant Integration
     Reentry
     Special Education
     Workforce Development
     Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Services
     Wrap Around Services
     Youth and Basic Skills
     Youth Development
     Youth Service
     Youth Workforce Development

Strategy and Practice Descriptors

     Alignment
     Articulation

[[Page 22667]]

     Career Ladders
     Career Lattices
     Career Pathways
     Certificates
     Certifications
     Collaboration
     Competency-based Education
     Competency Models
     Credentials
     Dual Enrollment
     Employer Engagement
     Holistic
     Innovation
     Integrated
     Integrated Education and Training
     Outreach
     Partnerships
     Pay For Success Funding
     Performance-Based Funding
     Professional Development
     Sector Strategies Shared

[FR Doc. 2014-09274 Filed 4-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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