Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Sixty Days' Public Comment; O*NET Data Collection Program, Extension of Currently Approved Collection Without Change, 28509-28510 [E8-10934]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 96 / Friday, May 16, 2008 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Sixty Days’ Public Comment; O*NET Data Collection Program, Extension of Currently Approved Collection Without Change Employment and Training Administration. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the O*NET (Occupational Information Network) Data Collection Program. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice or by accessing: https://www.doleta.gov/ OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm. DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the addressee’s section below on or before July 15, 2008. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Employment and Training Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S–4231, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Pam Frugoli, Telephone number: 202–693– 3643 (this is not a toll-free number). Fax: 202–693–3015. E-mail: O*NET@doleta.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The O*NET Data Collection Program is a continuing effort to collect and maintain current information on detailed characteristics of occupations and skills for over 800 occupations. The resulting database is and will continue to be the most comprehensive standard VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:18 May 15, 2008 Jkt 214001 source of occupational and skills information in the nation. O*NET information is used by a wide range of audiences, from individuals making career decisions, to public agencies and schools providing career exploration services and planning workforce investment programs, to businesses making staffing and training decisions. The O*NET system provides a common language, framework and database to meet the administrative needs of various federal programs, including workforce investment and training programs of the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. Section 309 of the Workforce Investment Act requires the Secretary of Labor to oversee the ‘‘development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of a nationwide employment statistics system’’ which shall include, among other components, ‘‘skill trends by occupation and industry.’’ The States are to develop similar statewide employment statistics systems. The O*NET Data Collection Program is the primary vehicle for collecting skills and occupational information across all occupations nationwide. The continued population and completion of the entire O*NET database is a critical component of the nationwide labor market information system to support employer, workforce, and education information needs. O*NET succeeds the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and is a powerful tool for various critical federal and state workforce investment functions. O*NET integrates a powerful relational database and a common language for occupational and skill descriptions into a value-added tool for business, job seekers, and the workforce investment professionals who help bring them together. By providing information organized according to the O*NET Content Model, the O*NET database is an important tool for keeping up with today’s rapidly changing world of work. The O*NET database provides: • Detailed information for more than 800 occupations. • Descriptive information on standardized descriptors of skills, abilities, interests, knowledge, work values, education, training, work context, and work activities. • Occupational coding based on the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). The O*NET electronic database serves as the underpinning for hundreds of publicly and privately developed products and resources in the marketplace and can be found at PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28509 https://www.onetcenter.org/ database.html. These products and resources are being used to serve millions of customers. II. Review Focus The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments which: • Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; • Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; • Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and • Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses. III. Current Actions Type of Review: Extension. Agency: Employment and Training Administration. Title: O*NET Data Collection Program. OMB Number: 1205–0421. Affected Public: Business/Employers (includes private and not-for-profit businesses and government); individuals (incumbent workers, subject-matter experts). Form: O*NET Data Collection Program. Total Respondents: 85,780. Frequency: Annual. Total Responses: 85,780. Average Time Per Response: Employer response time is 70 minutes. Incumbent worker response time is 30 minutes. Subject-matter expert response time is 2 hours. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 43,857. Total Burden Cost: $1,355,266. Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be summarized and/or included in the request for the Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request. They will also become a matter of public record. E:\FR\FM\16MYN1.SGM 16MYN1 28510 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 96 / Friday, May 16, 2008 / Notices Signed: At Washington, DC, this 8th day of May, 2008. Gay M. Gilbert, Administrator, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment & Training Administration. [FR Doc. E8–10934 Filed 5–15–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) To Fund Demonstration Projects Targeting Dislocated Workers Announcement type: New, Notice of Solicitation for Grant Applications. Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/ DFA PY–07–10. Catalog of Federal Assistance Number: 17.269. Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is June 13, 2008. Applications must be received at the address below no later than 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). Application and submission information is explained in detail in Part IV of this SGA. SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the availability of approximately $20 million to fund grants to State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) for demonstration projects targeting Workforce Investment Act (WIA) dislocated workers. This solicitation provides SWAs with the option to choose from four categories under which applicants can submit a single grant application. Please note that two options exist under category one and two options exist under category three. If the applicant chooses to apply under categories one or three, the applicant must indicate which option the proposal addresses. Applicants may only submit a grant application under one category and only one application per SWA will be accepted. Applicants must indicate in the abstract of their proposal the category under which they are applying. Category 1—Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Dislocated Workers (two options). Category 2—Getting Ahead of the Curve: Raising Educational/Skill Levels of Workers in Declining Industries. Category 3—Innovative Adult Learning Models for Dislocated Workers (two options). VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:18 May 15, 2008 Jkt 214001 Category 4—Preventing Dislocations of TANF Recipients Moving Into Entry Level Jobs Subject to Economic Churn. Additional background information is provided under Part I. ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: BJai Johnson, Reference SGA/DFA PY–07–10, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N– 4716, Washington, DC 20210. Facsimile applications will not be accepted. Information about applying online can be found in Part V.C. of this document. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington, DC, area may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand delivered proposals will be received at the above address. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This solicitation consists of eight parts: Part I provides background information for each category. Part II describes award information. Part III describes eligibility information. Part IV describes the application and submission process. Part V describes the applications review process. Part VI contains award administration information. Part VII contains DOL agency contact information. Part VIII lists additional resources of interest to applicants. Part I. Background Information This section provides background information for each of the four categories for grant applications. In some cases the background information is applicable to more than one category and is identified as such. Background Information for Category 1—Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Dislocated Workers: Applicants may submit an application under only one of the following options: Option A—Project GATE (Growing America Through Entrepreneurship) for Dislocated Workers in Rural Areas or Option B— Project GATE for Dislocated Workers Fifty Years and Older. This background information is relevant to both options. Although many Americans have neither the skills nor the desire to be self-employed (more than 90 percent of employed Americans work for other people in ‘‘wage and salary’’ jobs) some Americans do want to be self-employed. Some have a passion for a particular business idea, while others want to be their own bosses, have no access to wage and salary jobs in which they can use their skills, or desire the flexibility of self-employment. These people often PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 are willing to work hard, and have specific skills, interests, and talents they can use in a business. Many aspiring entrepreneurs’ lack of business knowledge and access to credit poses significant barriers to selfemployment. This lack of knowledge may encompass marketing, finance, regulations, how to develop a business plan, or other aspects of developing and running a business. Disadvantaged populations in particular are less likely to have access to the information sources that would make such knowledge and skills available to them. Many people may need loans to start their businesses but have little collateral and poor or no credit histories. Moreover, commercial banks frequently are reluctant to make loans to small, risky ventures. In providing assistance designed to surmount these obstacles to selfemployment, Project GATE aims to promote both workforce and economic development. In improving the likelihood of being successful at selfemployment, the project sought to increase employment, earnings, and the self-sufficiency of GATE participants. Even if not successful at selfemployment, the program could have improved success at wage and salary employment by providing GATE participants with contacts, business skills, or just the knowledge that entrepreneurship is not for them. By promoting small businesses and the jobs they create, Project GATE also aimed to promote economic development in some low-income areas. 1. Project GATE Demonstration This initiative builds on the prior Project GATE Demonstration funded by ETA which began in early fall 2003 and was implemented in three statesPennsylvania, Minnesota, and Maine. Participants in Project GATE were offered assessments, classroom training and one-on-one business counseling in developing their businesses and applying for a Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan or other source of business finance. Nonprofit Community-Based Organizations and the SBA’s Small Business Development Centers provided the classroom training and business counseling. One-Stop Career Centers were the gateways to the program. These centers conducted outreach for Project GATE and hosted the program’s orientation session. Project GATE added a new service to the One-Stop Career Centers’ arsenal of employment services— helping people become self-employed. In addition, Project GATE attracted new E:\FR\FM\16MYN1.SGM 16MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 96 (Friday, May 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28509-28510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10934]



[[Page 28509]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Sixty Days' 
Public Comment; O*NET Data Collection Program, Extension of Currently 
Approved Collection Without Change

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA 95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed extension of the O*NET (Occupational 
Information Network) Data Collection Program. A copy of the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the 
office listed below in the addressee section of this notice or by 
accessing: https://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or before July 15, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Employment and Training 
Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4231, Washington, 
DC 20210, Attention: Pam Frugoli, Telephone number: 202-693-3643 (this 
is not a toll-free number). Fax: 202-693-3015. E-mail: 
O*NET@doleta.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The O*NET Data Collection Program is a continuing effort to collect 
and maintain current information on detailed characteristics of 
occupations and skills for over 800 occupations. The resulting database 
is and will continue to be the most comprehensive standard source of 
occupational and skills information in the nation. O*NET information is 
used by a wide range of audiences, from individuals making career 
decisions, to public agencies and schools providing career exploration 
services and planning workforce investment programs, to businesses 
making staffing and training decisions. The O*NET system provides a 
common language, framework and database to meet the administrative 
needs of various federal programs, including workforce investment and 
training programs of the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health 
and Human Services.
    Section 309 of the Workforce Investment Act requires the Secretary 
of Labor to oversee the ``development, maintenance, and continuous 
improvement of a nationwide employment statistics system'' which shall 
include, among other components, ``skill trends by occupation and 
industry.'' The States are to develop similar statewide employment 
statistics systems.
    The O*NET Data Collection Program is the primary vehicle for 
collecting skills and occupational information across all occupations 
nationwide. The continued population and completion of the entire O*NET 
database is a critical component of the nationwide labor market 
information system to support employer, workforce, and education 
information needs.
    O*NET succeeds the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and is a 
powerful tool for various critical federal and state workforce 
investment functions. O*NET integrates a powerful relational database 
and a common language for occupational and skill descriptions into a 
value-added tool for business, job seekers, and the workforce 
investment professionals who help bring them together. By providing 
information organized according to the O*NET Content Model, the O*NET 
database is an important tool for keeping up with today's rapidly 
changing world of work. The O*NET database provides:
     Detailed information for more than 800 occupations.
     Descriptive information on standardized descriptors of 
skills, abilities, interests, knowledge, work values, education, 
training, work context, and work activities.
     Occupational coding based on the 2000 Standard 
Occupational Classification (SOC).
    The O*NET electronic database serves as the underpinning for 
hundreds of publicly and privately developed products and resources in 
the marketplace and can be found at https://www.onetcenter.org/
database.html. These products and resources are being used to serve 
millions of customers.

II. Review Focus

    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: O*NET Data Collection Program.
    OMB Number: 1205-0421.
    Affected Public: Business/Employers (includes private and not-for-
profit businesses and government); individuals (incumbent workers, 
subject-matter experts).
    Form: O*NET Data Collection Program.
    Total Respondents: 85,780.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Total Responses: 85,780.
    Average Time Per Response: Employer response time is 70 minutes. 
Incumbent worker response time is 30 minutes. Subject-matter expert 
response time is 2 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 43,857.
    Total Burden Cost: $1,355,266.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and/or included in the request for the Office of Management 
and Budget approval of the information collection request. They will 
also become a matter of public record.


[[Page 28510]]


    Signed: At Washington, DC, this 8th day of May, 2008.
Gay M. Gilbert,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment & Training 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-10934 Filed 5-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P
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