Request for Information on Expanding Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Youth, 77456-77459 [2020-26483]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 232 / Wednesday, December 2, 2020 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2020–26531 Filed 12–1–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3670–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID ED–2020–OCTAE–0176]
Request for Information on Expanding
Work-Based Learning Opportunities
for Youth
Office of Career, Technical, and
Adult Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Request for information.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Education (Department) is requesting
information on successful approaches
for expanding work-based learning
(WBL) opportunities for youth by
working across Federal, State, and local
education and employer systems. We
will use this information to inform our
implementation of the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of
2006, as amended by the Strengthening
Career and Technical Education for the
21st Century Act (Perkins V).
DATES: We must receive your
submission by January 13, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit your response to
this request for information (RFI)
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
We will not accept submissions by
postal mail, commercial mail, hand
delivery, fax, or email. To ensure that
we do not receive duplicate copies,
please submit your comments only one
time.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
www.regulations.gov to submit your
comments electronically. Information
SUMMARY:
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on using Regulations.gov, including
instructions for accessing agency
documents, submitting comments, and
viewing the docket, is available on the
site under the ‘‘Help’’ tab.
Privacy Note: The Department’s
policy for comments received from
members of the public 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. We
encourage, but do not require, that each
respondent include his or her name,
title, institution or affiliation, and the
name, title, mailing and email
addresses, and telephone number of a
contact person for his or her institution
or affiliation, if any.
This is a request for information only.
This RFI is not a request for proposals
(RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP or
a notice inviting applications. This RFI
does not commit the Department to
contract for any supply or service
whatsoever. Further, we are not seeking
proposals and will not accept
unsolicited proposals. The Department
will not pay for any information or
administrative costs that you may incur
in responding to this RFI.
The documents and information
submitted in response to this RFI
become the property of the U.S.
Government and will not be returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kiawanta Hunter-Keiser, Office of
Career, Technical, and Adult Education,
U.S Department of Education, 400
Maryland Avenue SW, Room 11–119,
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC
20202–7240. Telephone: (202) 245–
7724. Email: Kiawanta.Hunter-Keiser@
ed.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.
The
Department awards approximately $1.3
billion annually for Career and
Technical Education (CTE) State
formula grants authorized under Perkins
V. Perkins V assists States and outlying
areas in expanding and improving CTE
in secondary schools, technical schools,
and community colleges. Each State
uses program funds to support a variety
of CTE programs and activities
developed in accordance with its State
plan.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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The enactment of Perkins V in 2018
highlighted the provision of WBL 1 as an
important strategy for preparing CTE
students for further learning and
careers. For example, the new law
amended the definition of CTE to
include WBL as a component (20 U.S.C.
2302(5)); directed States to identify in
their State plans how individuals who
are members of special populations 2
will be provided instruction and WBL
opportunities in integrated settings that
support competitive, integrated
employment (20 U.S.C. 2342(d)(9)(E));
and permitted States to use State
leadership funds to establish and
expand WBL opportunities that are
aligned to CTE programs and programs
of study (20 U.S.C. 2344(b)(18)), as well
as to facilitate the inclusion of WBL
opportunities (including internships,
externships, and simulated work
environments) in CTE programs of study
(20 U.S.C. 2344(b)(4)(C)).
At the local level, amendments made
by the 2018 law required eligible
recipients to describe in their
applications for funds the WBL
opportunities that they will provide to
students participating in CTE programs
and how they will work with
representatives from employers to
develop or expand WBL opportunities
for CTE students (20 U.S.C. 2354(b)(6)).
Providing a continuum of WBL
opportunities, including simulated work
environments, is also an authorized use
of the funds by local recipients (20
U.S.C. 2355(b)(5)(E)). Importantly, the
new law also included participation in
WBL by secondary CTE concentrators as
a new optional indicator of State
performance (20 U.S.C.
2323(b)(2)(A)(iv)(I)(cc)). In the State
plans submitted during summer 2020,
26 States selected this indicator as one
1 Section 3(55) of Perkins V defines the term
‘‘work-based learning’’ to mean ‘‘sustained
interactions with industry or community
professionals in real workplace settings, to the
extent practicable, or simulated environments at an
educational institution that foster in-depth,
firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a
given career field, that are aligned to curriculum
and instruction.’’
2 Section 3(48) of Perkins V defines ‘‘special
populations’’ to mean ‘‘(A) individuals with
disabilities; (B) individuals from economically
disadvantaged families, including low-income
youth and adults; (C) individuals preparing for nontraditional fields; (D) single parents, including
single pregnant women; (E) out-of-workforce
individuals; (F) English learners; (G) homeless
individuals described in section 725 of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 11434a); (H) youth who are in, or have aged
out of, the foster care system; and (I) youth with a
parent who—(i) is a member of the armed forces (as
such term is defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10,
United States Code); and (ii) is on active duty (as
such term is defined in section 101(d)(1) of such
title).’’
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 232 / Wednesday, December 2, 2020 / Notices
of their measures of secondary CTE
program quality.3
The greater prominence of WBL in
Perkins V and interest in expanding its
availability comes at a time when
participation in the labor market by
youth is at a low point. Since 2000,
there has been a precipitous drop in
participation in the job market by
adolescents ages 16 to 19 of all major
races and ethnicities.4 The labor force
participation rate measures the
percentage of individuals who are
employed or who are seeking
employment. During July, at the height
of the summer, the labor force
participation rate of 16- to 19-year-old
youth declined from 62.9 percent in
1999 to 40.0 percent in 2020 (Table 1).
This deep decline occurred among
White youth, Black youth, Hispanic
youth, and Asian youth. Summer job
opportunities are particularly limited
for low-income youth. The employment
rate measures the percentage of
individuals in the labor force who are
employed. In July 2020, the
employment rate of youth ages 16 to 19
from families with annual incomes of
$20,000 or less was about half that of
their peers from families with annual
incomes of $150,000 or more (Table 2).
Youth participation in the labor market
throughout the year also has dropped
significantly since 2000. The annual
average rate of labor force participation
among youth ages 16 to 19 fell from 52.0
percent in 1999 to 35.3 percent in 2019,
with White youth, Black youth,
Hispanic youth, and Asian youth all
experiencing a decline (Table 3).
TABLE 1—PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH AGES 16 TO 19 PARTICIPATING IN THE LABOR FORCE DURING JULY
All youth,
ages 16–19
Year
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
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.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
White youth,
ages 16–19
62.9
61.8
60.3
57.5
53.7
53.6
53.0
53.5
50.0
49.6
46.5
42.6
41.6
43.4
43.3
42.3
41.3
43.2
42.5
43.0
44.3
40.0
Black youth,
ages 16–19
66.5
65.6
64.1
61.1
57.0
57.1
56.3
56.9
53.9
53.2
50.1
46.0
45.3
45.9
45.6
45.3
44.1
46.0
43.8
45.4
47.1
42.4
49.8
50.2
47.3
42.7
41.8
41.8
41.7
43.1
36.3
37.7
35.5
30.8
28.5
37.0
36.3
32.0
35.3
34.4
37.5
36.3
38.8
35.9
Hispanic
youth,
ages 16–19
51.5
51.4
50.9
48.9
43.3
45.0
42.9
44.9
39.5
41.5
42.1
36.8
32.6
37.9
39.5
36.2
35.2
35.3
36.7
37.9
38.3
34.2
Asian youth,
ages 16–19
(*)
37.2
39.7
43.9
36.2
33.1
34.4
32.6
30.3
30.0
28.2
31.9
26.3
23.0
27.5
27.9
25.3
24.9
30.5
25.1
25.7
20.9
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Current Population Survey, not seasonally adjusted, 1999–2020. Retrieved by searching the
BLS Data Finder 1.1 at https://beta.bls.gov/dataQuery/search.
* Data from 1999 on Asian youth ages 16 to 19 are not available.
TABLE 2—JULY 2020 EMPLOYMENT
RATE OF YOUTH AGES 16 TO 19,
BY ANNUAL FAMILY INCOME
Family income
July 2020
percentage
employment
rate
Under $20,000 ......................
$20,000–$39,999 ..................
$40,000–$59,999 ..................
$60,000–$74,999 ..................
$75,000–$99,999 ..................
$100,000–$149,999 ..............
18.9
24.3
32.4
33.3
35.4
37.9
3 Perkins V State Plans approved by the
Department can be found on the Department’s
website at https://cte.ed.gov/grants/state-plan.
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TABLE 2—JULY 2020 EMPLOYMENT
RATE OF YOUTH AGES 16 TO 19,
BY ANNUAL FAMILY INCOME—Continued
July 2020
percentage
employment
rate
Family income
+$150,000 and higher ..........
40.3
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey public use microdata, July 2020.
Retrieved by searching the Census Bureau’s
MDAT tool at https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/.
4 See, for example, Steven F. Hipple, ‘‘Labor force
participation: What has happened since the peak?,’’
Monthly Labor Review, U.S. Bureau of Labor
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Statistics, September 2016, Retrieved from https://
doi.org/10.21916/mlr.2016.43.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 232 / Wednesday, December 2, 2020 / Notices
TABLE 3—ANNUAL AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH AGES 16 TO 19 PARTICIPATING IN THE LABOR FORCE
All youth,
Ages 16–19
Year
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
.....................................................................................
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.....................................................................................
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.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
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.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
White youth,
ages 16–19
52.0
52.0
49.6
47.4
44.5
43.9
43.7
43.7
41.3
40.2
37.5
34.9
34.1
34.3
34.5
34.0
34.3
35.2
35.2
35.1
35.3
Black youth,
ages 16–19
55.5
55.5
53.1
50.5
47.7
47.1
46.9
46.7
44.4
43.1
40.6
37.7
36.8
36.9
36.9
36.2
36.4
37.4
36.8
37.2
37.5
Hispanic
youth,
ages 16–19
38.7
39.4
37.6
36.0
32.4
31.4
32.4
34.0
30.3
29.4
27.2
25.5
24.9
26.9
28.0
27.2
28.1
29.0
30.0
30.5
30.1
45.5
46.3
46.9
44.0
37.7
38.2
38.6
38.3
37.1
36.9
34.0
30.9
28.3
30.9
31.0
30.3
30.9
31.2
31.9
32.5
32.2
Asian Youth,
ages 16–19
(*)
35.8
32.0
33.3
29.6
28.4
26.0
25.1
24.5
24.9
20.8
22.0
21.7
20.1
21.5
21.0
20.6
21.2
23.5
19.6
21.6
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, not seasonally adjusted, 1962–2019. Retrieved from the BLS Data Finder
1.1 at https://beta.bls.gov/dataQuery/search.
* Data from 1999 on Asian youth ages 16 to 19 are not available.
With the heightened interest in
expanding WBL for CTE students
occurring at the same time that
participation in work by youth is
waning, the Department is soliciting
ideas and information from a broad
array of stakeholders on strategies and
approaches to expand WBL
opportunities for primarily high school
students ages 16 or 17. These
opportunities may include, but are not
limited to, paid internships, work study,
cooperative education, apprenticeships,
and pre-apprenticeships. Input on
stabilizing and increasing WBL will also
be critical to mitigate the potential
short- and long-term impact of the
pandemic on youth employment.
We are interested in learning about
successful approaches to expanding
WBL opportunities for youth from
States, Tribes, State and local
educational agencies, community-based
and other nonprofit organizations,
employers, industry associations,
philanthropic organizations, faith-based
organizations, researchers, and other
interested individuals and entities. The
public input provided in response to
this notice will inform the deliberations
of the Department on the
implementation of Perkins V and the
Department’s consultation and
coordination on activities related to
federally supported youth employment
initiatives with its partners in the
implementation of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (Pub.
L. 113–128), including the U.S.
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Departments of Labor and Health and
Human Services.
In responding to the questions, please
provide information about WBL in the
context of both prior to and during the
pandemic, as applicable.
Key Questions
1. What barriers have you seen in
your State or community to helping 16and 17-year-old students gain a WBL
experience?
2. What WBL programs and strategies
at the State or local level do you
consider successful or can be efficiently
brought to scale, including
apprenticeship opportunities for high
school and college students?
3. What role does the public
elementary and secondary education
system currently play in the
development of career readiness for
youth, and what role should it play?
4. How can we better align resources
and administrative, regulatory, and
statutory requirements to allow for
greater collaboration between educators
and private and nonprofit employers?
5. What do State and local workforce
development boards established by Title
I of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act and their partners need
to do to facilitate better leveraging
Federal workforce dollars targeted at
youth?
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Detailed Questions
I. Successful Practices and Strategies
1. What Federal, State, and local
programs or community collaborative
efforts have led to expanded WBL for
high school age students? What is the
objective evidence of their success (e.g.,
evidence from rigorous evaluations
using, for instance, causal research
designs)?
2. How might technology be leveraged
to overcome geographic barriers to
student participation in WBL in rural
and other communities? Are there
successful examples of virtual WBL?
3. What interventions, strategies, or
practices would need to be included in
a WBL program to increase the
likelihood of its success?
4. What are ways to involve parents,
students, and employers in planning
and implementing WBL to help ensure
that strategies will be successful in
meeting their needs?
II. Public and Private Partnerships
1. Which State, local, nonprofit, and
business partners have been involved in
successful initiatives to expand WBL?
Which partners should be involved in
the future?
2. What role did or what role could
philanthropic organizations play in
supporting these types of initiatives?
3. How were the partnerships
involved in those initiatives structured
(e.g., governance models, provision of
services, shared funding, collaborative
professional development)?
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 232 / Wednesday, December 2, 2020 / Notices
III. Outcomes, Data, and Evaluation
Design
1. What existing data collection
mechanisms can be harnessed to
describe the characteristics of students
and employers participating in WBL
and to track performance outcomes of
students who participate or do not
participate in WBL?
2. What role, if any, do you believe a
State’s longitudinal data system should
or could play in the development,
tracking, and advancement of career
readiness?
3. What do you see as the most
predictive and helpful metrics and
outcomes for success?
4. What are examples of some
frameworks and protocols for sharing
data efficiently across programs while
meeting privacy and confidentiality
requirements? What should be the
specifications for additional frameworks
or protocols for the effective sharing of
information?
5. What are the best examples of
schools and programs using data to
track progress, inform course
corrections, and evaluate program
performance in WBL?
6. Would you consider participating
in a Department-sponsored rigorous
evaluation of an innovative WBL
practice or strategy?
IV. Student Barriers
1. What are the legislative, regulatory,
or other barriers that impede student
participation in WBL? What barriers has
the COVID–19 pandemic created?
2. Are the barriers created at the
Federal, State, or local level?
3. Could the barriers be overcome
through administrative action (i.e.,
without changes to laws or regulations)?
How and in what ways?
4. Would overcoming the barriers
require changes in Federal or State
laws? If so, what are those provisions of
law and how would they need to be
changed?
5. What are examples of schools or
communities that have been successful
in addressing transportation barriers to
student participation in WBL?
6. What are the best assessment tools
to identify, address, and overcome
barriers to career readiness among
students?
7. What strategies have been
successful in expanding WBL
opportunities for students from special
populations, as well as students from
major racial and ethnic groups?
concerns, that impede employer
participation in WBL when hiring high
school students ages 16 to 17? For
students ages 18 to 19, including college
students?
2. Are the barriers created at the
Federal, State, or local level?
3. Could the barriers be overcome
through administrative action (i.e.,
without changes to laws or regulations)?
How and in what ways?
4. Would overcoming the barriers
require changes in Federal or State
laws? If so, what are those provisions of
law and how would they need to be
changed?
5. Are there incentives that would
help employers be more engaged with
WBL in your community?
Accessible Format: On request to the
program contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT,
individuals with disabilities can obtain
this document in an accessible format.
The Department will provide the
requestor with an accessible format that
may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or
text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3
file, braille, large print, audiotape, or
compact disc, or other accessible format.
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Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2324; 20
U.S.C. 3416.
Scott Stump,
Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and
Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2020–26483 Filed 12–1–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
V. Employer Barriers
1. What are the legislative, regulatory,
or other barriers, such as liability
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77459
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings
Take notice that the Commission has
received the following Natural Gas
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings:
Docket Numbers: RP21–244–000.
Applicants: Gulf South Pipeline
Company, LLC.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing:
Amendment to Neg Rate Agmt
(Southern 49811) to be effective 11/24/
2020.
Filed Date: 11/24/20.
Accession Number: 20201124–5006.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/7/20.
Docket Numbers: RP21–246–000.
Applicants: Colorado Interstate Gas
Company, L.L.C.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing: LUF
Quarterly Update to be effective 1/1/
2021.
Filed Date: 11/24/20.
Accession Number: 20201124–5018
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/7/20.
Docket Numbers: RP21–247–000
Applicants: Young Gas Storage
Company, Ltd.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing: Annual
Fuel and L&U Update Filing 2021 to be
effective 1/1/2021.
Filed Date: 11/24/20.
Accession Number: 20201124–5020.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/7/20.
Docket Numbers: RP21–248–000.
Applicants: El Paso Natural Gas
Company, L.L.C.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing: Article
11.2(a) Inflation Adjustment Filing 2021
to be effective 1/1/2021.
Filed Date: 11/24/20.
Accession Number: 20201124–5022.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/7/20.
Docket Numbers: RP21–249–000.
Applicants: Young Gas Storage
Company, Ltd.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing: ATC
Rate Adjustment (2020–2021) to be
effective 12/1/2020.
Filed Date: 11/24/20.
Accession Number: 20201124–5024.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/7/20.
Docket Numbers: RP21–250–000.
Applicants: Kinder Morgan Louisiana
Pipeline LLC.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing:
Modifications to Tariff Filing—Gas
Quality to be effective 1/1/2021.
Filed Date: 11/24/20.
Accession Number: 20201124–5027.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/7/20.
Docket Numbers: RP21–251–000.
Applicants: Kinder Morgan Louisiana
Pipeline LLC.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 232 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77456-77459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26483]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID ED-2020-OCTAE-0176]
Request for Information on Expanding Work-Based Learning
Opportunities for Youth
AGENCY: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is requesting
information on successful approaches for expanding work-based learning
(WBL) opportunities for youth by working across Federal, State, and
local education and employer systems. We will use this information to
inform our implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and
Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).
DATES: We must receive your submission by January 13, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit your response to this request for information (RFI)
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. We will not accept submissions
by postal mail, commercial mail, hand delivery, fax, or email. To
ensure that we do not receive duplicate copies, please submit your
comments only one time.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov to submit
your comments electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov,
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``Help'' tab.
Privacy Note: The Department's policy for comments received from
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viewing in their entirety on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
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in their comments only information that they wish to make publicly
available on the internet. We encourage, but do not require, that each
respondent include his or her name, title, institution or affiliation,
and the name, title, mailing and email addresses, and telephone number
of a contact person for his or her institution or affiliation, if any.
This is a request for information only. This RFI is not a request
for proposals (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP or a notice inviting
applications. This RFI does not commit the Department to contract for
any supply or service whatsoever. Further, we are not seeking proposals
and will not accept unsolicited proposals. The Department will not pay
for any information or administrative costs that you may incur in
responding to this RFI.
The documents and information submitted in response to this RFI
become the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kiawanta Hunter-Keiser, Office of
Career, Technical, and Adult Education, U.S Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 11-119, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington,
DC 20202-7240. Telephone: (202) 245-7724. Email: [email protected].
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: The Department awards approximately $1.3
billion annually for Career and Technical Education (CTE) State formula
grants authorized under Perkins V. Perkins V assists States and
outlying areas in expanding and improving CTE in secondary schools,
technical schools, and community colleges. Each State uses program
funds to support a variety of CTE programs and activities developed in
accordance with its State plan.
The enactment of Perkins V in 2018 highlighted the provision of WBL
\1\ as an important strategy for preparing CTE students for further
learning and careers. For example, the new law amended the definition
of CTE to include WBL as a component (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)); directed
States to identify in their State plans how individuals who are members
of special populations \2\ will be provided instruction and WBL
opportunities in integrated settings that support competitive,
integrated employment (20 U.S.C. 2342(d)(9)(E)); and permitted States
to use State leadership funds to establish and expand WBL opportunities
that are aligned to CTE programs and programs of study (20 U.S.C.
2344(b)(18)), as well as to facilitate the inclusion of WBL
opportunities (including internships, externships, and simulated work
environments) in CTE programs of study (20 U.S.C. 2344(b)(4)(C)).
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\1\ Section 3(55) of Perkins V defines the term ``work-based
learning'' to mean ``sustained interactions with industry or
community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent
practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution
that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required
in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and
instruction.''
\2\ Section 3(48) of Perkins V defines ``special populations''
to mean ``(A) individuals with disabilities; (B) individuals from
economically disadvantaged families, including low-income youth and
adults; (C) individuals preparing for non-traditional fields; (D)
single parents, including single pregnant women; (E) out-of-
workforce individuals; (F) English learners; (G) homeless
individuals described in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a); (H) youth who are in, or have
aged out of, the foster care system; and (I) youth with a parent
who--(i) is a member of the armed forces (as such term is defined in
section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code); and (ii) is on
active duty (as such term is defined in section 101(d)(1) of such
title).''
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At the local level, amendments made by the 2018 law required
eligible recipients to describe in their applications for funds the WBL
opportunities that they will provide to students participating in CTE
programs and how they will work with representatives from employers to
develop or expand WBL opportunities for CTE students (20 U.S.C.
2354(b)(6)). Providing a continuum of WBL opportunities, including
simulated work environments, is also an authorized use of the funds by
local recipients (20 U.S.C. 2355(b)(5)(E)). Importantly, the new law
also included participation in WBL by secondary CTE concentrators as a
new optional indicator of State performance (20 U.S.C.
2323(b)(2)(A)(iv)(I)(cc)). In the State plans submitted during summer
2020, 26 States selected this indicator as one
[[Page 77457]]
of their measures of secondary CTE program quality.\3\
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\3\ Perkins V State Plans approved by the Department can be
found on the Department's website at https://cte.ed.gov/grants/state-plan.
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The greater prominence of WBL in Perkins V and interest in
expanding its availability comes at a time when participation in the
labor market by youth is at a low point. Since 2000, there has been a
precipitous drop in participation in the job market by adolescents ages
16 to 19 of all major races and ethnicities.\4\ The labor force
participation rate measures the percentage of individuals who are
employed or who are seeking employment. During July, at the height of
the summer, the labor force participation rate of 16- to 19-year-old
youth declined from 62.9 percent in 1999 to 40.0 percent in 2020 (Table
1). This deep decline occurred among White youth, Black youth, Hispanic
youth, and Asian youth. Summer job opportunities are particularly
limited for low-income youth. The employment rate measures the
percentage of individuals in the labor force who are employed. In July
2020, the employment rate of youth ages 16 to 19 from families with
annual incomes of $20,000 or less was about half that of their peers
from families with annual incomes of $150,000 or more (Table 2). Youth
participation in the labor market throughout the year also has dropped
significantly since 2000. The annual average rate of labor force
participation among youth ages 16 to 19 fell from 52.0 percent in 1999
to 35.3 percent in 2019, with White youth, Black youth, Hispanic youth,
and Asian youth all experiencing a decline (Table 3).
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\4\ See, for example, Steven F. Hipple, ``Labor force
participation: What has happened since the peak?,'' Monthly Labor
Review, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2016, Retrieved
from https://doi.org/10.21916/mlr.2016.43.
Table 1--Percentage of Youth Ages 16 to 19 Participating in the Labor Force During July
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hispanic
Year All youth, White youth, Black youth, youth, ages 16- Asian youth,
ages 16-19 ages 16-19 ages 16-19 19 ages 16-19
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999............................ 62.9 66.5 49.8 51.5 (*)
2000............................ 61.8 65.6 50.2 51.4 37.2
2001............................ 60.3 64.1 47.3 50.9 39.7
2002............................ 57.5 61.1 42.7 48.9 43.9
2003............................ 53.7 57.0 41.8 43.3 36.2
2004............................ 53.6 57.1 41.8 45.0 33.1
2005............................ 53.0 56.3 41.7 42.9 34.4
2006............................ 53.5 56.9 43.1 44.9 32.6
2007............................ 50.0 53.9 36.3 39.5 30.3
2008............................ 49.6 53.2 37.7 41.5 30.0
2009............................ 46.5 50.1 35.5 42.1 28.2
2010............................ 42.6 46.0 30.8 36.8 31.9
2011............................ 41.6 45.3 28.5 32.6 26.3
2012............................ 43.4 45.9 37.0 37.9 23.0
2013............................ 43.3 45.6 36.3 39.5 27.5
2014............................ 42.3 45.3 32.0 36.2 27.9
2015............................ 41.3 44.1 35.3 35.2 25.3
2016............................ 43.2 46.0 34.4 35.3 24.9
2017............................ 42.5 43.8 37.5 36.7 30.5
2018............................ 43.0 45.4 36.3 37.9 25.1
2019............................ 44.3 47.1 38.8 38.3 25.7
2020............................ 40.0 42.4 35.9 34.2 20.9
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Current Population Survey, not seasonally adjusted, 1999-2020.
Retrieved by searching the BLS Data Finder 1.1 at https://beta.bls.gov/dataQuery/search.
* Data from 1999 on Asian youth ages 16 to 19 are not available.
Table 2--July 2020 Employment Rate of Youth Ages 16 to 19, By Annual
Family Income
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 2020
percentage
Family income employment
rate
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under $20,000........................................... 18.9
$20,000-$39,999......................................... 24.3
$40,000-$59,999......................................... 32.4
$60,000-$74,999......................................... 33.3
$75,000-$99,999......................................... 35.4
$100,000-$149,999....................................... 37.9
+$150,000 and higher.................................... 40.3
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey public use
microdata, July 2020. Retrieved by searching the Census Bureau's MDAT
tool at https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/.
[[Page 77458]]
Table 3--Annual Average Percentage of Youth Ages 16 to 19 Participating in the Labor Force
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hispanic
Year All youth, White youth, Black youth, youth, ages 16- Asian Youth,
Ages 16-19 ages 16-19 ages 16-19 19 ages 16-19
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999............................ 52.0 55.5 38.7 45.5 (*)
2000............................ 52.0 55.5 39.4 46.3 35.8
2001............................ 49.6 53.1 37.6 46.9 32.0
2002............................ 47.4 50.5 36.0 44.0 33.3
2003............................ 44.5 47.7 32.4 37.7 29.6
2004............................ 43.9 47.1 31.4 38.2 28.4
2005............................ 43.7 46.9 32.4 38.6 26.0
2006............................ 43.7 46.7 34.0 38.3 25.1
2007............................ 41.3 44.4 30.3 37.1 24.5
2008............................ 40.2 43.1 29.4 36.9 24.9
2009............................ 37.5 40.6 27.2 34.0 20.8
2010............................ 34.9 37.7 25.5 30.9 22.0
2011............................ 34.1 36.8 24.9 28.3 21.7
2012............................ 34.3 36.9 26.9 30.9 20.1
2013............................ 34.5 36.9 28.0 31.0 21.5
2014............................ 34.0 36.2 27.2 30.3 21.0
2015............................ 34.3 36.4 28.1 30.9 20.6
2016............................ 35.2 37.4 29.0 31.2 21.2
2017............................ 35.2 36.8 30.0 31.9 23.5
2018............................ 35.1 37.2 30.5 32.5 19.6
2019............................ 35.3 37.5 30.1 32.2 21.6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, not seasonally adjusted, 1962-2019.
Retrieved from the BLS Data Finder 1.1 at https://beta.bls.gov/dataQuery/search.
* Data from 1999 on Asian youth ages 16 to 19 are not available.
With the heightened interest in expanding WBL for CTE students
occurring at the same time that participation in work by youth is
waning, the Department is soliciting ideas and information from a broad
array of stakeholders on strategies and approaches to expand WBL
opportunities for primarily high school students ages 16 or 17. These
opportunities may include, but are not limited to, paid internships,
work study, cooperative education, apprenticeships, and pre-
apprenticeships. Input on stabilizing and increasing WBL will also be
critical to mitigate the potential short- and long-term impact of the
pandemic on youth employment.
We are interested in learning about successful approaches to
expanding WBL opportunities for youth from States, Tribes, State and
local educational agencies, community-based and other nonprofit
organizations, employers, industry associations, philanthropic
organizations, faith-based organizations, researchers, and other
interested individuals and entities. The public input provided in
response to this notice will inform the deliberations of the Department
on the implementation of Perkins V and the Department's consultation
and coordination on activities related to federally supported youth
employment initiatives with its partners in the implementation of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Pub. L. 113-128), including
the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.
In responding to the questions, please provide information about
WBL in the context of both prior to and during the pandemic, as
applicable.
Key Questions
1. What barriers have you seen in your State or community to
helping 16-and 17-year-old students gain a WBL experience?
2. What WBL programs and strategies at the State or local level do
you consider successful or can be efficiently brought to scale,
including apprenticeship opportunities for high school and college
students?
3. What role does the public elementary and secondary education
system currently play in the development of career readiness for youth,
and what role should it play?
4. How can we better align resources and administrative,
regulatory, and statutory requirements to allow for greater
collaboration between educators and private and nonprofit employers?
5. What do State and local workforce development boards established
by Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and their
partners need to do to facilitate better leveraging Federal workforce
dollars targeted at youth?
Detailed Questions
I. Successful Practices and Strategies
1. What Federal, State, and local programs or community
collaborative efforts have led to expanded WBL for high school age
students? What is the objective evidence of their success (e.g.,
evidence from rigorous evaluations using, for instance, causal research
designs)?
2. How might technology be leveraged to overcome geographic
barriers to student participation in WBL in rural and other
communities? Are there successful examples of virtual WBL?
3. What interventions, strategies, or practices would need to be
included in a WBL program to increase the likelihood of its success?
4. What are ways to involve parents, students, and employers in
planning and implementing WBL to help ensure that strategies will be
successful in meeting their needs?
II. Public and Private Partnerships
1. Which State, local, nonprofit, and business partners have been
involved in successful initiatives to expand WBL? Which partners should
be involved in the future?
2. What role did or what role could philanthropic organizations
play in supporting these types of initiatives?
3. How were the partnerships involved in those initiatives
structured (e.g., governance models, provision of services, shared
funding, collaborative professional development)?
[[Page 77459]]
III. Outcomes, Data, and Evaluation Design
1. What existing data collection mechanisms can be harnessed to
describe the characteristics of students and employers participating in
WBL and to track performance outcomes of students who participate or do
not participate in WBL?
2. What role, if any, do you believe a State's longitudinal data
system should or could play in the development, tracking, and
advancement of career readiness?
3. What do you see as the most predictive and helpful metrics and
outcomes for success?
4. What are examples of some frameworks and protocols for sharing
data efficiently across programs while meeting privacy and
confidentiality requirements? What should be the specifications for
additional frameworks or protocols for the effective sharing of
information?
5. What are the best examples of schools and programs using data to
track progress, inform course corrections, and evaluate program
performance in WBL?
6. Would you consider participating in a Department-sponsored
rigorous evaluation of an innovative WBL practice or strategy?
IV. Student Barriers
1. What are the legislative, regulatory, or other barriers that
impede student participation in WBL? What barriers has the COVID-19
pandemic created?
2. Are the barriers created at the Federal, State, or local level?
3. Could the barriers be overcome through administrative action
(i.e., without changes to laws or regulations)? How and in what ways?
4. Would overcoming the barriers require changes in Federal or
State laws? If so, what are those provisions of law and how would they
need to be changed?
5. What are examples of schools or communities that have been
successful in addressing transportation barriers to student
participation in WBL?
6. What are the best assessment tools to identify, address, and
overcome barriers to career readiness among students?
7. What strategies have been successful in expanding WBL
opportunities for students from special populations, as well as
students from major racial and ethnic groups?
V. Employer Barriers
1. What are the legislative, regulatory, or other barriers, such as
liability concerns, that impede employer participation in WBL when
hiring high school students ages 16 to 17? For students ages 18 to 19,
including college students?
2. Are the barriers created at the Federal, State, or local level?
3. Could the barriers be overcome through administrative action
(i.e., without changes to laws or regulations)? How and in what ways?
4. Would overcoming the barriers require changes in Federal or
State laws? If so, what are those provisions of law and how would they
need to be changed?
5. Are there incentives that would help employers be more engaged
with WBL in your community?
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file,
braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible
format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 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.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2324; 20 U.S.C. 3416.
Scott Stump,
Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2020-26483 Filed 12-1-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
