Employment and Training Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Through this notice, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $240 million in funds for an H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants program. This grant program is designed to provide education, training, and job placement assistance in the occupations and industries for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers, and the related activities necessary to support such training. H-1B technical skills training grants are financed by a user fee paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. This technical skills training program was authorized under Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (29 U.S.C. 2916a). Grant awards will be made only to the extent that funds are available. The Department will make awards to two types of training grants: those that provide On-the-Job Training (OJT) to all participants and those that use other training strategies. Of the awards granted through this Solicitation, at least $150 million will be awarded to grantees that provide OJT to all participants. Between the two types of grants awarded (OJT and other training strategies), DOL intends to fund at least $45 million to applicants proposing to provide training for occupations in the health care industry and at least $60 million to applicants that serve long-term unemployed individuals. While this Solicitation is open, DOL anticipates that additional funding will accrue for this grant program. Such additional funding may be made available for awards during the second round of funding, depending on the quality of applications received. The Department expects to award approximately 75-100 grants ranging from $1 million to $5 million with up to a 48-month period of performance. The Department will award grants to a partnership of private and public sector entities as defined in ACWIA. This partnership must include at least two entities from among the following groups: (1) Businesses or business-related nonprofit organizations, such as trade associations; (2) education and training providers, including community colleges and other community-based organizations; and (3) entities involved in administering the workforce investment system established under Title I of the WIA, and economic development agencies. The complete SGA is available in detail on ETA's Web site at http:/ /www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm or on https://www.grants.gov. The Web sites provide application information, eligibility requirements, review and selection procedures and other program requirements governing this solicitation.

The Employment and Training Administration is issuing this notice to announce the receipt of a ``Certification of Non-Relocation and Market and Capacity Information Report'' (Form 4279-2) for the following: Applicant/Location: Elm City Food Cooperative, Inc./New Haven, Connecticut. Principal Product/Purpose: The loan, guarantee, or grant application is to finance build-out, equipment and start-up costs of a cooperative based full-service retail grocery store that will carry mostly natural and organic foods. The co-op will source the food from approximately 150 local and regional farmers and 50 local and regional food processors. The grocery store is to be located in New Haven, Connecticut. The NAICS industry code for this enterprise is: 445110 (supermarket and other grocery (except convenience) stores).

This Notice announces specific instructions employers must follow when notifying the Department of Labor's (Department) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) that an H-2A worker certified on an Application for Temporary Employment Certification or a worker in corresponding employment has voluntarily abandoned employment, or was terminated for cause before the end of the work contract period.

This notice announces a change in benefit period eligibility under the EB program for Michigan. The following changes have occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding the State's EB status: Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 10, 2011, Michigan no longer meets the 110% criteria to remain ``on'' in the EB program. As a result, the payable period for Michigan in the EB program will conclude April 2, 2011. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the EB program can be found at: https://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp.

Announcement regarding Pennsylvania's triggering ``off'' Tier Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). Public Law 111-312 extended provisions in Public Law 111-92 which amended prior laws to create a Third and Fourth Tier of benefits within the EUC08 program for qualified unemployed workers claiming benefits in high unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for EUC08 benefits within Tiers Three and Four and provides the beginning and ending dates of payable periods for each qualifying state. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the EUC08 program can be found at: https:// ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claimsarch.asp. Based on data published March 10, 2011, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following trigger change has occurred for Pennsylvania in the EUC08 program: The seasonally-adjusted total unemployment rate for the 3- month period ending January 2011 for Pennsylvania fell below the 8.5% threshold to remain ``on'' Tier Four of the EUC08 program. As a result, the payable period for Pennsylvania in Tier Four of the EUC08 program will conclude April 2, 2011, and the maximum potential entitlement of 47 weeks will decrease to a maximum potential entitlement of 34 weeks in the EUC08 program.

Pursuant to section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463; 5 U.S.C. App. 2), notice is hereby given to announce an open meeting of the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA) being held on May 16-17, 2011, in Washington, DC. The ACA, an advisory board to the Secretary of Labor, is a discretionary Committee established by the Secretary of Labor, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended 5 U.S.C., App. 2, and it's implementing regulations (41 CFR parts 101-6 and 102-3). All meetings of the ACA are open to the public. Time and Date: The meeting will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, May 16, 2011, and continue until approximately 5 p.m. The meeting will reconvene on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and adjourn at approximately 5 p.m.