Sec. 157. Workforce and youth innovation and best practices grants
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The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is further amended by inserting after section 171 the following new sections: It is the purpose of this section to— promote the development of comprehensive workforce investment systems at the State, regional, and local levels that reflect the alignment of strategies and activities across the core programs and, where appropriate, across other workforce development, education, economic development, and human services programs, to provide effective, high quality, and client-centered services to job seekers and workers, youth, and employers; promote innovation and to improve, replicate, and expand models and service delivery strategies of demonstrated effectiveness in meeting the education, training, and employment needs of job seekers and workers, and youth, including such individuals with barriers to employment, and employers; and establish and improve programs for youth that provide access to career pathways that include the attainment of a recognized postsecondary credential or employment that leads to economic self-sufficiency.
From amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, in accordance with section 176, shall— for the first program year that begins after the date of enactment of the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 , award transition grants in accordance with section 175; and with funds not awarded for transition grants under paragraph
(1)for the first program years that begins after the date of enactment of the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 , and for subsequent years, award workforce innovation and best practices grants to eligible entities in accordance with subsection (c). From funds described in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall award workforce innovation and replication grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities in accordance with paragraph
(2)to be used for the purposes set forth in subsection (a). To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a State partnership or regional entity shall meet the requirements of this paragraph, submit an application in accordance with subsection (e), and be in partnership with one or more of the following: A nonprofit organization with relevant expertise, including a community-based organization. An institution of higher education, including a community college. A joint labor-management partnership. For a State partnership to be eligible for funding under this subsection, a Governor of a State shall— submit the application in partnership with the State board and with 1 or more regional entities in the State described in subparagraph (C); and demonstrate that the State has— aligned the core programs; made significant progress towards aligning the core programs with other workforce investment programs; and achieved the alignments described in subclauses
(I)and
(II)consistent with the State plan. To be identified as a regional entity and to be eligible for funding under this subsection, a local board for a local area that is aligned with a region, or all of the local boards for local areas that comprise a planning region under section 116(c), shall demonstrate that— the application has been developed in consultation with the State and is not duplicative of other applications under this subsection submitted by a State partnership; and the local board, or all of the local boards for the planning region, has— worked with the core programs to achieve alignment of such programs in the region; made significant progress towards aligning the core programs with other workforce investment programs in the region; and achieved the alignments described in subclauses
(I)and
(II)consistent with the State plan. From amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall award eligible entities one or more of the following: The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education may award a planning grant under this section, not to exceed a total of $250,000 for a 1-year period, to an eligible entity that— is preparing to establish an innovative workforce investment project; and has not received a grant under this section. The Secretaries may award an innovation grant under this section, not to exceed a total of $3,000,000 for a 2-year period to an eligible entity that— has already received a planning grant under this section; or has already established an innovative workforce investment project. The Secretaries may award a sustainability grant, not to exceed a total of $2,000,000 for a 2-year period or $5,000,000 for a 5-year period, to an eligible entity that— has established an innovative workforce investment project that has demonstrated measurable improvements as measured by the performance measures set forth in section 136; and seeks to expand or replicate that project on the State, local, or regional level. The Federal share for the grants described in paragraph
(1)shall be— for a planning grant described in paragraph (1)(A), 100 percent; for an innovation grant described in paragraph (1)(B)— 90 percent of the costs of the activities carried out under the grant, in the first year of the grant; 80 percent of such costs in the second year of the grant; and 70 percent of such costs in the third year of the grant; and for a sustainability grant described in paragraph (1)(C)— for an eligible entity that receives a 2-year grant— not more than 50 percent of the costs of the activities carried out under the grant, in the first year of the grant; and not more than 30 percent of such costs in the second year of the grant; and for an eligible entity that receives a 5-year grant— not more than 70 percent of the costs of the activities carried out under the grant, in the first year of the grant; not more than 60 percent of such costs in the second year of the grant; not more than 50 percent of such costs in the third year of the grant; not more than 40 percent of such costs in the fourth year of the grant; and not more than 30 percent of such costs in the fifth year of the grant. The non-Federal share of an innovation or sustainability grant under this section may be in cash or in-kind, and may come from State, local, philanthropic, private, or other resources. The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education may waive or reduce the matching share of an eligible entity that has submitted an application under this subsection if such entity demonstrates a need for such waiver or reduction due to financial hardship as defined by the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education. Each eligible entity that is a State consortia or partnership receiving a grant under this subsection shall designate an entity in the partnership as the fiscal agent for purposes of this grant. Federal funds awarded under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant non-Federal resources that would be used to support activities carried out as part of the innovative workforce investment project. Grants awarded under paragraph (1)(A) shall be made for a period of not longer than 1 year. Grants awarded under paragraph (1)(B) shall be made for a period of no longer than 3 years. Grants awarded under paragraph (1)(C) shall be made for a period of no longer than 5 years. An eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education may require. An application submitted under this paragraph may include the following: A description of the eligible entity, evidence of the eligible entity’s capacity to carry out activities in support of the strategic objectives identified in the application under paragraph (4), and, if the eligible entity is a partnership, a description of the expected participation and responsibilities of each of the partners. A description of the industry or targeted industry cluster that will be served through the project, including a description of how the skilled workforce needs of small- and medium-sized employers connected with that industry or industries will be addressed. A description of the target worker populations to be served through the project, including a description of target worker populations with significant barriers to employment and a description of strategies that will be used to help overcome such barriers. A description of the strategic objectives that the eligible entity seeks to achieve through the funded project for— implementing career pathways strategies, which may include— providing clear linkages between remedial, academic and occupational programs within educational institutions, and articulation of credits across institutions; designing curricula in terms of competencies required for education and career advancement, and, where possible, tied to industry skill standards, certifications or licensing requirements including those developed by industry or sector partnerships; offering programs at times and places (including workplaces) convenient for working adults and structured in small modules or chunks , each leading to recognized credential; allowing flexibility to enter and exit education as participants’ circumstances permit; providing support services, including career assessment and counseling, case management, child care, transportation, financial aid and job placement; creating bridge programs for educationally disadvantaged youths and adults that teach basic skills such as office communication, math and problem solving in the context of training for advancement to better jobs and postsecondary training; and aligning both public and private funding sources, such as the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, Workforce Investment Act, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, State and Federal financial aid, and employer tuition reimbursement; implementing industry or sector partnerships, which may include— recruiting key stakeholders in the targeted industry cluster, such as multiple businesses and employers, labor organizations, local boards, and education and training providers, and regularly convening the stakeholders in a collaborative structure that supports the sharing of information, ideas, and challenges common to the targeted industry cluster; identifying the training needs of multiple businesses, especially skill gaps critical to competitiveness and innovation in the targeted industry cluster; facilitating economies of scale by aggregating training and education needs of multiple employers; helping postsecondary educational institutions, training institutions, apprenticeship programs, area career and technical education centers, and all other training programs authorized under this Act, align curricula, entrance requirements and programs to industry demand and nationally portable, recognized postsecondary credentials (or, if not available for the targeted industry, other credentials, as determined appropriate by the Secretary), particularly for higher skill, high-priority occupations validated by the industry; ensuring that the State agency carrying out the State program under the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.), including staff of the agency that provide services under such Act, shall inform recipients of unemployment insurance of the job and training opportunities that may result from the implementation of this grant; informing and collaborating with organizations such as youth councils, business-education partnerships, apprenticeship programs, secondary schools, and postsecondary educational institutions, and with parents and career counselors, for the purpose of addressing the challenges of connecting disadvantaged adults and disadvantaged youth as defined in section in this Act to careers; helping companies identify, and work together to address, common organizational and human resource challenges, such as— recruiting new workers; implementing effective workplace practices; retraining dislocated and incumbent workers; implementing a high-performance work organization; recruiting and retaining women in nontraditional occupation; adopting new technologies; and fostering experiential and contextualized on-the-job learning; developing and strengthening career ladders within and across companies, in order to enable dislocated, incumbent and entry-level workers to improve skills and advance to higher-wage jobs; improving job quality through improving wages, benefits, and working conditions; helping partner companies, industry or sector partnerships to attract potential employees from a diverse job seeker base, including individuals with barriers to employment (such as job seekers who are low income, youth, older workers, and individuals who have completed a term of imprisonment), by identifying such barriers through analysis of the existing labor market and implementing strategies to help such workers overcome such barriers; and strengthening connections among businesses in the targeted industry cluster, leading to cooperation beyond workforce issues that will improve competitiveness and job quality, such as joint purchasing, market research, or centers for technology and innovation; and implementing credential attainment and measurement strategies, which may include— establishing a cross agency committee (such as the State workforce investment board, a legislative task force, a P–20 Council, or some other agreed upon group) that is specifically focused on low and middle skill education and training outcomes to measure credential attainment through the State’s workforce investment and training programs, by— tracking, counting, measuring and public reporting credential attainment rates for all programs providing education and training beyond a high school diploma but less than a 4-year degree; measuring the result of workforce training programs leading to an recognized postsecondary credential, certificate of degree; establishing statewide policies, goals, and guidelines for the collection of credential outcome data for all employment and training programs and related programs and services within the State; engaging other related departments and agencies that may have data or are involved in activities related to workforce development and job training; establishing standards and data collection infrastructure to assess the number of industry-recognized middle skill credentials or certificates produced through Federal or State programs, and their relation to labor market needs; setting credential attainment goals in high demand industry sector then monitor and measure progress over time; and providing an annual assessment and report to the Governor and Legislature about the type of credential outcomes produced by programs and provide recommendations to better align efforts across agencies to meet employer demand; ensuring the collection of credential outcome data from a range of public workforce and education programs to ensure State agencies and programs are increasing the number of workers with the skills and credentials needed to fill the projected demand for middle and high skilled jobs; using the data in order to assess workforce system outcomes, establish credential attainment goals, measure progress, and hold agencies accountable to increase the skills of the workforce; and developing a comprehensive workforce system report that provides individual agency outcomes and statewide representation of the credential attainment outcomes of the State’s workforce investment system. A description of a pay-for-performance approach for providers of education, training, and employment services to individuals with barriers to employment, including services targeted to addressing the specific challenges and conditions that have created barriers for participants in programs under this Act. The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall award competitive grants under this section in a manner to ensure geographic diversity. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretaries shall give priority to eligible entities that— provide evidence of past or current investments in workforce innovation projects that incorporate one or more of the priority strategies; focus on addressing the skill needs of multiple employers, including small- and medium-sized businesses; or target services to low-income individuals, low-skill individuals, long-term unemployed, and other populations with barriers to employment. An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall carry out the activities necessary to meet the strategic objectives, including planning activities if applicable, described in the entity’s application in a manner that— integrates services and funding sources in a way that enhances the effectiveness of the activities; and uses grant funds awarded under this section efficiently. An eligible entity may retain a portion of a grant awarded under this section for a fiscal year to carry out the administration of this section in an amount not to exceed 5 percent of the grant amount. Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant under this section, and annually thereafter during the grant period, an eligible entity shall report to the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, and to the Governor of the State that the eligible entity serves, on the spending and activities funded pursuant to a grant under this section, including an evaluation of the progress the eligible entity has made toward the strategic objectives identified in the application and measure the progress using the performance accountability measures identified in the application. The Secretary shall transmit such reports to the Congress and make such reports available to the public. The Secretaries may jointly retain a total of not more than 3 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this section for each fiscal year to administer this section, including technical assistance and evaluation activities. The Secretaries shall provide technical assistance and oversight to assist the eligible entities in applying for and administering grants awarded under this section, including technical assistance and through the collection and dissemination of information on best practices. The Secretaries shall issue a range of performance measures, with quantifiable benchmarks, and methodologies that eligible entities may use to evaluate the effectiveness of each type of activity in making progress toward the strategic objectives described in the application. Such measures shall consider the benefits of the innovative workforce development projects and its activities for workers, firms, industries, and communities. The Secretaries shall— coordinate the annual review of each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section and produce an overview report that, at a minimum, includes each funded project and best practices identified; make resource materials, including all reports published and all data collected under this section, available on the Internet; and conduct conferences and seminars to— disseminate information on best practices developed by eligible entities receiving a grant under this section; and provide information to interested stakeholders. Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 and on an annual basis thereafter, the Secretaries shall transmit a report to Congress on the grant program established by this section. The report shall include a description of— the eligible entities receiving funding; the spending and activities carried out by the eligible entities; how the eligible entities were selected to receive funding under this section; and an assessment of the results achieved by the grant program including findings from the annual reviews conducted under subsection (i). The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, shall— for the first program year that begins after the date of enactment of the Workforce Investment Act of 2012, award transition grants in accordance with section 176; and with funds not awarded for transition grants under paragraph
(1)for the first program year that begins after the date of enactment of the Workforce Investment Act of 2012, and with the funds reserved for each program year thereafter, award youth innovation and replication grants to eligible entities described in subsection
(c)for the purposes described in subsection (b). From funds appropriated pursuant to section 174, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall award youth innovation and replication grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities described in subsection (c). The grants awarded under this section shall be used to support the demonstration of innovative new strategies and activities, or the replication and expansion of effective evidence-based strategies and activities that are designed to substantially improve education and employment outcomes for eligible youth, including preparation for post secondary education and training and for careers. Such strategies and activities shall include— establishing career pathways in in-demand industry sectors and occupations for eligible youth, in collaboration with other Federal, State, and local programs, and public and private entities; developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy, for an area of high poverty, that provides education and training programs, resources, and other activities that prepare youth for postsecondary education and training and for employment that leads to economic self-sufficiency; developing and implementing strategies and activities that provide opportunities for youth with disabilities to receive education, training, and employment services that lead to a recognized postsecondary credential or integrated, competitive employment, including through incorporating elements of the individualized education program and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act; developing and implementing evidence-based strategies and activities, such as— education offered concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster; career academies; dropout prevention and recovery strategies; paid or unpaid work experience, including summer employment opportunities and employment opportunities available throughout the school year, combined with academic learning leading to a recognized postsecondary credential; innovative programs for youth facing multiple barriers to employment that arrange for the provision of or provide supportive services combined with education, training, including preparation for postsecondary education and training, or employment activities; or to include youth service and conservation corps programs in which a project undertaken is credited as qualifying experience for higher education, job training, or careers in public service; or other evidence-based strategies or activities designed to improve the education and employment outcomes for youth. An entity eligible to receive a grant under this section shall include— the Governor of a State in coordination with the State board and with a local board for a local area that is aligned with a region, or with all boards for local areas that comprise a planning region, under section 116(c); or a local board for a local area that is aligned with a region, or all local boards for local areas that comprise a planning region, under section 116(c), in consultation with the standing committee on youth associated with the local board; and one or more of the following: A State education agency. A local education agency. A nonprofit organization with expertise serving eligible youth, including a community-based organization, youth corps, or an intermediary. An institution of higher education, including a community college and an area career and technical education center. A joint labor-management partnership. To receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education at such time, in such manner, and containing such information, consistent with this paragraph, as the Secretaries may require. Each such application shall describe the innovation and replication strategies and activities that the eligible entity will carry out to strengthen the workforce investment system in the State or region in order to substantially improve education and employment outcomes for youth, such as youth with disabilities, served by such system, and may include— a description of the region in the State or the State, as applicable, that will be the focus of grant activities, including analyses of economic conditions, skill needs, the workforce, and the workforce development services (including the strengths and weaknesses of such services and the capacity to provide such services) that are relevant to the proposed strategies and activities that would be carried out under the grant; a description of the youth populations to be served, including individuals with barriers to employment who are youth, and the skill needs of those populations; a description of the promising strategies and activities the eligible entity is proposing to demonstrate, or the evidence-based strategies and activities that the eligible entity is proposing to expand or replicate; a description of how the eligible entity will meaningfully involve youth in the design and implementation of the proposed strategies and activities; a description of how, in carrying out such strategies and activities, the eligible entity will— collaborate to leverage resources among strategic partners to achieve the purposes of the grant, and to provide the matching share described in subsection (d)(2); and ensure the sustainability of the programs and activities supported by the grant after grant funds are no longer available; a description of how the strategies and activities will be aligned with the State plan and the local plans in the region of the State that will be the focus of grant activities; a description of the outcomes, including outcomes for the performance accountability measures based on indicators of performance described in section 136(b)(2)(A)(ii), to be achieved by the proposed strategies and activities; and a description of how the eligible entity will— use technology; collect data; made data publicly available; and use technology and date to improve program delivery, activities, and administration. The amount of the share of the funds provided under this section shall be not greater than 50 percent of the cost of the programs and activities that are carried out under the grant. The amount of the matching share under this subsection for a program year may not be less than 50 percent of the costs of the programs and activities that are carried out under the grant. The matching share may be in cash or in kind (fairly evaluated). Not more than 50 percent of the matching share required under this subsection may be provided from Federal resources, of which not less than 50 percent shall be provided from Federal resources from the partner programs identified in the application other than resources provided under the core programs. Non-Federal sources for the matching share may include State resources, local resources, contributions from private organizations, or a combination of such resources and contributions. The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education may waive or reduce the matching share of an eligible entity that has submitted an application under this subsection if such entity demonstrates a need for such waiver or reduction due to extreme financial hardship as defined by the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education. The Federal and matching share required by this subsection shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal and State funds used to carry out activities described in this subsection. Grants awarded under this subsection shall be awarded for periods of not more than 3 years in duration and may not be renewed. The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education are authorized to establish appropriate reporting requirements for grantees under this subsection. For each program year for which funds are available to carry out this section, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education may reserve a total of not more than 3 percent of the amount available to carry out this subsection to provide technical assistance to applicants and grantees under this subsection and to evaluate projects carried out under this subsection. The Secretaries shall ensure that the results of the evaluations are publicly available, including through electronic means. .
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Sec. 157
Workforce and youth innovation and best practices grants
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