Sec. 4. Grant program

1,333 words·~6 min read·/bill/116/hr/8391/ih/section-4·

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Commerce may award grants to eligible applicants to— implement novel methods to improve pre-apprenticeship programs or apprenticeship programs available to incarcerated individuals in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities; improve existing pre-apprenticeship programs and apprenticeship programs available to incarcerated individuals in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities; pilot novel approaches to provide apprenticeship training for justice-connected individuals that matches labor force needs; encourage employer participation in programs under the national apprenticeship system that target individuals incarcerated or recently incarcerated, which may include— providing financial assistance to employers to support costs related to the program, such as training incumbent workers as mentors or employees supervising the on-the-job learning; or supporting the cost of related instruction or wages for program participants during related instruction; provide technical assistance to pre-apprentices and apprentices to help navigate and obtain supportive services, including childcare, transportation, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, assistance in obtaining health insurance coverage, and assistance in accessing the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 ( 42 U.S.C. 1786 ), and housing; and build and strengthen partnerships among community-based organizations, public entities, and registered apprenticeships to smooth transition between pre-apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeship programs, and to smooth transition during and post-release.

A grant awarded under this section— shall be for a period of not more than 3 years; and may be extended for not more than 1 additional 2-year period, if the grant recipient demonstrates to the Secretary that the recipient— has effectively implemented or improved apprenticeship programs; and has improved outcomes for, as applicable, apprentices and pre-apprentices, as demonstrated through levels on indicators defined in performance indicators under section 116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A) ).

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section for a project involving an apprenticeship program, an eligible applicant shall submit an application to the Secretary, containing such information as the Secretary may require, including, at a minimum— a designation of the member of the eligible applicant that will be the lead applicant, and the member of such consortium that will be the fiscal agent, for the eligible applicant; a description of each member of the eligible applicant and the role of each member in carrying out the project, which shall, at a minimum, describe the eligible applicant’s— plan to assist the program participants in obtaining the documentation and work authorization necessary to participate in such program; partnerships with organizations that will assist program participants in accessing activities to improve financial literacy and supportive services; plan for how the assessments used to support the placement of potential program participants into a program accurately reflect the participants’ skills and competencies; plan to provide information about resources to program participants to address mental health or substance abuse issues; partnerships with organizations that support— the transition from incarceration to re-entry, such as assistance with housing, transportation, and legal services; and successful completion of an apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship program; wages and benefits offered to program participants that are commensurate with wages for similar work in the State or local area, as allowable; alignment and necessary supports to comply with and receive the benefits of the Federal Bonding Program and the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program for employers participating in apprenticeship programs; and ability to support, including by providing technical assistance, small- and medium-sized businesses in the creation of and execution of covered apprenticeship programs; a description of the budget for the project, the source, amount, and use of the matching funds required under subsection (d), and how the eligible applicant will continue the project after the grant period ends, if applicable; a description of— how the eligible applicant will use the grant funds, including a description of the activities that the eligible applicant will carry out; how the project or the program involved in the project will be aligned with the labor market needs of in-demand industry sectors or occupations; and how such funds will directly benefit apprentices or pre-apprentices, as applicable, served by the eligible applicant; a description of how the project carried out under the grant will be coordinated with the activities carried out as required for the covered apprenticeship program involved; a description of how the eligible applicant for the project will comply with requirements for an evaluation and report; a description of how the activities assisted under the grant will be coordinated with activities carried out under the Carl D.

Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 ( 20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), or the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), as applicable; a description of how the eligible applicant will equitably recruit and retain participants from nontraditional apprenticeship populations, including populations that include individuals with barriers to employment such as justice-impacted communities for covered apprenticeship programs; and an assurance that the eligible applicant will— provide information to the Secretary, as requested, for such evaluations as the Secretary may carry out; and make program performance outcome data available (in accordance with applicable data privacy laws, including section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1232g )) to independent evaluators for validation and to enable the evaluators to prepare the evaluations and reports.

In order to receive a grant from the Secretary under this section, each eligible entity shall provide a non-Federal contribution, including cash and in-kind donations, in an amount not less than 25 percent of the total funds awarded. An eligible entity may not use more than 10 percent of the funds received under a grant for administrative costs. The Secretary may use not more than 10 percent of the amount appropriated for this section for each fiscal year for administrative expenses to carry out this Act, including the expenses of providing the technical assistance and oversight activities under subsection (g).

The Secretary shall provide technical assistance and oversight to assist the eligible entities in applying for and administering grants awarded under this Act. Each recipient of a grant under this section shall— annually provide for an independent evaluation of the project carried out under such grant; provide for the independent evaluator to prepare an annual report, based on the evaluation, that includes— a description of how the funds received through the grant were used and how the uses of funds aligned with the description in the application; and information on— for a project involving an existing covered apprenticeship program, the performance of the grant recipient with respect to, at a minimum, the indicators of performance under section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with the performance data disaggregated by— the program type (apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship program) assisted under the grant; and race, ethnicity, sex, age, and membership in a population specified in section 3(24) of that Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3102(24) ); and for a grant involving a new apprenticeship program, the performance of the grant recipient— for reports submitted during the first 36 months after the project involved begins— that consists of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of program development, including participant engagement and recruitment of partners, employers, and potential covered apprentices; and on the indicators of performance described in subclause (I), as such performance information becomes available; and for reports submitted later than that first 36 months, the performance of the grant recipient with respect to, at a minimum, the indicators described in subclause (I), with the performance data disaggregated as described in subclause (I); and submit the report— for a grant that relates to an apprenticeship program, to the registration agency through which the program is registered; and for a grant that relates to a pre-apprenticeship program, to the State apprenticeship agency.

Connectionstraces to 8

Traces to 8 documents

U.S. Code

Citation graph

cites case law

Sec. 4

Grant program

Cites 8Cited by 0 across 0 sources