1. Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Prospective Applicant Webinar March 4, 2011

2. 2 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Welcome to the Pre Recorded Webinar Play/Pause Forward & Back Skip Ahead Volume Control Attachments Table of Contents On/Off Outline Tab Thumb Tab Notes Tab Search Tab

3. 3 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Presenters Presenters:  Linda Forman, Grants Management Specialist, Employment and Training Administration  Steve Rietzke, Workforce Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment  Megan Baird, Workforce Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment

4. 4 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Tips and Resources for Viewing this Webinar  Have a copy of the Career Pathways Innovation Fund SGA when viewing the Webinar  Applying for ETA Competitive Grants: A Web-Based Toolkit for Prospective Applicants –http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkithttp://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit

5. 5 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) I. Funding Opportunity Description

6. 6 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Funding Opportunity Description Overview and Goals Grants awarded under this Solicitation will: 1)Increase the number of individuals who earn credentials; 2)Lead to employment for program participants; 3)Ease academic and employment transitions, through articulation agreements and other activities; 4)Establish multiple entry and exit points; and 5)Create systemic change

7. 7 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Funding Opportunity Description (Con’t) Use evidence in the design of program strategies Expand the body of research on career pathways Ensure that “deliverables” are available to the public; curricula, course materials, teacher guides, and other products

8. 8 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Critical Elements  Required Types of Career Pathway Programs 1) Pre-college “bridge” programs Entry to postsecondary education and training Accelerate or contextualize and integrate adult basic education with occupational skills training Result in credit-bearing certificates and degrees Access to academic advising and on-going education 2) Postsecondary education for skills upgrades that lead to industry-recognized credentials Occupational certificates, Registered Apprenticeships, Associate Degrees, and Bachelors Degree programs Comprehensive academic advising and support services

9. 9 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Five Required Critical Elements (Con’t) 1)Evidence-Based Program Development and Implementation Strategies 2)Assessments and Services to Support Students in Completing Training and Transitioning from One Step of a Career Pathway to the Next 3)Substantive Involvement of Employers in the Development and Implementation of Career Pathway Programs

10. 10 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Five Required Critical Elements (Con’t) 4)Strong Partnerships between Eligible Institutions, Employers and Industry Organizations, and Other Relevant Organizations/Stakeholders within the Community 5)Effective Mechanisms for Implementing Systemic Changes that Last Beyond the Grant Period

11. 11 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Industry and Occupational Focus DOL intends to fund projects that: Increase the number of individuals who earn credentials that enable them to compete for employment in in-demand and emerging industries and occupations, and Lead to employment for program participants in such industries and occupations. At least $65 million will be reserved for health care sector projects

12. 12 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Proposed Activities Applicants may only propose activities that directly support: 1)development, enhancement, and implementation of career pathway programs; and, 2)the provision of education and training to workers in those career pathway programs.

13. 13 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Allowable Activities (Con’t)  Developing and/or delivering new curricula  Leasing space that is used for education and training and related activities  Developing and implementing articulation agreements with universities and other educational partners  Accrediting employer- and/or industry-recognized credentials  Designing contextualized learning, distance learning, and internship programs  Incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills into education/training activities  Designing interim and stackable credentials to accelerate and increase credential attainment

14. 14 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Allowable Activities (Con’t)  Performing initial assessments of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, competencies, and supportive service needs;  Performing prior learning assessments that result in college credit;  Providing case management services;  Providing supportive services or payments for supportive services that enable individuals to participate in education and training activities (see Section IV.E.8 for specific requirements related to supportive services);  Providing basic skills training, such as adult basic education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and job readiness training.  Providing classroom occupational training;  Providing on-the-job training activities that lead to permanent employment (see Section IV.E.7 for specific requirements related to on-the-job training);  Developing and implementing Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, or collaboration with existing programs;  Providing contextualized learning;  Providing distance learning;  Developing and operating internship programs (see Section IV.E.6 for specific requirements related to internship programs);  Providing customized training for particular employers or groups of employers, as defined in WIA section 663.715…

15. 15 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Allowable Activities (Con’t) Allowable costs related to activities include but are not limited to: Costs of faculty/instructors, including salaries and fringe benefits In-house training staff; Support staff such as lab or teaching assistants; Costs of staff providing assessment, case management, placement, and other services; Classroom space; and books, materials, and supplies used in the training course, including specialized equipment.

16. 16 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Characteristics of Training Activities All projects must incorporate training activities that:  Address skills and competencies demanded by the targeted industries and occupations  Support participants’ advancement on an articulated career ladder and/or career lattice, or other defined career pathway  Result in industry-recognized credentials  Take place at times and locations that are convenient and easily accessible

17. 17 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) II. Award Information

18. 18 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Award Information Award Amount:  Approximately $122 million in grant funds, with 40 to 50 grant awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million  At least $65 million of the total reserved for Healthcare-focused projects  Applicants that submit evaluation plan may request additional funding to conduct evaluation  If additional funds become available, ETA reserves the right to select additional grantees from applications submitted through SGA

19. 19 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Maximum Amount of Supplementary Evaluation Funding  For applicants proposing a random assignment evaluation, supplementary funding cannot exceed 20% of the amount requested in the primary Cost Proposal  For applicants proposing an evaluation using a study methodology other than random assignment, supplementary funding may not exceed 10% of the amount requested in the primary Cost Proposal  Additional Request reviewed separately

20. 20 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Period of Performance DOL expects:  To make awards by June 30, 2011  The grant start date will be July 1, 2011  Participants to begin training and education activities no later than January, 2012  The Period of Performance will be up to 36 months  Evaluation Plan Awardees will have an additional year, solely for activities related to evaluation

21. 21 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) III. Eligibility

22. 22 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Eligible Applicants 1)Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB)  must partner with one or more community or technical college(s) where education/training activities will occur under the grant; 2)Community or Technical Colleges; 3)Community College Districts; and 4)State Community College System * Applicants must specify their applicant types in the Abstract, as described in Section IV.B Part III.1 of the SGA.

23. 23 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Required Partners and their Roles Eligible lead applicants must submit an application on behalf of a partnership that includes at least one organization from each of the following partner categories: 1.the public workforce system 2.community or technical colleges; and 3.public and/or private employers

24. 24 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Other Eligibility Criteria  Eligible institutions may submit only one application in response to this SGA as the lead applicant –Applicants that submit more than one application as the lead applicant will be found non-responsive and none of their applications will be reviewed  Eligible institutions may submit an application as a lead applicant, and also serve as a partner in applications in which they are not designated the lead applicant

25. 25 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Eligible Participants  Applicants must propose projects that serve only individuals who are at least 17 years of age and fall within one of the following categories: –Unemployed workers, and –Incumbent workers  In-school high school students and other students enrolled in secondary education programs are not eligible participants under this SGA.

26. 26 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Other Grant Specifications and Cost Sharing  Transparency –The Department is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes –Applicants are advised their application and information related to its review and evaluation may be made publicly available, either fully or partially  Cost sharing or matching funds are not required but leveraging other resources is strongly encouraged

27. 27 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) IV. Application and Submission Information

28. 28 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Content and Form of Application Submission Applications must include the following documents or the application will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed:  The Standard Form 424  The Standard Form 424A  Data Universal Numbering System (D–U–N–S®) Number  Central Contractor Registry (CCR) registration  Budget Narrative  Technical Proposal  Abstract  Organizational Chart  Graphic Display of the Proposed Career Pathway(s)  Letter from the Chair of the LWIB (if applicable)  One letter of commitment that is co-signed by all required partners and other partners, as appropriate  Applicants that choose to propose a program evaluation component must submit the supplementary materials described in the SGA

29. 29 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Content and Form of Application Submission (con’t)  Submit grant award request within the appropriate funding range(s)  Applicant, or its community or technical college partner, must have active accreditation status as of the closing date of this SGA  U.S. Department of Education Web site: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/  Eligible institutions may submit only one application as the lead applicant; however, eligible institutions may submit an application as a lead applicant, and serve as a partner in applications in which they are not designated the lead applicant Applications must meet the following conditions or the application will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed:

30. 30 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Application and Submission Information  Part I – Cost Proposal –SF 424 (Application for Federal Assistance) – DUNS Number – CCR Registration – SF 424A (Budget Information Form) – Budget narrative Applicants that choose to respond to the bonus-point portion of the competition and choose to request specific funding for the evaluation component must also include a Supplementary Cost Proposal (as described in Section V.B.1.b), which is separate and apart from the main Cost Proposal, and includes all costs related to the evaluation.

31. 31 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Application and Submission Information (Cont’d)  Part II – Technical Proposal –Project narrative that demonstrates the applicant’s capability to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this solicitation –The technical proposal is limited to 25 doubled- spaced, single-sided, 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12 point text font and 1-inch margins Applications that do not include Part II, the Technical Proposal will be considered non-responsive

32. 32 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Application and Submission Information (Cont’d)  Part III – Attachments to the Technical Proposal –Abstract –One letter of commitment –Organizational Chart –Graphic Display of the Proposed Career Pathway(s) –Letter from the Chair of the LWIB (if applicable) –Supplementary Materials for Applications Proposing a Program Evaluation Component (if applicable) – Attachments are limited to 12 pages Applications that do not include the required attachments will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered.

33. 33 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Proposal Submission  Methods of Submission −Regular mail −Overnight mail −Hand delivery −Online at http://www.grants.govhttp://www.grants.gov  Reference Donna Kelly, Grant Officer SGA/DFA PY 10-06 Proposals must be received by 4:00:00 PM (ET) on the closing date of the SGA.

34. 34 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Proposal Submission (con’t)  Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy –Submit an original signed application (including SF424) and 1 “copy-ready” version free of bindings, staples or protruding tab –Also required, identical electronic copy of proposal on compact disc (CD)  Using Grants.gov -- Get started now! –Significant registration process the first time-takes days or weeks to complete –Highly recommended that online submission be completed 2 working days prior to the date specified for receipt of applications –Components of the application must be saved as either.doc,.xls,.rtf, or.pdf files

35. 35 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Funding Restrictions  Indirect Costs  Administrative Costs  Salary and Bonus Limitations  Intellectual Property Rights  Tuition and Other Costs of Training  Paid Work Experience and Paid Internships  On-the-Job Training  Use of Funds for Supportive Services

36. 36 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) V. Application Review Information

37. 37 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) A. Evaluation Criteria  Statement of Need (30 points)  Work Plan and Project Management (45 points)  Measurement of Participant Outcomes and Third-Party Review of Deliverables (25 points) Total Points = 100

38. 38 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) 1. Statement of Need (30 total points)  Scoring on this section will be based on 3 sub-criteria: i.Targeted Populations to be Served Through the Grant (10 points) ii.Targeted Industries and Occupations (10 points) iii.Description of Need for Career Pathway Programs (10 points)

39. 39 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) 2. Work Plan and Project Management (45 total points )  Scoring on this criterion will be based on 4 sub-criteria: i.Overview of Proposed Strategy and Evidence- Based Design (15 points) ii.Project Work Plan (15 points) iii.Project Management (10 points) iv.Sustainability (5 points)

40. 40 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) 3. Measurement of Participant Outcomes and Third- Party Review of Deliverables (25 total points)  Scoring on this criterion will be based on 2 sub-criteria: i.Participant Outcomes Measures (20 points) ii.Plan for Third-Party Review of Grant Deliverables (5 points)

41. 41 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) B. Evaluation of Supplementary Materials for Applications Proposing a Program Evaluation Component  Applicants who submit a Program Evaluation Plan may receive 3 bonus points (for a total of 103 possible points)  DOL will also consider requests for supplementary funding to implement the evaluation plan  Supplementary materials described in Section V.B will be evaluated by the Department separately from the main Technical Proposal

42. 42 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06)  Applicants must provide supplementary materials described in Section V.B.1 to be eligible to receive 3 bonus points –Bonus-point applicants who are requesting additional grant funds: submit (a) Program Evaluation Plan; and, (b) Supplementary Cost Proposal –Bonus-point applicants not requesting additional grant funds: submit only (a) Program Evaluation Plan 1. Content and Form of Supplementary Application Materials

43. 43 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Application Review Process  Technical review panels will meet after closing date to review applications  These panels will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria described in Section V.A

44. 44 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Application Review Process (Con’t)  Panels prepare a report for each applicant that includes: –Rating criteria scores –Evaluation comments relating to the criteria –Any additional issues relating to the proposal  Panel results: –Advisory in nature to the Grant Officer

45. 45 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Application Review Process (Con’t) Ranked scores determine a competitive range of applications –Ensuring that $65 million is designated for projects with health care sector focus DOL will then review, via a separate panel, applications in the competitive range that submitted an evaluation plan for the bonus points The updated, ranked scores will serve as the primary basis for final selection of applications for funding, in conjunction with other factors

46. 46 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Other Program Requirements  Administrative and National Policy Requirements  Special Program Requirements  Quarterly Financial and Performance Reports

47. 47 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) Questions and Answers  ETA will review questions submitted regarding the SGA and provide a timely response  Questions should be submitted to Linda Forman at: Forman.Linda@dol.gov and reference SGA/DFA PY 10-06 in the email subject lineForman.Linda@dol.gov

48. 48 Career Pathways Innovation Fund Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA/DFA PY 10-06) www.workforce3one.org