1. Catalyzing Career and Technical Education Through Enhanced Career Pathways Incentive Funding Competition
Informational Webinar
April 21, 2017
NC Department of Public Instruction
NC Community Colleges
As state agencies responsible for the oversight of The Perkins Act, DPI and the NCCCS have agreed to allocate Reserve Funds for this purpose. Up to $1.2 million will be distributed to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and up to $600,000 to Community Colleges. Individual grants to LEAs will be awarded in amounts not to exceed $50,000 and to colleges in amounts not to exceed $25,000.
The Perkins Act allows funds to be used for such purposes (rewards/incentives).

2. Grant Purpose Advance the work of Career Pathways
Reward consortia that are implementing pathways with fidelity
Focus attention on the outcomes of the pathway work to date
Reinvest funds into new or improved strategies that will further pathway reach and outcomes
The goal of this RFP is to catalyze pathway implementation and increase positive outcomes for individuals and employers through increased investment in promising pathway implementation practices. Funds awarded through this process will be reinvested and leveraged with existing resources to enhance current systems. Funds should be targeted at activities directly aligned to pathway outcomes; not to the process of developing the pathway.

3. Required Elements for Pathways
demand driven and data informed paths,
employer engagement,
collaboration,
articulation and coordination,
work-based learning,
multiple entry and exit points including industry-recognized credentials,
career awareness and comprehensive career advising and support services, and
methods of evaluating pathway success
As noted in the RFP, your application should reflect the work that has taken place around these required elements.
We expect to see evidence that labor market and employer data are informing and driving your work. We want to see evidence of an engaged and committed group of employers who are working with you on the pathway implementation. Collaboration between workforce partners should be evident. There should be evidence and possibly some early wins in the work based learning placements. We hope to see evidences around career awareness and advising activities beyond the baseline data or before the pathway implementation started. Finally, make sure that as you talk about performance you ground the conversation in the data your team selected in the methods you put forth as part of the pathway development. We realize that some of the points may have changed and that it may still be too early for some other measures to be collected.

4. TimeLine Release of RFP April 7, 2017
Webinar for Prospective Applicants
April 21, 2017, 2:00 pm
Deadline to Submit Questions
May 15, 2017
Deadline to Submit Applications
June 2, 2017
Selections Announced
July 7, 2017
RFP was Released on April 7, 2017 via list serve to community college and LEA personnel following existing channels of communication.
Today we are hosting the Webinar for Prospective Applicants to give an more indepth overview of the process and criteria and to answer questions that prospective applicants may have about the process.
Interested parties are encouraged to submit questions to the state agency via the google link included in the RFP and this presentation by May 15, 2017
Answers to submitted questions will be posted within 3 business day, by May
Deadline to Submit Applications is June 2, Applications should be submitted as directed in the RFP, by ing a pdf file to Jo Anne Honeycutt.
Selections Announced July 7, 2017 and funds will be made available as soon as possible following the announcement. Funds awarded must be expended in the FY18 cycle, by June 30, 2018.

5. Application elements
Provide evidence of the executive of the required elements
Reference/Report data that reflect actual outcomes achieved based on the consortiums metrics
Show evidence of high levels of collaboration both in the application narrative and in the data/outcomes
Final application must be a single pdf file with the required narrative not to exceed 12 pages
1” margins
Double line spacing
Font size 11 point minimum
Appendices are not included in the 12 page limit
Narrative in the grant application should provide evidence of the criteria and provide qualitative and quantitative data examples that demonstration achievement of the intended outcomes. Applicants may use a variety of data sources in preparing the application and should include links to data sources or other methods that will allow data to be verified. Performance outcome measures should be reflective of the evaluation metrics that were part of the original pathway development. Examples may include enrollment data, credentials earned, placement in work-based learning, etc.
The grant application should reflect high levels of collaboration, and partners are expected to collaborate to complete the application and budget.

6. Rationale
1.a. Presents a compelling explanation of the intended impact of the proposed activities, including expected numbers of participants to be reached and the quantifiable goals for improvement of pathway outcomes at the secondary and postsecondary level over a defined period of time.
1.b. Describes plans to target and serve a significant number of high-need, underserved or nontraditional participants including postsecondary special populations in the career pathway.
In this section, describe how the activities you are proposing with the grant funds will expand the reach of the pathway. Answer the question of how it will help further your mission as a pathway team and how it will impact the outcome data.
We are also interested in how your team will continue to reach out and give support to special populations at all levels of the pathway. We are looking for strategies for both access and success in section 1b.

7. Partners
2.a. Demonstrates a strong and consistent track record of collaboration with pathway partners including the development of pathway programs of study, articulation agreements, Career and College Promise programs of study, career advising, work-based learning, etc.
2.b. Cites evidence of high levels of employer engagement in the development of the pathway and in ongoing processes related to continuous improvement of the pathway and related outcomes at both the secondary and postsecondary level.
2.c. Cites conditions at the local or regional level that are supportive of the career pathway implementation including early successes or changes in the economic environment since the pathway was developed.
2.d. Identifies if the career pathway has been certified by the NCWorks Commission or the CTE 9-14 pathway process and how it is aligned with labor-market demand.
Use this section to give insight into the existing working of the pathway team. In these sections focus on the collaboration and briefly explain how each partner in contributing to the implementation of the pathway. You may need to give some context related to the development but use the bulk of the text to focus on the operation of the pathway. We are interested in understanding how you are continuing to work with your employers and how their input informs continuous improvement. We also want to understand what is happening in the region/location that supports the pathway work-what other things are happening such as apprenticeship models, new employers or employer expansions, etc. Also be sure to note whether or not your pathway has been certified by the NCWorks commission and if your team is planning to apply for certification.

8. Performance Outcomes
3.a. Describes the pathway metrics used to evaluate the success of the pathway and/or participants along with the applicant’s experiences for collecting and accessing high-quality data to measure progress and outcomes.
3.b. Provides evidence (qualitative and quantitative) that applicant’s pathway program has a positive impact/change on the individuals served, the community and/or the state based on the metrics proposed during the pathway development such as (but not limited to):
(i) enrollment data at both the secondary and postsecondary level in the pathway.
(ii) data on students transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education in the pathway.
(iii) credentials earned that are industry accepted and preferred for employment.
(iv) postsecondary credits earned through Dual Enrollment and/or articulation under High School to Community College or Comprehensive Articulation Agreements and awarded at the postsecondary level.
(v) coordinated work-based learning experiences at the secondary and postsecondary level
a. Exploratory: shadowing, mentorship, tours, speakers, etc.
b. Experiential: project-based learning, short-term employment, structured observation
c. Engaged: long-term placement to enhance technical skills such as internships and apprenticeship experiences
(vi) professional development for secondary and postsecondary staff including industry externships
(vii) placement of completers in jobs and/or continuing education programs
3.c. Other data that show positive trends for metrics included at the pathway development.
3.d. Describes any adjustment or additions to the original outcome metrics since the pathway was developed.
We really want to understand what changes have happened since you began the implementation of the pathway. Are you achieving the results you expected to get and what are the data telling you about the pathway work. Are you seeing trends that support growth in the pipeline for skilled workers? Are you seeing more students continuing to post-secondary education? Have you expanded reach to lower grades? What, if anything, are employers telling you about the hiring process—are you sending more and/or better candidates to them? If you have met with obstacles around improving outcomes or in collecting some of the data for metrics you selected, describe those in this section along with plans to overcome the obstacles.

9. Enhancements
4.a. Describes in detail the intended use of awarded funds along with the expected outcome for implementing new strategies.
4.b. Provides a detailed action plan with timeline and responsible parties that reflects the strategies and intended impact as well as the collaborative implementation.
In this section, expand on the planned enhancements you briefly described in the Rationale section. Give a detailed action plan as be sure to include a timeline and indication of who (by name and position) will lead each strategic goal. We have included a template for you in the RFP as a tool. You are not required to use this form but we are looking for these types of data in whatever format you select.

10. Budget
5.a. Clearly identifies the uses of grant award funds as an enhancement of and reinvestment into the career pathway
5.b. Demonstrates alignment of the requested funds to the pathway outcomes with detailed explanations of how funds will enhance outcomes.
5.c. Demonstrates collaboration on the planning and use of funds that result in the greatest collective impact.
The next slides will go into detail about permissive use of funds and you are required to submit a budget template along with the narrative. Please make sure that the narrative supports the strategies and that you explain how you determined the budget request figures.

11. Allowable Uses of Funds
Equipment purchases (up to 30% of the grant award) related to the enhancement of the pathway or other metrics;
Printing and duplicating;
Salaries for licensed staff/faculty directly involved in the pathway outcomes;
Professional development expenses including related travel costs;
Contracted services.
Funds awarded through this grant process MUST follow the funding and expenditure rules established for other federally awarded CTE funds including those promulgated under UGG. LEAs will receive allotted funds through PRC 058 and will be responsible for building and submitting budgets using the BAAS system. Community Colleges will be awarded funds through the NCCCS allocation process and will be required to submit an initial budget and quarterly updates.
Funds awarded through this program MUST be reinvested in the career pathway on which the metrics/data and narrative reflect.
Funds may be used for the following costs/activities:
Equipment purchases (up to 30% of the grant award) related to the enhancement of the pathway or other metrics;
Printing and duplicating;
Salaries for licensed staff/faculty directly involved in the pathway outcomes;
Professional development expenses including related travel costs;
Contracted services.
Applicants must provide a detailed description of the cost estimates along with a narrative that describes how the award will further enhance the pathway outcomes and benefit the career pathway program.
We will also allow funds for field trips as part of awareness/exploration.
Stipends for teachers/faculty will also be allowed along with substitute teacher pay when away at professional development
Contracted services can apply to a number of strategies be sure you explain in the narrative the nature of the services

12. Budget Template (Applicants MUST use the template provided)
Appendices
Appendix A
Budget Template (Applicants MUST use the template provided)
Appendix B
Action Plan (Applicants may use the template provided or choose another format)
Appendix C
Assurances Page (Signed by Partners)
Appendix D
Memorandum of Understanding (Current Pathway or New)
All applications should include these appendices. There is no page limit for appendices.
We included in the RFP additional guidance on the MOU. We would like to see the inclusion of your workforce boards with a MOU.

13. Questions Submit questions via google form (http://bit.ly/2l06tJR)
Questions will be answered within a few days of the final submission date and distributed through regular listserves and Moodle sites.
We are excited to see your pathways move to even higher levels of achievement and hope these funds will support your work.