H1B Technical Skills Training Grant Program Principles, Policies, and Emphases July 2003

1
H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant
ProgramPrinciples, Policies, and EmphasesJuly
2003

• Mindy Feldbaum
• H-1B Program Officer
• U.S. Department of Labor
• Employment and Training Administration
• Office of Workforce Investment

2
Overview

• Principles behind the H-1B Grant Program
• DOL Policies and Emphases for Grant Selections

3
H-1B Grants Program Principles

• Business Leadership
• Partnership Sustainability
• High Skill Focus and Innovative Service Delivery
• Qualified Target Population
• Use of Skill Standards
• Comprehensive Local and Regional Planning

4
Business Leadership

• Business as consumer
• Must play a leadership role
• Businesses Applicants
• Businesses with high technology worker needs -
  Desirable

5
Sustainability of Your Partnerships

• Partnerships and training efforts should outlive
  the federal investment
• 36 months with 12-month no-cost option
• Develop Lasting relationships
• Financial and non-financial
• Connections to Local WIBs and One-Stops
• Utilize program or curricula in future training
• 100 non-federal match

6
High Skill Level Focus

• Not a general labor shortage solution
• High skill levels require high education levels
• High Technology Occupations
• Computers
• Information Technology
• Career ladder training must place a majority of
  participants at the highest rungs of the training
  within a reasonable period of time.

7
Innovative Service Delivery

• Utilize Innovative and Proven Tools and
  Approaches
• Examples
• Distance learning
• Flexible work schedules
• Apprenticeship
• On-the-job training
• Interactive media

8
Qualified Target Population

• Employed and unemployed workers
• Prerequisites and characteristics that will help
  guarantee successful completion
• High level of general educational background
• Comparable high level of work experience
• Qualifications should be identified through
  appropriate assessment tools

9
Use of Skill Standards

• Measurement of individual achieved competence
• Match training goals to well-defined, industry
  accepted certificates, degrees, or licenses
• Much already out there

10
Comprehensive Local and Regional Planning

• Description of the region and jurisdictional
  technical skills shortages
• Data sources
• Local business groups (i.e. chambers of commerce)
• State and local labor market information
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov)
• U.S. Foreign Labor Certification
  (www.flcdatacenter.com)

11
A Few Points on
Department of Labor Policies and Emphases
12
DOL Policies and Emphases

• Demonstrable Results
• Connection to the Workforce Development System
• High Skill Level Focus
• H-1B Occupational Focus
• Small Business Emphasis

13
Demonstrable Results

• Hiring of unemployed trainees
• Wage/salary increases of employed trainees
• Skills certificates/link to industry standards

14
Connection to the Workforce Development System

• What is it?
• Composed of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs)
  and One Stop Career Centers
• One-Stops administer various employment and
  training services (from the Department of Labor
  and other Federal agencies) to local areas
• WIBs oversee One-Stop operations and provide
  strategic direction to local efforts

15
Connection to the Workforce Development System

• How can the system help H-1B grantees?
• Connection to local business associations,
  training providers, and government agencies
• Regional experts on employment and training needs
  and resources
• Provide supportive services to participants
• i.e. Childcare and transportation services
• These services cannot be provided with H-1B funds.

16
Questions?