Workforce Development Solicitations for Proposals

Workforce Investment Act Funds – Construction Talent Transfer - Questions and Answers

Questions submitted by parties interested in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) - Construction Talent Transfer program funds, and the answers to those questions, are listed below. Questions and answers are organized by general topic area and/or category. This Web page will be updated regularly as questions are submitted.

• Bonus Points
• General
• Goals and Objectives
• Proposal Narrative
• Target Population
• Training

Bonus Points

1. Q.  The SFP instructions in Section 5.C., pages 8 - 9 discuss bonus points. The bonus criteria state that (1) three bonus points will be awarded to applicants demonstrating a dollar for dollar cash and/or in-kind match from employers, and (2) three bonus points will be awarded to applicants demonstrating a dollar for dollar cash and/or in-kind match from entities other than employers (partnerships may include Local Workforce Investment Boards, Community Based Organizations, unions, educational institutions, etc.). However, Page 11 indicates additional bonus points awarded to projects that train workers for employment in public works projects financed by the 2006 voter-approved infrastructure bonds.
   
   Does that mean the total number of bonus points possible is six or is it nine?
   
   A.  The total number of bonus points available is nine.
   
   
2. Q.  Can on-the-job training (OJT) be considered as match from an employer? If so, would OJT be cash or would it be considered in-kind?
   
   A.  Yes, for purposes of this SFP, the amount of OJT paid by an employer can be included as in-kind match.
   
   
3. Q.  Is there a restriction on using Match from non-WIA federal funds?
   
   A.  No, there is not a restriction on non-WIA federal funds that can be used as match.

General

1. Q.  Will applicants who are successfully funded receive the award up front? Or will funds be distributed incrementally throughout the 18-month expenditure period?
   
   A.  The total funds awarded are made available to the successful applicant in a subgrant agreement. Funds are drawn from the subgrant agreement in accordance with the cash request policies contained in WIA Directive WIAD04-14, Cash Request Handbook. Incremental funding will not be used for this SFP.



2. Q.  The narrative forms provided for the Construction Talent Transfer SFP make it difficult to include tables and charts as part of the text. Is it necessary to use these forms for the narrative or can each category and heading be transferred to a Word document, as long as the formatting is maintained?
   
   A.  To insert tables and charts in the narrative form, you must “unprotect” the document. To do this, select “tools” on the tool bar and select “unprotect.”

Goals and Objectives

1. Q.  Part 1b - Cost Information: What is the difference between a participant and a trainee?
   
   A.  A participant is an individual who is determined eligible to participate in a WIA program and receives a service funded by the program. A trainee is a participant who receives training services such as; occupational skills training, on-the-job training, programs that combine workplace training with related instruction, training programs operated by the private sector, skill upgrading and retraining, job readiness training, and customized training.



2. Q.  Part 1b - Cost Information: Is the cost for entered employment the “subsidized cost” vs. “unsubsidized” as mentioned in Appendix A #10?
   
   A.  The cost information requested in Section IV, Goals and Objectives, Part 1b, is calculated by using the amount of funds requested in the proposal (Column B) and the total resources available to the project (Column C). For example, if you propose to serve 100 participants and the total funds requested is $400,000, the cost per participant in Column (B) would be $4,000. If the total funds available to the project, included match, is $800,000, the cost per participant in Column (C) would be $8,000. Subsidized or unsubsidized costs are not applicable.

Proposal Narrative

1. Q.  Section I of the proposal narrative asks for a description of the employers that will be hiring the construction workers, the type of work they will be doing and the timeframe for beginning the work.
   
   Would this require that the proposer already have knowledge of the general contractor who has been awarded the contracts under these bonds - what work is to be done and a commitment to hire the trainees?
   
   A.  The intent of this SFP is to move laid off construction workers to employment in non-residential construction jobs in a short amount of time. Therefore, the applicant should provide as much information as possible about the employers, type of work and timeframes for work startup that demonstrates how they will be able to accomplish this objective.

Target Population

1. Q.  Page 4 of 45 indicates the target population is dislocated construction workers. Is this the ONLY population to be considered?
   
   A.  Yes. The Construction Talent Transfer SFP targets only dislocated workers laid off from jobs in the residential construction industry (carpenters, construction laborers, etc.), or other laid off workers with construction related skill sets.
   
   
2. Q.  Are the participants to be exclusively from residential construction or can they come from other types of construction?
   
   A.  The target population for this SFP is dislocated workers laid off from jobs in the construction industry. They do not need to be exclusively from residential construction.



3. Q.  As this proposal is addressing dislocated workers, will there be WIA criteria expected or is there flexibility in this grant as stated in WIA Directive WIAD02-14?
   
   A.  The SFP is funded with WIA Governor’s 15 Percent funds; therefore the client eligibility requirements contained in WIA Directive WIAD02-14 will apply. The additional adult eligibility requirement for proposals awarded under this SFP is that individuals must have been laid off from the construction industry.



4. Q.  Can this proposal address the underemployed construction worker or must it be for the unemployed only?
   
   A.  Yes, underemployed construction workers may be eligible for services under this SFP. However, they must have been laid off from the construction industry prior to taking a “stopgap” job. See WIA Directive WIAD04-18, Eligibility Technical Assistance Guide for more definitions on underemployed.



5. Q.  Will the State allow dislocated workers from parallel industries/occupations directly affected by the decline in residential construction employment to be served by the Construction Talent Transfer SFP?
   
   A.  No, the target population for this SFP is dislocated workers laid off from the construction industry.

Training

1. Q.  The solicitation addresses short-term bridge training from residential construction to other construction. Does the state have a length of time in mind for short-term training?
   
   A.  Yes. Short-term transitional bridge training is limited to six months prior to placement in employment.

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