JOB CORPS' ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION TRAINING PROGRAM

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Job Corps is seeking qualified training providers that can operate an advanced transportation training program (20 student training slots) at the Homestead Job Corps center. If any firms qualify under the Small Business Programs mentioned in Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 19, please indicate under which programs you belong. Job Cops is an open-entry/open-exit, career skills, academic, and life skills education and vocational training program for at risk youth, ages 16 through 24. With 122 centers in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, Job Corps is primarily residential with a small non-residential component. The program was established in 1964 and is presently authorized under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Job Corps. In addition to a National Office, there are six Job Corps Regional Offices located nationwide. The U. S. Department of Labor is reviewing the market to determine if there are training providers that can operate an advanced transportation training program. The following are activities undertaken to support this mandate: - 1. Operate the advanced transportation training program at the Homestead center, in accordance with policy and requirements stipulated by the National Office of Job Corps, U. S. Department of Labor. The training program will cover the following training specialty areas: - a. Administrative Clerk - b. Rail Freight Service Worker - c. Information Processing Clerk - d. Rail Data Entry Clerk - e. Mass Transit/Highway Services Worker - f. Airline Service Worker - g. Rail Passenger Clerk - h. Rail Freight Clerk - i. Rail Mechanic Services Worker - j. Rail Machinist 2. Conduct daily career technical training at the Homestead center using Training Achievement Records (TARs) and supporting curricular materials developed by the chosen training provider and approved by the National Office of Job Corps. 3. Place graduates into quality entry-level jobs with major employers in the transportation industry as well as federal and local government agencies. 4 Provide career transitional services to active and graduating students which lead to quality job placements. The career transition services include, but are not limited to, assistance with students' needs in the areas of job interviewing, housing, vehicle and transportation to work sites, childcare, and the like. Entities interested in this contact must have the following minimum qualifications: 1. The chosen entity should be very familiar with existing policy, requirements, structure, and operational procedures of the Job Corps program. Preferably, the chosen entity will have an identifiable history of contracted services with the National Office of Job Corps as a national training contractor. 2. As indicated by Job Corps' historical data for high performance/outcomes in student job placement, the entity is preferred to be affiliated with or have strong linkages with a national union or labor organization that has a national network with major employers and businesses in the transportation industry. This national network will help with Work-Based Learning and job placement opportunities for active and graduating students. 3. The chosen entity should be able to develop and update TARs and their related instructional materials in the aforementioned ten specialty areas, and receive approval from the National Office of Job Corps. The TARs and supporting materials must be aligned to the latest and prevailing industry skills standards in the various specialty areas. The alignment must be verified by accreditation agencies or major employers in writing. The TARs and supporting materials must also incorporate latest and relevant green technology endorsed by national green standards organizations or industry businesses in the transportation industry. 4. The chosen entity should be able to hire and retain experienced instructors who have the following credentials: - a. Possess a college degree, or have work experience with a Class I Railroad or transportation industry; - b. Possess, or will possess within a one year of employment, applicable certifications from the Railroad Educational Bureau (REB) and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC); and - c. Have teaching or training experience. 5. The chosen entity should be able to provide additional career transition services to graduates and graduating students in coordination with placement efforts by Job Corps' career transition personnel. The career transition services may include assistance in the areas of job interviews, temporary housing, vehicle and transportation to work sites, childcare, and the like. Responses will be evaluated using the following criteria: - 1. Socio-economic impact of interested entity's past history of career technical training; 2. Level of familiarity with the Job Corps program; 3. Scope of industry connections on the national, regional, and local levels; 4. Quality of existing training curricula in terms of alignment with latest industry/union training/skills standards, including green technologies integration; and the entity's ability to develop or upgrade training curricula to reach the required alignment to industry standards; - 5. Quality of instructional staff. No cost proposal is required. All interested parties are invited to submit a response to this notice. Include a capability statement with your response. Submit all responses to Stacy Conaway, Contract Specialist, Division of Job Corps Technical and Training, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite N4308, Washington, DC 20210. Responses are due no later than June 1, 2010, 2pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST). Electronic copies of responses are preferred and may be emailed to conaway.stacy@dol.gov. The response must be specific to each of the qualifications listed above to show that the respondent has the skills and experience. The submittals shall not exceed 10 pages, TOTAL. A determination by the Government to proceed with the acquisition is within the discretion of the Government. Please be advised that telephone inquiries will not be accepted. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.