U -- Career Technical Training Support

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. In accordance with FAR 10.002(b)(2)(i) this notice is issued for the purpose of market research. This request is for planning purposes only, & does not constitute a Solicitation or an indication the Government will contract for the items contained in this notice. This notice is not to be construed as an RFP, nor is any commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract implied, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. The Government does not reimburse respondents for any cost associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred to interested parties for responses to this notice. Any response received will not be used as a proposal.The U.S. Department of Labor seeks to identify potential small business sources capable of providing the National Office of JC (NOJC) with support services for its career technical training (CTT) programs. Services include development of standards-based instructor training materials; development & delivery of instructor training; development & facilitation of workforce training, education & employment partnerships; & performance assessments. Small business vendors capable of & interested in providing support services as described in the attached draft statement of work are requested to provide a description of their capabilities to the contract specialist. Responses shall include: (1) a description of the vendors prior work that was similar to the effort described in this announcement & how it was staffed, & (2) detailed answers to the Questions below. Answers to the Questions are limited to 16 pages. Responses must include a description of the performance metrics used & performance achieved. Identify all socio-economic categories into which your company fits. (1) Does your company have five or more years of expertise & experience providing educational, curriculum development & professional development for career technical/vocational training institutions? If yes, please identify the career institution(s), the # of years consulting for each, & describe in a document, not to exceed 3 pages experience with the institutions as it pertains to educational, curriculum development & professional development. (2)Does your company have expertise & working knowledge of industry standards as it pertains to the delivery of CTT & curriculum development? If yes, please describe in a document, not to exceed 4 pages, work related to the development &/or implementation of industry standards, years of experience, & any training or industry partners your company has worked or collaborated with in this. (3)Does your company have expertise & experience in curriculum & professional development design, implementation, & evaluation? If yes, please provide the # of years of experience, any training partners, & describe in a document, not to exceed 2 pages, experience with curriculum & professional development. (4)Does your company have expertise & experience in developing, identifying, researching, &/or implementing instructional delivery techniques, including the use of information technology? If yes, please provide the # of years of experience, any training partners, & describe in a document, not to exceed 2 pages, experience with blended instruction & learning management systems. (5)Does your company have expertise & experience in developing, identifying, researching, &/or implementing applied academic standards? If yes, please provide the # of years of experience, any training partners, & describe in a document, not to exceed 2 pages, expertise related to applied academic standards. (6)Does your company have expertise & experience in developing working partnerships with employers, industry associations, workforce training &/or education entities for itself or other organizations? If yes, please list the entities, & describe in a document not to exceed 3 pages, the partnership including length of time, titles of prime contacts (e.g. CEO, CIO, Division Chief), & any products or outcomes that resulted from the partnership. Responses will be reviewed to determine if the vendor has performed work sufficiently similar & at a high enough quality that they appear to be capable of supporting Job Corps. Any proprietary information submitted should be marked. include: Company name, address, email, phone no., point of contact, DUNS no., & size relative to NAICS. Interested vendors must provide their response via email with the subject line reading "DOL089RP20518" to the contract specialist by 9am Eastern 3/5/08. This information is being gathered to determine supplier capabilities to fully meet the Governments stated requirement. All communication regarding this RFI must be in writing & submitted to Darlene Johnson at Johnson.Darlene@dol.gov. Questions & comments submitted by phone or fax will not be accepted & may not receive a response. SOW C.3 Objectives The purpose of the contract is to provide the JC community with services that will support implementation of the New Vision by focusing on the Career Technical Training (CTT) components of Job Corps (JC) education & training programs. Due to the systemic changes required by the New Vision, work items outlined here will incorporate all facets of JC operations. The contractor is expected to collaborate with staff, Regional Office staff & other support contractors in carrying out the work. I. Credentials In 2007, the NOJC developed & released national guidelines for its 40+ CTT programs which were aligned to the training requirements, current industry standards, or industry requirements necessary for specific program, instructor & student certification attainment. NOJC is seeking assistance: (1) to further implement & provide technical assistance for this initial effort, (2) continue development of industry-certified training programs, & (3) expand CTT offerings to new areas. EX: this contract will assist the NOJC in aligning its current construction training programs with industry certifications, registered apprenticeship standards, & state licensing requirements. his contract will provide recommendations on the broadening of its training to other high-growth industry sectors, such as Biotechnology & Geospatial Technology, & the identification of emerging, high demand occupations or career paths within all high growth industries. The contractor must work extensively with industry & trade associations, other training program certification organizations, & employers, & communicate with other workforce stakeholders. II. Standards-Based Training JC New Vision calls for the development of a standards-based training system consisting of industry/technical standards, applied academic standards, basic academic standards, & career success standards. JC is moving forward from a narrow, discrete task-driven approach to training & its curricula to a broader, standards-based approach whereby training & its curricula will be driven by standards that specify what students need to understand (concepts), know (skills & procedures) & be able to do (activities & tasks). Identified steps for developing the standards-based training system include: (1) the determination of academic underpinnings for various CTT areas as outlined by JC program guidelines, which are referred to as Training Achievement Records (TARs), (2) the development of applied academic statements based on the skills & competencies specified in the TARs, (3) the determination of basic skill standards required to master applied academic standards, & (4) the development of a common framework to express TAR competencies, applied academic statements & basic skill statements in a common language. JC launched the eLearning Initiative to create a fully integrated technology-based system for JC programming. Central to this initiative is a technology infrastructure that will: house student training standards; generate individualized learning plans & track student progress; gather information about student skills & knowledge through a student testing system that will deliver assessments; & deliver student courses. The contractor will help (1) provide recommendations on technical areas including assessment design; competency management; curriculum design, development & management; delivery of instruction; monitoring & online collaboration; & (2) select curriculum & educational administrative software. III. Organizational Changes JC is using a variety of theory-based strategies to drive the type of large-scale organizational change needed for the program to become a 21st Century System of Excellence. These large-scale change processes focus on the relationship of JC with its environment (suppliers, customers, competitors, partners, & regulators, as well as cultural, political, technical & economic forces); & on the function of the key internal components of JC (technology, structure, organizational feedback systems, performance management systems, & culture). In an effort to expedite organizational change, the contractor will provide guidance & assistance with Job Corps: (1) Policy & Requirements Handbook (PRH) & corresponding assessment tool, the Program Assessment Guide (2) Communications Plan, (3) Regional Labs, & (4) Outcome Measurement System. The PRH establishes the framework for the operation of JC by describing the purpose, requirements, & quality indicators for each component. In sum, the PRH is designed to: define JC components & range of services; identify minimum requirements; establish quality indicators; standardize systems which protect the integrity & accountability of program data & funds; & promote flexibility, innovation & tailoring of service design to meet changing student & employer needs. The contractor, in conjunction will assist the NOJC with establishing the intent of the new PRH in the context of the New Vision & identifying key program requirements that are not fully supportive of the New Vision as well as new requirements that are supportive. The contractor, will recommend: appropriate revisions to PRH content as well as its format & accessibility; a systematic process for making future changes to the PRH; & how to most efficiently phase in the new program requirements to ensure that field operations will not be adversely affected by the changes. In support of the New Vision, JC will conduct Regional Labs through which the six Regional Offices will spearhead the testing of major components of the Vision & serve as test beds or learning labs. The Regional Labs will inform JC transformation to the New Vision & ensure that final recommendations for a continuous transformation strategy are evidence-based & effective. Even though a # of individuals at the Regional Office & center level will be involved in the execution of the Regional Lab, a Regional Lab Design & Implementation Team will be established to lead each Regional Lab & oversee all efforts & activities. It is the responsibility of the contractor to provide subject matter experts & expert-level technical assistance training providers in the areas of career technical training, Labor Market Information & analysis in high growth industries & high demand occupations & other related subjects such as career clusters, standards, certifications; professional development; & teaching & learning strategies. The contractor will support the Regional Labs & provide Regional Lab teams with training & consultation during the Regional Lab Institutes (2x per year) & through out the Regional Lab testing period which may extend up to 3 years. C.4.Detailed Work Areas The contractor shall provide all qualified personnel, services, equipment, facilities, & supplies to perform the following: I. Implementation of Standards-based Instruction & Assessment JC is moving from a narrow, discrete task & assessment-driven curriculum to a broader, standards-driven curriculum. The curriculum will be framed by the identification & development of standards to specify what students need to understand (concepts), know (skills & procedures) & be able to do (activities & tasks). The Office of JC (OJC) will continue to address its training programs through a 2-phased approach to align CTT programs with industry standards which may be represented in prevailing industry certification, state licensure or apprenticeship requirements. The Contractor will develop guidelines & materials for these training programs. The Office of Job Corps, with the assistance of its Academic Support Contractor, is identifying the fundamental academic standards related to JC career technical, academic & career success skill items & developing standards-based materials. Work Area 1: Assist the NOJC with aligning its CTT programs to industry standards & credentials, & writing technical training content so that it reflects entry-level job requirements, industry-based standards & credentials. Base Year During the base year, the contract will focus on training programs operated by JC National Training Contractors (NTCs). The NTCs are union or association-affiliated contractors that provide instructors & onsite training for a # of CTT offerings including: Carpentry; Cement Masonry; Floor Covering; Glazing; Heavy Equipment Operation; Heavy Equipment Mechanics; Painting; Paving; Plastering; Sign, Billboard & Display; Stationary Engineering; & Surveying. In option years, the contract will focus on: Revision of CTT programs& recommendations on how JC can update its instructional delivery based on current industry, academic & career success standards & assessments. Identification of appropriate assessment(s) to measure students progress in mastering industry/technical standards. Collaboration with other National Office support contractors to develop an online format for identifying, tracking & reporting student skill acquisition across academic, career technical & career success standards. Provision of technical assistance & training to the JC community (National Office, Regional Offices, centers, support contractors) to implement new or revised CTT programs. Deliverables: A schedule that outlines when training achievement records, implementation guides, associated training & technical assistance materials will be developed for specific CTT programs. New or revised training achievement records & implementation guides for training programs. Report on appropriate assessments for measuring students mastery of industry/technical skills. Types of appropriate assessments may include certification examinations & hands-on demonstrations. Blueprint for an online format for identifying, tracking & reporting student skill acquisition across academic, career technical & career success standards. II. Broaden education & training options One of JC national, programmatic goals, states that the Program will increase students exposure to industry sectors via high-demand occupational clustering on centers & highly trained certification instructors utilizing applied skills training techniques. Currently, the OJC is researching the mix of career technical, academic & employability skills, or career success training that will provide students with the most effective learning environment. The Office has begun to identify which baseline skills & professional training instructors must possess in order to provide successful instruction. The tasks outlined below, require the Contractor to assist the OJC with continued development & implementation of clustered-related, training frameworks as well as a uniform professional development strategy for instructors & related staff. Work Area 2: Assist the NOJC with developing & disseminating protocols to help the national JC program as well as regions & centers identify & implement training programs that present the best training & employment opportunities for JC students in high-demand industry sectors. III. Establish, strengthen & sustain industry, education & training partnerships JC industry, education & workforce partnerships are critical to the development & implementation of effective training programs. These partners assist JC students through the provision of mentorships, on-the-job training, advanced training & employment opportunities, & post- secondary education. To effectively carry-out tasks outlined in this contract, the contractor will work with industry, education & workforce partners & especially industry/employer partners to: 1. identify nationally-recognized industry standards & certifications; align training programs with certification, state licensure & apprenticeship requirements; develop new CTT programs; & identify emerging career opportunities. 2. leverage industry & employer resources for state-of-the-art training equipment/facilities, guest instructors/speakers, on-the-job experiences, industry developed training materials, etc. Work Area 3: Assist the NOJC with identifying & disseminating to the field evidence-based practices for building & sustaining industry, education & workforce partnerships for the program at the local, regional & national level. Conduct rigorous evaluations of effective partnership models & identify strategies that can be generalized across centers & that positively impact on factors such as recruitment & retention, increased student performance, educational achievement, & job placement. Support the development & updating of internal policies to ensure that program activity is partnership driven. Support JC initiatives, such as the STARS Initiative, that deal directly with industry, education & workforce partnerships. V. Review, provide recommendations & assist with the continuous improvement of JC CTT Accountability System The alignment of JC CTT programs with industry standards & certifications will result in a more rigorous training program. In order to assist the program with the implementation of these standards, the monitoring of career technical program performance & continuous improvement the contractor will assist the OJC with developing policy & monitoring performance. Work Area 5: Assist the NOJC with developing recommendations to improve to the programs outcome measurement system, with a focus on the CTT Report Card. In support of the recommendations, review all factors impacting JC programmatic outcomes such as the current definition of a program graduate & internal system for tracking job training matches, & overall program performance. Collaborate with the National & Regional Offices to monitor the performance of JC CTT programs. This includes: (1) Identification of programs with exceptional, above average, average & unsatisfactory performance using JC CTT accountability system, referred to as the Career Technical Reporting & Improvement System. (2) Assist with & technical support for regional office responsibilities in reviewing performance & overseeing improvement, application of the minimum productivity rule, appeals process, & performance improvement plans. (3) Assist with & technical support for NOJC responsibilities including administration of incentives, sanctions & the appeals process. (4) Facilitate follow-up actions on substandard-performing CTT programs. This includes collaborative development & implementation of Performance Improvement Plans by center, regional office & NTC staff, as applicable. VI. Technical Support Work Area 6:: (1) review proposals to add a new training offering or eliminate a training program. (2) Identify appropriate training offerings for future JC centers by compiling & analyzing labor market information, facilitating meetings & working on training related resources such as the detailing of facility specs & identification of appropriate equipment, curriculum & certifications. Assist the updating & streamlining of JC career technical change process by: (1) review current career technical change forms for assessing change requests & initiating changes; (2) collect input from center operators, center management, NTC, regional office, & National Office; (3) update guidelines on submitting career technical change requests; (4) develop online version of the career technical change request form so that staff can more easily enter information & submit change requests in a timely manner; & (5) provide real-time analysis of national training offerings based on coordination of CTT Changes. Assist with the updating JC Career Technical Skills Planning Process by: Review existing Career Technical Skills Training policy & guidelines provided in JC Policy & Requirements Handbook; research Career Technical Skills Training planning forms; & solicit input from center, regional & national staff &; Develop a streamlined, online Career Technical Skills Training planning form & process; & assist with the update of policy & guidelines. Assist with identifying appropriate interest & aptitude tests, with input from academic instructors & outreach & admissions staff, to help students select a career pathway & develop a short-and-long-term-career- & educational plan. Assist with updating JC CTT Website. Identify & post materials that should be accessible to JC career technical staff via the website. Identify & post promising practices, technical assistance guides, information, & highlights that are of interest to JC career technical staff, gathered through field visits & consistent exchange with centers & regional offices.