05 July 2005

Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative

Welcome back! [Repeated post from earlier.]

From MEDA's research team at the home office.

Workforce Investment Act—Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative

Proposals due 15 August 2005 to the Department of Labor (DOL)

This link will begin the download of a .pdf (1.7 MB), the RFP announced today by the Employment and Training Administration. The grant focuses on providing literacy and jobs skills training to Hispanics. It seems like a fairly involved grant with several partners required, but the grant is big $500,000 -- $ 1 million. Maybe one of the CDCs would be able to apply. Here is the link if you need to copy and paste it into your browser.

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-11881.pdf

Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA), announces the availability of approximately $5 million in demonstration grant funds to test unique and innovative training strategies for services to individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) (those who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English 1 ) and Hispanic Americans, specifically, those who lack basic and occupational skills needed by high-growth occupations. This demonstration program is targeted to incumbent workers, new job entrants or youth who lack the language, basic skills, and occupational skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace. This demonstration program emphasizes the use of innovative contextualized learning strategies which simultaneously provide language and occupational skills training that open career opportunities and pathways for LEP and Hispanic Americans.

The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Hispanic Worker Initiative is a strategic effort to improve access to employment and training services for LEP persons and to better serve Hispanic Americans through workforce investment programs that address the specific workforce challenges facing these individuals. Grant funds awarded under this Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) should be used to develop unique and innovative strategies that specifically address the workforce challenges of LEP individuals and Hispanic Americans. Applications must reflect a strategic partnership between the public workforce investment system, the employer community, the education and training community, and, if applicable, community-based or faith-based organizations. It is anticipated that individual awards will fall within the range of $500,000 to $1 million. The Department reserves the right to award grants at either lower or higher amounts.

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