SOURCES SOUGHT
M -- Job Corps College and Career Academy
- Notice Date
- 7/9/2015
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 611519
— Other Technical and Trade Schools
- Contracting Office
- Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration, Job Corps San Francisco Region, 90 7th Street, Room 12-300, San Francisco, California, 94103
- ZIP Code
- 94103
- Solicitation Number
- DOLJ15SA00005
- Point of Contact
- Sheryl Algee, Phone: (415) 625-2385, John Chang, Phone: 415-625-2384
- E-Mail Address
-
Algee.Sheryl@dol.gov, chang.chin-jen@dol.gov
(Algee.Sheryl@dol.gov, chang.chin-jen@dol.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Sources Sought Notice for Request for Information (RFI) Number DOLJ15SA00005. The government reserves the right to compete any acquisition resulting from this notice. This sources sought notice is for planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to pay for the information requested, issue a solicitation, or award a contract. No solicitation document exists at this time. A determination by the Government to proceed with the acquisition as a set-aside is within the discretion of the Government. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. The United States Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration is conducting market research for an upcoming procurement requirement for the operation of a Job Corps pilot program which will be conducted in response to Vice President Joe Biden's 2014 report, "Ready to Work: Job-Driven Training and American Opportunity", and the Office of Job Corps' reform agenda. The pilot is designed to combine the experience and perspectives of a Job Corps center operator with service providers that have specialized expertise in designing and delivering evidence-based innovations in three areas-College-Readiness, Career-Readiness, and Non-Cognitive Skills. Job Corps is the federal government's largest investment in residential job training for disadvantaged youth. Research on the program shows that while it increases the education and earnings of program participants, it is more beneficial for youth over age 20 than for its younger participants. To strengthen the program for younger enrollees, the Department of Labor (DOL) has committed to using Job Corps' demonstration authority to begin the process of testing and evaluating innovative and promising models that could improve outcomes for these youth. Therefore, the age at enrollment will be restricted to students aged 16-21 at entry. The pilot program is intended to identify, test and evaluate innovative and alternative strategies and approaches to address the barriers that youth in this particular age range face in completing rigorous education and training program requirements, qualifying and competing for employment opportunities in in-demand occupations with opportunities for advancement, enrolling in and successfully completing postsecondary coursework, and in developing workforce and independent living skills needed for self-sufficiency. The NAICS Code is 611519, with a size standard of $38.5M. It is anticipated that a firm fixed-price contract will be awarded. The contract will include a 3-4 month start-up period, with three base years and two unilateral option years. The site for the pilot will be at an existing Job Corps center to be designated at the time of issuance of the RFP. The contractor will be required to operate the pilot in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Title I, Subtitle C, the Job Corps Program's authorizing legislation. Contractors are also required to comply with the Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook (PRH, available at http://jobcorps.dol.gov. However, contractors will be invited to propose innovations that extend beyond current policy in order to test alternative approaches and strategies to produce program outcomes. The pilot will not be a transition from or continuation of the traditional Job Corps program currently operated at the selected site, but will be managed as a new center start-up. No existing students will transition to the new pilot program. The contractor will be required to develop the program design and curricula based on prescribed components, propose career technical training offerings within the Health Care and Information Technology industry sectors, hire and train, or subcontract for qualified personnel through other entities such as community colleges/ educational institutions, to deliver components of the program, and collaborate/cooperate with the National Office of Job Corps for facility renovation to accommodate the pilot program design. The contractor will develop a student build-up plan and schedule consistent with site renovations and readiness. To operate the pilot, the contractor will be required to provide material, services, and all necessary qualified personnel to conduct the Job Corps pilot program designated as the Job Corps College and Career Academy. The program will provide approximately 325 students, enrolled at ages 16-21 with an expanded and innovative array of intensive education and training designed to ensure students attain: •Relevant skills with job market value; •Industry-recognized academic, technical, secondary and postsecondary credentials; •Employment in in-demand occupations leading to self-sufficiency and offering opportunities for advancement; and/or •Enrollment and successful participation in postsecondary education, including registered apprenticeships, leading to long-term attachment to the labor force. The Job Corps College and Career Academy pilot will incorporate the following components or features: 1. Standards-based content and instructional delivery for academic, technical and workforce preparation skills using evidence-based instructional strategies; 2. Career-Readiness Component leading to industry-recognized credentials including: a. Career technical training in two industry sectors: Health Care and Information Technology; b. Up to five occupational training offerings within each of the designated industry sectors; c. Industry Foundation Courses for the designated industry sectors; d. Career planning and goal setting; and e. Extended career training and concurrent enrollment in college courses related to careers within the designated industry sectors. 3. College-Readiness Component leading to industry-recognized academic or technical credentials including: a. High School Diploma or High School Equivalency; b. College preparation; and c. Concurrent or full-time enrollment in related college coursework. 4. Motivational/personal attributes or essential skills component to further develop the capacity to learn and support the acquisition of life competencies and workforce preparation skills leading to workplace success, independent living and self-sufficiency. 5. Expanded learning opportunities including evening and weekend programming. 6. Accelerated learning by allowing for competency demonstration in addition to programming that requires completion of a designated number of class hours. 7. Pre-enrollment assessment and career planning to guide and assist applicants in setting realistic and attainable academic, career and personal goals. The contractor will be responsible for outreach and recruitment for the program. In accordance with the evaluation design, and in cooperation with the evaluation contractor, participants will be selected randomly from a pool of eligible applicants identified by the contractor. The contractor will also be responsible for providing placement services for program graduates. As part of the evaluation component of the pilot, the contractor will work closely with a designated evaluation contractor, ETA and Department of Education officials, must be prepared to host evaluators and observers throughout the duration of the pilot, and cooperate fully in reporting and documentation requirements. All contractors doing business with the Federal Government shall be registered in Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database which is located on the System for Award Management website, SAM.gov. The website for registration is http://sam.gov. All active CCR records have migrated to SAM. ALL QUALIFIED SMALL BUSINESSES INCLUDING 8(A) FIRMS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE. Interested contractors responding to this RFI will be required to indicate their ability to successfully manage and operate a Job Corps pilot program operation by responding to the capability requirements listed below. The contractor should also indicate the number of students/program participants served for each described contract. If the contractor references a Job Corps contract, the contractor should also provide the referenced center's On Board Strength at the time that the contractor held the contract. FOR A CONTRACTOR TO BE DEEMED CAPABLE, THE CONTRACTOR MUST BE FOUND CAPABLE IN ALL REQUIREMENTS LISTED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE. CAPABILITIES REQUIREMENTS 1. Describe your organizational experience in the following areas: a. Designing, operating and supporting a technology based educational system for academic and technical training. b. Working in collaboration, partnership, or as a member of a consortium with training, educational, workforce and/or community organizations to deliver coordinated, and seamless services to participants. c. Operating a job training or industry foundation program in the Health Care and/or Information Technology industry sectors that reflects current industry practice, includes employer partnerships, and prepares students to attain industry-recognized credentials, postsecondary credentials and employment. d. Operating an academic program that prepares students to attain a High School Diploma or High School Equivalency, prepares them for postsecondary education and supports successful progress and completion of postsecondary programs. e. Delivering a program to develop motivational/personal attributes or essential skills for youth that further develops their capacity to learn and prepares them for self-sufficiency, independent living and responsible citizenship. f. Operating a program for residential students, including provision of food service, health services, personal and career counseling. g. Conducting outreach, recruiting potential participants, applying eligibility criteria, administering pre-enrollment assessments to determine appropriateness of program enrollment, providing career guidance, making referrals to community resources and administering a random assignment evaluation model. h. Providing job development, placement and transitional support services in the fields of Health Care and Information Technology, and assisting students in enrolling or continuing enrollment in postsecondary education or apprenticeships. i. Developing and implementing plans to start-up a new program, purchase initial supplies, materials and equipment and manage or coordinate on-site facility renovation projects. 2. Describe your organization's corporate capability, infrastructure and experience in providing program design and start-up, professional development, oversight, monitoring and quality assurance. 3. Describe your organization's financial management experience and capability to operate a cost reimbursement type contract, and your organization's access to financial resources sufficient to satisfy requirements of operating a Job Corps pilot program's operation for the first 60 days of operation or the ability to obtain them, e.g., a $3 million line of credit, evidence of a positive cash flow, etc. All interested parties are invited to submit in writing, by the closing date indicated below for receipt of responses, a package entitled "Statement of Qualifications / Capabilities Statement (which must include the contractor's indication of their ability to fulfill requirements). The Statement of Qualifications / Capabilities Statement package must be transmitted under a cover letter. The response must be specific to each of the capability requirements listed above. The submittals shall not exceed 15 pages, TOTAL. The capabilities statement package must be transmitted under a cover letter and must cite the following information at a minimum: 1. Response to RFI Number DOLJ15SA00005 2. Company Name, Address, and Company Point of Contact 3. DUNS Number 4. Business Size Standard/Classification and socio-economic status, if applicable 5. NAICS code certifications The closing date for the receipt of responses is July 20, 2016, at Noon, Pacific Daylight Time. Send your responses to Sheryl Algee at algee.sheryl@dol.gov. PLEASE NOTE: THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL MUST STATE: "Response to Sources Sought Notice DOLJ15SA00005."
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOL/ETA/SanFranciscoCA/DOLJ15SA00005/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 7782 Northern State Road, Sedro Woolley, Washington, 98284-9200, United States
- Zip Code: 98284-9200
- Zip Code: 98284-9200
- Record
- SN03790569-W 20150711/150709234938-12e7aa48d5856f61e8d80e921a102cb5 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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