Application process

(a) In general An eligible partnership desiring a grant under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including the contents described in subsection (b). (b) Contents An application submitted under this Act shall contain, at a minimum— (1) a description of the eligible partnership, evidence of the eligible partnership’s capacity to carry out activities to achieve the strategic objectives described in subsection (d), and the expected participation and responsibilities of each of the partners included in the industry or sector partnership involved; (2) a description of the targeted infrastructure industry served by the grant, and a description of how such industry was identified in accordance with subsection (c); (3) a description of the workers that will be targeted or recruited by the partnership, including an analysis of the existing labor market, a description of potential barriers to employment for targeted workers, and a description of strategies that will be used to help workers overcome such barriers; (4) a description of the local, State, or federally funded infrastructure projects on which the eligible partnership anticipates engaging partners; (5) a description of the strategic objectives described in subsection (d) that the eligible partnership intends to achieve concerning the targeted infrastructure industry; (6) a description of the credentials that the eligible partnership proposes to use or develop as a performance measure, to assess the degree to which the eligible partnership has achieved such strategic objectives, which credentials— (A) shall be nationally portable; (B) shall be recognized postsecondary credentials or, if not available for the industry, other credentials determined by the Secretary to be appropriate; (C) shall be related to the targeted infrastructure industry that the eligible partnership proposes to support; and (D) may be a registered apprenticeship program; (7) a description of the manner in which the eligible partnership intends to make sustainable progress towards achieving such strategic objectives; (8) performance measures for measuring progress towards achieving such strategic objectives; (9) a description of the Federal and non-Federal resources, available under provisions of law other than this Act, that will be leveraged in support of the partnerships and activities under this Act; and (10) a timeline for progress towards achieving such strategic objectives. (c) Targeted infrastructure industry Each grant under this Act shall serve a targeted infrastructure industry that is identified by the eligible partnership through working with businesses, industry associations and organizations, labor organizations, State boards, local boards, economic development agencies, and other organizations that the eligible partnership determines necessary. (d) Strategic objectives The activities to be carried out under each grant awarded under this Act shall be designed to achieve strategic objectives that include the following: (1) Recruiting key stakeholders in the targeted infrastructure industry, such as multiple businesses, labor organizations, local boards, and education and training providers, including providers of career and technical education, and regularly convening the stakeholders in a collaborative structure that supports the sharing of information, ideas, and challenges common to the targeted infrastructure industry. (2) Identifying the training needs of multiple businesses in the targeted infrastructure industry, including— (A) needs for skills critical to competitiveness and innovation in the industry; (B) needs of the registered apprenticeship programs or other work-based learning programs supported by the grant; and (C) needs for the usage of career pathways. (3) Facilitating actions that lead to economies of scale by aggregating training and education needs of multiple businesses. (4) Helping postsecondary educational institutions, training institutions, sponsors of registered apprenticeship programs, and all other providers of career and technical education and training programs receiving assistance under this Act, align curricula, entrance requirements, and programs to the targeted infrastructure industry needs and the credentials described in subsection (b)(6), particularly for higher skill, high-priority occupations related to the targeted infrastructure industry. (5) Providing information on the grant activities to the State agency carrying out the State program under the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.), including staff of the agency that provide services under such Act, to enable the agency to inform recipients of unemployment compensation of the employment and training opportunities that may be offered through the grant activities. (6) Helping partner businesses in industry or sector partnerships to attract potential workers from a diverse jobseeker base, including individuals with barriers to employment, by identifying any such barriers through analysis of the labor market and implementing strategies to help such workers overcome such barriers.