44714 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 151 / Monday, August 7, 2006 / Notices 

Registered apprenticeship is a timetested training method, involving 

hands-on instruction by experienced 

workers, a jobsite mentor, and related 

classroom instruction, all within a 

framework that identifies needed skills 

and provides recognized credentials. 

Apprenticeship programs are financed, 

sponsored, and implemented primarily 

by private sector employers and their 

workers, thus presenting minimal costs 

to the taxpayer. Programs may be 

sponsored unilaterally by employers or 

jointly by employers and unions. There 

are currently about 28,800 programs 

with an estimated 413,000 registered 

apprentices in the U.S. 

DOL in accordance with the 1937 

National Apprenticeship Act, is 

responsible for promoting the 

apprenticeship concept, assisting 

interested employers in developing 

apprenticeship programs, recognizing 

State Apprenticeship Agencies and 

Councils, registering apprenticeship 

programs and agreements, certifying 

registered apprentices, and monitoring 

registered programs and apprentices. In 

the last five years, the Department has 

focused on expanding use of registered 

apprenticeship in high-growth 

industries and new occupations. These 

promotional efforts have been an 

important element in the broader DOL 

initiative to create a demand-driven 

workforce system responsive to 

employer needs and successful in 

developing worker talent. 

The proposed survey will be 

conducted by telephone and Internet 

with about 1,400 sponsors, of whom 80 

percent, or 1,100 individuals, are 

expected to respond. A random 

stratified sample will be used to ensure 

broad representation nationally and to 

permit detailed information on the 

views of sponsors in clusters of 

industries, including those identified in 

the President’s High Growth Job 

Training (HGJT) Initiative. Examples of 

newer industries identified in this 

initiative are Aerospace, Geospatial, and 

Health Services, among many others. 

The information from the survey will 

provide a thorough and systematic 

understanding of sponsors’ views, 

identifying what they value, dislike, or 

would like changed about registered 

apprenticeship; what they see as its 

main benefits and costs; what data they 

maintain on it; and how they interface 

with other parts of the workforce 

system. The data will show how, if at 

all, views differ by type of industry, 

number of apprentices, by type of 

program (unilateral or joint), or region. 

The data collection will fill a gap in 

knowledge, since there is no systematic 

information on the views of sponsors in 

general nor of sponsors in high-growth 

industries who have recently embraced 

apprenticeship as a training method. 

The survey is part of a larger evaluation 

that will also involve on-site 

discussions in five states with key 

stakeholders. In each state, the 

contractor will talk in depth with 

apprentices, sponsors, state 

apprenticeship administrators, OneStop Career Center directors, and 

community college officials involved in 

providing related instruction to 

apprentices. 

The information collected in the 

survey, combined with findings from 

the site visits, will be used by the 

Department to inform policy 

development on registered 

apprenticeship, including how to make 

the system more responsive to 

employers and to further expand 

registered apprenticeship in high 

growth industries. The information will 

also be used to determine what data is 

available for possible impact or benefitcost studies. 

Section 172 of WIA is the authority 

under which the Employment and 

Training Administration (ETA) will 

collect the information proposed in this 

evaluation. 

II. Desired Focus of Comments 

Currently, ETA is soliciting 

comments, concerning the proposed 

survey of registered apprenticeship 

sponsors, that: 

(a) Evaluate whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; 

(b) Evaluate the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(d) Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submissions 

of responses. 

A copy of the proposed information 

collection request (ICR) can be obtained 

by contacting the office listed above in 

the addressee section of this notice. 

III. Current Actions 

Type of Review: New 

Agency: Employment and Training 

Administration. 

Title: Survey of Registered 

Apprenticeship Program Sponsors. 

OMB Number: New collection. 

Affected Public: Sponsors of 

registered apprenticeship training 

programs, which may include small 

businesses. 

Respondents and Burden Hours: The 

number of respondents who complete 

the interview is expected to be 1,144. 

The annual hour burden is calculated to 

be 324 hours, based on 1,144 

respondents and a survey length of 17 

minutes. 

Total Burden Cost for capital and 

startup: $0. 

Total Burden Cost for operation and 

maintenance: $0. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this comment request will be 

summarized and/or included in the 

request for OMB approval of the 

information collection request; they will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Dated: July 31, 2006. 

Emily Stover DeRocco, 

Assistant Secretary, Employment and 

Training Administration. 

[FR Doc. E6–12737 Filed 8–4–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration 

[Docket No. ICR–1218–0NEW–(2006)–01] 

Peer Review, Conflict of Interest and 

Disclosure Form; Request for the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

(OMB) Approval of Information 

Collection (Paperwork) Requirements 

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA), labor. 

ACTION: Request for public comment. 

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public 

comment on the proposed Conflict of 

Interest and Disclosure Form (COI) 

form, which will be used to determine 

whether or not a conflict of interest 

exists for a potential peer review panel 

member. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted by 

the following dates: 

Hard copy: Your comments must be 

submitted (postmarked or received) by 

October 6, 2006. 

Facsimile and electronic 

transmission: Your comments must be 

received by October 6, 2006. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 151 / Monday, August 7, 2006 / Notices 44715 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR–

1218–0NEW–01–(2006), by any of the 

following methods: 

Regular mail, express delivery, hand 

delivery, and messenger service: Submit 

your comments and attachments to the 

OSHA Docket Office, Room N–2625, 

U.S. Department of Labor, 200 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20210; telephone (202) 693–2350 

(OSHA’s TTY number is (877) 889–

5627). OSHA Docket Office and 

Department of Labor hours are 8:15 to 

4:45 p.m., e.t. 

Facsimile: If your comments are 10 

pages or fewer, including attachments, 

you may fax them to the OSHA Docket 

Office at (202) 693–1648. 

Electronic: You may submit 

comments through the Internet at http:// 

ecomments.osha.gov. Follow 

instructions on the OSHA Web page for 

submitting comments. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read or download comments or 

background materials, such as the 

complete Information Collection 

Request (ICR) (containing the 

Supporting Statement, OMB–83–I Form, 

and attachments), go to OSHA’s Web 

page at http://www.OSHA.gov. In 

addition, the ICR, comments and 

submissions are available for inspection 

and copying at the OSHA Docket Office 

at the address above. You may also 

contact Todd Owen at the address 

below to obtain a copy of the ICR. For 

additional information on submitting 

comments, please see the ‘‘Public 

Participation’’ section in 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards 

and Guidance, OSHA, Room N–3609, 

200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 

693–2222. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Department of Labor, as part of its 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

and respondent (i.e., employer) burden, 

conducts a preclearance consultation 

program to provide the public with an 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

and continuing information collection 

requirements in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program 

ensures that information is in the 

desired format, reporting burden (time 

and costs) is minimal, collection 

instruments are clearly understood, and 

OSHA’s estimate of the information 

collection burden is accurate. The 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration conducts peer reviews 

to review a draft product for quality by 

specialists in the field who were not 

involved in producting the draft. The 

selection of participants in a peer 

review is based on expertise, with due 

consideration of independence. The 

Office of Management and Budget 

published the Final Information Quality 

Bulletin for Peer Review on December 

15, 2004. The Bulletin states ‘‘* * * the 

agency must address reviewers’

potential conflicts of interest (including 

those stemming from ties to regulated 

businesses and other stakeholders) and 

independence from the agency.’’ The 

Bulletin requires agencies to adopt or 

adapt the committee selection policies 

employed by the National Academy of 

Sciences (NAS) when selecting peer 

reviewers who are not government 

employees. To fulfill this requirement 

OSHA has developed a Conflict of 

Interest and Disclosure Form, based on 

NAS, Conflict of Interest Disclosure 

form. This form will be used to 

determine whether or not a conflict 

exists for a potential peer review panel 

member. 

II. Special Issues for Comment 

OSHA has a particular interest in 

comments on the following issues: 

• Whether the proposed information 

collection requirements are necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

Agency’s functions, including whether 

the information is useful; 

• The accuracy of OSHA’s estimate of 

the burden (time and costs) of the 

information collection requirements, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; 

• The quality, utility, and clarity of 

the information collected; and 

• Ways to minimize the burden on 

employers who must comply; for 

example, by using automated or other 

technological information collection 

and transmission techniques. 

III. Proposed Actions 

OSHA is requesting OMB to approve 

OSHA’s COI form. The COI form would 

add 27 hours to OSHA’s 114 million 

burden hour inventory. The Agency will 

summarize the comments submitted in 

response to this notice, and will include 

this summary in its request to OMB. 

Type of Review: New information 

collection requirements. 

Title: OSHA’s Conflict of Interest and 

Disclosure Form (COI) form. 

OMB Number: 1218–0NEW. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households. 

Number of Respondents: 36. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Average Time Per Response: One half 

hour for respondents to complete Tier 1 

for ‘‘influential scientific assessments;’’

and 1 hour for respondent to complete 

both Tier 1 and Tier 2 for ‘‘highly 

influential scientific assessments.’’

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 27 

hours. 

Estimated Cost (Operation and 

Maintenance): $0 

IV. Public Participation—Submission of 

Comments on this Notice and Internet 

Access to Comments and Submissions. 

You may submit comments and 

supporting materials in response to this 

notice by (1) hardy copy, (2) FAX 

transmission (facsimile), or (3) 

electronically through the OSHA Web 

page. Because of security-related 

problems, there may be a significant 

delay in the receipt of comments by 

regular mail. Please contact the OSHA 

Docket Office at (202) 693–2350 (FFY 

(877) 889–5627) for information about 

security procedures concerning the 

delivery of submissions by express 

delivery, hand delivery, and courier 

service. 

All comments, submissions, and 

background documents are available for 

inspection and copying at the OSHA 

Docket Office at the above address. 

Comments and submissions posted on 

OSHA’s Web page are available at 

http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the 

OSHA Docket Office for information 

about materials not available through 

the OSHA Web page and for assistance 

using the Web page to locate docket 

submissions. 

Electronic copies of this Federal 

Register notice as well as other relevant 

documents are available on OSHA’s 

Web page. Since all submissions 

become public, private information such 

as social security numbers should not be 

submitted. 

V. Authority and Signature 

Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., Assistant 

Secretary of Labor for Occupational 

Safety and Health, directed the 

preparation of this notice. The authority 

for this notice is the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506 

et seq.) and Secretary of Labor’s Order 

No. 5–2002 (67 FR 65008). 

Signed at Washington, DC, on July 31, 

2006. 

Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., 

Assistant Secretary of Labor. 

[FR Doc. 06–6738 Filed 7–4–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES