29434 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 112 / Monday, June 10, 1996 / Notices

pathways to successful careers.

Standards help people bridge the gap

between their current skills and abilities

and the workplace needs of the future.

• Is user-driven: The system must

serve a wide range of users: employers

seeking a skilled workforce; individuals

who want to build their knowledge,

skills and abilities; and educators and

trainers who will meet the needs of both

employers and learners.

• Offers users flexible, timely, high

quality service delivery options: A

flexible, adaptive and user-driven

system is one that is easily accessed and

can be tailored to meet an individual’s

requirements. Such a system offers users

a variety of service providers that can

assure timely, high quality education

and training. Through the use of skill

standards, individuals can ‘‘shop

around’’ for the best training, and

continue to learn and improve their

earnings throughout their lifetimes.

• Communicates skill requirements

clearly: An effective workforce

development system enables employers,

educators, trainers, workers, job seekers,

students, parents and others to speak a

common language, so that skill needs

are clearly understood and effectively

translated into relevant training and

educational programs.

• Is based upon an effective,

objective assessment of knowledge and

skills.

In today’s economy, individuals

pursue extremely varied paths from

school to work, and from one job or

career to another. Academic and skill

attainment should link clearly and

easily with voluntary skill standards, so

that individuals understand how to

apply their knowledge and skills to

different career areas. An effective, userdriven skill standards system should be

responsive to different paths to careers,

so that no one is excluded from wellpaid jobs solely because he or she took

a different path to acquiring the needed

knowledge and skills.

Basing a workforce development

system upon voluntary skill standards

would permit more flexibility with

respect to where instruction is offered,

instructional methods, the education or

training provider, and the duration of

the program. Thus the same results can

be achieved by a variety of paths. The

integration of skill standards into a

workforce development system will

facilitate access to better jobs for people

from all backgrounds, by redefining

access and creating a more level playing

field.

Training might be acquired on the job,

in the classroom, or some combination

of both. For example, adults could

pursue more advanced skills in

vocational schools, or in programs

offered by their employers and/or

unions either in-house or under contract

with a third party provider. Training

might also take place in postsecondary

educational institutions or through

alternative education providers. In all

cases, adults would have the

information and access to the resources

they need to keep their skills

continuously refreshed.

A successful workforce development

system requires a high level of

coordination and communication

among education and training

providers, government agencies,

employers, labor unions, and

community members. In some

countries, workforce development

success is governed by long-standing

partnerships of industry, education and

organized labor, and is based on an

understanding of their common

interests in assuring a society made up

of well-educated, highly-skilled

individuals. If the United States is to

maintain and improve its competitive

edge, these parties must work together

to promote a thriving society that offers

meaningful careers, enviable living

standards, and long-term employability

to every American.

Questions

We invite employers, employer

associations, organized labor, educators

and trainers, community organizations,

parents, state and local governments,

and all other interested individuals or

organizations to respond to the

following questions:

1. How have you used voluntary skill

standards to improve, coordinate, and

streamline education and training at the

state and/or local levels? What lessons

can you offer the NSSB based on these

experiences?

2. What have been the challenges,

opportunities and lessons you have

learned about the roles and

responsibilities of employers, organized

labor, educators, workers, students,

parents, public agencies and others?

How can these groups best work

together to support a voluntary skill

standards system?

3. How can voluntary skill standards

most effectively support states and local

communities (including all partners in

the private, public, and nonprofit

sectors) in:

a. responding to the challenge of

block grants,

b. coordinating and improving the

following initiatives:

—One-stop career centers,

—Welfare-to-work programs,

—School-to-work programs,

—Job training and employment

programs,

—Employment services,

—Literacy and basic skills programs,

—High school equivalency degree and

alternative education programs, and/

or

—Union and/or employer-sponsored

training.

c. linking the state’s academic

requirements to the future skill needs of

the economy?

4. How can voluntary skill standards

most effectively support a strong role for

industry in a national workforce

development system?

5. How can voluntary skill standards

help enhance a national workforce

development system that improves

services for individuals from all

backgrounds, and enables them to

transfer their skills across occupations,

firms, industries, and across the

country?

a. How do your activities fit into the

national workforce development

system?

b. What is the proper role for the

NSSB within a workforce development

system that prepares youth and adults

for the challenges of continuously

evolving workplaces?

c. What is your vision of an ideal

national workforce development system

and what are the critical elements of

such a system?

Signed at Washington, D.C. this 4th day of

June 1996.

Judy Gray,

Executive Director, National Skill Standards

Board.

[FR Doc. 96–14603 Filed 6–7–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–23–M

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–483

Union Electric Company, Callaway

Plant, Unit 1; Consideration of Transfer

of Control of Ownership of Licensee

and Opportunity for Public Comment

on Antitrust Issues

Notice is hereby given that the United

States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(the Commission) is considering

approval under 10 CFR 50.80 of the

transfer of control of the license for the

Callaway Plant, Unit 1, that would

result from the consummation of the

proposed merger agreement between

Union Electric Company, the licensee

for Callaway Plant, Unit 1, and CIPSCO

Incorporated. By letter dated February

23, 1996, as supplemented by letter

dated April 24, 1996, Union Electric
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 112 / Monday, June 10, 1996 / Notices 29435

Company informed the Commission that

Union Electric Company has entered

into a merger agreement with CIPSCO

Incorporated which provides for Union

Electric Company to become a whollyowned operating company of Ameren

Corporation (‘‘Ameren’’), a registered

public utility holding company under

the Public Utility Holding Company Act

of 1935, as amended. Callaway is a

nuclear powered generating facility

which is solely-owned and operated by

Union Electric Company in accordance

with the Facility Operating License No.

NPF–30. As a result of the merger, the

common shareholders of Union Electric

Company and CIPSCO, immediately

prior to the merger (except for the

holders of Union Electric dissenting

shares), will all be common

shareholders of Ameren immediately

upon the consummation of the merger.

The merger will have no effect on the

operation of Callaway or the provisions

of its operating license. Union Electric

Company will continue to own and

operate Callaway after the merger, as

required by the operating license.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.80, the

Commission may approve the transfer of

control of a license after notice to

interested persons. Such approval is

contingent upon the Commission’s

determination that the holder of the

license following the transfer is

qualified to hold the license and that the

transfer is otherwise consistent with

applicable provisions of law,

regulations, and orders of the

Commission.

By this notice, the Commission is

seeking public comment on this

proposed transfer of control of the

license. Written comments may be

submitted by mail to the Rules Review

and Directives Branch, Division of

Freedom of Information and

Publications Services, Office of

Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555–

0001, and should cite the publication

date and page number of this Federal

Register notice. Copies of written

comments received may be examined at

the NRC Public Document Room, the

Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20555.

Antitrust Issues

Any person who wishes to submit

comments or information relating to any

antitrust issues believed to be raised by

this transfer request should submit said

comments or information within 30

days of the initial publication of this

notice in the Federal Register to the

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555–0001 Attention:

Chief, Generic Issues and

Environmental Projects Branch, Office

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. The

Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation will issue a finding whether

significant changes in the licensee’s

activities or proposed activities have

occurred since the completion of the

previous antitrust review.

Although the staff is providing the

opportunity for comments concerning

the competitive aspects of the proposed

transfer, the staff notes that it is aware

of and is closely following a related

proceeding at the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (FERC). The

NRC will consider the FERC proceeding

to the maximum extent possible in

resolving issues brought before the NRC.

For further details with respect to this

proposed action, see the application

from Union Electric Company dated

February 23, 1996, and supplemental

letter dated April 24, 1996, which are

available for public inspection at the

Commission’s Public Document Room,

the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street,

NW., Washington, DC 20555, and at the

local public document room located at

the Callaway County Public Library, 710

Court Street, Fulton, Missouri 65251.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day

of June 1996.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Kristine M. Thomas,

Project Manager, Project Directorate IV–2,

Division of Reactor Projects III/IV, Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 96–14558 Filed 6–7–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

Application for a License To Export

Heavy Water (D2O)

Pursuant to 10 CFR 110.70(b) ‘‘Public

notice of receipt of an application’’,

please take notice that the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission has received the

following application for an export

license. Copies of the application are on

file in the Nuclear Regulatory

Commission’s Public Document Room

located at 2120 L Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C.

A request for a hearing or petition for

leave to intervene may be filed within

30 days after publication of this notice

in the Federal Register. Any request for

hearing or petition for leave to intervene

shall be served by the requestor or

petitioner upon the applicant, the Office

of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

D.C. 20555; the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

D.C. 20555; and the Executive Secretary,

U.S. Department of State, Washington,

D.C. 20520.

The information concerning the

application follows.

NRC EXPORT LICENSE APPLICATION

Name of Applicant, Date of Application, Date Received, Application Number

Description of Material

Material type Total qty End use Country

Cambridge Isotope Labs, April 19, 1996, April 25,

1996, XMAT0392.

Deuterium Oxide (D2O)

‘‘Heavy Water’’.

22,500 Kgs As a ‘‘mud tracer’’ in oil

exploration.

United Arab Emirates.

Dated this 31st day of May 1996 at

Rockville, Maryland.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Ronald D. Hauber,

Director, Division of Nonproliferation,

Exports and Multilateral Relations, Office of

International Programs.

[FR Doc. 96–14559 Filed 6–7–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–PM

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

[Investment Company Act Release No.

22001; 812–10096]

Sierra Asset Management Trust, et al.;

Notice of Application

June 3, 1996.

AGENCY: Securities and Exchange

Commission (‘‘SEC’’).

ACTION: Notice of Application for an

Order under the Investment Company

Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Act’’).

APPLICANTS: Sierra Asset Management

Trust (the ‘‘Trust’’); Sierra Trust Funds

(‘‘Sierra Trust’’); Sierra Investment

Advisors Corporation (‘‘SIAC’’); and

Sierra Investment Services Corporation

(‘‘SISC’’).

RELEVANT ACT SECTIONS: Order requested

under section 6(c) of the Act from