29432 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 112 / Monday, June 10, 1996 / Notices

projects. To request more information

on the proposed project or to obtain a

copy of the data collection plans and

instruments, call the NSF Clearance

Officer on (703) 306–1243.

Comments are invited on (a) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Proposed Project: Separately budgeted

current fund expenditures on research

and development in the sciences and

engineering performed by universities

and colleges and their affiliated

federally funded research and

development centers—A mail survey,

the Survey of Scientific and Engineering

Expenditures at Universities and

Colleges, originated in fiscal year (FY)

1954 and has been conducted annually

since FY 1972. The survey is the

academic expenditure component of the

NSF statistical program that seeks to

‘‘provide a central clearinghouse for the

collection, interpretation, and analysis

of data on the availability of, and the

current and projected need for,

scientific and technical resources in the

United States, and to provide a source

of information for policy formulation by

other agencies of the Federal

government’’ as mandated in the

National Science Foundation Act of

1950. the proposed project will continue

the current survey cycle for three to five

years. The FY 1996 and FY 1997 will be

a statistical sample of approximately

518 institutions and FY 1998 a full

survey population of about 700

institutions. The survey is conducted as

a full survey population every 5 years

and as a statistical sample in each of the

4 intervening years. These institutions

account for over 95 percent of the

Nation’s academic R&D funds. The

survey has provided continuity of

statistics on R&D expenditures by

source of funds and by science &

engineering (S&E) field, with separate

data requested on current fund

expenditures for research equipment by

S&E field. Statistics from the survey are

published in NSF’s annual publication

series Academic Science and

Engineering R&D Expenditures and are

available electronically on the World

Wide Web.

The survey will be mailed primarily

to the administrators at the Institutional

Research Offices. To minimize burden,

institutions are provided with (in

addition to paper copy) an automatic

survey questionnaire (ASQ) diskette,

pre-loaded with the institutions

previous years data and a complete

program for editing and trend checking.

Respondents are encouraged to submit

their response via the ASQ diskette or

electronically via internet.

Approximately 60% responded via ASQ

or electronically to this voluntary

survey in FY 1994 and a total response

rate of 99.6% was obtained. Burden

estimates are as follows:

Total number of institutions Doctorate-granting Masters-granting

Bachelors degree or below

Burden hours

FY 1992 480 ............................... 20.8 hours ..................................... 12.0 hours ..................................... 4.4 hours.

FY 1993 700 ............................... 21.0 hours ..................................... 8.1 hours ....................................... 5.2 hours.

FY 1994 518 ............................... 21.6 hours ..................................... 7.7 hours ....................................... 4.3 hours.

Send comments to Herman Fleming,

Clearance Officer, National Science

Foundation, National Science

Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Suite 485, Arlington, VA 22230. Written

comments should be received by August

4, 1996.

Dated: June 5, 1996.

Herman G. Fleming,

NSF Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96–14560 Filed 6–7–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

NATIONAL SKILL STANDARDS

BOARD

Request for Comments; Notice of

Public Hearings

This notice announces the second in

a series of public hearings to stimulate

public dialogue on key issues relevant

to the decision-making of the National

Skill Standards Board (NSSB), and

notifies the public of the dates,

locations, and times of these hearings.

The second round of public hearings

will solicit the public’s views on the

nature, scope, and functions of an ideal

national system of workforce

development, and to determine how

skill standards can enhance that system.

The first series of hearings, held in

April 1996, garnered valuable

information from employers, vocational

educators, parents, professional

associations, union leaders, community

organizations, state government

agencies, teachers, and others. Their

views provided a framework for the

Board’s development of a voluntary

system of skill standards. The National

Skill Standards Board will continue to

develop its policies and approaches by

sharing its preliminary thinking with

the public before the Board’s final

adoption of policies.

Those providing testimony at the

initial set of pubic hearings gave a broad

range of comments on issues relating to

NSSB’s mission, skill standards’

characteristics and uses, existing models

for implementation, the role of

voluntary partnerships, the

identification of occupational clusters,

and high performance/best practice

workplaces. There was unanimous

support for the mission and efforts of

NSSB. There was a general consensus

that the NSSB should: (1) Learn from

existing efforts to avoid reinventing the

wheel; (2) involve all stakeholders in

the process, but employers must lead

the effort; (3) establish standards that

are portable, flexible, integrated with

academic standards and basic

employability skills, and that are

regularly updated; and (4) create a

common lexicon to describe skills and

standards. In addition, although there

was common agreement on the

necessity of clustering tasks or

occupations, there was no consensus on

the best method of clustering. Finally,

there was no consensus on the issue of

how the Board’s work should relate to

the concept of high performance/best

practice workplaces or jobs. Many

agreed that highly skilled jobs are

integral to America’s economic health,

but they urged the Board to not focus

solely on highly skilled jobs but on

those that are most important to the

economy.

Within future public hearings, the

NSSB will solicit public comment on

such topics as:

• Voluntary partnerships.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 112 / Monday, June 10, 1996 / Notices 29433

• Occupational skill clusters for skill

standards development.

• Standards endorsement criteria.

• Assessment.

• Certification and accreditation.

• Civil rights issues in developing a

voluntary system of skill standards.

DATES:

A. Hearing Dates: The dates of the

second set of public hearings are:

• Wednesday, June 26, 1996: San

Francisco, CA.

• Tuesday, July 9, 1996: Detroit, MI.

• Thursday, July 11, 1996:

Washington, DC.

B. Comment Dates for Public

Hearings: Comments and notices of

intent to present oral and/or written

statements at the hearings must be

received 10 business days before the

date of the hearing at which they will

be presented. The requirements for the

comments are set forth in the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section

below. We strongly encourage responses

to the Questions for Public Comment.

ADDRESSES: The locations of the three

public hearings are as follows:

• San Francisco: Ramada Plaza Hotel

at Fisherman’s Wharf, 590 Bay St., San

Francisco, CA 94133, (415) 885–4700.

• Detroit: Westin Hotel at

Renaissance Center, Detroit, MI 48243,

(313) 568–8000.

• Washington: Hyatt Regency at

Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC 20001, (202) 737–1234.

Notice of intent to present oral

statements or written statements must

be mailed to NSSB Public Hearing

Coordinator at the address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

NSSB Public Hearing Coordinator,

National Skill Standards Board, 1441 L

Street, NW., Suite 9000, Washington,

DC 20005–3512, (202)–254–8628, (202)–

254–8646 (fax).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Form of Public Comment

The hearings will begin at 9:30 a.m.

and adjourn at 1:00 p.m. To assist the

NSSB in scheduling speakers, the

written notice of intent to present oral

comments should include the following

information: (1) the name, address, and

telephone number of each person to

appear; (2) title and affiliation; and (3)

the specific questions, issues or

concerns that will be addressed.

Individuals who do not register in

advance will be permitted to register

and speak at each hearing, if time

permits, in order of registration.

Speakers should limit their oral remarks

to no more than 10 minutes. Although

it is anticipated that all persons desiring

to speak will have an opportunity to do

so, time limits may not allow this to

occur. However, all written statements

will be accepted and incorporated into

the public record. The proceedings will

be audiotaped and transcribed.

Meeting Procedure and Objectives

Members of the National Skill

Standards Board will comprise the

hearing panel. A designated member of

the NSSB will preside at each of the

hearings. The Presiding Board Member

will:

(1) Regulate the course of the meeting,

including the order of appearance of

persons presenting oral statements;

(2) Dispose of procedural matters; and

(3) Limit the presentations to matters

pertinent to the issues raised in this

notice.

Background

The National Skill Standards Board

was created by The National Skill

Standards Act of 1994 (108 Stat 192,20

U.S.C. 5933), signed into law by

President Clinton on March 31, 1994.

The Board’s purpose as stated in the Act

is ‘‘to serve as a catalyst in stimulating

the development and adoption of a

voluntary national system of skill

standards and of assessment and

certification of attainment of skill

standards: (1) That will serve as a

cornerstone of the national strategy to

enhance workforce skills; (2) that will

result in increased productivity,

economic growth, and American

economic competitiveness; and (3) that

can be used consistent with civil rights

laws’’ by the stakeholders enumerated

in the Act: the nation, industries,

employers, labor organizations, workers,

students, entry-level workers, training

providers, educators and government.

The Act also relates that this

voluntary national system of skill

standards will serve (1) to facilitate the

transition to high performance work

organizations; (2) to increase

opportunities for minorities and

women; and (3) to facilitate linkages

between other components of the

national strategy to enhance workforce

skills.

The National Skill Standards Act calls

for voluntary skill standards that

‘‘facilitate linkages between other

components of the national strategy to

enhance workforce skills.’’ These other

components include the educational

system, school-to-work programs,

welfare-to-work programs, job training

programs, apprenticeship, occupational

licensing and certification, literacy and

basic skills programs, and one-stop

career centers. NSSB welcomes

comments on how skill standards can

best contribute to the collaborative

efforts of employers, educators and

trainers, government, other stakeholder

groups, and individual workers in

creating a model system that prepares

individuals for the workplace.

Voluntary skill standards are essential

to an effective workforce development

system. Standards accomplish this

purpose by communicating the

knowledge, skills, and abilities needed

for individuals to succeed in the

workplace. To adapt to the changing

skill needs of the continuously evolving

economy, Americans will need to

engage in ongoing learning throughout

their careers.

An ideal workforce development

system effectively links public and

private resources and programs to:

• Give students a strong foundation of

academic and work-related skills;

• Develop career pathways for

students to facilitate employment in

rewarding careers;

• Provide employers with the skilled

employees needed in today’s and

tomorrow’s economy;

• Enable workforce entrants, the

unemployed, and current workers to

clearly understand the skills needed for

success in current and future

workplaces;

• Connect individuals with the

education and training they need to

meet voluntary skill standards; and

• Give states and localities a

mechanism to ensure accountability and

continual improvement in public

education and training programs.

Voluntary skill standards allow

individuals to easily transfer evidence

of skill attainment from one education

or training provider to another. A

voluntary standards system also enables

both individuals and programs to

clearly identify the skills individuals

already possess, so that they can acquire

the new skills they need, not re-learn

old skills. This ensures cost-effective

programming and streamlined

instructional programs.

An effective workforce development

system gives people greater control over

their own education and training. The

current assortment of programs with

different entry requirements and

services makes it nearly impossible for

individuals to navigate the bureaucracy

and find the appropriate education and

training. Everyone should have ready

access to information on jobs, and the

education and training needed to

qualify for those jobs.

An effective workforce development

system is one that:

• Is standards-driven: Standards

provide a common framework for

linking a diverse array of training

providers and communicating clear
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