Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 196 / Thursday, October 9, 2014 / Notices 61099 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

Final Notice of Job Corps Center for 

Closure 

AGENCY: Office of Job Corps, 

Employment and Training 

Administration (ETA), Labor. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Employment and 

Training Administration (ETA) of the 

U.S. Department of Labor (Department 

or DOL) issues this notice to announce 

its final decision to close the Treasure 

Lake Job Corps Center. The Office of Job 

Corps (OJC) in ETA published a 

proposed methodology for selecting 

centers for closure at 78 FR 2284 on 

January 10, 2013. Based on public 

comments received, the Office of Job 

Corps published a revised methodology 

for selecting centers for closure at 79 FR 

36823 on June 30, 2014. Based on 

review of those comments, the Office of 

Job Corps published its final closure 

methodology and announced its 

proposed decision to close the Treasure 

Lake Job Corps Center at 79 FR 51198 

on August 27, 2014. A total of 13 public 

comments were received in response to 

the proposal to close Treasure Lake. 

After reviewing all comments, the 

Department has decided to close the 

Treasure Lake Job Corps Center. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lenita Jacobs-Simmons, Acting National 

Director, Office of Job Corps, ETA, U.S. 

Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 

Avenue NW., Room N–4463, 

Washington, DC 20210; Telephone (202) 

693–3000 (this is not a toll-free 

number). Individuals with hearing or 

speech impairments may access the 

telephone number above via TTY by 

calling the toll-free Federal Information 

Relay Service at 1 (877) 889–5627 (TTY/ 

TDD). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Process for Selecting Job Corps Center 

for Closure 

On August 14, 2012, the Office of Job 

Corps hosted a national Job Corps 

listening session, via webinar, with the 

Job Corps community to solicit input on 

the methodology factors for selecting Job 

Corps centers for closure. More than 100 

Job Corps stakeholders participated in 

the session and provided criteria-related 

suggestions in the areas of performance, 

geographic location, local economic 

impact, contract budgets, facilities, and 

the time period for evaluating chronic 

low performance. 

On January 10, 2013, OJC published a 

Federal Register Notice requesting 

public comments on a proposed 

methodology for selecting Job Corps 

centers for closure (78 FR 2284). A total 

of 18 public comments were received. 

As a result of analysis, OJC revised the 

methodology factors for selection of Job 

Corps centers for closure. OJC also 

proposed additional considerations for 

inclusion as factors in the methodology. 

On June 30, 2014, OJC published a 

second Federal Register Notice 

requesting public comments on a 

revised methodology for selecting Job 

Corps centers for closure (79 FR 36823). 

The comment period for the June 30, 

2014 Federal Register Notice was open 

from June 30, 2014 to July 21, 2014. A 

total of 11 public comments were 

received. After reviewing these 

comments, OJC decided not to make any 

changes to the proposed methodology. 

On August 27, 2014, OJC published a 

third Federal Register Notice 

announcing the final methodology. 

Applying the methodology, Job Corps 

also announced its proposed decision to 

close the Treasure Lake Job Corps 

Center in Indiahoma, Oklahoma. The 

Notice further requested comments on 

the proposed decision to close Treasure 

Lake. 

The comment period for the August 

27, 2014, Federal Register Notice was 

open from August 27, 2014, to 

September 26, 2014. Thirteen (13) 

public comments were received in 

response to the proposed decision to 

close Treasure Lake. OJC considered 

these comments in making its final 

decision to close Treasure Lake. 

The comments are summarized briefly 

and discussed below. 

Two commenters generally supported 

the Job Corps’ decision to close Treasure 

Lake. 

One commenter criticized the 

methodology that Job Corps developed 

and applied in determining which 

center to close. Since commenters had 

ample time to discuss those issues in 

response to two previous Federal 

Register Notices, and because the 

August 27, 2014, FRN requested 

comments only on the proposed 

selection of Treasure Lake, we consider 

this comment to be out of scope and 

will not respond to it here. 

One commenter expressed their belief 

that Job Corps’ decision ignores 

Congress’ intent with respect to 

measuring and improving center 

performance as manifested in its 

passage of the Workforce Innovation 

and Opportunity Act (WIOA). As noted 

in the August 27, 2014, FRN, the actions 

available to Job Corps to improve 

performance under WIOA are consistent 

with those available under the 

Workforce Investment Act (WIA). 

Waiting until WIOA becomes effective 

on July 1, 2015, would adversely affect 

those students who may otherwise have 

the opportunity to attend a higher 

performing center. OJC believes that 

implementing reforms to the Job Corps 

program now while working toward 

successful implementation of WIOA 

will lead to the greatest improvement 

across the Job Corps system. 

Two commenters asserted that closing 

Treasure Lake would cost $10.5 million 

and would be an inefficient use of Job 

Corps’ resources. OJC cannot respond to 

the commenters’ cost estimate because it 

is unclear how they developed it. More 

broadly, OJC is focused on the longerterm cost efficiencies that will result 

from achieving better results for current 

and future Job Corps students with the 

limited funds available. 

The same commenters argued that 

Program Year 2013 data shows that 

Treasure Lake’s successful placement of 

graduates in full time employment upon 

graduation and those graduates’ high job 

retention rates indicate that Treasure 

Lake is not a poorly performing center. 

However, these commenters point only 

to three of the fifteen measures that 

comprise Treasure Lake’s Outcome 

Measurement System (OMS) score. On 

the remaining twelve measures Treasure 

Lake was in the bottom quintile of 

performance for eleven of them. In 

addition, Treasure Lake’s PY 2013 OMS 

score was a full seven percentage points 

lower than its PY 2012 OMS score. 

Accordingly, OJC had no basis to 

conclude that Treasure Lake’s overall 

performance in PY 2013 constituted 

significant performance improvement 

such that it should have been exempt 

from closure. 

One commenter expressed concern 

that there was not sufficient opportunity 

for stakeholder input. OJC disagrees. As 

discussed above, in addition to holding 

a broadly attended listening session 

with all potentially affected 

stakeholders, the Department published 

three separate Federal Register Notices, 

including two specifically requesting 

comments on the proposed 

methodology to which the public, 

including stakeholders, could provide 

substantive comments. 

One commenter asserts, based on 

Senate Report 112–176, that Congress 

mandated for Job Corps to exhaust all 

options to improve a center before 

closing it, which, it asserts, OJC had not 

done in this case. Job Corps disagrees 

with the commenter’s assertion, and 

believes that Treasure Lake has been 

given ample opportunity to demonstrate 

sustained performance improvement. In 

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61100 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 196 / Thursday, October 9, 2014 / Notices 

addition, as the referenced report, 

Senate Report 112–176, was a report on 

proposed but never enacted legislation 

we disagree that it provides evidence of 

Congress’ intent on this matter. 

The same commenter expressed their 

opinion that Treasure Lake has not been 

on its Performance Improvement Plan 

(PIP) for sufficient time to make 

performance improvement. OJC 

disagrees that additional time and 

resources will lead to improved 

performance. Despite having been on a 

PIP and having received assistance for at 

least the past two years, Treasure Lake’s 

performance has dramatically 

decreased. Between PY 2011 and PY 

2013, Treasure Lake’s OMS score has 

decreased more than 18 percentage 

points, from 94.5% to 76%. To OJC, this 

performance decline indicates that 

additional resources should not be 

expended to attempt to improve 

performance. Balanced against the lost 

opportunity for current and future 

students to attend a higher performing 

center, OJC believes that closing 

Treasure Lake achieves the best 

outcome for the program. 

Several commenters generally 

expressed their opinion, based on their 

experience at the center, the 

opportunities that the center provides 

for troubled youth, and the impact that 

the center has on the broader 

community, that Job Corps should not 

close Treasure Lake. The core mission of 

Job Corps is to train students to become 

more employable, responsible, and 

productive citizens, and we believe that 

we will advance this mission by closing 

Treasure Lake and enhancing 

opportunities for current and future 

students at higher performing centers. 

Finally, one comment was received 

that is outside the scope of the 

requested response, and was therefore 

not considered. 

Job Corps Center Selected for Closure 

and the Closure Process 

Based on its application of the closure 

methodology as described in the August 

27, 2014, Federal Register Notice and 

OJC’s consideration of the comments 

received in response to the August 27, 

2014, Federal Register Notice, OJC has 

decided to close the Treasure Lake Job 

Corps Center. 

OJC will implement the closure 

process following the center closure 

requirements in WIA section 159(g) and 

other applicable requirements. 

Signed in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of 

October 2014. 

Portia Wu, 

Assistant Secretary for Employment and 

Training . 

[FR Doc. 2014–24094 Filed 10–8–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FT–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

Notice of a Public Meeting of the 

Advisory Committee on 

Apprenticeship (ACA) 

AGENCY: Employment and Training 

Administration (ETA), Labor. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 10 of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. 2 § 10), notice is 

hereby given to announce an open 

meeting of the Advisory Committee on 

Apprenticeship (ACA) on Tuesday, 

November 18, 2014 and Wednesday, 

November 19, 2014. The meeting will 

convene over a day and a half. The ACA 

is a discretionary committee established 

by the Secretary of Labor, in accordance 

with FACA, as amended in 5 U.S.C. 

App. 2, and its implementing 

regulations (41 CFR 101–6 and 102–3). 

All meetings of the ACA are open to the 

public. 

DATES: The meeting will begin at 

approximately 1:00 p.m. Eastern 

Standard Time on Tuesday, November 

18, 2014, at the U.S. Department of 

Labor, Francis Perkins Building, 200 

Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, 

DC 20210, and will continue until 

approximately 5:00 p.m. The meeting 

will reconvene on Wednesday, 

November 19, 2014, at approximately 

9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at the 

U.S. Department of Labor, Francis 

Perkins Building, 200 Constitution 

Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210, 

and adjourn at approximately 4:00 p.m. 

Any updates to the agenda and meeting 

logistics will be posted on the Office of 

Apprenticeship’s homepage: http://

www.doleta.gov/oa/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Designated Federal Official, Mr. John V. 

Ladd, Administrator, Office of 

Apprenticeship, Employment and 

Training Administration, U.S. 

Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 

Avenue NW., Room N–5311, 

Washington, DC 20210, Telephone: 

(202) 693–2796 (this is not a toll-free 

number). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In order to 

promote openness, and increase public 

participation, webinar and audio 

conference technology will be used 

throughout the meeting. Webinar and 

audio instructions will be prominently 

posted on the Office of Apprenticeship 

homepage: http://www.doleta.gov/oa/. 

Members of the public can attend the 

meeting in-person or virtually. Members 

of the public that will attend the 

meeting in-person are encouraged to 

arrive early to allow for security 

clearance into the Francis Perkins 

Building. 

Security and Transportation 

Instructions for the Frances Perkins 

Building 

Meeting participants should use the 

visitor’s entrance to access the Frances 

Perkins Building, one block north of 

Constitution Avenue on 3rd and C 

Streets NW. For security purposes 

meeting participants must: 

1. Present valid photo identification 

(ID) to receive a visitor badge. 

2. Know the name of the event you are 

attending: the meeting event is the 

Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship 

meeting. 

3. Visitor badges are issued by the 

security officer at the Visitor Entrance 

located at 3rd and C Streets NW., as 

described above. 

4. Laptops and other electronic 

devices may be inspected and logged for 

identification purposes. 

5. Due to limited parking options, 

Metro rail is the easiest way to travel to 

the Frances Perkins Building. For 

individuals wishing to take metro rail, 

the closest metro stop to the building is 

Judiciary Square on the Red Line. 

Notice of Intent To Attend the Meeting 

All meeting participants are being 

asked to submit a notice of intent to 

attend by Monday, November 3, 2014, 

via email to Mr. John V. Ladd at 

oa.administrator@dol.gov, with the 

subject line ‘‘November 2014 ACA 

Meeting.’’ 

1. Please indicate if you will be 

attending virtually, or in-person, to 

ensure adequate space is arranged to 

accommodate all meeting participants. 

2. If individuals have special needs 

and/or disabilities that will require 

special accommodations, please contact 

Kenya Huckaby on (202) 693–3795 or 

via email at huckaby.kenya@dol.gov no 

later than Monday, November 3, 2014. 

3. Any member of the public who 

wishes to file written data or comments 

pertaining to the agenda may do so by 

sending the data or comments to Mr. 

John V. Ladd via email at 

oa.administrator@dol.gov, subject line 

‘‘November 2014 ACA Meeting,’’ or to 

the Office of Apprenticeship, 

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