Illinois Administrative Code › Title 56 - LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT › Part 2660 - JOB TRAINING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM › Subpart A - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS › Section 2660.20 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
"American Rescue Plan Act" means American Rescue Plan Act of
				  2021 , Section
				  9901,
				  P.L.
				  117-2,
				  42 U.S.C.
				  802.
"Barrier Reduction Funding" means flexible funding
				  through a complementary grant agreement, contract, or budgetary line to
				  increase family stability and job retention by covering accumulated emergency
				  costs for basic needs, such as housing-related expenses (rent, utilities,
				  etc.), transportation, child care, digital technology needs, education needs,
				  mental health services, substance abuse services, income support, and
				  work-related supplies that are not typically covered by programmatic supportive
				  services
[20
				  ILCS 605/605-415(b) ].
"Community-based organization" means a private nonprofit
				  organization (which may include a faith-based organization), that is
				  representative of a community or a significant segment of a community and that
				  has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in the field of workforce
				  development as indicated by providing examples of current or completed
				  successful projects similar in scope, identifying expertise of staff and
				  demonstrating successful relationships with key stakeholders, including
				  eligible training providers, employers and social service agencies.
"Complementary workforce or job training grant award or
				  contract" means a grant or contract award that provides workforce or job
				  training services and is awarded to an eligible barrier reduction funding
				  recipient, other than through the Program.
"COVID-19" means the novel coronavirus disease deemed
				  COVID-19 by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020.
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and
				  Economic Opportunity.
"Department's 5-year Economic Plan" means the current
				  strategic economic development plan for the State developed by the Department,
				  including any annual modifications thereto, pursuant to
				  20
				  ILCS 605/605-300.
"Disproportionately impacted area" means those ZIP Codes most
				  severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, to be determined based on positive
				  COVID-19 case per capita rates, and that meet at least one of the following
				  poverty-related criteria relative to other ZIP Codes within their
				  region:
share of population consisting of children age 6 to 17 in
				  households with income less than 125% of the federal poverty level
				  (FPL);
share of population consisting of adults over age 64 in
				  households with income less than 200% FPL;
share of population in households with income less than 150%
				  FPL; or
share of population consisting of children ages 5 and under
				  in households with income less than 185% FPL.
The State is divided into the following two regions for
				  purposes of determining a disproportionately impacted area:
1) The counties of Cook, Kane, Lake, Will, and DuPage;
				  and
2) All other counties within the State.
To determine a disproportionately impacted area, the poverty
				  data points listed in this definition are compared only with the data of the
				  ZIP Codes of the applicable region to determine whether at least one of the
				  poverty-related criteria is met.
"Economic development organizations" means local planning or
				  community development organizations and other local organizations and
				  institutions responsible for promoting or assisting in local economic
				  development.
"Eligible Entities" means employers, private
				  nonprofit organizations (which may include a faith-based organization), federal
				  Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) administrative entities,
				  Community Action Agencies, industry associations, and public or private
				  educational institutions, that have demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in
				  administering workforce development programs
[20
				  ILCS 605/605-415(b) ].
"Eligible Barrier Reduction Funding Recipients" means
				  organizations that meet the requirements set forth in Section
				  2660.80(c).
"Eligible Training Provider" means an organization,
				  such as a public or private college or university, an industry association,
				  registered apprenticeship program or a community-based organization that is
				  approved to provide training services by the appropriate accrediting
				  body
[20
				  ILCS 605/605-415(b) ].
"Employer":
in relation to the definition of Eligible Entities, means a
				  person or company that is in good standing to do business in Illinois and that
				  employs one or more individuals.
in relation to all other purposes set forth in this Part,
				  means a person or company that is in good standing to conduct business in
				  Illinois or any state that is adjacent to Illinois and that employs one or more
				  individuals.
"GATA" means the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act
				  [30 ILCS 708 ].
"Grantee" means any applicant for a grant award under this
				  program whose proposal is funded by the Department.
"Local" means an economically integrated geographic area
				  within which individuals can reside and find employment within a reasonable
				  distance for that area or can readily change employment without changing their
				  place of residence.
"Local level plans" means the portions of the current WIOA
				  regional level plans developed with respect to the corresponding local area
				  within the region, and any regionwide provision of that plan that impacts or
				  relates to the local area.
"Local Workforce Innovation Areas" means the areas designated
				  by the State in the State's WIOA Unified Plan under WIOA,
				  29 U.S.C.
				  3121.
"Local Workforce Innovation Boards" means the area boards
				  established under WIOA,
				  29 U.S.C.
				  3122, which carry out the designated
				  functions for the applicable Local Workforce Innovation Area.
"Low-income individual" means an individual who:
receives, or in the past 6 months has received, or is a
				  member of a family that is receiving or in the past 6 months has received,
				  assistance through:
the supplemental nutrition assistance program established
				  under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
				  2011) ,
the program of block grants to States for temporary
				  assistance for needy families under part A of title IV of the Social Security
				  Act (42
				  U.S.C. 601) ,
the supplemental security income program established under
				  title XVI of the Social Security Act (42
				  U.S.C. 1381) , or
State or local income-based public assistance;
is in a family with total family income that does not exceed
				  the higher of:
the poverty line; or
70 percent of the lower living standard income level;
is a homeless individual (as defined in
				  34
				  U.S.C. 12473(6)) , or a
				  homeless child or youth (as defined in
				  42
				  U.S.C. 11434a(2)) ;
receives or is eligible to receive a free or reduced price
				  lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
				  1751) ;
is a foster child on behalf of whom State or local government
				  payments are made; or
is an individual with a disability whose own income meets the
				  requirements of this definition; however, the individual is permitted to be a
				  member of a family whose income does not meet these requirements.
"Lower living standard income level" means that income level
				  (adjusted for regional, metropolitan, urban, and rural differences and family
				  size) determined annually by the U.S. Secretary of Labor based on the most
				  recent lower living family budget issued by the Secretary.
"Moderate-income individuals" means individuals and their
				  families whose incomes exceed 50 percent, but do not exceed 80 percent, of the
				  area median income, as determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of
				  Housing and Urban Development with adjustments for smaller and larger
				  families.
"Negative economic or public health impacts" means harm that
				  households or populations have experienced as a result of the COVID-19
				  pandemic, as permitted by the American Rescue Plan Act and the related guidance
				  issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (see
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds
).
				  "Negative economic or public health impacts" includes, but is not limited to,
				  households or populations that:
have experienced unemployment or increased food or housing
				  insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
are low-income individuals or moderate-income individuals,
				  which experienced negative impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
are living within either a qualified census tract or a
				  disproportionately impacted area; or
are receiving services or other assistance pursuant to this
				  Part within either a qualified census tract or a disproportionately impacted
				  area.
"Nonprofit organization" means an organization that is
				  registered as a nonprofit corporation and in good standing with the Illinois
				  Secretary of State.
"One-stop operators" means entities designated or certified
				  by the Local Workforce Innovation Boards under WIOA,
				  29 U.S.C.
				  3151, to operate centers that provide access
				  to career and job training services.
"On-the-job training" means training by an employer that is
				  provided to a paid participant while engaged in productive work in a job that:
provides knowledge or skills essential to the full and
				  adequate performance of the job;
is made available through a program that provides
				  reimbursement to the employer of up to the amount set by the Department in the
				  Notice of Funding Opportunity ("NOFO"), based on the amount and source of
				  funding, for the extraordinary costs of providing the training and additional
				  supervision related to the training; and
is limited in duration as appropriate to the occupation for
				  which the participant is being trained, taking into account the content of the
				  training, the prior work experience of the participant, and the service
				  strategy of the participant, as appropriate.
"Poverty line" means the poverty line (as defined by the
				  Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with
				  42
				  U.S.C. 9902(2)) applicable
				  to a family of the size involved.
"Public assistance" means federal, State, or local government
				  cash payments for which eligibility is determined by a needs or income
				  test.
"Qualified Census Tract" means a census tract, as defined by
				  the U.S. Census Bureau, having 50 percent of households with incomes below 60
				  percent of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI) or having a poverty rate of 25
				  percent or more.
"Regional level plans" means the current plans, pursuant to
				  WIOA,
				  29 U.S.C.
				  3121(c), prepared by the
				  Local Workforce Innovation Boards and chief elected officials within regions
				  designated by the State in the State's WIOA Unified Plan.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of the U.S. Department of
				  Labor.
"State" means the State of Illinois.
"State's WIOA Unified Plan" means the current 4-year strategy
				  for the core workforce programs of the State that must be submitted and
				  approved by the Secretary pursuant to WIOA,
				  29 U.S.C.
				  3112.
"Supportive services" means services such as transportation,
				  child care, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments, that are
				  reasonable, necessary and approved by the Department as part of the grant
				  application and approval process, to enable an individual to participate in
				  activities authorized under the Job Training and Economic Development Grant
				  Program.
"Target Population" means persons who are unemployed,
				  under-employed, or under-represented that have one or more barriers to
				  employment as defined for "individual with a barrier to employment" in the
				  federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ("WIOA"),
				  29
				  U.S.C. 3102(24)
[20
				  ILCS 605/605-415(b) ]. If permitted
				  by the applicable funding source, a "barrier to employment," pursuant to
				  29
				  U.S.C. 3102(24)(N), shall
				  include individuals who reside in or receive services in a qualified census
				  tract or a disproportionately impacted area, or who have experienced negative
				  economic or public health impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Target industries" means in-demand industries identified in
				  the Department's 5-year Economic Plan, the State's WIOA Unified Plan and any
				  relevant local or regional level plans, and the funding source for any NOFO
				  under the Job Training and Economic Development Program.
"Transitional job training" means time-limited, wage-paid
				  work experiences that are subsidized by grant funds up to 100 percent of the
				  wages. Types of work-based learning opportunities in a transitional jobs
				  program includes, but is not limited to, on-the-job training, work experience
				  and pre-apprenticeships.
"Under-employed individual" means an individual who
				  is:
working part-time but desires full-time employment;
working in employment not commensurate with the individual's
				  demonstrated level of educational and/or skill achievement; or
employed and meets the definition of a low-income
				  individual.
If permitted by the applicable funding source,
				  "under-employed individual" shall include:
an individual who meets one of the requirements of
				  "under-employed individual" set forth in the first three paragraphs of this
				  definition and resides in or receives services in a qualified census tract;
				  or
an individual who is employed and is in need of job training
				  and other assistance to address the negative economic or public health impacts
				  experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the individual's occupation or
				  level of training.
"Under-represented individuals" means individuals, groups and
				  communities that have experienced disparities or disadvantages in employment.
				  If permitted by the applicable funding source, "under-represented individuals"
				  shall include individuals who reside in or receive services in a qualified
				  census tract or a disproportionately impacted area, or who have experienced
				  negative economic or public health impacts resulting from the COVID-19
				  pandemic.
"Unemployed individual" means an individual who is without a
				  job and who wants and is available for work. The determination of whether an
				  individual is without a job, for purposes of this definition, shall be made in
				  accordance with the criteria used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
				  Department of Labor (
http://www.bls.gov
) or as required by the
				  relevant funding source. If permitted by the applicable funding source,
				  "unemployed individual" shall include:
an individual who meets the definition of "unemployed
				  individual" set forth above and resides in or receives services in a qualified
				  census tract; or
an individual who:
is without a job;
wants and is available to work, including someone who has
				  looked for work sometime in the past 12 months; and
is in need of job training and other assistance to address
				  the negative economic or public health impacts experienced due to the COVID-19
				  pandemic; or
an individual who is currently employed but received a notice
				  of termination or lay-off from the current employment and will no longer be
				  employed within ninety days.
"Uniform Guidance" means the Uniform Administrative
				  Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR
				  Part 200 .
"WIOA" means the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
				  (29
				  U.S.C. 3101) .
"Youth" means an individual aged 16-24 who faces one
				  or more barriers to education, training, and employment
[20
				  ILCS 605/605-415(b) ].