PUBLIC LAW 105-220—AUG. 7, 1998 112 STAT. 1031 SEC. 171. DEMONSTRATION, PILOT, MULTISERVICE, RESEARCH, AND MULTISTATE PROJECTS. (a) STRATEGIC PLAN. — (1) IN GENERAL.— After consultation with States, localities, and other interested parties, the Secretary shall, every 2 years, publish in the Federal Register, a plan that describes the demonstration and pilot (including dislocated worker demonstration and pilot), multiservice, research, and multistate project priorities of the Department of Labor concerning employ- ment and training for the 5-year period following the submission of the plan. Copies of the plan shall be transmitted to the appropriate committees of Congress. (2) FACTORS.— The plan published under paragraph (1) shall contain strategies to address national employment and training problems and take into account factors such as— (A) the availability of existing research (as of the date of the publication); (B) the need to ensure results that have interstate validity; (C) the benefits of economies of scale and the efficiency of proposed projects; and (D) the likelihood that the results of the projects will be useful to policymakers and stakeholders in addressing employment and training problems, (b) DEMONSTRATION AND PILOT PROJECTS. — (1) IN GENERAL. —Under a plan published under subsection (a), the Secretary shall, through grants or contracts, carry out demonstration and pilot projects for the purpose of developing and implementing techniques and approaches, and demonstrating the effectiveness of specialized methods, in addressing employment and training needs. Such projects shall include the provision of direct services to individuals to enhance employment opportunities and an evaluation component and may include— (A) the establishment of advanced manufacturing technology skill centers developed through local partnerships of industry, labor, education, community-based organizations, and economic development organizations to meet unmet, high-tech skill needs of local communities; (B) projects that provide training to upgrade the skills of employed workers who reside and are employed in enterprise communities or empowerment zones; (C) progrsuns conducted jointly with the Department of Defense to develop training programs utilizing computerbased and other innovative learning technologies; (D) projects that promote the use of distance learning, enabling students to take courses through the use of media technology such as videos, teleconferencing computers, and the Internet; (E) projects that assist in providing comprehensive services to increase the employment rates of out-of-school youth residing in targeted high poverty areas within empowerment zones and enterprise communities; (F) the establishment of partnerships witii national organizations with special expertise in developing, organizing, and £ulministering employment and training services. 29 USC 2916. Federal Register, publication. Grants. Contracts.
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