SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

DOL, as part of continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information before submitting them to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for final approval. This program helps to ensure requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements can be properly assessed.

This ICR seeks to require that Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants grantees make information about their work publicly accessible by openly licensing to the public all curricula and credentials that they create in whole or in part with grant funds and posting these products (with the open license affixed) to a public distribution platform, such as a state Open Educational Resources repository, SkillsCommons.org, or other public distribution platforms. This new information collection request concerns the type of information that grantees must make publicly accessible and the way in which they must do so. That is, it directs grantees to share more detailed and useful data about the applicable credentials and to provide such data in a standard, shareable format. Specifically, this ICR specifies grantees to (1) make publicly accessible certain information about all credentials (including but not limited to diplomas, badges, certificates, certifications, apprenticeships, licenses, and degrees of all levels and types) and competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) that they develop or deliver through the use of public federal funds; and (2) make such information available through the use of Credential Transparency Description Language specifications. The information may include data about the credential provider, the credential and its associated competencies, delivery mode, geographic coverage, the industry sector(s) and occupation(s) for which the credential was developed, related assessments, related accreditations or other quality assurances where appropriate, costs, and available outcomes related to the attainment and value of the credentials. Section 169(c) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act authorizes this information collection.

This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and the public is generally not required to respond to an information collection, unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA and displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid Control Number. See5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.

Interested parties are encouraged to provide comments to the contact shown in the ADDRESSES section. Comments must be written to receive consideration, and they will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval of the final ICR. In order to help ensure appropriate consideration, comments should mention Linked Open Data on Credentials.

Submitted comments will also be a matter of public record for this ICR and posted on the internet, without redaction. DOL encourages commenters not to include personally identifiable information, confidential business data, or other sensitive statements/information in any comments.

DOL is particularly interested in comments that:

• Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, (e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses).

Agency: DOL-ETA.

Type of Review: New.

Title of Collection: Linked Open Data on Credentials.

Form: N/A.

OMB Control Number: 1205-0NEW.

Affected Public: State/Local Governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 62.

Frequency: Annually.

Total Estimated Annual Responses: 62.

Estimated Average Time per Response: 30 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,860 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.

Authority:44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).