Veterans’ Employment and Training Service

1. Veterans’ Employment and Training Service Bill Slemmer Acting Director June 6, 2012

2. VETS Mission VETS Proudly Serves Veterans & Service Members! We Provide Resources and Expertise to Assist and Prepare them to Obtain Meaningful Careers, Maximize their Employment Opportunities, and Protect their Employment Rights.

3. Overview of VETS Programs • Jobs for Veterans State Grants (DVOP/LVER) • Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) • VA Vocational Rehabilitation • Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP/TAP) • Veterans’ Preference (VP) • Priority of Service • Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Projects • Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program

4. Jobs for Veterans Act • Jobs for Veterans Act, P.L. 107-288, provides priority of service to veterans and eligible spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by the Department of Labor. • Authorizes Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) staff and Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists.

5. Reemploying Veterans through the Jobs for Veterans State Grants • Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialists and Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) staff • Funded by US Department of Labor (DOL)/Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) grant • Approximately $166 million = 2,000 staff in Fiscal Year 2011 • State/County merit system employees • Services to veterans and eligible persons, exclusively • Network with other service providers in State workforce centers or One-Stop Career Centers (OSCC) • http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/empserv/employment_services_fs.htm

6. Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program specialists • DVOP Specialists reach out to veterans to provide intensive services to: • Special Disabled Veterans • Other Disabled Veterans • Barriers to Employment: • Emotional Challenges • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) • Physical Disability • Lack of skills, education or training • Substance abuse

7. USERRA • Intended to minimize the disadvantages to an individual that can occur when that person needs to be absent from his or her civilian employment in order to serve in the uniformed services. • VETS provides technical assistance to service members and employers.

8. DISABLED DURING SERVICE • Employer must make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability and qualify the employee for reemployment positions in the following order • “escalator” position • position equivalent to “escalator” position • nearest approximation to the above •  20 C.F.R. 1002.225

9. TAP/DTAP Workshops • Reduce reliance on unemployment compensation for ex-servicemembers (UCX) benefits • Shown to reduce period of transition by up to eight weeks • Available world-wide to separating military members/families • TAP Facilitators • Are trained by the National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) • TAP workshop subjects areas include: • Job Search / Readiness • Labor Market information • Training Opportunities • Veterans’ Benefits especially for disability retirements • Alternative (Post Separation) TAP Workshops http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/tap/tap_fs.htm

10. Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP) Workshops Military Civilian TO

11. VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment • One Stop Career Centers are able to refer veterans to the VA who appear to need assistance to overcome barriers and become job-ready • Following comprehensive assessment, the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors will make entitlement determinations and develop a rehabilitation plan for one of five tracks: • Reemployment with previous employer • Rapid employment services for new employment • Self-employment • Employment through long-term services • Independent living services • VR&E staff members and DVOP specialists or other designated OSCC staff persons will partner to provide cooperative and comprehensive service to Title 38, U.S.C. Chapter 31 eligible participants at every stage during the rehabilitation process • The VA Employment Coordinator in concert with the DVOP specialist provide job search assistance or perform targeted job development with employers • If training is required, subsistence allowances may be available • Since entering into the VA/DOL agreement in 1995, thousands of veterans with disabilities have benefited from the resulting cooperation and coordination between the two Federal agencies and State Workforce Agency/OSCC partners providing Job Search assistance www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/index.htm

12. Veterans’ Preference • By LAW, Veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty during a certain specified period of time or in a military campaign are generally entitled to preference over non-Veterans in hiring and reductions in force. • Veterans’ preference does NOT however guarantee Veterans a job

13. Veterans’ Preference Points • 10 Points added to score that you meet the minimum qualifications for • CPS = 30% Disability rated by VA • CP = 0 – 20% Disability rated by VA

14. Priority of Service • Priority of Service in all DOL funded employment and training programs: • “a veteran shall be given priority over a non-veteran for receipt of employment, training and placement services in job training programs if the veteran meets the program’s eligibility requirements.” • Title 38, United States Code, Section 4215 • Title 20, Part 1010, Code of Fed. Regulations http://www.doleta.gov/programs/VETS/

15. Self-Help Modalities • USDOL/VETS Website: http://www.dol.gov/vets • Mil 2 Fed Jobs: http://www.mil2fedjobs.com • Turbo Tap: http://www.turbotap.org (note the ORG) • On-Line TAP (e-TAP): http://www.dol.gov/vets/tap/F-TAPSupplement-CreateanEffectiveResume8.9.07.pdf

16. Reemploying Veterans with Barriers • Returning Servicemembers may present some significant physical or psychological barriers to employment • Examples: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI); Substance Abuse; Loss of sight, hearing or one or more extremities http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/vets/vets20081157.htm • Available Supporting Interventions • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Psychological Counseling • Substance Abuse Interventions • Military Hospital Recovery, Prosthetic or related assistance • Computer Assistance Program (Department of Defense) • Case management and intensive services (JVSG) • VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment

17. VETS Competitive Grants • Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Projects • Urban, Rural, Stand Downs • Approximately $36 million annually http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/hvrp/homeless_veterans_fs.htm • Incarcerated Veterans’ Training Program $4 million • Homeless Females & Veterans with Families $5 million • Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program • VWIP authorized by WIA, Section 163 • Approximately $9 Million annually http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/vwip/vwip_fs.htm

18. Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) • Currently authorized under Title 38 United States Code, Section 2021, as amended by Section 5 of Public Law 107-95, the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001. • Section 2021 requires the Secretary of Labor to conduct, directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force. • Administered by the Assistant Secretary for USDOL VETS.

19. HVRP Objectives • (1) To provide services to assist in reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force and; • (2) To stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans. 

20. Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program (VWIP) • Authorized under Public Law #105-220, WIA Section 168 • Employment & Training Programs that meet the needs of veterans: • with service-connected disabilities; • veterans who have significant barriers to employment including ex-offenders; • veterans who served on active duty in the armed forces during a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, and • recently separated veterans (48 months).

21. VWIP Objectives • To provide services to assist in reintegrating veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force. • To stimulate the development of effective delivery systems that will address the complex employment problems facing veterans. • Currently VETS has awarded 17 grants in 14 states, all focusing on Green Jobs

22. Questions ? Bill Slemmer Acting Director Slemmer.william@dol.gov (301) 393-8253 (410) 767-2111