Program and Compliance Management

1. Program and Compliance Management V I R T U A L L Y Workshop: Serving Veterans within the Context of Priority of Service

2. OUTLINE • Introduction – About Veterans • Serving Veterans – What American Job Center Staff Should Know • Priority of Service – Getting it Right Every Time • Policy Requirements • Available Resources! • Your Data / Your Story

3. Introduction – About Veterans

4. Key DifferencesVeteran and Non-Veteran AJC Customers Over half of veteran participants at AJCs are 45+ For veterans 45+ the EER is 40% For most age groups, unemployment rates for veterans are higher than for non-veterans Age and duration of military service interact to produce identifiable veteran subgroups Veterans of recent conflicts face new challenges in current labor market

5. Facing Unique ChallengesVeterans of Recent Conflicts Heavy reliance of Armed Forces on Guard and Reserve units resulting in high numbers returning from deployments May need help with reinstatement of old job > Referral to VETS staff under USERRA Recent conflicts are resulting in disabilities such as PTSD and TBI Employers hesitant to take on risks Veterans hesitant to seek treatment and/or to disclose conditions for fear of consequences

6. Most Helpful Workforce Services2010 Study of Key Veteran Subgroups Young and recently separated (UCX claimants): low intensity services, such as job search and referral Mid-career, not recently separated(UI claimants): medium intensity services, such as job search and referral + career guidance Older, recently separated(Retired): high intensity services like case management Those with significant barriers(e.g., homeless): not included in study; referral to needed services Question: How does this align with your current service design and delivery strategy?

7. Serving Veterans – What AJC Staff ShouldKnow

8. What Local Staff Need to KnowPriority of Service Applies to ALL Services POS applies to the full range of services offered by workforce programs Self-service* Staff-assisted core services Intensive services Training services POS is not restricted to program enrollment *POS would apply to the extent access to self-services is limited (e.g., computers in resource rooms) 8

9. What Local Staff Need to KnowExcluding Military Income Income earned while on active duty is disregarded when considering eligibility or low income status Also includes service-connected disability compensation See WIA Regulations (Sec. 667.255) Does not include DOD pension for retirees

10. What Local Staff Need to KnowCoordinating Benefits to Fund Training WIA requires coordination of “other grant assistance” when funding training (e.g., Pell grants) VA benefits such as the GI Bill are not other grant assistance,” meaning veterans do not have to exhaust VA benefits as a condition for receipt of WIA training TEN 29-11 (2/16/12) – Post-9/11 GI Bill

11. What Local Staff Need to KnowVerification of Veteran Status POS emphasizes immediate delivery of services to veterans and eligible spouses, not verification of status While awaiting verification, program staff may provide services on a priority basis, including intensive services While awaiting verification, services based on outside resources (such as classroom training) may not be delivered on a priority basis

12. Priority of Service – Getting it Right Every Time

13. Highlights—What POS Actually Means “Priority” Veterans and eligible spouses are entitled to precedence over non-covered persons to services – in other words, a covered person either receives access to a service earlier or instead of the non-covered person If a non-covered person is already enrolled, POS does not mean that the veteran or eligible spouse can bump that individual

14. How It Works Across Programs Universal Access Programs – No eligibility criteria First priority level – Veterans and Eligible Spouses Second priority level – Non-covered persons Programs with Eligibility Criteria – Conditions that all participants must meet (e.g., WIA DW) First priority level – Veterans and Eligible Spouses who meet eligibility criteria Second priority level – Non-covered persons who meet eligibility criteria

15. Policy Requirements

16. From Joint GuidancePolicies Needed! “…recipients … should review and, if necessary, enhance their current policies and procedures to ensure that adequate protocols are in place.” “Each state … must develop policies for the delivery of [POS] by all qualified job training programs…” “[Policies] must require that processes are in place to ensure that veterans and eligible spouses are identified at the point of entry…” “Written copies of local [POS] policies should be maintained at all service delivery points…”

17. Monitoring Priority of Service The regulations require joint monitoring by: The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) as the DOL agency responsible for the program’s administration and oversight Policy not yet developed but it’s coming Some regions use DV reviews as opportunity to assess compliance with POS including R4

18. Issues from Regional Data Validation Reviews No priority of service provided Lack of signage /appropriate notification No/Outdated policies at state and/or local levels Requiring 180 days of active duty service Requiring a DD-214 before POS can be applied Veterans immediately shepherded to VETS staff

19. Recommendations Review/Revise/Refine policies and procedures NOW …or develop them Get assistance from VETS

20. Available Resources!

21. NRD – Veterans Job Bank

22. www.nrd.gov • Co-managed by DOL, VA, DoD • Gives veterans the ability to search for jobs from thousands of military-friendly employers worldwide based on keyword, MOC (military occupation code) and/or location • Easy to use tool to help veterans find job postings from companies looking to hire them • >1M jobs posted and still growing • Companies can post their announcements

23. My Next Move for Veterans

24. www.MyNextMove.org/vets • Allows veterans to enter their MOC and discover civilian jobs where their skills translate • Veterans can browse over 900 career options • Contains user-friendly information such as: • Who’s hiring in the area • Overall hiring outlook in the area • Earnings for different jobs • Where to receive training needed to get hired

25. Veterans’ Retraining Assistance Program – VRAP

26. Approved Applications

27. In Training

28. Gold Card Initiative

29. Gold Card Initiative Highlights • Joint effort of ETA and VETS • Entitles every post-9/11 veteran to get six months of one-on-one job assistance at an American Job Center • Career assessments • Individual Development Plans • Direct referrals to open jobs • Interview coaching • Training referrals • Our experience shows that veterans who get one-on-one job assistance have much greater success launching civilian careers

30. IVMF Publication • Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University • IVMF published, in collaboration with a large cross-section of the nation’s leading employers of veterans and military family members • Guide to Leading Policies, Practices & Resources: Supporting the Employment of Veterans and Military Families • Services to veterans • Innovations tied to recruitment, assimilation, retention and advancement in the workforce • Best practices • Licensing and certification • Small business partnerships

31. WOTC

32. For State and Local StaffOn-Line Tutorial • Short, interactive tutorial providing highlights regarding • Service to veterans • Reporting services to veterans • Providing priority of service to covered persons • www.doleta.gov/performance Look under “Tutorials”

33. Your Data / Your Story

34. Just to Clarify Up Front This is WIA data, not Labor Exchange data Information from public WIASRD file Four quarters of data through PY12 Q1 It’s the data reported by your state, which begins with data collection at the AJC level

35. WIA Service Levels for Veterans

36. WIA Service Levels for Veterans (2) Served = new participants plus those already on board

37. Receipt of Staff-Assisted Services by (New) Veterans

38. Looking at Provision of Staff-Assisted Services Over Time as a Proxy for Looking at POS*

39. *The Full Story

40. Uniform National Threshold EER for Veterans • Final Rule published 3-11-13 • Uniform National Threshold Entered Employment Rate (UNTEER) for veterans for use in evaluating state performance in assisting veterans to meet their employment needs (WP and JVSG, not WIA) • States’ Actual EER compared to UNTEER • If below [90%] threshold, it may reflect a deficiency in performance or factors beyond state control • If deficiency, there is a procedure for CAPs and delivery of TA • Effective May 10, 2013

41. David Vogt/VETS • Vogt.david@dol.gov • Maria Weidmark • Weidmark.maria@dol.gov