Veterans' Employment Summit 2015: Preparing for Better Jobs

1. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)Maritime Education SummitOctober 6, 2015 Preparing Veterans for Better Jobs 1

2. VeteranUnemployment Rates • 21.2M veterans in the BLS statistics (2014 average). • Roughly 80% are 45 years old or older, compared to 50% of non-veterans. • Roughly 64% are 55 years old or older, compared to 32% of non-veterans. • Unemployment rates tend to be lower for older populations.

3. Integrated Approach to Serving Veterans • Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) • Coordinates Agency efforts • Employment & Training Administration (ETA) • National Workforce System (AJCs) • UCX, Office of Apprenticeship, WIOA, Grants • Office of the Solicitor (SOL) • Employment law expertise including enforcement in U.S. veteran discrimination cases. • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) • Continuously monitors and analyzes U.S. veteran employment statistics • Chief Evaluation Officer (CEO) • Evaluates effectiveness /efficiency of Veteran employment programs • Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) • Focuses on disability-related policies that benefit veterans • Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) • Affirmative action provisions of VEVRAA • Woman’s Bureau (WB) • Develops policies, advocates for equality and economic security and promotes quality work environments for working women/veterans • Wage and Hour Division (WHD) • Military Family Leave (FMLA) DOL’s intense and extensive interoperability across all DOL agencies Regional Locations: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco 3

4. VETS’ Mission We prepare America’s veterans, service members and their spouses for meaningful careers We provide them with employment resources and expertise We promote their employment opportunities We protect their employment rights 5

5. Transition GPS / TAP Transition Assistance Program The services, training, tools and support a transitioning service member needs to meet career readiness standards. Key points: • Teach mechanics of getting a job • 3-days/class size: max 50 • Tangible products: • Individual Transition Plan • Skills assessment/Job search • Resume/Cover Letters • FY 14 • 6,697 workshops/ 206 locations • 207,000 participants/9,000 Guard and Reserve • Curriculum on-line • Annual curriculum review Pre-Separation Counseling (DoD) - 12-18 months prior / - 24 months (retirement) Core Curriculum: - Resilient Transitions (DoD) - MOC Crosswalk (DoD) - Financial Planning (DoD) - Employment Workshop (DOL) - Benefits Briefing (VA) Specialized Tracks - Career Technical Training (DoD) - Assessing Higher Education (VA) - Entrepreneur (SBA) Capstone • Spouses are eligible to participate in DOL’s Employment Workshop on a space-available basis • Available on-line/any-time at: http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/tap/DOLEW-Participant-Guide-January-2015v2.pdf 8

6. American Job Centers = 2,473 www.servicelocator.org 6

7. VETS’ Engagement with Transitioning Service Members/Veterans/Employers • AJC Services • Apprenticeships • Dislocated Workers VETS - Moving our service delivery to the left of transition Student (VA) Employee (DOL) • American Job Centers - Priority of Service - Gold Card/Intensive Services • Technical Training • Registered Apprenticeships • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Employers “Good Careers for Veterans” TSMs American Job Center (AJC) National Labor Exchange (NLX) Transition GPS (TAP) Entrepreneur (SBA) Veteran 7

8. American Job Center (AJC)Job Seeker Services • Veterans receive “priority of service” at all Department of Labor employment and job-training programs, including AJCs • Other than Dishonorable discharges are eligible for DVOPS services; those with a dishonorable discharge can use normal American Job Center services • Post-9/11 Era Veterans are eligible to receive Gold Card services (6 months) • Dislocated Workers: Service members with a separation date may qualify for dislocated worker programs operated by AJCs Career Services: Training Services Core Services Intensive Services • Occupational skills • Skill upgrading and retraining • On-the-job training • Workplace training combined with related instruction • Entrepreneurial • Job readiness training • Adult education and literacy • Determination of eligibility for services • Outreach, intake and orientation • Initial assessment of skills, abilities, aptitudes and service needs • Job search and placement • Provision of workforce information • Job placement follow-up • Comprehensive and specialized assessments of skills and service needs • Development of individual employment plans • Employment counseling and career planning • Case management • Prevocational or pre-training short-term skill development services • In FY 14 DOL served approximately 17 million participants, including 1.2 million veterans 10

9. American Job CenterEmployer Services • Workforce information • Job description writing • Posting of job openings • Reviewing applicants’ resumes • Organizing job fairs • Skill upgrading and career ladders • Places to conduct interviews • Pre-screening of job applicants • Assessment of applicants’ skills • Referral of job-ready candidates 11

10. www.servicelocator.org 13

11. Connecting Employers with Veterans National Veterans’ Employment Managers Blackstone Regional Veterans’ Employment Coordinators Auto Group (Chicago) 12

12. Employer Outreach • Enhanced employer outreach to facilitate veteran hiring • Two Regional Veterans’ Employment Managers at national office • Six Regional Veterans’ Employment Coordinators • Goal: Make it easier for companies to find and hire veterans and military spouses by coordinating and leveraging federal, state, and local employment resources and programs • Increased social media and web presence “Getting closer to employers, so employers get closer to Veterans” 14

13. Regional Veterans’ Employment Coordinators Chicago Region Eric Asmussen Asmussen.Eric.K@dol.gov Boston Region Paul Furbush Furbush.Paul.M@dol.gov Philadelphia Region Tony Forbes Forbes.Tony.D@dol.gov San Francisco Region Luis Marquez Marquez.Luiz.R@dol.gov Atlanta Region Matthew Grob Grob.Matthew.A@dol.gov Dallas Region Roxann Griffith Griffith.Roxann.S@dol.gov 19

14. DoD SkillBridge • Promotes civilian job training available for transitioning Service members • Service members meeting certain qualifications can participate in civilian job and employment training, including apprenticeships and internships starting up to six months prior to their separation from Active Duty • Training must offer a high probability of employment and be provided to the Service member at little or no cost • Through DoD SkillBridge, tremendous potential exists for Service members, companies, trade unions, and others to leverage this talent pipeline to meet state, regional, and industry workforce needs http://www.dodskillbridge.com/ 9

15. Apprenticeships • American Apprenticeship Initiative will significantly increase apprenticeship opportunities for job seekers and workers including veterans and transitioning service members • Both OJT and apprenticeship training programs are available for veterans using their Post-9/11 GI Bill • Eligible veterans may qualify for a monthly stipend in addition to the wages they receive in an apprenticeship • Moving to competency based apprenticeships gives veterans an advantage http://www.doleta.gov/oa/federalresources/playbook.pdf 10

16. Licensing & Certification • Sec. 237, VOW Act - Enhancement of Credentialing Program on Credentialing and Licensing of Veterans • Required the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training in consultation with ETA to carry out a two-year demonstration project on the credentialing and licensing of veterans • March 2015, NGA Center for Best Practices “Veterans’ Licensing and Certification Demonstration: Interim Project Report” http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=3380 • National Credentialing Summit (April 2015) “Call to Action” • Dislocated Worker status for transitioning service members and spouses 11

17. VETS’ Employment Services for Homeless Veterans • Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) • Provides job training, counseling, and placement services to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force • $32.9M for 139 HVRP grants • Approximately 16,000 participants • Average Annual Placement Rate above 60% • Homeless Female Veterans and Veterans with Families Program (HFVVWF) • Grantees provide supportive services to eligible homeless female veterans and homeless veterans with families • $2.1M for 12 HFVVWF grants • Stand-Down Grants • $600K for 85 Stand Downs 16

18. HVRP Grantees HVRP Grantees are also located in Hawaii and Puerto Rico Please visit www.nvtac.org for the current list of HVRP recipients 17

19. Protecting Service Members’ Employment Rights • Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) • VETS enforces U.S. veterans’ re-employment rights to return to civilian employment once tour of duty concludes • Functional integration between VETS, SOL, DOJ, and OSC • USERRA Case Management System designed in FY15 and will be implemented in FY16 • GAO: “Department of Labor Has Higher Performance than the Office of Special Counsel on More Demonstration Project Measures” • Veteran’s Preference in Federal Employment • VETS protects veterans’ rights by investigating and attempting to resolve Veterans’ Preference complaints • USERRA/Vets Pref Claim: www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/fileaclaim.htm • VETS 4212 Collaboration Between VETS & OFCCP • Requires contractors to submit annual data on U.S. Veteran hiring • VETS-4212 Filing: www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/fileaclaim.htm 17

20. U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) American Job Centers www.servicelocator.org Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) www.dol.gov/vets Veterans’ Employment Center www.ebenefits.va.gov/jobs Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) 19