Located in:
- III. Operational Planning ElementsThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that support the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II.(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and PoliciesThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in Section II Strategic Elements . This includes—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 7. Priority of Service for Veterans
Current Narrative:
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has issued regulations implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses, as provided by the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA), and as specified by the Veterans’ Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006. JVA calls for priority of service to be implemented by all “qualified job training programs,” defined as “any workforce preparation, development or delivery program or service that is directly funded, in whole or in part, by the Department of Labor.” Since enactment of JVA in 2002, priority of service has been implemented under policy guidance issued by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The purpose of these regulations is to further articulate how priority of service is to be applied across all new and existing qualified job training programs.
Key Definitions
• Covered person - The regulations adopt and apply this statutory term, which includes eligible spouses.
• Veteran - The regulations specify that the definition for veteran specified at 38 U.S.C. 101(2) applies across all qualified job training programs for the purpose of priority of service.
That definition includes two key criteria:
• Service in the active military, naval, or air service
• Discharge under conditions other than dishonorable
Eligible veterans and covered persons identified at the point of entry shall be notified of programs and/or services available. Point of entry includes physical locations, such as CareerSource Florida career centers, as well as web sites and other virtual service delivery resources.
LWDBs will ensure strategic plan provides clear strategies and policies for providing veterans and covered persons with the highest quality of service at every phase of services offered. Policies shall be implemented to ensure that eligible veterans and eligible spouses are aware of:
• Their entitlement to priority of service
• The full array of programs and services available to them
• Any applicable eligibility requirements for those programs and/or services
Priority of Service means the right of eligible veterans and covered persons to take precedence over eligible non-covered persons for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services provided under new or existing qualified job training programs, furthermore; the eligible veterans or covered persons shall receive access to the service or resources earlier in time than the non-covered person.
If the service or resource is limited, the veteran or covered persons receives access to the service or resource instead of or before the non-covered person. Services can range from basic functions of the CareerSource Florida system, such as assistance with job search and identification of needed skills, to more customized initiatives such as creating career pathways, with corresponding competency assessments and training opportunities.
To accommodate Priority of Service at point of entry, Geographic Solutions has implemented changes to the EFM to accommodate changes in the Priority of Service to veterans. A “pop-up” targets newly registering veterans and covered persons. The purpose of this pop-up is to ensure newly registered veterans and covered persons are aware of their entitlement to priority of services and the types of services available under priority of service.
Monitoring Priority of Service
A veteran’s self-registration will automatically record service code 089, “Notification of Veterans Priority of Service.” A manual service code 189 will be used when the “Notification of Veteran Priority of Service” is given as a staff-assisted service. Veterans and covered persons who register in EFM or who are being entered into EFM by staff will be advised of their entitlement to priority of services and the code 189 will be entered on the service plan screen in EFM. The 089 and 189 service plan codes will serve as a priority of service indicator in conjunction with periodic state, regional and local level program reviews to ensure compliance with priority of service. Additional monitoring guidance from the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is forthcoming in accordance with 20 CFR Part 1010, Priority of Service for covered persons’ final rule.
Eligible veterans and covered persons will also receive priority in all U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) programs funded in whole or in part operating in the CareerSource Florida career center.
Programs include but are not limited to:
• WIOA Adult
• WIOA Dislocated Worker
• National Emergency Grants (NEG)
• Wagner-Peyser State Grants
• Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
• Senior Community Service Employment Program
Additional programs may include:
• WIOA Youth Program
• Community-Based Job Funding Grants
• Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Program (MSFW)
• Indian and Native American Program
• H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants
• Office of Disability Employment Programs
• Labor Market Information Formula Grants
• Pilots and Demonstration Grants
• Research and Development
• Other Internet based tools operated by (USDOL) grantees
Other examples of Priority of Services for veterans include the following:
• Referral of qualified veterans to new job openings, especially federal contractor job orders, prior to all non-veteran job referral activity
• Job fairs for veterans, or having the first few hours be for veterans alone
Significant Barriers to Employment (SBE)
Florida’s Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) refocusing is a joint partnership between DEO and the Department of Labor (DOL)/Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) established to best meet the employment needs of veterans and eligible persons at CareerSource Florida centers throughout the state. Frontline/WP/WIOA staff focus on providing core services and initial assessment to veterans seeking employment assistance (majority of veterans will be served by Frontline/WP/WIOA staff).
DVOP specialists provide intensive services to veterans with identified SBE(s) and do not to provide services to any other population. They may also determine potential SBE population using VETS ETA9002/VET200 reports.
Local Veterans’ Employment Representative LVER staff conduct employer outreach and job development in the local community, on behalf of all CareerSource Florida centers’ veterans, including working directly with the DVOPs with case managed veterans with SBE(s).
As a veteran enters the career center, they are identified and asked to complete the veterans’ initial intake questionnaire. They are directed to the first available career center staff with their completed initial intake form.
They are notified of Veterans Priority of Service (POS) and their intake questionnaire is reviewed, a complete initial assessment is conducted. They are only referred to a DVOP specialist if an SBE is identified during the initial assessment. The identified SBE(s) is documented in the case notes prior to referral.
The DVOP will first complete an objective assessment then proceed as appropriate for each individual veteran job seeker.