Narrative: III. b. 7.

USDOL implemented priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses, as required under 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 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.

The 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 centers, as well as websites and other virtual service delivery resources.

LWDBs will ensure their local 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 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. Eligible veterans or covered persons shall receive access to the service or resources before non-covered persons. If the service or resource is limited, the veteran or covered person 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 network, 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, the vendor, Geographic Solutions, implemented changes to Employ Florida to accommodate changes in the Priority of Service to veterans. A “pop-up” targets newly registering veterans and covered persons. This pop-up helps 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 automatically records service code 089, “Notification of Veterans Priority of Service.” A manual service code 189 is used when the “Notification of Veteran Priority of Service” is given as a staff-assisted service. Veterans and covered persons who register in Employ Florida or who are being entered into Employ Florida by staff will be advised of their entitlement to priority of services and the code 189 is entered on the service plan screen in Employ Florida. The 089 and 189 service plan codes serve as a priority of service indicator in conjunction with periodic state and local level program reviews to ensure compliance with priority of service. Additional monitoring guidance from the ETA is forthcoming in accordance with 20 CFR Part 1010, Priority of Service for covered persons’ final rule.

Eligible veterans and covered persons receive priority in all USDOL programs funded in whole or in part operating in Florida’s career centers.

Programs include but are not limited to:

• WIOA Adult
• WIOA Dislocated Worker
• National Dislocated Worker Grants (NDWG)
• Wagner-Peyser State Grants
• Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
• Senior Community Service Employment Program

Additional programs 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 and all-inclusive job fairs giving priority to veterans

Significant Barriers to Employment (SBE)

Florida’s Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) refocusing is a partnership between DEO and the U.S. Department of Labor/Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) established to meet the employment needs of veterans and eligible customers who contact local career 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 only provide intensive services to veterans with identified SBE(s). DVOP specialists determine potential SBE population using ETA 9173, which is a quarterly report and the ETA 9169, which is an annual report.

Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) staff conduct employer outreach and job development in local communities on behalf of all veterans served through local career centers, including working directly with the DVOPs with case managed veterans with SBE(s).

Veterans entering career centers are identified and asked to complete the veterans’ initial intake questionnaire. Customers are directed to the first available career center staff with their completed initial intake form.

Veterans are notified of Veterans Priority of Service (POS) and their intake questionnaire is reviewed. A complete initial assessment is conducted. Customers 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 completes an objective assessment, then proceeds as appropriate for each individual veteran job seeker.