Located in:
- Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants
The Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants (JVSG) are mandatory, formula-based staffing grants to (including DC, PR, VI and Guam). The JVSG is funded annually in accordance with a funding formula defined in the statute (38 U.S.C. 4102A (c) (2) (B) and regulation and operates on a fiscal year (not program year) basis, however, performance metrics are collected and reported (VETS-200 Series Reports) quarterly (using four “rolling quarters”) on a Program Year basis (as with the ETA- 9002 Series). Currently, VETS JVSG operates on a five-year (FY 2015-2019), multi-year grant approval cycle modified and funded annually.
In accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(b)(5) and § 4102A(c), the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training (ASVET) makes grant funds available for use in each State to support Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVER) staff. As a condition to receive funding, 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(c)(2) requires States to submit an application for a grant that contains a State Plan narrative, which includes:
f. How the State Implements and Monitors the Administration of Priority of Service to Covered Persons;
Current Narrative:
Priority of service is one of the most important elements of service for veterans, as prescribed by 38 U.S.C. § 4215(b) and 20 CFR Parts 1001 and 1010 and reinforced through the State issued Workforce Development Policy 18.
Priority starts with the first OSCC member that comes in contact with the veteran or eligible person. During the reception process, a series of questions identifies veteran or eligibility status. Qualified veterans and/or qualified spouses are provided services prior to other customers and an initial assessment is completed by the first available OSCC staff member. If during the initial assessment it is determined that the veteran has an SBE or is a member of another special category, the veteran is immediately referred to a DVOP specialist.
The state provides priority of service in accordance with TEGL 05-03. When a veteran is identified as having barriers to employment, they are fast-tracked on a priority basis to ensure that those barriers are resolved as expeditiously as possible. The state has MOU agreements with the USDOL funded programs covered by 38 U.S.C. § 4215(b) on veterans’ priority and refers veterans to training and supportive services within that network on a priority basis. The state has partnered with educational entities within the state and the vocational/technical institutions, which also provide priority service for veterans and assists them with their educational and literacy needs.
Veterans receive priority for employment and job training opportunities available through WIOA funding, on-the-job training, skills development training and youth training contracts. Veterans can locate training opportunities through use of the HiRE data base and receive training at private facilities, which have been approved through the State Established Training Provider List (ETPL). Should veterans meet the eligibility criteria, their training costs are paid by the WIOA program or through Individual Training Accounts. Veterans take priority in instances of training-fund shortages. LVER staff and other OSCC staff identify jobs and training opportunities specifically tailored for veterans, as they promote veterans as potential employees. These priority services are made available and provided to veterans, transitioning service members, Chapter 31 veterans, Native American Veterans, and other groups targeted for special consideration, including difficult to serve veterans and veterans with barriers to employment.
Each WDB coordinates available funds with those provided by the VA VR&E program such that there is no duplication of services. When VR&E is providing training and supportive services, WIOA can provide services to spouses or services that were not covered by the VA VR&E program. WIOA may also provide Work Keys testing and certification to veterans, designed to identify skills designated by employers as necessary to perform certain jobs. This enhances veterans’ employability for jobs needing the skills identified in their certifications.
In conjunction with the LACs, the state closely monitors the provision of priority of service. Both JVSG management and LACs shall periodically conduct site checks to ensure all required priority of service signs are present and properly displayed, and that OSCC staff understand both the requirement of priority of service and its proper implementation. During these site visits, monitors pay particular attention to the implementation of priority of service beyond core services, particularly in the allocation of training funds.
The state analyzes data from reports in conjunction with HiRE data in order to continuously compare outcomes by veterans and other eligible persons to the outcomes of non-veteran populations. This ongoing analysis supports the state’s continuous improvement process. Specifically, this is the relative rates of referral to USDOL funded training, referral to employment by OSCC staff and job placement activities provided by OSCC staff. The state shall consider an indicated referral rate in any one of these areas being lower for veterans and other eligible persons than for nonveterans, evidence of a potential priority of implementation problem. The state shall immediately place the affected region under examination and corrective action measures to include, but not be limited, to additional training. The DVET shall also monitor a percentage of the OSCCs within the state annually.