Narrative: III. b. 7.

The state shall provide priority of service for veterans in accordance with VPL 07-09 and TEGL 10-09. The term "priority of service" means, with respect to any qualified job training program, that a veteran or covered persons shall be given priority over nonveterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services provided under that program, notwithstanding any other provision of law. Such priority includes giving access services to a covered person before a non-covered person, or, if resources are limited, giving access to such services to a covered person instead of a non-covered person.

Priority starts with the first AJC  member that comes in contact with the veteran or other covered person. During the reception process, a series of questions identifies veteran or eligibility status. Qualified veterans or other covered persons are provided services prior to other customers and an initial assessment is completed by the first available AJC staff member. If during the initial assessment it is determined that the veteran or other covered person has an SBE, they are immediately referred to a DVOP specialist.

The state provides priority of service in accordance with VPL 07-09 and TEGL 10-09. When a veteran or other covered person 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 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with U.S. Department of Labor-funded programs covered by 38 U.S.C Section 4215 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 or other covered persons receive priority for employment and job training opportunities available through WIOA funding, on-the-job training, skills development training and youth training contracts. Veterans or other covered persons can locate training opportunities through the use of the HiRE database and receive training at private facilities, which have been approved through the State Established Training Provider List (ETPL).  Should veterans  or other covered persons meet the eligibility criteria, their training costs are paid by the WIOA program or through individual training accounts. Veterans  or other covered persons always take priority in instances of training as long as eligibility is met.  LVER staff and other AJC staff identify jobs and training opportunities specifically tailored for veterans or other covered persons , as they promote them as potential employees. These priority services are made available and provided to veterans, Chapter 31 veterans, Native American veterans and other groups targeted for special consideration, including difficult-to-serve veterans and veterans with barriers to employment.

 The state will closely monitor the provision of priority of service. Both JVSG management and local area coordinators shall periodically conduct site checks to ensure all required priority of service signs are present and properly displayed, and that AJC 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 shall consider an indicated referral rate in any one of these areas being lower for veterans and other covered persons than for nonveterans to be evidence of a potential priority-of-implementation problem.  The state shall immediately place the affected region under examination and take corrective action measures to include, but not be limited to additional training.