Located in:
- Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants
(OMB Control Number: 1225-0086)
The Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants (JVSG) are mandatory, formula-based staffing grants to States (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 quarterly on a Program Year basis (as with the ETA-9002 Series). Currently, VETS JVSG operates on a 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:
d. The Incentive Award program implemented using the 1% grant allocation set aside for this purpose, as applicable;
Current Narrative:
The program provides an award and recognition system authorized by the Colorado Veterans Employment and Training Program in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 4112 and by direction of Veterans Program Letter (VPL) 01-22 attachment 5. The program is designed to encourage the improvement and modernization of employment, training, and placement services for veterans. This award recognizes the contributions to the objectives of VPL 01-22 through excellence in performance and service to veterans. The program will be funded by 1% of the JVSG Grant, for Federal Fiscal Year 2022 this amount is approximately $30,000.
Eligible recipients of Incentive Awards are as follows: Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialists (DVOPs), Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVERs) staff, Consolidated DVOP/LVER (CVSRs)staff, individuals providing employment, training, and placement services to veterans under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), including labor exchanges funded by the Wagner-Peyser Act, and an employment service team or office. Ineligible recipients include volunteers, Veteran Affairs (VA) work-studies, and federal employees.
These cash awards recognize eligible recipients for the positive impacts in the provision of services or for making demonstrable improvements in the provision of services to veterans through the American Job Center System. The selection criteria for award recipients will be based on performance or activities that impact the services offered to veterans during the program year (July 1 through June 30) for which the award is given using both objective and subjective information. Examples of such are outstanding outreach on behalf of veterans who have barriers to employment, especially those experiencing homelessness, incarceration, disability, or recent separation from service. Additional considerations for individual or office-wide programs will be those that promote employment opportunities for veterans within the local community or enhance provider awareness of veterans’ issues and resources. Criteria for Nomination and Selection of Awardees will be based on the achievement and awards in the following:
•Development of a program for which the impact may not be directly measurable (e.g., a resume skill-building program)
•Promotion of entry into federal employment
•Promotion of HIRE Veterans Medallion Program
•Outstanding case management
•Exemplary job fair support
•Vocational rehabilitation marketing
•Direct marketing to employers
•Exceptional performance beyond job requirements or outside of established performance goals
•Ideas that are implemented to improve the system, improve performance, reduce time or cost, or promote collaboration
•Performance measures (Note: If used, must reflect the given performance period.)
•Outreach/community relations efforts, e.g., Chambers of Commerce, employers
•Generation of positive publicity for a local office
•Increase awareness of relevant issues within the employer community
•Enhancement of on-the-job training, customized job training, or compensated work therapy
•Efforts to assist hard-to-place populations (e.g., veterans experiencing homelessness)
•Collaborative success in providing all services to veterans, which may include success in employer relations and “great customer service” to veteran clients
•Other pre-defined achievements or measures as applicable
Criteria for selection will include consideration for employees and offices that demonstrate outstanding outreach on behalf of veterans, as well as individual or office-wide programs that promote employment opportunities for veterans within the local community or enhance provider awareness of veterans’ issues and resources. It will also include demonstration of program improvement, positive feedback and other indicators of outstanding performance. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment administers the funds for the Incentive Awards Program. Recipients will be recognized with Distinguished or Spot Awards. Spot Awards will be used to reward those individuals that have shown excellence in the provision of services or for making demonstrable improvements in the provision of services to veterans and are valued at up to $2,000 per award. Distinguished Awards will be used to recognize groups or offices such as local areas or teams and these will be valued at $2,000 to $10,000 per award. Awards to groups or offices will be reserved for instances where most, if not all, employees in an office contribute to improving employment or training services offered and provided to veterans.
The goal is to have a combination of distinguished and spot awards in an amount that is sufficient to motivate individuals or groups to excel within their scope of responsibilities and make a marked difference in the performance and services to veterans. Ideally, each year CDLE would like to reward at least 2-4 large groups (can not be all local areas) and several individuals up to 10, which is dependent on the levels of each reward and the amount of the overall Incentive Award allocation for the year.
The cash amount, manner of distribution, and specifics for Spot or Distinguished Awards will be determined by an incentive awards committee. The committee will take multiple indicators from the above list into consideration when considering an individual or group for an award. The committee members will be determined by CDLE and may consist of any combination of representation from the Colorado Veterans Employment Program (JVSG program), CDLE, American Job Center System, and/or WIOA partner programs. All awards will be based on performance or activities that occurred during the program year (July 1 through June 30) for which the award is given. In accordance with VPL 01-22 attachment 5, incentive award funds will be obligated by September 30 each Fiscal Year (FY) and expended by the following December 31. A report of the obligated funds will be provided with the fourth-quarter report and a report of the expended funds will be provided with the first quarter of the following fiscal year.