Located in:
- Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants
(OMB Control Number: 1293-0017)
Components of the Jobs for Veterans State Grants State Plan
Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG) recipients must provide a four-year state plan as a condition for the receipt of annual funding in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(c). This plan must include responses to each of the components below.
a. Describe how the state intends to provide employment, training, and job placement services to veterans and eligible persons under the JVSG program (i.e., virtually and in-person).
Current Narrative:
Colorado will assign JVSG supported staff to AJCs located within the State Workforce Agencies (SWA) in order to most effectively advance and monitor both Priority of Service with regard to all employment and training services, as well as, the prompt referral to appropriately needed supportive services for veteran customers. That is not to say that it is JVSG staff’s responsibility to provide Priority of Service, but to provide technical assistance for AJC staff as needed. Of the supported staff, the majority will be placed in the local areas that have the greatest Veteran population and the highest caseloads. DVOP specialists or Consolidated DVOP/LVER referred to as Consolidated Veterans Services Representatives (CVSR) assigned to their regional AJCs will be allowed to visit the offices of our outreach partners located outside of the AJCs after an approved schedule has been arranged and approved by their Regional Director. The JVSG supported staff may be assigned to locations outside of the AJC such as, but not limited to, the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) (Formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) in Denver, the Soldier and Family Assistance Office on Fort Carson, college campuses, or other partner locations.
One position will be assigned to the CDLE Headquarters to serve as the State Veterans Coordinator (SVC). With a veteran friendly state as large as Colorado, supporting 6 very active military bases, with 52 American Job Centers and satellite offices and a JVSG program that employs 26 staff members, among other duties this position will oversee developing, implementing and monitoring a department Statewide Veterans Employment Program. In partnership with our county and state operated AJCs and other Veteran focused partners, the Coordinator (SVC) will develop this program to improve upon Priority of Service procedures by addressing the strategies by which the workforce system delivers employment services.
Within the AJCs, DVOP specialists and CVSRs will work only with those that have been triaged by AJC staff, found eligible for the JVSG program, have a need for individualized career services and who are then referred to a DVOP/CVSR. Once referred, the DVOP/CVSR will assess training needs and the employment goals of eligible veterans and eligible persons to overcome barriers and refer them to WIOA, OJT and apprenticeship opportunities as appropriate. DVOPs/CVSRs will be collocated and aligned within the WIOA divisions. The reasoning behind this decision is to promote; (i) program co-enrollments, (ii) similarities in WIOA and JVSG case/career management practices and (iii) promote the appearance of a seamless application process to Veterans who apply for training in one or both programs (iv) and most importantly to ensure the demonstration of Priority of Service and access to resources.
As DVOPs/CVSRs assist veterans in meeting their employment goals through individualized career services, veterans become job ready and will need assistance connecting to employers. LVERs/CVSRs assist the connection of job ready veterans to employers looking for qualified candidates. LVERs/CVSRs help facilitate this process through job search workshops, networking events, employer information sessions, seminars and direct referrals to connect veteran candidates and employers.
In an effort to continue to meet the employment and training needs of veterans, CDLE recognizes that changes in delivery strategies when targeting Veterans need to respond to the forecasted increase in veterans transitioning out of the military and into the civilian labor force. Outreach to locate veterans with Significant Barriers to Employment (SBE) is a required duty of the DVOP specialist or CVSR as outlined in VPL 03-14. As such, DVOP specialists and CVSRs conducting outreach will begin assisting eligible veterans first within their assigned AJC, then at the outreach locations they visit or are assigned through virtual services as needed throughout the State. At the outreach locations, Veterans identified as not meeting one of the SBE categories will be provided a point of contact for assistance at the nearest AJC by other AJC staff. The DVOP specialists and CVSRs will conduct outreach activities within various organizations that provide services to Veterans allowing us to identify from within the Veteran population they serve, those who are eligible for DVOP/CVSR services. The sole purpose of these outreach activities are to identify eligible SBE veterans and other eligible persons who, without the receipt of individualized career services, would not be able to obtain employment on their own. State MIS Database and partner organizations that have been identified and approved as effective outreach sources include, but are not limited to:
- Connecting Colorado (State MIS Database)
- AJC Partners (particularly WIOA and Wagner-Peyser)
- Military Installations…excluding the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
- Colleges, Universities and Technical Schools
- Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs (HVRP) and Homeless Shelters
- Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) (Formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment)
- Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Centers and Vet Centers
- Veteran Service Offices (VSO)