Narrative: c.

FloridaCommerce has determined that the deliberate assignment of JVSG-funded staff to LWDBs is paramount to the success of the program. Integration of JVSG-funded staff in career centers is accomplished by utilizing established procedures for serving eligible veterans and other eligible persons with significant barriers to employment (SBE) and combining them with the state administrative policies and processes that will support functional alignment within the career center. All partners will work together to support a seamless, customer-driven system.

FloridaCommerce fills vacant JVSG-funded staff positions at the recommendation of the LWDBs and the State Veteran Program Coordinator. All veterans who meet the published requirements are offered an opportunity to interview for open positions. Provisions under JVSG require the state to fill these positions with eligible veterans and give preference to those with disabilities as defined in Title 38 U.S.C., with priority given to special disabled, disabled, and others who are eligible. All Florida JVSG-funded staff are designated as full-time.

Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialists
DVOP specialists are assigned to career centers for the purpose of providing individualized career services to eligible veterans and eligible persons through the case management process. DVOP specialists are made available to eligible veterans who have been identified as having a SBE and require additional enhanced services through case management consistent with VPLs 03-14, 03-14 Change 1, 03-14 Change 2, and 03-19. Through integration within career centers, DVOP specialists provide individualized career services under a coordinated case management strategy to SBE veterans who have been identified by career center partner staff.

Service delivery starts at the initial point of entry into the career center where the first person the veteran encounters will be a non-JVSG staff member trained in all aspects of career center services available to the veteran. This staff member will conduct an initial assessment using a questionnaire that has been developed in accordance with federal guidance to determine the level and type of service(s) needed. If the staff member decides during the initial assessment that the level of service precludes the need to see a DVOP specialist, the veteran will be referred to the next available non-JVSG staff member for assistance. If the eligible veteran, or other eligible person, is deemed to have a SBE and has a need for enhanced services, the covered person will be referred to a DVOP specialist for assistance. Upon referral, the DVOP specialist must provide the following elements of the case management framework:

• Conduct an in-depth assessment of individualized needs.
• Develop a documented IEP.
• Conduct consistent contacts.

These three activities form the core of an effective case management plan under which most individualized career services will be delivered. These services may include:

• Providing vocational guidance and counseling as required, such as skills assessment, career planning, communications skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills and professional conduct.
• Coordination of supportive services by:
  • Providing technical assistance to community-based organizations regarding employment and training services to eligible veterans.
  • Developing relationships with Veteran Service Officers (VSO) and consulting with other representatives of federal, state, and local programs to provide additional services.
  • Job referral for specific employment opportunities.
  • Referral to training with federal partners and other state agencies.

DVOP specialists will conduct outreach activities with the intent of locating eligible veterans with SBEs and providing them with appropriate individualized career services. DVOP specialists must seek out potential veteran clients at locations such as:

• VA facilities.
• Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) offices.
• Regional medical centers.
• VA-sponsored veteran centers.
• Homeless Veterans Reintegration Plan (HVRP) partner offices.
• Homeless shelters.
• Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program offices.
• Civic and service organizations.
• LWDB partners.
• State vocational rehabilitation agencies.
• Other service providers as deemed to be a probable location for eligible veterans with SBEs.

Florida will continually collect, monitor, and assess the performance data of services provided to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of DVOP specialists are adhered to and adjust the administration of the program, as needed. This is accomplished through the Veterans Quarterly Manager's Reports (VQMRs), along with onsite office validations completed by the State Veterans Program Office.

VR&E Program
The VR&E program, administered by the VA, assists veterans with service-connected disabilities by helping them prepare for, find, and keep suitable employment. Florida’s DVOP specialists establish contact with these veterans and assist in any way possible to ensure positive outcomes are achieved by VR&E participants. Although nationally there has been a pause in the process in which VR&E program graduates are referred to the JVSG-funded staff for job search assistance and other workforce development services, Florida will continue its efforts to engage VR&E program graduates to ensure their continued access to JVSG-funded services.

Veteran Readiness & Employment Coordinator
Two DVOP specialists will be designated as FloridaCommerce  Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) Coordinators (ISCs). One of the VR&E Coordinators will be assigned as the lead VR&E Coordinator. The lead VR&E Coordinator will be responsible for compiling the Chapter 31 report (formerly known as the 201 report). Once compiled, the lead VR&E Coordinator will send the report to the SVPC 28 days after the end of each quarter.

The VR&E Coordinators function as liaisons between the veteran, Employment Counselors, Vocational Readiness Counselors (VRCs), and the local career centers. VR&E program participants who have completed training and are deemed job ready are referred to the ISCs through the flvre@commerce.fl.gov email inbox. These veterans will be referred to a Veteran Program Manager or designated Chapter 31 contact at one of the 21 LWDBs. A DVOP specialist will then be assigned to the VR&E participant for the provision of individualized career services through the case management process and offered access to applicable career center services.

Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) Staff
LVER staff are assigned to career centers to facilitate employment, training, and placement services and ensure easier access to the appropriate employment and training services for job seeking veterans. LVER staff are placed throughout the state to reach out to employers and promote the benefits of hiring veterans. LVER staff advocate for all veterans served by career centers with business, industry, and other community- based organizations by participating in activities such as:

• Planning and participating in job and career fairs.
• Conducting employer outreach.
• Coordinating with unions, apprenticeship programs and business to promote and secure employment and training opportunities for veterans.
• Informing federal contractors of the process to recruit qualified veterans.
• Promoting credentialing and licensing opportunities for veterans.
• Coordinating and participating with other business outreach efforts.

LVER staff actively advocate for employment and training opportunities with business, industry, and community-based organizations on behalf of veterans consistent with VPL 03-14, Changes 1 and 2, and VPL 03-19. LVER staff will be assigned duties that promote to employers, employer associations, and business groups the advantages of hiring veterans and will be fully integrated with the Business Services Team (BST) within the career center to conduct outreach activities to these entities. As part of these assigned duties, LVER staff will:

• In conjunction with employers, conduct job searches and workshops and establish job search groups to facilitate the use of the State’s labor exchange and case management system (Employ Florida) to enhance their employee search activities.
• Form effective relationships with the business community and trade unions to enhance the availability of employment and training opportunities for veterans.
• Encourage businesses to hire veterans and to provide On-the-Job Training (OJT) and apprenticeship programs geared to the veteran community.
• Maintain current labor market information on trends and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Work with training providers and credentialing bodies to promote opportunities for veterans.
• Encourage employers in professions requiring licensure or certification to develop OJT and/or apprenticeship programs for veterans.
• Promote the participation of veterans in programs leading to certification or licensure.
• Advocate with training providers and credentialing agencies for recognition of equivalent military training.
• Plan and participate in job fairs to provide employment opportunities for veterans. LVER staff will facilitate this by:
  • Initiating contact and developing relationships with employers, industry and economic development organizations, community leaders, labor unions, veterans’ organizations, and training program representatives to develop their commitment to providing employment and training opportunities for veterans.
  • Maintaining current information regarding a full range of employment and training options available to veterans.
• Work with federal contractors to inform them of the process they can use to recruit and hire veterans within Employ Florida and discuss their responsibilities under the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Program and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act final rule to attain the appropriate percentage of veteran hires.

The result of LVER staff outreach to employers and the community will be an increased awareness of the benefits of hiring veterans and the capabilities of veterans. LVER staff will also promote the HVMP program. The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets) Medallion Award is the only federal-level veterans' employment award program that recognizes a company or organization's commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. In 2022, Florida ranked second in the country with 66 awardees.

Employer Relations
LVER staff will establish and maintain regular contact with employers to maximize the development of employment and training opportunities for the veteran community. This will be accomplished through the following:

Development of an employer contact plan designed to encourage the employment of veterans using business and community organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, human resource groups, and others as determined to be beneficial in the facilitation of hiring veterans. This can be accomplished by:

• Personal visits.
• Phone calls.
• Email contacts.
• Internet and social media connections or other means deemed effective.
• Monitoring federal contractor job listings and encouraging the hiring of veterans by federal contractors.
• Coordinating activities with DVOP specialists, along with other career center staff and partners to promote veteran job seekers who have been deemed job ready to employers looking to match the specific skill sets of individuals to their needs.
• Advocating veterans as a category of job seekers who have highly transferable skills and experience. This can be accomplished by encouraging employers to develop apprenticeship programs to increase the employment opportunities for veterans.

Capacity Building of Other Service Providers
It is essential that LVER staff assist other workforce development providers in increasing their ability to recognize and respond to the employment and training needs of veterans. LVERs accomplish this through training career center staff and service delivery system partners to enhance their knowledge of veterans’ employment and training issues by:

• Providing technical assistance to LWDB staff and managers and other one-stop partners.
• Encouraging participation by raising the awareness of veterans in employment and training programs.

Consolidated Positions
The SVPC assigns Consolidated Position (CP) staff to select areas of the state in accordance with Administrative Policy 112: Jobs for Veterans’ State Grant Staffing Requirements. The assignment of CP staff is determined through consultation with a LWDB and USDOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) State Director. LWDBs will be assigned CP staff when it is established that the assignment of a CP staff person will:

• Promote a more efficient administration of services to veterans with an emphasis on services to disabled veterans.
• Have no hindrance on the provision of services to veterans and employers.
• Maximize the effectiveness of the JVSG program within the career center and local area.

CP staff perform both the role of LVER staff and DVOP specialists. CP staff attend all mandated National Veterans Training Institute training for both LVER staff and DVOP specialists within 18 months of appointment. The SVPC monitors the activities of CP staff throughout the state on a quarterly basis to ensure the positions are being utilized to promote a more efficient administration of services to veterans and employers.

State Veterans’ Program Coordinator
The SVPC is responsible for managing the Assistant State Veteran Program Coordinator (ASVPC), four Regional Veterans Program Coordinators (RVPCs), and two ISCs, and provides functional oversight, direction, guidance, training, and technical assistance to LWDB Executive Directors, Career Center Operators/Directors, FloridaCommerce Administrators and their staffs in the management and operation of the DVOP/LVER Grant and career center Veterans' Program responsibilities.

The SVPC ensures that DVOP/LVER grant, and career center Veterans' Program administrative policies, procedures, guidelines, and related directives are implemented; evaluates impact on career center operations; and identifies potential problems and recommends appropriate action.

The SVPC will ensure that FloridaCommerce’s Bureau of Human Resource Management is aware of the JVSG program’s unique funding stream and will keep all vacancies filled by veterans, as well as non-veterans when appropriate, within the 60-day period in accordance with Title 38 U.S.C. and outlined in VPL 03-22: Jobs for Veterans State Grant Recurring Report Requirements.

To maintain accurate tracking and reporting of all JVSG-funded positions across all 21 LWDBs, FloridaCommerce has developed a statewide standardized tracking mechanism (501 report) that monitors new hires, vacancies, and changes in staffing.

The SVPC ensures that all JVSG-funded staff attend the mandated training offered by NVTI located in Dallas, Texas and administered by Management Concepts, Inc. This training must be completed within 18 months of their position start date as a LVER staff, DVOP specialist or CP staff.

Assistant State Veteran Program Coordinator
The ASVPC assists in providing functional oversight to LWDBs, One-Stop Operators and partners, including in the review of LWDB policies and procedures. The ASVPC is charged with the oversight of the ISCs and the management of the Vocational Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program and takes the lead with special projects.

Regional Veterans’ Program Coordinator
RVPCs will assist the SVPC with monitoring and training for all 24 LWDBs. The RVPCs are responsible for collecting, monitoring, and assessing the performance data of services provided to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of the JVSG staff are adhered to per federal guidelines. This is accomplished through Veteran Quarterly Manager’s Report (VQMR) and routine state monitoring.

The RVPCs also assist with the development, revision, and implementation of administrative policies for the JVSG program. RVPCs conduct one-on-one virtual and on-site training, site audit visits, and continuous program support for all 24 LWDBs.