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 Colorado Veterans Employment and Training Program in accordance with 38 U.S.C. Chapter 41 and 42 and by direction of Veterans Program Letter (VPL) 04-19. The program is designed to recognize contributions to the objectives of VPL 04-19 through excellence in performance and service to veterans. The program is funded by 1% of the JVSG Grant.
The incentive award program will encourage individuals and offices to achieve excellence in the provision of services and strive to think critically to implement improvements to the system for the delivery of such services by recognizing them for the hard work and dedication they devote to serving veterans. The incentive awards presented will be meaningful so JVSG, non-JVSG and partnering staff will want to put in the extra effort to receive the incentive award.
Individual: Eligible recipients for individual incentive awards are Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists, Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) staff, and any other individual who provides employment, training, and placement services to veterans under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), include labor exchanges funded by the Wagner-Peyser Act or staff of American Job Center partner agencies. States are not restricted from awarding individuals who collectively serve a specific function or work in an area where their performance warrants recognition under a state’s incentive awards program. Volunteers, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Work Study participants, and Federal employees are not eligible recipients. Employment Service Offices: Public Law 109-461 Sec. 603 expands the recipient eligibility for performance incentive awards to include “employment service offices.” Offices eligible to receive incentive awards include any service delivery point that provides exemplary public employment and training services to veterans; American Job Centers operated by State Workforce Agencies or offices that contract with State, Regional, or Local Workforce Development Boards; and other agencies identified in Section 121(b)(2)(B) of WIOA that provide services to veterans. Per Public Law 109-461 Sec. 603, incentive awards may be used by employment service office recipients for any purpose. Awards to offices should 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.
These awards will recognize eligible recipients that foster or strengthen partnerships at the state and local level. The selection criteria for award recipients will be based on performance or activities during the fiscal year for which the award is given. This criterion will include both objective and subjective data in performance or activities that impact veterans. The program will look at employees and offices that demonstrate outstanding outreach on behalf of veterans who have barriers to employment, especially homeless, incarcerated, disabled, and recently separated veterans. Included in consideration for this award will be individual or office-wide programs that promote employment opportunities for veterans within the local community or enhance provider awareness of veterans’ issues and resources. Examples of such data may include but is not limited to; attitude, motivation, program improvement, positive feedback, and other indicators of outstanding performance will be given consideration in addition to numerical data.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment administers the funds for the Incentive Awards Program. Recipients will be recognized with Distinguished or Spot Awards that may be monetary or non-monetary. Spot Awards will be valued at or less than $250 per award. Distinguished Awards will be valued at or greater than $100 and no more than $3000 per award and may be presented to individuals, groups or offices. Non-monetary awards will consist of awards, such as but not limited to, tickets to sports and entertainment events, gift cards, conference fees such as the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) Veterans conference in D.C. or other conferences that benefit the recipient, ceremonies, luncheons, travel, and others awards as allowable in VPL 04-19. The type, amount, manner of distribution and specifics for Spot or Distinguished Awards will be determined by an incentive awards committee. The committee members will be determined by CDLE leadership and may consist of any combination of representation from the Colorado Veterans Employment 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 for which the award is given. In accordance with VPL 04-19, incentive award funds will be obligated by September 30 each Federal Fiscal Year 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.