VETS

Veterans' Program Letter No. 05-00

To: All Regional Administrators, Directors and Assistant Directors for Veterans' Employment and Training and All State Employment Security Agency Administrators (SESAs)

From: Espiridion "Al" Borrego

Subject: Joint Nationwide State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service (VR&E) and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) Operating Guide “Train the Trainer” Initiative

I. Purpose: To transmit pertinent information pertaining to a joint “train the trainer” initiative to improve labor exchange services for VA VR&E clients, which will involve approximately 116 staff members from local VA VR&E regional offices, State Employment Security Agencies (SESA), and VETS’ regional offices.

II. Reference: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Department of Veterans Affairs

Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling Service and Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, dated August 1, 1995; VPL 8-95, dated September 1, 1995; VPL 6-98, dated April 21, 1998.

III. Background: As outlined in the MOU between VA VR&E and VETS, dated August 1, 1995, a key element to the successful and effective delivery of services to Chapter 31 disabled veterans is ongoing interagency training. VETS and VA VR&E are joining with the the University of Colorado’s National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) to develop and provide a “train the trainer” course based on the principles of the VETS/VR&C Partnership Operating Guide and the follow-on training that was conducted in the summer of 1998. The purpose of the training is to:

provide SESA and VA VR&E staff actively involved in the joint VR&E initiative with the essential knowledge necessary to train other staff (train-the-trainer);
improve joint efforts at providing successful job placement and adjustment to employment for Chapter 31 disabled veterans without duplication, fragmentation, or delay in the services provided; and
reinforce working relationships between staff from the different agencies.

Although training at the local level is a joint responsibility of the local VR&E officer and the DVET (with SESA concurrence), VETS and VA encourage efforts to schedule and involve staff from participating agencies in local joint training sessions, workshops, seminars, and other staff development and information sharing endeavors at every level of interagency interaction. There have been many changes in personnel and programs that require a nationally sponsored program. This will help assure consistency and continuity in the training outcome.

IV. Guidance:

A. Particulars of the training:

Training is being developed based on Partnership Operating Guide principles and processes, and team training facilitation skills;
NVTI will train approximately 118 local trainers (52+ from SESA [DVOP/LVER] staff, 56 from regional VR&E staff and 10 VETS’ regional representatives);
Training will be directed at interagency training teams consisting of two to five persons who represents their local area, such as:
- Salt Lake City VR&E staff member (1) and Utah DVOP representative (1) make up the team from Utah; or
- Roanoke, Virginia and Washington D.C. VR&E staff (2)and Virginia DVOP representative and Region III representative (2) make up the team from Virginia.

Typically, a team would be made up VR&E staff member and a DVOP, but as illustrated above could be made up of as many as five members. VETS’ regional representatives will attend the training as active participants in the train-the-trainer course, and remain active team members upon return to the region. In some instances, the VETS’ regional representative would be a member of the team that is geographically located near the regional office, or as directed by the Regional Administrator for Veterans’ Employment and Training (RAVET).

Six individual classes with approximately 20 students per class, comprised of VA VR&E, VETS [regional representatives] and SESA staff;
Course material based on Partnership Operating Guide content and classroom facilitation principles;
Candidates selected as trainers (class attendees) should satisfy the following criteria:
- Ideally, will have attended one of the VETS/VR&E Seminars that were moderated by NVTI in 1998 (but not a requirement);
- Must be willing to work cooperatively as a team member with other agency personnel (i.e., a DVOP will be a team member with a staff member from the nearest VR&E office and, in some cases, with a VETS’ regional representative);
- Must either have some training/facilitating experience and/or be comfortable presenting in front of a group as a member of a 2/5 person training team;
- Will be responsible for working together with other team member(s) to identify state and local issues that are getting in the way of a successful working relationship and suitable employment for Chapter 31 Veterans;
- Must have approval of immediate/appropriate supervisor to spend the time and energy on this project in order to participate.

In addition:

All selectees will be expected to attended a train the trainer class session in Denver at NVTI, as scheduled, with team member(s) to learn some basic training techniques and work with the NVTI staff to develop training for their own region/state; and
each team will develop a customized training program to be presented in their state/area within 60 days after training in Denver and be prepared to follow up and report the results of training to agency representatives.

B. Tentative Training Schedule: (FY 2000)

Note: See attachment for participant scheduling

first session, week of March 27
second session, week of April 10
third session, week of April 25
fourth session, week ofMay 22
fifth session, week of May 30
sixth session, week of June 12
The length of each class will be two and one-half days:
travel to NVTI on Monday for sessions one, two, four and six, train Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (to mid-afternoon) and travel home Thursday afternoon/evening.
travel to NVTI on Tuesday for sessions three and five, train Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning and travel home Friday afternoon/evening.

C. Travel: Travel arrangements will be provided by the NVTI coordinator to all prospective SESA attendees not later than (NLT) three days prior to date of travel. VA and VETS’ regional staff will arrange and pay for their own travel.

D. Lodging and Per diem: NVTI will pay hotel and meal costs for SESA and VA attendees. VETS regional attendees will pay for lodging and per diem through their respective regional budgets allocations as per earlier discussion.

V. Action:

A. DVETs will ensure this VPL is shared with pertinent SESA staff.

B. Each SESA will:

(1) select a nominee according to the requirements listed in IV. A. above to attend the appropriate training seminar (see attachment);

(2) provide the State’s DVET the name; duty title; office location and office mailing address for their nominee, and name of the nearest commercial airport that the nominee would depart from and return to; and

(3) provide to the selectee a hard copy of the current local MOU with the VA, to be hand carried to the seminar in Denver.

C. DVETs will review SESA selection for appropriateness of priority. Nominations in the format identified in B.(2). above will be forwarded to the RAVETs via e-mail by COB March 2 , 2000.

D. RAVETs will review DVETs submissions and forward information via e-mail to Ron Benson at VETS N.O. ( benson-ronald@dol.vets) by COB March 6, 2000.

E. National Office coordinator will compile listing of nominees and forward approved package to NVTI and the RAVETs by COB March 10, 2000.

VII. Inquiries: SESA questions should be directed to the appropriate DVET. VETS’ inquiries should be directed thru the Regional Office to Ron Benson in the VETS’ N.O. at (202) 693-4715.

VIII. Expiration Date: December 31, 2000

IX. Attachment

VETS-D RBenson:bct:2/16/00:FPB:Rm. S1316:

Hinkhouse: Seidel: Official File: Pending:

File A:VRCTRAINTHETRAONER

ATTENDEE SCHEDULE

CLASS #1

March 27 (travel) thru March 30 (travel pm)

TEAM

VARO(s) SESA VETS’ REP MEMBERS

Team #1 Philadelphia PA 2

Team #2 NYC & BuffaloNY REG II 4

Team #3 Newark NJ 2

Team #4 Hartford CT 2

Team #5 Manchester NH 2

Team #6 White River JctVT REG I 3

Team #7 Providence RI 2

Team #8 Boston MA 2

Team #9 Togus ME 2

21 TOTAL

CLASS #2

April 10 (travel) thru April 13 (travel pm)

TEAM

VARO(s) SESA VETS’ REP MEMBERS

Team #10 Wilmington DE 2

Team #11 Roanoke VA REG III 3

Team #12 Pittsburgh

Huntington WV 3

Team #13 Baltimore MD

Washington DC 4

Team #14 Phoenix AZ 2

Team #15 Oakland

Los Angeles

San Diego CA REG IX 5

19 TOTAL

CLASS #3

April 25 (travel) thru April 28 (travel pm) TEAM

VARO(s) SESA VETS’ REP MEMBERS

Team #16 Portland OR 2

Team #17 Honolulu HI 2

Team #18 Anchorage AK 2

Team #19 Houston

Waco TX REG VI 4

Team #20 Muskogee OK 2

Team #21 New Orleans LA 2

Team #22 St. Louis MO 2

Team #23 Little Rock AR 2

Team #24 Jackson MS 2

20 TOTAL

CLASS #4

May 22 (travel) thru May 25 (travel pm)

TEAM

VARO(s) SESA VETS’ REP MEMBERS

Team #25 Chicago IL 2

Team #26 Milwaukee WI 2

Team #27 St. Paul MN

Fargo ND 4

Team #28 Detroit MI REG V 3

Team #29 Des Moines IA 2

Team #30 Indianapolis IN 2

Team #31 Cleveland OH 2

Team #32 St. Petersburg FL 2

Team #33 Louisville KY 2

21 TOTAL

CLASS #5

May 30 (travel) thru June 2 (travel pm)

TEAM

VARO(s) SESA VETS’ REP MEMBERS

Team #34 Atlanta GA 2

Team #35 Montgomery AL REG IV 3

Team #36 Nashville TN 2

Team #37 Winston-SalemNC 2

Team #38 Columbia SC 2

Team #39 San Juan PR 2

Team #40 Denver CO REG VIII 3

Team #41 Cheyenne WY 2

Team #42 SLC UT 2

20 TOTAL

CLASS #6

June 12 (travel) thru June 15 (travel pm)

TEAM

VARO(s) SESA VETS’ REP MEMBERS

Team #43 Ft. Harrison MT 2

Team #44 Boise ID 2

Team #45 Seattle WA REG X 3

Team #46 Lincoln NB REG VII 3

Team #47 Reno NV 2

Team #48 Wichita KS 2

Team #49 Sioux Falls SD 2

Team #50 Albuquerque NM 2

18 TOTAL

Participant Totals:VA (56)State (52)Region (10)