TEN-10-14_Acc.pdf

ETA Advisory File Text

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON D.C. 20210 TO STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND DIRECTORS STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS AMERICAN JOB CENTERS FROM PORTIA WU s Assistant Secretary SUBJECT American Job Center AJC Participation in Capstone Activities and Other Outreach to Transitioning Service Members 1. Purpose. To inform Employment and Training Administration ETA staff and the public workforce system of and encourage workforce system participation in the military services Capstone activities and other outreach to provide employment services to Transitioning Service Members TSMs including eligible National Guard and Reserve members being separated or discharged from active duty. 2. References. VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 Title II of Public Law 112-56 http www.gpo.gov fdsys pkg PLAW-112publ56 pdf PLAW-112publ56.pdf . DD-2958 Service Member Career Readiness Standards Individual Transition Plan http www.dtic.mil whs directives infomgt forms eforms dd2958.pdf . Training and Employment Guidance Letter TEGL 20-13 Change 1 Designation of Additional Population of Veterans Eligible for Services from the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist Veterans Ages 18 to 24 dated May 7 2014 http wdr.doleta.gov directives attach TEGL TEGL 20-13 Change 1.pdf . Veterans Program Letter VPL 04-14 Designation of Additional Population of Veterans Eligible for Services from the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist Veterans Ages 18 to 24 dated April 10 2014 http www.dol.gov vets VMS VPLs VPL- 04-14.pdf . VPL 08-14 Designation for Additional Populations Eligible for Services from Disabled Veterans Outreach Program DVOP Specialists Transitioning Service Members in need of Intensive Services and Wounded Ill or Injured Service Members Receiving Treatment at Military Treatment Facilities or Warrior Transition Units MTFs WTUs and the Spouses and Family Caregivers of such Wounded Ill or Injured Service Members dated September 26 2014 http www.dol.gov vets VMS VPLs VPL-08- 14.pdf . TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NOTICE NO. 10-14 DATE September 29 2014 2 Memorandum of Understanding Among the Departments of Defense DoD Veterans Affairs Labor Education and Homeland Security U.S. Coast Guard the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management regarding the Transition Assistance Program for Separating Service Members TAP MOU of January 31 2014 http prhome.defense.gov Portals 52 Documents RFM TVPO files TAP 20MOU 20F inal 20January 2031 202013.pdf . TEGL 22-04 Change 1 Serving Military Service Members and Military Spouses under the WIA Dislocated Worker Formula Grant signed September 28 2007 http wdr.doleta.gov directives attach TEGL TEGL22-04c1acc.pdf . Consolidated Appropriations Act 2014 Public Law 113-76 Division H Title I https beta.congress.gov bill 113th-congress house- bill 3547 text q 7B 22search 22 3A 5B 22FY 2014 Omnibus 22 5D 7D . 3. Background. Section 221 of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act amended 10 U.S.C. 1144 to make participation in the Transition Assistance Program including the Department of Labor Employment Workshop DOL EW mandatory for members of the armed forces including eligible National Guard and Reserve Component members who are transitioning from active duty. The military services have also begun to implement Capstone to verify that their members have met Career Readiness Standards CRS and made adequate preparations for their post-military careers before they leave active duty. As part of the Capstone process unit commanders or their designees assess and verify each service member s readiness for transition to civilian employment. Commanders document the verification on form DD- 2958 Service Member CRS Individual Transition Plan ITP for each transitioning service member. When a service member is assessed as not meeting CRS e.g. if a member does not have an adequate civilian resume their commander facilitates a warm handover of the service member to an AJC to facilitate access to appropriate services. This warm handover is accomplished either through a person-to-person introduction to an AJC staff member at a Capstone session on-base or through a call from the service member to the ETA Toll-Free Help Line 1-877-US2-JOBS or 1-872-5627 . The ETA Toll-Free Help Line is prepared to assist service members by identifying and providing contact information for the AJC that is located closest to the base from which they are transitioning or to the community to which they will be transitioning and to describe the services available through that AJC. Commanders document completion of the warm handover on the same form DD-2958 Service Member CRS ITP that they used to assess the transitioning service member s career readiness. A blank DD-2958 is attached. Aside from the specifics of the career readiness assessment and warm handover process the workforce system should be aware that many TSMs could benefit from and are entitled to workforce system services but may have limited ability to access such services at the AJC due to factors such as duty schedules or transportation logistics. The participation of AJC staff in the Capstone sessions and the availability of AJC resources and services especially where they can be provided on-base or otherwise made readily accessible can help TSMs to 3 successfully transition to the civilian workforce once they conclude their active duty military service. This is particularly true for TSMs who are assessed by their commanders as not meeting CRS. 4. AJC Participation in Capstone. Capstone activities are planned and implemented by local military base and appropriate commanders. The DoD and the military service branches expect that local commanders will coordinate their Capstone activity planning with AJC managers on at least a quarterly basis and invite AJC staff to participate in scheduled Capstone activities. AJCs are encouraged to participate by sending a staff member to Capstone activities. Typically a participating AJC staff member would meet with a group of TSMs to refresh information provided in the DOL EW regarding AJC services and how to access them. AJC staff could provide on-base services to service members who are assessed by their commanders as not being ready for transition to civilian employment at the discretion of AJC managers where it would be reasonably efficient to provide such services on-base rather than at the AJC. Participating AJC staff will not perform transition readiness assessments of individual service members or sign form DD-2958 Service Member CRS ITP as these actions are the responsibilities of the military services and the local commanders. While AJC participation in Capstone is strongly encouraged on a par with support that would be provided civilian employees anticipating a layoff it is not mandatory. 5. Provision of AJC Services On-Base. AJC managers are encouraged to coordinate with military commanders and with other agency partners within a local area to provide seamless services to TSMs to the extent practical based on available resources and other AJC commitments. AJC staff should encourage TSMs to access in-person and on-line services as appropriate. For example a service member may opt to seek assistance in refining their resume from the AJC near their assigned base but then register on-line with the workforce system in the state where they intend to relocate after leaving active military service. Service members may be similarly referred to an AJC near their base or prospective relocation site by their base or unit commanders or by the ETA Toll-Free Help Line. AJCs are reminded that they may consider documentation that a service member will be released from active duty on a specific date as equivalent to a layoff notice for determining eligibility for the Workforce Investment Act WIA Dislocated Worker Program see TEGL 22-04 . However service members are not eligible for Priority of Service until they leave active duty. Consistent with the TAP MOU local installation commanders shall arrange for efficient access to the base and facility for any AJC staff they invite to participate in Capstone sessions or other on-base provision of workforce system services. 4 As TSMs are not yet veterans AJC staff providing on or off-base services to TSMs including AJC staff participating in Capstone activities should be staff from AJC partner programs such as the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service or the WIA formula-funded programs except in the following circumstances Local Veterans Employment Representatives may assist in coordinating AJC participation such as by making arrangements for the provision of on-base services but they may not provide direct services to TSMs. In addition Public Law 113-76 permits Disabled Veterans Outreach Program DVOP specialists to serve TSMs identified as in need of intensive services through December 2014. The Veterans Employment and Training Service VETS has identified three categories of TSMs as in need of intensive services and therefore eligible to receive DVOP services under Public Law 113-76 while this authority is effective or during such time as it may be extended DVOP specialists may provide intensive services to 1 TSMs who are 18-24 years old--consistent with TEGL 20-13 and VPL 04-14 which similarly designated 18-24 year old veterans as eligible for DVOP intensive services 2 TSMs who have been identified as in need of intensive services because they were assessed as not meeting CRS as documented on a TSM s DD-2958 and described in Section 3 above and 3 active duty service members being involuntarily separated through a service reduction-in-force. 6. Veterans Priority Resource Page. In November 2013 ETA in partnership with VETS launched a new resource page for workforce practitioners. The resource page available at http veterans.workforce3one.org is hosted on Workforce3One ETA s on-line technical assistance and peer learning platform for workforce practitioners. The site is designed to assist AJC staff as well as State Workforce Agency staff in providing an easy to use source of information for the Department of Labor s veterans employment and training programs. Included on this new resource page are A list of relevant ETA guidance for serving veterans Information on the Gold Card a required item on form DD-2958 by which post-9 11 veterans are eligible for six months of intensive services after leaving active duty A Priority of Service page which includes important guidance and technical assistance Online tools including My Next Move for Veterans the Veterans Reemployment Portal the Career One-Stop Business Center and the eBenefits Veterans Employment Center Announcements regarding veterans employment and A collection of useful links and resources for serving veterans. ETA and VETS encourage all workforce practitioners to visit the site for updated tools and resources. Feedback on the site can be emailed to Vet.Priority dol.gov . 7. Referrals to Department of Veterans Affairs VA resources. AJC staff should encourage TSMs to create profiles on the eBenefits Veteran Employment Center VEC at https www.ebenefits.va.gov ebenefits jobs . The VEC consolidates access to the Veterans Job Bank and other services programs and tools. 5 AJC staff should advise TSMs that the VA provides educational and vocational counseling for all TSMs within six months prior to and for one year after discharge and for other veterans eligible for or receiving a VA education benefit. These services support TSMs and veterans to help guide their career paths and ensure the most effective use of their VA benefits to achieve their education and career goals. More information on this VA counseling is available at http www.benefits.va.gov VOCREHAB edu voc counseling.asp . TSMs with service-connected disabilities should be encouraged to apply to the VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment VR E program which supports participants in job training obtaining suitable careers and employment accommodations and in starting businesses. More information on VR E is available at http www.benefits.va.gov vocrehab index.asp . 8. Outreach Posters and Flyers. The VA has developed outreach posters to inform veterans about the VA and DoD benefits and services they may have earned. AJCs are encouraged to display these posters which have several different design options to reflect the local job seeker customer base of an AJC. VA has also developed materials on the VEC as well as a flyer on how to file an electronic Fully Developed Claim for VA disability benefits. The posters and flyer are attached and are also available on the Workforce3One Veterans Priority Resource Web site described in section 6 above. 9. Action Requested. State Workforce Agency Administrators and AJC managers are requested to immediately transmit this Training and Employment Notice to appropriate staff for implementation. 10. Inquiries. All inquiries should be directed to the appropriate ETA regional office. 11. Attachment s . Blank copy of DD-2958 Service Member Career Readiness Standards Individual Transition Plan Copies of VA Outreach Materials