U.S Department of Education Veterans Employment Program Operational Plan FY 2010-2012
Department of Education
VETERANS’ EMPLOYMENT OPERATIONAL PLAN
FY 2010 - 2012
“VETERANS SUPPORTING EDUCATION EXCELLENCE FOR AMERICA”
Table of Contents
Foreword 4
Acronyms 5
Executive Summary 6
I. Introduction 8
II. Strategic Overview and Mission of the U.S. Department of Education 9
III. Veterans’ Employment Program 10
IV. Veterans Workforce Profile 11
V. Veteran Employment Strategies 14
Leadership Commitments in the First 30 Days 18
Strategy 1: 21
Foster Effective Leadership Commitment 21
VI. Develop Skills and Manage Veterans Employment 23
Strategy 2: 24
Develop Skills and Manage Veterans Employment 24
VII. Marketing and Outreach 28
Strategy 3: 29
Market and Outreach for Veterans Employment 29
Establish Success Indicatorses for Marketing and Outreach. 32
VIII. Build an Information Gateway 34
Strategy 4: 35
Build an Information Gateway 35
Appendices 37
Appendix A 38
Appendix B 39
Appendix C 40
Appendix D 41
Appendix E 42
Appendix F 43
Appendix G 44
Appendix H 45
Appendix I 46
Foreword
Executive Order 13518
Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government
Under Sec. 3. Veterans Employment Initiative, participating agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law:
(a) develop an agency-specific Operational Plan for promoting employment opportunities for Veterans, consistent with the Government-wide Veterans Recruitment and Employment Strategic Plan described in section 4 of this order, merit system principles, the agency's strategic human capital plan, and other applicable workforce planning strategies and initiatives;
(b) within 120 days of the date of this order, establish a Veterans Employment Program Office, or designate an agency officer or employee with full-time responsibility for its Veterans Employment Program, to be responsible for enhancing employment opportunities for Veterans within the agency, consistent with law and merit system principles, including developing and implementing the agency's Operational Plan, Veterans recruitment programs, and training programs for Veterans with disabilities, and for coordinating employment counseling to help match the career aspirations of Veterans to the needs of the agency;
(c) provide mandatory annual training to agency human resources personnel and hiring managers concerning Veterans' employment, including training on Veterans' preferences and special authorities for the hiring of Veterans;
(d) identify key occupations for which the agency will provide job counseling and training to better enable Veterans to meet agency staffing needs associated with those occupations; and
(e) coordinate with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to promote further development and application of technology designed to assist transitioning service members and Veterans with disabilities.
Acronyms
CHCO Chief Human Capital Officer
DEU Delegated Examining Unit
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DoL Department of Labor
DVA Department of Veterans Affairs
DOD Department of Defense
FPPS Federal Personnel/Payroll System
FSA Federal Student Aid
HCCS Human Capital and Client Services
HR Human Resources
HRO Human Resources Officers
LEAs Local Enforcement Agencies
MCEC Military Child Education Coalition
MCOs Mission Critical Occupations
MOS Military Occupational Specialty
MSOs Mission Support Occupations
OCO Office of Communications and Outreach
OPM Office of Personnel Management
PMF Presidential Management Fellows
POs Principal Offices
PMO Professional Military Organizations
TAP Transition Assistance Programs
ED U.S. Department of Education
USERRA Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
VEOP Veterans Employment Operations Program
VEP Veterans Employment Program
VEPO Veterans Employment Program Office
VSO Veterans Service Organizations
Executive Summary
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) plans to leverage the extensive investment which our Government makes in the training and development of military service members and capitalize on the return on this investment. As such, ED will execute an aggressive three-pronged strategy to:
· Become more strategic in valuing and retaining the leadership, skills, dedication, and commitment to excellence which Veterans have honed as service men and women in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard and reserve components.
· Identify and dismantle potential barriers for Veterans seeking employment at ED.
· Create a culture which welcomes Veterans and identifies ED an “employer of choice” for Veterans.
ED’s Veterans Employment Operations Program (VEOP) is consistent and in alignment with the Government-wide Veterans’ Recruitment and Employment Strategic Plan for FY 2010 - FY 2012, and Executive Order for the Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government. ED’s VEOP builds on the four comprehensive areas of change identified in the Government-wide VEOP:
· Leadership Commitment;
· Skills Development and Employment;
· Marketing Veterans’ Employment; and
· Information Gateway.
Highlights of the ED VEOP actions include:
· Leveraging Executive Orders and Directives to increase accountability, improve agency operations, and enhance collaborative solutions to internal management and administrative policies.
· Developing specific and measurable Office of Management actions to increase the Veteran Applicant Pool and utilization of veteran hiring authorities and other hiring resources.
· Partnering with Department of Defense (DOD) organizations to transition service members and military spouses through the effective use of the EDVeterans Skills Catalog which describes ED professional, Mission Critical Occupations (MCOs) and skills and maps them to the skills-sets of similar military occupations.
· Establishing multi-faceted marketing strategies to reach both internal and external stakeholders, using creative and innovative techniques to encourage the employment of qualified Veterans.
· Utilizing web based portals and the information gateway to share information about ED’s programs for Veterans, with links to programs and services offered by other Federal agencies, Veterans Service Organizations, state agencies and other organizations.
Indicators of Progress
· Specific and measurable HCCS activities:
o Establishing a human capital strategy for HR professionals to promote and increase use of Veteran hiring authorities by hiring managers.
o Establishing an approved human capital plan for expanding the Veteran applicant pool for Delegated Examining Unit (DEU) for external hires and merit promotion vacancy announcements for internal recruitment.
o Identifying specific training hiring managers will be required to take in order to increase Veteran hiring.
o Developing and executing the OpenED Veterans Dashboard to be populated with output and outcome measures including:
§ Monthly meetings of the Principal Office (PO) HR Policy Group to discuss Dashboard updates.
§ Establishment of performance standards and objectives in the Performance Plans of Senior Human Capital and Client Services (HCCS) leaders and managers.
o Establishment of PO Service Level Agreements.
o Submitting the annual VEOP report to OPM September 1, 2011 and September 1, 2012 using performance indicators tracked in the Veterans Dashboard.
I. Introduction
In November 2009, the President stated, “It is the policy of my Administration to enhance recruitment of, and promote employment opportunities for, Veterans within the executive branch, consistent with merit system principles and Veterans preferences prescribed by law. The Federal Government will thereby help lead by example in promoting Veterans employment.” As an active member of the Interagency Council on Veterans Employment Initiative which was established by Executive Order 13518, the Secretary of Education is responsible along with other Council members for contributing advice and assistance and reporting to the President and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as well as reporting on the progress of the Department of Education (ED) in promoting the employment of Veterans.
In carrying out the Administration’s policy, ED’s executive leadership embraces its charge to join other Federal agencies in “establishing operational plans, training programs for disabled vets, and mandatory instruction for human resources personnel and hiring managers on veteran’s preference.” ED’s leadership is committed to the effort outlined by the President in his Executive Order and will actively reach out to engage all of the Department’s employees as participants in responding to the President’s call for action on behalf of Veterans.
The Department’s Veterans Employment Operational Plan (VEOP) focuses on “Veterans Supporting Education Excellence for America.” The plan sets forth effective human capital policies and practices for the employment of Veterans that are appropriately aligned with the mission and budget priorities of ED and are critical to ensure the Department’s success. We welcome this opportunity to expand our outreach to individuals who have already demonstrated a strong belief in public service as members of the Armed Forces and who can be expected to continue to serve throughout their Federal civilian careers with similar dedication.
As an initial step in this direction, ED has established the Veterans Employment Program Office (VEPO) to attract, hire and train Veterans who have served and sacrificed in defense of our country. A primary goal of VEPO is to increase the number of Veterans in ED by promoting employment opportunities to Veterans nationally.
The increased hiring of Veterans within ED will allow the Department to capitalize on their unique and varied backgrounds, and to benefit from the leadership and technical skills they learned or enhanced while serving on active duty. Our ED workforce will be strengthened through our increased employment of Veterans, who understand the critical importance of education and training as the basis for success in accomplishing tasks on a personal as well as on a national level.
II. Strategic Overview and Mission of the U.S. Department of Education
ED is recognized as a leader in improving the quality of education for children and adults in order to ensure that all Americans can use their knowledge and skills to lead productive lives and enhance our communities. This foundation of educational excellence is consistent with the Department’s primary mission, which centers on promoting student achievement, preparing for global competitiveness, fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access to education. Veterans are a critical talent source for providing valuable candidates to assist in accomplishing this important mission. The executive leaders of ED have indicated aligning, integrating and executing the Veterans Employment Program (VEP) with other human capital governance, strategies, policies, and practices is a top priority.
The Department’s Strategic Plan for FYs 2007–12 spells out in detail the tasks to be accomplished as it pursues its mission, helping to define America's education agenda while working closely with state and local partners to achieve concrete results. With its partners, ED seeks to establish a world-class education system for all Americans, accessible to everyone regardless of achievement gaps or other barriers faced by low-income and minority students, students with disabilities, and those with limited English proficiency. Productive and responsible citizens who have acquired a quality education will be able to succeed in the global economy as productive and responsible citizens and leaders.
The Strategic Plan also sets “high expectations for the management of the Department by creating a crosscutting goal focused on excellent management practices, fiscal integrity, and a culture of high performance.” The establishment of VEPO to direct and coordinate ED’s Veterans’ employment initiative is consistent with these expectations. The Department anticipates that ED leaders and managers will not only look to VEPO for direction on this initiative, but will actively participate in reaching out to Veterans and seeking ways to integrate them into their organizations as they plan for meeting future workforce needs.
ED’s POs complete annual workforce plans using a strategic process to help ensure the Department has the right people in appropriate jobs to carry out critical functions. The POs analyze current and future needs, identify workforce and skills competency gaps, and develop action plans to fill identified gaps. As part of this annual planning process, the Department expects the active consideration of qualified Veterans. Additionally, the VEPO is identified as a resource to provide direction and assistance to the POs during the planning process.
Veterans committed to public service will enhance ED’s ability to accomplish its mission of ensuring a quality education for all citizens.
This plan leverages the strengths of ED’s veteran workforce, integrating with the HR practices identified in ED’s FY-2009-2012 Human Capital Management Plan. ED established a program that has leadership commitment, transparency and accountability at the forefront. While the VEP activities are aligned with, and responsive to, the barriers identified as part of the Government-wide focus to improve employment opportunities for Veterans, this plan is based on a strategic analysis of past recruitment activities of Veterans and disabled Veterans with respect to hiring trends, on-boarding activity, employee engagement, training, performance management and leadership development. The VEP addresses specific characteristics of the ED veteran demographic profile and articulates plans for obtaining required competencies and opportunities in mission-critical and mission-support occupations through targeted marketing, outreach and recruitment within various Veteran communities.
III. Veterans’ Employment Program
VISION
To promote meaningful employment opportunities for Veterans and encourage their integration into the ED workforce nationwide through effective training, career development and promotional opportunities.
MISSION
ED’s Veterans Employment Program Office (VEPO) is committed to attract and hire Veterans who have served and sacrificed in defense of our country, as well as trained to perform needed services in mission-critical and mission support occupations.
IV. Veterans Workforce Profile
The Federal government is the largest employer of Veterans. Of the 1,811,459 total employees, 25.5% or 462,744 are Veterans. Three agencies, the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Administration (DVA) and the Department of Homeland Security had the highest percentages of Veterans in the Federal workforce during fiscal years 2007 and 2008, at 40%, 26% and 25% respectively. Comparatively, during the same time period, ED employed 351 Veterans or 8.1%. ED’s employment rate for Veterans of 8.1% is more closely aligned with the 8.3% of Veterans in the civilian workforce, but more can be done to raise these percentages.
Type of Veterans / FY 2007 Federal Workforce / FY 2007 Civilian Workforce / FY 2007 Education / FY 2008 Federal Workforce / FY 2008 Civilian Workforce / FY 2008 EducationAll Veterans / 25.5% / 8.3% / 8.1% / 25.5% / 8.3% / 8.1%
Disabled Veterans / 5.7% / 0.8% / 2.0% / 6.0% / 0.8% / 2.1%
30% or More Disabled Veterans / 3.1% / 0.3% / 1.1% / 3.4% / 0.3% / 1.1%
Note: Data derived from Employment of Veterans in the Federal Executive Branch Fiscal Year 2008, published November 2009.