III.b.7 – Priority of Service for Veterans.
The Commonwealth did not adequately describe “covered persons” being referred to the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists if they are determined to have one of the significant barriers to employment.
7. Priority of Service for Veterans. Describe how the State will implement and monitor
the priority of service provisions for veterans in accordance with the requirements of the Jobs for Veterans Act, codified at section 4215 of 38 U.S.C., which applies to all employment and training programs funded in whole or in part by the Department of Labor. States should also describe the referral process for veterans determined to
have a significant barrier to employment to receive services from the Jobs for Veterans
Each career center office, along with each of the 10 LWDBs, has received Title 38 U.S.C. 4215(b) and 20 CFR Parts 1010, which provide “Priority of Service” to veterans for all Department of Labor funded programs. Each local career center office has a priority of service poster prominently displayed near the entrance, which defines priority of service and describes who is eligible. Additionally, each customer entering the local office receives a questionnaire used to determine if the customer is priority-of-service eligible. If the customer is an eligible “covered person,” he/she receives a fact sheet listing all of the services and programs along with the program’s qualifications, which must abide by the Priority of Service mandate. The covered person is then seen by the first available staff person. Additionally, Kentucky’s Focus Career system automatically contacts veterans matched to new job orders 24 hours before non-veterans.
Eligible veterans and eligible persons who are determined to have a significant barrier to employment, as defined in VPL 03-14 changes 1 and 2 or most current guidance, are referred to the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialist (DVOP). Additionally, any eligible veterans or eligible persons who are part of a designated additional population by the Assistant Secretary, as defined in VPL 04-14 or current guidance, will be referred to the DVOP. These referrals will be made following an initial identification of an SBE through the registration process. Customers registering electronically using Kentucky’s Focus Career module will be asked a series of questions to determine if they are priority of service eligible. If they are identified as a covered person, they are presented with a screen defining priority of service and directed to their local career center for further information on services and programs.
Kentucky uses a variety of methods to track the priority of service provision. The state’s veteran’s coordinator analyzes the States Performance Outcome Data each quarter to compare veterans’ service rates to non-veterans’ service rates. The Managers’ Quarterly Report, Compliance Evaluation Reports and the Monthly Veterans’ Activities Report are used to monitor priority of service.
Twenty percent of the offices will have a compliance evaluation performed annually. All offices are monitored quarterly through agency reports, which are supplemented by annual self-assessments completed by each local office manager and the Jobs for Veterans State Grant staff. Technical assistance will be provided by the veterans’ program coordinator for underperforming offices. Ongoing deficiencies will result in training and corrective action being taken by the program coordinator. The compliance evaluation will determine if the office is adhering to state policy guidance. Additionally, the compliance evaluation will check referral rates, placement rates and staff- assisted service rates for covered persons versus non-covered persons. Case management files, along with veteran outreach activities and internal routing and procedures for services to covered persons, are evaluated to determine if priority of service is being delivered to veterans. Any deficiencies are recorded and a corrective action plan is prepared in collaboration with the state director of Veterans’ Employment and Training.