WIOA State Plan Common Elements

Vermont is dedicated to serving all veterans throughout the state by connecting them to the education and training that they need to be successful in post-military life. The state is committed to providing opportunities to veterans regardless of where they enter the workforce development system. The state is also committed to increasing awareness of available veterans’ services among the WIOA partners to ensure that there is “no wrong door” for a veteran seeking employment. All case managers and labor exchange staff are trained on available services and how to refer appropriately. 

Individuals enter the workforce development system one of two ways: by visiting a Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) One-Stop Career Center or through the online Vermont JobLink (VJL) registration system. Regardless of the entry point, customers, whether they are veterans or a spouse of a veteran, are asked to self-identify their veteran status to ensure they can take full advantage of the available services to veterans. 

After veteran status is determined via the Veterans Intake Form, they are immediately informed of their priority of service status and entitlement to priority of service. This includes all priority of service employment, training and placement services and applicable eligibility requirements for those programs and services. 

Priority of service is defined under federal law as the right of covered persons to take precedence over non-covered persons in obtaining services. Taking precedence means that the covered person receives access to the service or resource earlier in time than the non-covered person; or if the service or resource is limited, the covered person receives access to the service or resource instead of the non-covered person. Furthermore, to be entitled to receive priority of service under any qualified employment and training program, including WIOA programs, a veteran still must meet each program’s eligibility criteria. 

Though WIOA includes a statutory requirement to provide priority of service to particular groups of people, there is a specific order to be followed in the provision of services involving veterans. The order of priority for services provided is the following: 

• First, to veterans and eligible spouses, including surviving spouses. This means that Veterans and eligible spouses who are also recipients of public assistance, other low-income individuals, or individuals who are basic skills deficient receive first priority for services provided with WIOA adult formula funds. This priority must be provided regardless of the level of funds allocated.
• Second, to non-covered persons (individuals who are not veterans or eligible spouses) who are included in the groups given priority for WIOA adult formula funds.
• Third, to veterans and eligible spouses who are not given statutory priority for WIOA adult formula funds
• Last, to non-covered persons outside all of the groups given priority under WIOA.

The priority of service provided to Vermont’s veterans includes preference in job placement activities and the job referral process. The automated Labor Exchange System, Vermont Job Link (VJL), identifies Veterans at their point of entry into the system. Point of entry includes physical locations, such as the One-Stop Career Centers, websites and other virtual service delivery resources provided by the One-Stop Delivery System. Job placement activities and resume searches are coded for Veteran’s priority of service. Veterans and other covered persons have a two-day advance on new job orders and see job postings on the same day they are processed. Additionally, only Veterans and other covered persons have resumes presented to self-service employers on the same day they post a job. Within the VJL system, an American flag symbol is displayed beside a Veteran account for employers to easily identify and match Veterans to open positions. VJL also provides queries that enable staff to search for newly registered Veterans to ensure follow up to make these Veterans aware of the services and programs available to them and their priority of service within those programs. 

The VDOL will continue to monitor the priority of service provided to Veterans throughout the Vermont workforce system. Each One-Stop Career Center office manager reviews the priority of service provided in the cases managed by their office. In addition to providing training and technical assistance, the VDOL central office staff perform on-site visits to the One-Stop Career Centers to monitor files annually and review managers’ quarterly reports. 

The VDOL will continue to provide training on the implementation of Veterans’ Priority of Service. Training will be provided to DVOP specialists, LVER staff, One-Stop Career Center managers and staff, WIOA partners and other workforce partner personnel to assure full and effective implementation of Veterans’ priority of service requirements at the local level. 

The training emphasizes:

• The Identification of “points of entry” of federal employment and training programs for covered persons to take full advantage of priority of services;
• That staff must assure that at the initial contact point (point of entry) covered persons are made aware of their entitlement to priority of service and the full array of employment, training, and placement services to include any applicable eligibility requirements for those programs or services and
• That local policies and procedures ensure priority of service reporting requirements will be met.

In order to reinforce the training and increase awareness, VDOL staff will work with their WIOA partners to highlight the importance of identifying Veterans and helping them connect to Veterans services available in the One-Stop Career Centers. These awareness efforts will include posters, brochures and other materials highlighting services available to all Veterans.

The VDOL central office conducts regular reviews of internal policies and procedures to ensure that they comply with the priority of service requirements. The VDOL Assistant Workforce Development Director works closely with the Veterans Coordinator who is responsible for the day-to-day monitoring of Veterans’ priority of service in the field offices by reviewing reports and conducting on-site visits.

To initiate the conversation with Veteran’s, the VDOL will post noticeable signage to draw attention to the priority of service to Veterans and eligible spouses. A pre-screening tool will be utilized at the point of entry to determine the appropriate referral of its Veterans or eligible spouses. Together, the Intake and Intensive Services Determination Veterans & Eligible Spouse form is completed by the non-JVSG staff member and the Veteran or Eligible Spouse. Based on the information that is collected a referral is made to the appropriate VDOL case manager or community partner. A Veteran or Eligible Spouse that is not identified as having a significant barrier to employment are referred to the Labor Exchange staff, whereas, a Veteran or eligible spouse  who are identified as having a significant barrier to employment, and in need of individualized career services, must be immediately referred to a DVOP specialist. In both instances, case management continues to be an appropriate service delivery strategy or framework within which basic & individualized services may be delivered, particularly for veterans.