WIOA State Plan Common Elements

North Carolina’s public workforce development system offers programs designed to improve employment opportunities for all customers. Services include assessments, training programs, staff- assisted services, and self-service online programs. In addition to serving people with various levels of education and work experience, some specialized programs provide customized services to special populations, especially veterans. North Carolina is home to seven military installations and over 775,000 of its citizens are veterans. Staff at NCWorks Career Centers are committed to helping veterans and other individuals with barriers to employment navigate the employment process beginning with assessment and continuing throughout the job-search and culminating in suitable employment.

On November 7, 2002, the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA), Public Law 107-288 was signed into law. One provision of the JVA, codified at 38 U.S.C. 4215, establishes a priority of service requirement for “covered persons” (veterans and certain spouses of veterans, as defined by 38 U.S.C. 4215(a) (l) (A-B), in qualified job training programs. Qualified job training programs include all workforce programs funded directly, in whole or in part, by the US Department of Labor (USDOL), such as WIOA Title I and Title III (Wagner Peyser) employment services and other job training programs offered through competitive grants. The final rule implementing the priority of service requirement took effect on January 19, 2009 and can be found at 20 CFR 1010. Additionally, USDOL has provided policy guidance to the workforce investment system regarding the implementation of the priority of service. In brief, priority of service means that veterans and eligible spouses are given priority over non-covered persons for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services provided under a qualified job training program. A veteran or an eligible spouse either receives access to a service earlier in time than a non-covered person, or, if the resource is limited, the veteran or eligible spouse receives access to the services instead of or before the non-covered person.

It is important to note, however, that the priority of service requirements is not affected by this guidance; direct recipients of USDOL funding remain subject to the priority of service guidance and regulations.

Additionally, the priority of services requirements should not be interpreted to limit veterans and eligible spouses to receiving services only from veterans’ program staff. Procedures or policies that restrict a veteran’s access to WIOA Title I or Title III services, even if such restrictions are intended to provide the veteran with specialized services, are contrary to the priority of service requirement.

Priority of service provisions for veterans are monitored on a regular basis through field checks and by generating reports from NCWorks Online, the state’s labor exchange portal. Additionally, North Carolina statute requires annually that a report be submitted to the NC General Assembly, in accordance with General Statute 165-44, and consistent with the federal Jobs for Veterans’ Act (P.L. 107-288).

Many US military veterans complete service only to discover they cannot find jobs when they return home. Although service members develop a wide range of skills through military education, training, and experience, they often find it difficult to translate these skills into civilian jobs, perhaps because technical skills, education, and experience differ between military and civilian sectors. This is especially true for veterans with medical training such as combat medics and corpsmen.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce provides a Veteran Services Program across the state to assist veterans with employment. The Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialists (DVOPs) assist veterans with overcoming barriers through intensive, career services. Local Veteran Employment Representatives (LVERs) reach out to employers to advocate for hiring Veterans. Recent changes to the federal policies concerning the roles of these staff that serve veterans have been made to ensure that eligible veterans and eligible spouses receive the best combination of services, according to their needs. The agency determined that to accomplish this refocusing, Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists will serve only those veterans and eligible spouses most in need of the intensive career services to address significant barriers to employment. As a result, DVOP specialists will serve fewer veterans and eligible spouses, but will be able to provide more intensive services.

The current referral process is to have the veteran complete a questionnaire upon their arrival in a NCWorks Career Center. They are asked to check if they have any of the following (barriers):

1. A special disabled or disabled veteran, as those terms are defined in 38 U.S.C § 4211(1) and (3); Special disabled and disabled veterans are those: who are entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs; or, were discharged or released from active duty because of a service connected disability;

2. Homeless, as defined in Section 103(a) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302(a)), those that are homeless or at risk of being homeless that are fleeing domestic violence situations;

3. A recently-separated service member, as defined in 38 U.S.C § 4211(6), who has been unemployed for 27 or more weeks in the previous 12 months;

4. An offender, as defined by WIOA Section 3 (38), who is currently incarcerated or who has been released from incarceration;

5. Lacking a high school diploma or equivalent certificate; or

6. Low-income (as defined by WIA at Sec. 101(25) (B).

7. Vietnam Era Veterans

8. Veterans Age 18-24

9. Eligible Transition Service Members

Veterans with any of these barriers are then referred to a DVOP, or in the limited locations without a DVOP, the veteran will be given a priority of service and will be assisted by another career center staff. Included in career counseling conversations with veterans, staff inform veterans of the Registered Apprenticeship program and the eligibility and utilization of GI Bill Benefits for the registered apprenticeship program.

Another manifestation of the priority of service policy is in the NCWorks Online job order process. This means that all registered veterans have an opportunity to view the job opening before non-veterans. To accomplish this, a 24-hour business day hold plus overnight update is placed on each job order before it is released to the public.

The North Carolina Community College System maintains an open-door policy that emphasizes “high-quality, accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success, develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce, and improve the lives and well-being of individuals”. Through the Carl Perkins V Act, the NCCCS has funded the Military Credit for Prior Learning initiative. This on-going initiative compares the military training course work with the for-credit course work in relevant program titles and awards the appropriate academic credits for the military training. This initiative provides the opportunity for veterans to receive curriculum credit for prior military experience and training. As a result, the veterans remain in the program and can complete their academic course work in less time.

The Perkins V Act also serves specific special populations. Under this Act, youth who have a parent who is a member of the armed forces or those who are on active duty are defined as a special population. This means a college may set aside funding to assist these students to achieve success in their program of study.

Several Colleges within the system offer Green Zone Training which is a professional development opportunity for college staff to receive an overview of best practices for working with military and veteran students.

Veterans with Significant Barriers to Employment (SBE):

During initial visit and registration, North Carolina’s Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS) offers all veterans and eligible spouse a wide range of employment and training opportunities and services. At the time of initial registration, they are asked to check if they have an SBE:

1. A special disabled or disabled veteran, as those terms are defined in 38 U.S.C § 4211(1) and (3); Special disabled and disabled veterans are those: who are entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs; or, were discharged or released from active duty because of a service connected disability;

2. Homeless, as defined in Section 103(a) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302(a)), those that are homeless or at risk of being homeless that are fleeing domestic violence situations;

3. A recently-separated service member, as defined in 38 U.S.C § 4211(6), who has been unemployed for 27 or more weeks in the previous 12 months;

4. An offender, as defined by WIOA Section 3 (38), who is currently incarcerated or who has been released from incarceration;

5. Lacking a high school diploma or equivalent certificate; or

6. Low-income (as defined by WIA at Sec. 101(25) (B).

7. Vietnam Era Veterans

8. Veterans Age 18-24

9. Eligible Transition Service Members

Veterans are coded with a special character on their records identifying them as such. This character ensures veterans receive priority for all automated call-ins for job or program referrals, and readily identifies for enrollment in programs which eligible. Further action has been initiated and steps taken to ensure that opportunities and services are made available to veterans most in need of case management and intensive career services:

1. Every veteran on their initial visit to the America Jobs Center will be given the Veterans & Eligible Spouse Services Assessment Form by Wagner-Peyser or WIOA staff to determine if any barriers to employment exist and what, if any, intensive career services are required. Assessments are not conducted by Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) staff. If any of the questions on the assessment form are answered with an affirmative response to the SBE, the eligible veteran or spouse must be offered referral to the DVOP or other appropriate staff for further assistance.
2. Those identified as needing intensive career services are entered into case management by the Disabled Veteran Outreach Program specialist (or other local office staff if there is not a DVOP in the designated NCWorks Career Center). A plan is developed with the individual to provide, refer, and coordinate services needed with the appropriate Workforce Partners, or other agencies that provide the needed services to help the veteran mitigate their barrier to employment.
3. Wounded Warriors:  Two (2) NC DVOP staff will continue with the primary duty of providing services to service members assigned to the Wounded Warriors Barracks. One DVOP is out stationed at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Wounded Warrior Barracks and the second one is stationed on Fort Bragg. These DVOP staff members will work directly with residents of the Warrior Transition Barracks at each base.
4. Chapter 31, Veterans Administration Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) program: In compliance with VPL 01-16 and the respective TAG, a DVOP will be designated as the State Intensive Services Coordinator (ISC). This staff primary responsibility of tracking and reporting services and outcomes for all veterans enrolled in Chapter 31 within the state. The ISC serves as the State Agency’s central point of contact for service to VR&E participants. In addition to case management responsibilities, the assigned ISC will facilitate the dissemination of information to, and compile information from, the DVOP specialists or other SA staff who serve Chapter 31 participants. The ISC serves as the coordination point to communicate information to and from VR&E staff and the state Director Veterans Employment & Training (DVET).

 
Homeless Veterans:   All DVOP staff members are involved with local civic, community, and governmental agencies involved in assisting with and eradicating the homeless situation among veterans. North Carolina has six (6) major metro areas throughout the state: Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh/Durham, Fayetteville, and Wilmington where the DVOP coordinates with the local Veterans Administration, Homeless Shelters, Competitive Grantees in Asheville and in Durham/Fayetteville, surrounding America Job Centers, Veteran Service Organizations, and Local Government to conduct Homeless Veteran Stand Down each year.

North Carolina has six (6) military facilities. DVOP staff are stationed at both Ft. Bragg and Camp Lejeune as a point of contact for referral of qualified disabled veterans. We also partner with the VA, and many other state and private companies to optimize employment opportunities for disabled veterans. The success of the JVSG Program is monitored daily by America Job Center Managers and management at all levels with the use of monthly and quarterly automated reports.