Located in:
- Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants
(OMB Control Number: 1225-0086)
The Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants (JVSG) are mandatory, formula-based staffing grants to States (including DC, PR, VI and Guam). The JVSG is funded annually in accordance with a funding formula defined in the statute (38 U.S.C. 4102A (c) (2) (B) and regulation and operates on a fiscal year (not program year) basis, however, performance metrics are collected and reported quarterly on a Program Year basis (as with the ETA-9002 Series). Currently, VETS JVSG operates on a multi-year grant approval cycle modified and funded annually.
In accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(b)(5) and § 4102A(c), the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training (ASVET) makes grant funds available for use in each State to support Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVER) staff. As a condition to receive funding, 38 U.S.C. § 4102A(c)(2) requires States to submit an application for a grant that contains a State Plan narrative, which includes:
d. The Incentive Award program implemented using the 1% grant allocation set aside for this purpose, as applicable;
Current Narrative:
Overview: Cash incentive Award Program: and AJCs. This award shall be used in accordance with VPL 04-19 or the most recent guidance from USDOL-VETS. The objective of the JVSG cash incentive award program, known as the Veterans Service Performance Incentive Award Program, is to recognize, promote and reward exceptional performance in the provision of service to veterans within the context of statutes and regulations. The award program will create an awareness and continuous level of interest in the importance of providing intentional, high-quality outreach and services for veterans and promote an environment that engenders continuous improvement the way staff upport veterans across the spectrum of service. The award system shall continue to operate as defined in the applicable State Policy and as approved by USDOL. The state anticipates that individuals and teams will recognize the value and process of the awards program and will, as a result, develop a competitive attitude within the agency that supports esprit de corps within the team while sharpening the focus on service to other eligible persons. Incentive awards shall be expended up to and including 1 percent of the total grant amount for the fiscal year, which is set aside strictly, by the fiscal department of VDOL, for this purpose in the annual grant budget. Awards shall be determined based on a percentage of total award available for that fiscal year but shall not (in total) exceed 1 percent of the total available funds for a given fiscal year or the most current USDOL guidance on grant-funded incentive award amounts.
Vermont elects to use one percent of the Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) allocation to provide cash performance awards for eligible employees and local one-stop offices. The awards program is intended to encourage and incentivize the improvement and modernization of employment, training, and placement services for veterans, and recognize eligible employees and offices for excellence in the provision of such services, or for having made demonstrable improvements in the provision of services to veterans.
The award will be administered by the VDOL Fiscal.
Award Amounts: The state shall request 1 percent of its annual allocation for each year’s JVSG grant as performance incentive awards for eligible staff that will be paid in cash.
Individual Performance Award Amounts:
- LVER Performance Award (approximately 1/5 of the annual allocation)
- DVOP Performance Award (approximately 1/5 of the annual allocation)
- One-Stop Staff/Partner Staff Performance Award (approximately 1/5 of the annual allocation)
Local One-Stop Office Award Amounts:
- 1st Place Local Office Winner (approximately 1/5 of the annual allocation)
- 2nd Place Local Office Winner (approximately 1/5 of the annual allocation)
Eligible Recipients: Award recipients must meet eligibility requirements outlined in Section 4 of the Vermont Department of Labor’s Policy #14: Meritorious Awards Policy.
Veterans Service Performance Awards will be granted to individuals in each of the three following categories:
- Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialists (.5 or 1 FTE status),
- Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) staff (.5 or 1 FTE status), and
- Any other individual who provides employment and training services to veterans under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), to include labor exchange staff funded by the Wagner-Peyser Act, or staff of one-stop agencies.
Two Veterans Service Performance Awards will be granted to local one-stop offices.
Eligibility Criteria: Veterans Service Performance Awards will be granted to individuals and VDOL’s local one-stop offices to recognize exceptional service to veterans or for specific activities or initiatives that promote successful employment of veterans. Nominations must detail the activities that meet this aim and may also descriptions of how the nominee achieved one or more of the following:
- System improvements that result in improved services to veterans and other eligible individuals under JVSG,
- Outstanding case management on behalf of a JVSG participant,
- Exceptional effort expended to assist a homeless veteran, formerly incarcerated veteran, or other hard to place JVSG participant,
- Activities led to improve performance, reduce time or cost, or promote collaboration around service to veterans,
- Outstanding outreach or placement efforts on behalf of veterans and JVSG participants,
- Extraordinary community relations efforts to increase the awareness of veterans’ issues, or
- Development of a program, for which the impact may not be directly measurable, (i.e. resume skills building program), targeted to support veterans.
Selection and Award Process: The application must be completed, signed, and scanned to the Assistant Director by April 1 of each grant year. Each nomination will be screened to ensure the recipient is eligible to receive the award under state and department merit award policies. The Director of Workforce Development will convene an award review committee of not less than member of the Department to review nominations and make award recommendations to the Director. Nominations will be scored based on information provided in response to the five questions on the nomination form and may use a scoring rubric established by the State Veterans Services Coordinator. Recommendations will be forwarded to the Director by April 17 of each grant year. The Director will consider the recommendations and submit final nominees to the Department’s Meritorious Awards Committee (MAC) or the Commissioner directly, pursuant to VDOL Policy #14.
Winners will be announced in May of each grant year and all awards will be distributed by July of each year.