Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program

The JVSG 5 Year State Plan states:

Priority of Service: Since the enactment of the Jobs for Veterans Act in 2002, Priority of Service has been established in the State of Colorado under policy guidance issued by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Priority of Service, as required by 38 U.S.C § 4215 and 20 C.F.R. 1001 and 1010, is provided to ensure veterans and covered persons receive consideration for all opportunities, for which they qualify, funded in whole or part by the United States Department of Labor. After receipt of state policy, local AJC’s are required to develop internal veterans’ Priority of Service policies and procedures and implementing them after review and approval by the State Veterans Program Coordinator. Each year they are required to submit their local policy to the State Coordinator for review, particularly when changes have been made. The Priority of Service regulations require that local AJC’s implement policies and procedures that:

• Identify veterans and eligible spouses at point of entry (physical locations, web sites, and other virtual service delivery resources);
• Advise veterans and eligible spouse of their entitlement to Priority of Service;
• Make veterans and eligible spouses aware of the full array of employment, training and placement services available; and
• Identify applicable eligibility requirements for programs and services.
• Veterans and covered person are identified and made aware of their entitlement for Priority of Service at the point of entry into Colorado’s workforce system.

Services are made available and provided to eligible veterans transitioning service members, chapter 31 veterans, Native American veterans, and other groups targeted for special consideration like SBE veterans on a priority basis.

If “entry” is made via Colorado Department of Labor and Employment website under “Veteran Services”, Veterans are made aware of their entitlement to Priority of Service. This information advises the veteran or covered person of their entitlement to Priority of Service, and provides a web link that advises the covered persons of the full array of employment, training, and placement services available under Priority of Service. If a veteran or covered person is making “entry” via our Connecting Colorado statewide database they are made aware of their entitlement to Priority of Service through information on the registration page as well as at the end of the registration process. Additionally, veterans or covered persons who enter our workforce system via a local workforce center office are made aware of their entitlement to Priority of Service by signage posted in the local office. The signage advises veterans of their entitlement for Priority of Service and directs them to speak with workforce center staff regarding their eligibility for Priority of Service and the eligibility requirements for a particular program or service.

Priority of Service in Programs: AJCs that operate programs which deliver services to the public as a whole without targeting specific groups, veterans and eligible spouses will receive Priority of Service over all other program participants. The primary universal access services are the “core” services delivered through the AJC staff under the Wagner-Peyser and WIA programs. Veterans and eligible spouses receive the first level of priority in universal access programs.

1. Some programs are required by law to provide a priority for a particular group of individuals or require the program to spend a certain portion of program funds on a particular group of persons. For programs with this type of statutory priority, AJC program operators will determine the status of each individual veteran or eligible spouse and apply Priority of Service as described below:

• Veterans and eligible spouses who meet the mandatory priorities and program eligibility must receive the highest level of priority for the program or service;
• Non-covered persons who meet the program’s mandatory priorities and program eligibility then receive the second level of priority for the program or service;
• Veterans and eligible spouses who do not meet the program-specific mandatory priority or spending requirement or limitation then receive the third level of priority for the program or service;
• Non-covered persons outside the program-specific mandatory priority or spending requirement or limitation then receive the fourth level of priority for the program or service.

2. Some qualified job training programs may include a focus on a particular group or make efforts to provide a certain level of service to a particular group without the authorizing law specifically mandating that the target group be served before other eligible individuals. For this type of discretionary focus, Priority of Service will be applied as described below:

• Veterans and eligible spouses who meet program eligibility and target population;
• Non-covered persons who meet program eligibility and target population;
• Veterans who meet program eligibility but not target population;
• Non-covered persons who meet program eligibility but not target population.

3. State policy requires that all AJC’s establish policy on recruitment, intake and enrollment of Veterans within programs offered, to ensure that veterans are notified, reviewed, and enrolled before non-veterans. In incidences where it has been noted that the veterans who have applied for but not completed the registration and/or enrollment requirements within a program, AJC staff is required to outreach to the veterans encouraging them to complete the process. Their outreach efforts must be documented before the application and/or enrollment is closed. Documentation must show that various means were used to outreach to the veterans.

Priority of Service in Employment Opportunities: When job orders are entered into the state’s automated database, Connecting Colorado, whether manually or virtually, they are placed in a 4 hour “vet hold” status. This allows only Veterans who have all required skills and who meet all required qualifications to be identified and contacted as suitable candidates before being released for review by non-veterans. The veterans are contacted about this job opportunity using our Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system which automatically e-mails all qualified veterans first and relays the information about the job opportunity and how to apply for the position. After each IVR email, a note is automatically entered into the applicant’s record with information about the job posting. This noted information allows the JVSG supported staff and AJC staff to assist the Veterans if and when the Veterans call in regards to the job posting(s).

1. When the automated email generated by the IVR fails to reach the targeted Veteran due to a bad email address, a non-delivered notice is posted within the system. In the demonstration of providing Priority of Service, state policy requires that an attempt to contact the Veteran by phone and post card is required. These additional attempts to contact the veteran are the responsibility of the AJC staff - not JVSG staff.

2. When a job order is placed in Connecting Colorado system, a list of qualified veterans can be generated and viewed by the posting Employer, JVSG and/or, AJC staff. This generated list places all Veterans, beginning with Special disabled, disabled and then all other veterans, ahead of qualified non-veterans in accordance with 20 CFR Part 1001. When the automated applicant list is generated and AJC staff notices that the generated list contains little to no qualified veterans, they will conduct a manual search as a demonstration of Priority of Service. This manual applicant search acts as a safe guard to ensure that qualified veterans, even if there is one, is given priority within job search services.

The demonstration of Priority of Service is the responsibility of AJC staff. It is also the responsibility of the state and county leadership to ensure that Priority of Service is being successfully demonstrated by providing training, technical assistance and monitoring accomplished by the Local Veteran Employment Representative, CDLE Monitors, State Veterans Program Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator, CDLE Regional Directors, and Veteran Program Managers. Methods and means used to verify whether or not Priority of Service is being provided will be the following but are not limited to:

• Vets 9002 and 200 Report
• Interviewing of AJC staff
• State monitoring tool
• Review of program files and documentation
• Customer surveys
• Site visits
• Accompanying DVET during federal audits
• Quarterly Managers Report