DOL-VETS FY 2010 Budget Brief

DOL-VETS Budget Overview	2008	2009	2010 Request
State Grants	$161,894,000	168,894,000	172,394,000
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program	23,620,000	26,330,000	35,330,000
Veterans Workforce Investment Program	7,351,000	7,641,000	9,641,000
National Veterans Employment and Training Service Institute	1,949,000	1,949,000	2,449,000
Federal Administration	33,282,000	34,625,000	35,313,000
Total Budget Authority	228,096,000	239,439,000	255,127,000

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) provides veterans and transitioning service members with the resources and services to succeed in the civilian workforce by maximizing their employment opportunities, protecting their employment rights and meeting labor market demands with qualified veterans. In addition, VETS administers and enforces the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).

VETS helps veterans obtain positive employment outcomes through services provided at One-Stop Career Centers and other locations. State Grants are provided by formula to State Workforce Agencies (SWA) to support approximately 2,100 Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER) staff, and also for Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Employment Workshops and services. In FY 2008, the State Grant program served 850,800 veterans. A set-aside in the funding formula supports the delivery of TAP Employment Workshops and provides VETS with the flexibility to respond to exigent circumstances. Funding is also made available from the set aside to provide TAP Employment Workshops at military installations overseas and to continue the National Hire Veterans campaign.

The Department of Defense set a goal for TAP Employment Workshop participation of 85 percent of separating service members and demobilizing National Guard and Reserve Forces. TAP Employment Workshop participation is expected to increase during FY 2009 and FY 2010. In FY 2009, VETS expects to deliver over 5,300 TAP Employment Workshops to 160,000 service members and spouses at military installations within the United States and overseas. In FY 2010, VETS expects to deliver over 6,100 TAP Employment Workshops to approximately 185,000 participants worldwide.

To meet the anticipated increased demand for TAP Employment Workshops, and maximize efficiency and effectiveness, VETS will need to increase the number of contract staff who facilitate TAP Employment Workshops.

VETS protects the reemployment and employment rights of veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserve Forces under the provisions of USERRA so that they can serve on active duty without harm to their employment status. In FY 2007, VETS resolved 1,500 USERRA complaints, and contacted 122,514 veterans in connection with their rights under USERRA. The agency also endeavors to ensure compliance with veterans' preference requirements for Federal employment. In FY 2007, VETS opened 496 veterans' preference cases.

The National Veterans' Employment and Training Service Institute (NVTI) was established in 1986 and authorized in 1988 by P.L. 100-323. NVTI develops and delivers competency-based training to the State DVOP and LVER veteran service providers. The purpose of NVTI is to guarantee the universality of services for veterans by ensuring that all direct client service providers have been properly trained on their job, thereby, increasing their productivity and knowledge of services available to veterans. NVTI is currently administered by VETS staff through a contract with the University of Colorado at Denver (UCD). The training provided by NVTI is evaluated for effectiveness through post-training follow-up with participants and their supervisors to determine the impact of the training. In FY 2008, NVTI provided training to 2,000 participants. The increase in the NVTI activity will ensure the statutory requirement of all DVOP and LVER staff attend core training within three years of appointment to their positions is met.

The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) was the first nationwide Federal program focused on placing homeless veterans into jobs. The program was authorized under Section 738 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (MHAA) of July 1987, and amended by Section 5 of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act (HVCAA) of 2001. HVCAA provides that "the Secretary...shall conduct, directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to provide job training, counseling, and placement services (including job readiness and literacy and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force." VETS administers the program through a competitive grant process. Eligible organizations may apply to DOL/VETS for grant dollars to fund program activities that carry out the mission of assisting homeless veterans to re-enter the labor force. Through these competitive grant awards, HVRP provided employment and training services to an estimated 14,000 homeless veterans in FY 2008 at an average cost of $1,560. This increase in funding will allow VETS to serve an additional 7,200 homeless veterans, supporting the President's initiative to end chronic homelessness among veterans.

The Veterans' Workforce Investment Program (VWIP) activity supports efforts to ensure veterans' lifelong learning and skills development, under 29 U.S.C. 2913 (Veterans' Workforce Investment Programs - Sec. 168, Workforce Investment Act, P.L. 105-220) in programs designed to serve current eligible and targeted veteran subgroups with severe employability barriers. VWIP is a program year, competitive grant program where funds are awarded to veterans and eligible persons with emphasis on Special Disabled veterans, and veterans with other barriers to employment. About 4,600 participants are targeted to receive employment and training services through this program in FY 2010, which provides competitive grants to various eligible organizations.

The goal of VWIP was refined to provide services to veterans that will result in new skills and employment in Green Jobs as referenced in the Green Jobs Act of 2007. Green Jobs include jobs in the energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofits industries; the renewable electric power industry; the energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicle industry; the bio-fuels industry; the deconstruction and materials use industries; the energy-efficiency assessment industry serving the residential, commercial, or industrial sectors; and manufacturers that produce sustainable products using environmentally sustainable processes and materials.

For more information about DOL-VETS, visit www.dol.gov/vets.

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