Welcome to the San Diego Wounded Warrior Roundtable scheduled
for 29 and 30 June at the Lockheed Martin Phoenix Conference Facility in
Scripps. SPAWAR and Lockheed Martin will be hosting the 2 day event as an
opportunity for Wounded Warrior organizations to network, collaborate, and
discuss matters related to this National effort.
Over 25 Southern California Wounded Warrior Organizations will
be represented. Mr. Rod Smith, Deputy Commander for SPAWAR Headquarters will be
on hand for the opening remarks. Please see the flyer for event details,
location, driving directions, and agenda. We look forward to your participation
as we all strive to improve awareness and collaboration in support of the
wounded warrior community. We look forward to seeing you there.
The purpose of the Roundtable is to:
·
To raise awareness of
Southern California Wounded Warrior Efforts
·
Understand the challenges
and issues affecting Wounded Warrior Organizations
·
Improve our ability to
network and collaborate for the benefit of our wounded warriors
·
Emphasize ASN (M&RA)
pillars
·
Identify duplicity in
effort and resource issues
Site Locations
Our Workforce - Military and Civilian Team
Workforce Profiles
Wounded Warrior Hiring
NAVSEA Focus
• Wounded
Warrior*
• 30% or more VA
disability rating; and
• Tour in
Afghanistan or Iraq
• All Disabled
Veterans
• 30% or more VA
disability rating
Placement Options
•
Engineering/Scientist (entry-level or student program)
•
Logistician
•
Technician
•
Business Support / Administrative
*Target/hiring goal
Hiring
Authorities
• 30% Percent or More Disabled Veterans (Temporary/Term appointment)
• VRA - Veteran’s Recruitment Appointment Authority of 1998
• VEOA - Veteran’s Employment Opportunity Act of 1998
• Schedule A, Handicapped Appointment
• Student Career Experience Program (SCEP)
Prior to employment, Wounded Warriors
work in the Command under the VA’s Coming Home To Work Program
Partnerships
• Ventura County
• Ventura County
Department of Rehabilitation
• State
Employment Development Department (EDD)
• Ventura
Veteran’s Center
• Los Angeles County
• Department of
Veteran’s Affairs, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Office
• San Diego County
• State EDD,
Balboa Career Transitional Center
• Department of
Veteran’s Affairs, Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Office
Balboa Career Transitional
Center
• Army Warrior
Transitional Company
• Others
• Wounded
Warrior Project (non-profit organization)
• Warrior
Transition Battalion, Fort Bliss, TX
U.S.
Department of Labor
Veterans’ Employment & Training Service (VETS)
Wounded
Warrior Roundtable
June
29-30, 2010
Joseph Moran, Assistant Director
Mission of
DOL-VETS
Veterans
Succeeding in the 21st Century Workforce.
VETS
Proudly Serves Veterans and Service Members! We Provide Resources and Expertise
to Assist and Prepare them to Obtain Meaningful Careers, Maximize their Employment
Opportunities, and Protect their Employment Rights.
www.dol.gov/vets/
DOL-VETS Programs
• Uniformed Services
Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
• Veterans’ Employment
Opportunities Act (VEOA)
• Competitive Grants
• Transition Assistance
Program (TAP)
• Jobs for Veterans’
Act State Grants (JVA)
• Other Initiatives
Uniformed
Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
• USERRA is intended to
minimize the disadvantages to an individual that can occur when that person
needs to be absent from his or her civilian employment in order to serve in the
uniformed services.
• Partnership with Employer
Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a component of the OSD
Basic USERRA
Protections
• Reemployment
Rights
• Discrimination
Prohibited
– Initial Hiring
– Promotion
– Retention in employment
• Other
Employment benefits
Veterans’ Employment Opportunities Act
• USDOL - VETS provides
assistance to veterans or an other preference-eligible person who believe their
preference rights have been violated during the federal hiring process.
Competitive Grants
• Homeless
Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP)
• $24 million – 97 grants – 14,000 to
receive services
• Veterans’
Workforce Investment Program (VWIP)
• $9 million – 22 grants – 4,000 to receive
services
• Incarcerated
Veterans’ Transition Program (ICTV)
• $4 million – 12 projects
• Homeless
Female Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Families
Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
• Partnership with DVA, DoD
and DHS
• 2 ½ Day Transition
Assistance Employment Workshop
• TAP
Re-creation
• Get More Separating
Service Members to TAP
• Link Separating Service
Members to their One-Stop Career Center and Hometown Resources
Jobs for Veterans’ Act State Grants (JVA)
State Workforce Agencies
• DVOP
Staff:
– Employment Case Management
• Ch 31 veterans
• Veterans with barriers to employment
– Provide job search assistance
– Provide referrals to job openings and
training opportunities
• LVER
Staff:
– Promotes the hiring of veterans to
employers
– Outreach to employers
– Job Development
• DVOP and
LVER staff are located in the State Workforce Agencies offices and/or One-Stop
Career Centers nationwide.
One-Stop Career Centers
www.servicelocator.org
Other Initiatives
• REALifelines
• U.S.
Chamber of Commerce
• Rural
Outreach
• Job
Corps
• America’s
Heroes at Work
– www.americasheroesatwork.gov/
America's Heroes at Work
www.americasheroesatwork.gov/
Supporting the Employment
Success of Returning Service Members with TBI & PTSD
Welcome to America's Heroes at
Work - a U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL) project that addresses the employment challenges of returning
Service Members living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Designed for employers and the
workforce development system, this website is your link to information and tools to help returning Service Members living
with TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace - particularly Service Members returning
from Iraq and Afghanistan.
www.americasheroesatwork.gov/
Q & A
Joseph Moran, Assistant
Director
Veterans’ Employment and
Training Service
1949 Avenida del Oro, Suite 114
Oceanside, California 92056
(760) 639-3761
moran.joseph@dol.gov
NAVSEA
Wounded Warrior Program Non-Traditional Relationships
* NAVSEA has established excellent
relationships with numerous Wounded Warrior (WW) Support Organizations
♦ Army Warrior Transition Command (WTC)
• Army Wounded
Warrior (AW2) Program
• Operation
Warfighter (OWF)
♦ Navy Safe Harbor
♦ US Marine Corps WW Regiment
♦ Military Hospitals such as Walter Reed, Bethesda, Portsmouth,
Balboa Transition Center
♦ Veterans Administration – “Coming Home to Work Program”
NAVSEA
Wounded Warrior Program - Recent Initiatives
* Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Army
Warrior Transition Command (WTC)
♦ Importance
of an MOA with WTC – WTC operates nationally to support and place Wounded
Warriors. NAVSEA operates nationally in placing Wounded
Warriors.
♦ Great
synergy in both organizations operating nationwide.
♦ MOA signed
By Gen Cheek and ADM McCoy. Hiring goals have been determined.
♦ NAVSEA is
attracting other Navy Commands into the partnership.
♦ MOA with
Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment ready for signature.
* “National Capitol Region” Wounded Warrior Hiring & Support
Conference held on 2-3 Feb 2010
♦ Purpose –
Improve DoN effectiveness in hiring and supporting Wounded Warriors.
♦ Aid DoD
Commands to easily “plug into” existing programs that are established and
standardized in lieu of starting their own competing programs.
♦ Speakers –
Provide a host of speakers on Wounded Warrior Support from VA, OSD, Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, and DoL.
♦ Conference Theme – “Continued Service to the Nation”
♦ NAVSEA
hosted, ASN (M&RA) sponsored.
Conference
Out-takes
* Establish Oversight and Coordination for Wounded Warrior
Programs.
♦ DON to
establish an office charged with the responsibility and authority to be the POC
for WW employment matters.
* Streamline Process for Wounded Warriors to Obtain Security
Clearances.
♦ DON to
explore ways to resolve security clearance issues with Wounded Warriors and
their caregivers and assist in mitigating underlying causes.
* Continue to Develop and Support Internships, Apprenticeships,
Training and Education Programs.
♦ Investing in
our Wounded Warriors so they can build successful careers.
* Connect our Wounded Warriors with Available Employment
Opportunities.
♦ Examine and
assess the existing databases and websites to determine how best to utilize
them.
* Develop and Disseminate HR Guidance for Hiring and Supporting
our Wounded Warriors.
♦ Consider
guidance and strategy to be used by the DON HR community to assist WWs and
hiring managers in the employment process.
* Develop and Disseminate Employer Guidance for Hiring and
Supporting our Wounded Warriors.
♦ Examine how
to educate employers on the needs of our WWs and their value as employees.
* Assist Family and Caregivers in their Support for our Wounded
Warriors.
♦ Consider how
families and caregivers can best be supported by DON in the employment process.
Wounded
Warrior Hiring and Support Conference
The
Journey so far…
* Shotgun Approach (where we were)
♦ Part of EEO
♦ Passing resumes to sites
• Very limited
success rate (1 in 27 from AW2 hired)
♦ Occasional job fairs
♦ Realization of scope
* Ad Hoc Approach (where we are)
♦ Brought in full-time reserve support
• The biggest
factor in our success to date
• A uniform
helps bridge some gaps
♦ More concentrated effort at placements
• Focus on
all-up round hires
* Systematic Approach (where we are going!)
♦ Define process and pipelines to match long-term needs
♦ Filled through learning, education and internships
What We
Have Learned
* Hiring wounded Warriors is not easy!
♦ Location is
extremely important
• Family
support systems and family issues are number 1
♦ Skills gap
is hard to overcome
• A 19-year
old wounded warrior rarely not possesses the skills we need – some training is
necessary
♦ Leadership
at the command level is a difference maker
• Ask a
command about wounded warriors – who do they refer you to?
♦ The system
can completely overrun individuals
• USA jobs,
the VA, Security clearances, etc. are bureaucratic barriers
♦ Out reach
means Reaching Out!
• Hiring
manager’s expectations are for a full-up round
• DoL, VA and
other programs only go so far – we have the jobs
Wounded
Warrior Flow
Two
Successful Programs Employed by NAVSEA
1. CNIC/NAVSEA Joint Initiative “VITAL™” (Veterans
Individual Training Assistance Link)
♦ Hospital-centric, individual, full service approach to Wounded
Warrior training and care
♦ Original (successful) Pilot was with CNIC
• Training and
Placement for IT Positions
♦ NAVSEA plans to expand VITAL to include Shipyard Apprentice
Positions at all Four Navy Shipyards
♦ Warfare Center Positions and RMA’s planned to follow
2. Learning & Employment Centers (LEC) for
Disabled Veterans
♦ Crane LEC
has hired 55 disabled veterans in a two year period
• Planning to
expand to Indianapolis and FT Wayne, IN
♦ We are
cloning Crane model to new Southern California and National Capitol Region
(NCR) Veterans Training Centers in FY10
♦ Expand to
other key locations
Proposed
Navy Regional Learning & Employment Centers (LECs)
Vision for
Learning & Employment
Center (LEC) Expansion
Consider Navy LECs strategically located throughout America
♦ LEC, Crane
Indiana – A diversity
of Professional and Trades Careers
♦ National
Capitol Region (NCR) LEC –
A wealth of DOD Commands and Federal Agencies all needing Acquisition,
Contracting, Logistics trained Wounded Warriors.
♦ Ventura/San
Diego LEC – Homeport of
the Pacific Fleet; Numerous Navy Professional and Trades Careers.
Administers Pearl Harbor LEC.
• Pearl Harbor LEC –
Numerous Navy Professional and Trades Careers.
♦ Tidewater
LEC – Homeport of the
Atlantic Fleet; Numerous Navy Professional and Trades Careers.
♦ NW LEC – Located in Washington
State; A diversity of Navy Careers; Puget Sound NSY & IMF and many other
Navy facilities.
♦ NE LEC – Home to Portsmouth Naval
Shipyard and Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC); Large USCG Presence; Private
Industry.
♦ SE LEC – Jacksonville, FLA; A
diversity of Navy careers at Jax, Kings Bay, Mayport, Panama City and Orlando.
General
LEC Services
Regional LECs to
provides services such as:
* Recruiting
* Candidate screening
* Acceptance of Wounded Warriors (already
in the Navy system) from VITAL Program. These Wounded Warriors would be
inbound from military hospitals nationwide.
* Family financial status and financial
counseling
* Career employment
* Spousal employment
* Relocation assistance
* Family assistance
* Resume writing
* Interviewing skills
* Administration of VA OJT training program
for the supported activity
* Post Hiring Follow Up
Confederation
of Federal Employers
Forward
Proposal
* Each major Navy employment site employs a
Navy site coordinator of veteran employment
* Employ a Learning and Employment Center
501(c)3 via a services contract to provide the mentoring and coaching needed to
bridge the gap
♦ A few sites can service several commands
♦ Seven sites can cover most Navy installations
* VITAL Hospital Support
♦ Early interaction with motivated candidates is essential
♦ Investigating future pipelines
• Your input
is desired
* VCNO Briefing scheduled for 03 May
♦ ASN(M&RA) and VADM McCoy to brief
Back-Ups
Why Focus
on Hiring Wounded Warriors?
* Force replenishment
♦ 40% of our
180,000 civilian employees can retire within 5 years
♦ We need
individuals who are willing to serve their country in a different capacity
♦ Only 25% of
our youth are eligible to serve in the military
• Civilian DoN
employers have nearly the same criteria, thus we are seeking the same
employment base
♦ DoN hiring
for targeted disabilities is well below the goal (2%)
♦ Employment
levels of OIF/OEF Wounded Warriors exceeds the national average
• 36,000
casualties from OIF/OEF
The Plan
for LECs
* Follow the model piloted at Crane,
Indiana
♦ Establish training pipelines that fill Navy needs
♦ With the local 501(c)3, establish the Learning and Employment
Center
• 501(c)3 can
provide services not possible with appropriated funds
• Leverage VA
and other sources of support
♦ Navy provides internship and a job on completion of training
* A proven method of hiring Wounded
Warriors
♦ 55 in Crane’s pipeline
♦ Closes the skills gap for Wounded Warriors
♦ Provides the Wounded Warrior with the mentorship and guidance
they need to reintegrate
♦ Provides the Navy with full-up rounds
♦ Cost per position is ~$20K – comparable with other focused
recruitment efforts
ALNAV
NAVSEA
Wounded Warrior Program
Contact Information:
June 29, 2010
“A total transformation of
the way we care for Soldiers and their Families”
What is the Warrior Transition Command?
• The Warrior Transition
Command (WTC) is a 1-star command under the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM)
that serves as the central comprehensive source for Wounded Warrior care
support across the Army.
• The WTC’s mission is to
develop, coordinate, and integrate the Army’s Warrior Care and Transition
Program (WCTP) for the wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their
Families or caregivers in order to promote future success in the force or
civilian life.
What are Warrior Transition Units?
• 38 Warrior Transition
Units provide Medical Management and Command and Control for Warriors in
Transition (WTs) and their Families.
• The purpose of the WTU
is to provide critical support to wounded Soldiers who are expected to require
at least six months of rehabilitative care and complex medical management.
Warrior in Transition
• The mission of the WT is
to heal as they transition back to duty or continue serving the nation as a
Veteran in their community.
• Resources provided to
help them achieve their mission:
– Triad of Care (PCM, NCM, SL/PSG)
– Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP)
– Medical Management
– Command and Control
– VA, DOL, Etc.
WT Demographics
• Currently there are
~9500 Soldiers in our WTUs
- Recent increases due to larger National Guard
and
Reserve presence in theaters of conflict.
• ~50 percent of our WTs
Return to Duty
- 21 percent of these WTs return to Active Duty
• Over the last year the
WTC has averaged approximately 750 Soldiers transitioning out of the WTUs per
month, whether returning to duty or separating from the Army as a Veteran.
Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Program
Employment,
Education and Internship Centers of Influence
MOA between NAVSEA and WTC
• Signed on 13 January
2010 by BG Cheek and VADM McCoy.
• Establishes roles and
responsibilities between WTC and NAVSEA for the purpose of coordinating
internships for WTs and permanent employment for WTs, AW2 Veterans, and
eligible Spouses/Caregivers.
• WTC serves as the Army’s
source of referrals for WTs interested in OWF. WTC/AW2 serve as the referral
sources for WTs, Family and Caregivers seeking employment.
• NAVSEA provides
opportunities for internships and employment for our WTs, Families and
Caregivers and reports the numbers to WTC quarterly.
Operation Warfigher (OWF)
A Department of Defense
internship program that
provides wounded, ill, and
injured Service Members
with meaningful activity
outside of the hospital
environment that positively
impacts wellness and offers
a formal means of transition to
return to duty or enter
into the civilian workforce.
OWF Eligibility
• Operation Warfighter is
open to all wounded, ill, or injured Service Members assigned to a Military
Treatment Facility, an Army Warrior Transition Unit, the USMC Wounded Warrior
Regiment, the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, or the Navy Safe Harbor
Program.
• Wounded, ill or injured
- Participants are not restricted to “wounded warriors” as defined by AW2.
• Includes Active Duty,
National Guard, and Reserve components.
– National Guard and Reserve participants often bring considerable civilian work experience in
addition to their military backgrounds.
OWF Federal Employer Benefits
• A benefit of Operation
Warfighter is it’s utility in the identification, observation and hiring of
transitioning service members, in the furtherance of the goals of the Executive
Order on the Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government (November 2009).
• OWF represents a great
opportunity for federal employers to capture the momentum of this Executive
Order:
-
Spread awareness on the utilization of special
appointing
authorities for Veterans.
-
Familiarize federal components with the skill sets and employability
of the population of transitioning wounded, injure and ill service
members.
- U.S.
Office of Personnel Management’s Government-wide Veterans employment websiteà www.fedshirevets.com.
OWF Service Member Benefits
• OWF provides Soldiers
the opportunity to engage in meaningful activity in a supportive work
environment that is inherently therapeutic and contributes to rehabilitation
• OWF participation
provides transitioning Service members with a vision to the future and shapes
responsible and active Warriors-in-Transition
• A great opportunity to
explore employment interests, develop job skills, build a resume and gain
valuable federal government work experience
• The Service members are
the priority in OWF - goal is to match candidates with
assignments that consider their interests and utilize their skills
• OWF partners with the
DoD Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program to provide assistive technology
and accommodations to ensure that WTs have equal access to the information
environment
Challenges
• Follow-up on long term
career outcomes for all WTs, not just AW2 Soldiers/Veterans
• Coordinating transition
dates with hiring needs
• Education for program
sponsors re: TBI/PTSD impacts on WT participation in all EEI programs
• Statutory limitations
for Internships with non-federal entities similar to OWF
• Coordinating all
available resources to the benefit of the WTs and their Families
• Resume development
(Federal and Public sector resumes are inherently different)
Challenges
• Young Soldiers with
limited job/life experiences
• Workplace/Job
accommodations
• Reintegration and
adjustment
• Employer lack of
commitment to hire non-visible injuries (i.e. TBI/PTSD)
• Hiring the Family
member/Caregiver
• Hiring/Services for
Veterans and Families in rural America
Wounded
Warrior Partnership
30 June 2010
Agenda
} Introduction
} Why Partnership
} Wounded Warrior Qualifications
} Hiring Process
} Internship/Mentorship
} Work In Shop
} Transition to Government
} Medical Issues
} Success Stories
} Operation Promise
} Questions
Introduction
} Chance to give back to service members
} Allow Wounded Warriors opportunities to develop valuable skill
sets
} Help to build their résumé
} Assist in their transition into civilian life
Why
Partnership
} Win-win situation
} Fill your employment requirements.
◦ New young
personnel looking for a new career
} Easy to hire
} Opportunity for transition to government service
Qualifications
} Limited Training beyond rifleman
} Someone who will put in solid 8 hours
} Eagerness to learn
} Proven dedication
Hiring Process
} Coordinate directly WW battalions and transition coordinators at
military hospital
} Interview and résumé from personnel
} Develop plan for transition
Internship
/ Mentorship
} Opportunities for active duty personnel to learn new skills while
in recovery
} Give them something to do beyond PT.
} Offer guidance along the way
Work in Shops
} Opportunities to move personnel between shops to find the best fit
for each person
} May take several changes
◦ Alex
(Dive locker to electronics)
} No union issues to move people
Transition
to Government
} Test drive while in shop to make sure fits the qualifications
} Meet veterans preference
} Has experience in shop to meet entry qualifications
Medical Issues
} Allow time for medical appointments
} Adequate work setting according to personal injuries
Success
Stories
} Jason Carter Mechanic,
overhauling small diesel engines.
} Rich Gilbert Training
department, revising desk guides
and standard procedures.
Running cableway
inspection course.
Attending college
} Mike Johnson Mechanic, Engineering/QA part
time to
support going to college in
Engineering
Program.
} Tre Felts
Mechanic, logistics support in the
engines production family .
} Ufrano Rios
Mechanic, working in flex hose shop.
} Mike Pacheco Mechanic, working in
flex hose shop.
} Meliek Bussey Tech, working in the optical
and night
vision shop.
Success
Stories
} Alex Guzman Started in Dive Locker and ROV support moved
to the Test Equipment section as the induction
coordinator. Moved on to college.
} Sean Carlin Maintenance Coordinator I,
Completed
qualification and hired by government as Ship
Superintendant.
} Brett Sobaski Mechanic, transitioned to Northrup
Grumman
to work on UAV program.
} Joshua Peterson Mechanic, overhauling small diesel engines.
Left to go home to
Michigan.
Operation
Promise
Operation
Promise
Operation
Promise
Questions
Points of
Contact
} Jim Blasko - Senior Vice President & General Manager
FES Sector
◦ jblasko@epsilonsystems.com
◦ Cell
(619) 756-3105
◦ Office
(619) 702-1700 ext 201
THANK YOU
Employment
Development Department
Joe
Gaspar/Ron Jones
Veterans
Employment Services Specialist
Balboa Career Transition Center
• Mission
- the mission of the Balboa Career Transition Center is to provide quality VA
benefit information and claims intake assistance, vocational rehabilitative
services, career guidance and employment assistance to wounded, injured,
ills service members, their spouses, family members and care giver through
partnership with the Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs
and the California Employment Development Department.
BCTC History
BCTC History
• Established
June 28, 2006 with the support of former Congressman Duncan Hunter
• Multi
agency EDD, DOL, DVA and DON.
• Served
over 2000 clients per year
• Served
all branches of service under medical condition and regular separation
Location
• Navy
Medical Center 34800 Bob Wilson Dr, San Diego, CA 92134, Bldg 26, 3B.
Hours of operation
- Monday
– Friday, 8:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m.
Staff
Joe Gaspar – EDD – Veterans
Employments Services Specialist – (619) 532-8671
Jane Vasquez – VA Military Services
Coordinator – (619) 532-5122
Jennifer Reichard – Vocational Rehab
Counselor
(619) 532-8194
Leah Levine – VA/DoD Liaison for
Healthcare
(619) 532-7994
DOL
Joe Moran – Assistant Director DOL,
VETS
- USERRA: Uniformed Services
Employment and Reemployment Right Act
EDD Services
— Career
Guidance
- career assessment
- individual interview
— Labor
Market Information
- wages and benefits: hourly wages, average weekly hours, shifts, offering
fringe benefits
- employers requirements: Education, training, providers, works experience,
skills.
- Employment Trends: Supply and demand, turnover, size of employment, gender
representation, older worker retirement, where the jobs are.
- Other info: such as career ladder/promotional opportunities.
— Job
Search Assistance
- CALJOBS (California Job
Opening Browse Systems) : Registration, job search, resume, automate your job
search
- USAJOBS (Federal Jobs):
Registration, job search and resume
— Job
Referrals
- Chamber of Commerce
Initiative for Wounded Warrior
— Job
Development Contact
- by connecting client to
employer
— Resume
Writing and Interview skill Workshop
- twice a month on schedule
basis
- private sector and federal
resume
- one-on- one assistance
— Unemployment
Claim Insurance
- limited information such as
1. Who should file – if job seeker is out work or hours are reduced
and are ready to accept work
2. When to file – as soon as are unemployed or hours are reduced.
3. How much UI pays – mininum of $40 to a maximum of $450 a week up to
26 weeks depending on their past quarterly earning.
4. What you need to file – name, address, phone no. sss, employer name,
address, phone no., reason you are no longer working.
- How to file – file on-line with www.edd.ca.gov/eapply-4ui.
Telephone no. 1-800-300-5616.
— Provided
information and referral to facilitate personal hand-off with hometown
workforce development personnel at the local One-Stop Career Center System.
- website: www.jobbankinfo.org
— REALIFELINES
(Recovery & Employment Assistance Lifelines) Program
- is a personalized assistance network that seeks to ensure that wounded,
injured and ill service members and their families who may not return to active
duty, are trained and equipped for rewarding new careers.
- Program was launch on Oct 4, 2004 by DOL, along with Walter Commanding
General, Major Gen Kenneth Farmer and Rear Admiral Adam Robinson at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
— Coordinated
employer mini-career fair at the center and provided career fair info to job seekers.
One-Stop Career Center
— Offers
- Referrals to education and
training program
- Direct connections to employers
with job openings
- Workshop on resume development,
job search methods, interviewing skills and more
- Career consultation services
- Job fairs and recruitment events
- Resource room with multimedia
computers with internet access, fax machines, telephones and copier.
- Online resume posting.
San Diego Career Center Network
— Metro
Career Center
- 3910 University Ave San
Diego, CA 92105
phone: (619)
516-2200
— East
County Center
- 924 East Main St El Cajon,
CA 92021
phone: (619)
590-3900
— South
Metro Career Center
- 4389 Imperial Ave San Diego,
CA 92114
phone: (619) 266-4200
— North
County Coastal Career Center
-1949 Avenida del Oro
Oceanside, CA 92056
phone: (760) 631-6150
Cont.
— South
County Career Center
- 1111 Bay Blvd Ste E Chula Vista, CA
(619) 424-1112
— North
County Career Center
- 463 N. Midway Dr Escondido, CA
(619) 871-1962
Building
Rewarding Careers:
Successfully Integrating Our Returning Veterans with Disabilities into the
Workforce
The Story of the Crane Learning & Employment Center for
Veterans with Disabilities
Jim Schonberger, CLEC Executive
Director
The Problem (1
of 2)
Thousands of returning U.S. veterans with disabilities need additional
assistance in re-entering the workforce.
The Problem (2
of 2)
• Too
many veterans fall through the cracks in our country’s training systems.
– Too
often they must negotiate and access the bureaucracy of training options on
their own.
– Too
many lack adequate personal support systems to help them succeed.
• The
result are U.S. veterans who fail to successfully return to civilian life, who
fall far short of their potential.
The CLEC Story:
Getting Started
• In
fall of 2006, Larry McRoberts, Director of veterans programs at NSWC Crane, and
Jim Schonberger with a not-for-profit firm, Crane Technology, Inc. began to
discuss how to hire vets with disabilities.
• The
more this small group explored the idea, it became apparent that the issues
were complex.
• The
planning team quickly grew to bring in a wide range of stakeholders and experts.
The CLEC Story:
The Planning Team
• Crane
Technology, Inc.
• EG&G
Technical Services
• Indiana
EGR 8 Regional Workforce Board
• Indiana
Department of Veterans Affairs
• Indiana
Department of Workforce Development
• Indiana
FSSA, Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Indiana
National Guard
• Ivy
Tech Community College
• Military
Family Research Institute – Purdue University
• NSWC/Team
Crane
• Options
for Better Living
• Richard
L. Roudebush VA Medical Center
• Strategic
Development Group
• Veterans
Employment and Training Service, U.S. Dept of Labor
• Veterans
Benefits Administration, Indianapolis Regional Office
• Vincennes
University
“Core”
Team members in Red
The CLEC Story:
Creating a Program from Scratch
• Assess
the workforce preparation needs of each veteran.
• Bring
groups of veterans to a Center where multiple organizations work together to
provide comprehensive services.
• Create
small groups of trainees among the participants to help support each other
through the training program.
• Provide
unified case management for participants.
• Provide
family support services.
• Offer
customized career education programs.
• Supply
job matching services for each participant.
The CLEC Pilot Project:
An 18 Month Program
• Bring
together a group of disabled veterans for on-the-job training and education to
prepare them for a variety of career opportunities.
• Create
a comprehensive partnership team, including on-going medical assistance and
help with accessing benefits.
• Limit
pilot participant group size to 20.
• Provide
assistance with housing and transportation.
• Work
with NSWC Crane as the employer.
The CLEC Story:
Securing Funding
• 18-month
pilot had initial estimated costs of $800,000
• Grants
were awarded from
– The
Indiana Department of Workforce Development
– The
Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Why NSWC Crane?
• The
Navy provided classrooms and other facilities for the pilot project.
• A
military environment helped participants transition from their military careers
into civilian life.
• The
veterans were warfighters, and at Crane they will be in an environment that
supports the U.S. warfighter.
• Crane’s
job diversity will help make training and (for the pilot) employment
opportunities available for every participant.
• Training
at Crane could help open employment opportunities at other employers
• NSWC
Crane is a Navy Working Capital Fund activity and “controls” its own
endstrength
Pilot Program Goals
• Successful
re-entry of participants to workforce
• Demonstrate
successful integration of diverse existing support programs
• Develop
Lessons Learned
– Identify
Policy, Regulatory and Statutory changes to remove barriers/impediments
– Develop
understanding of true costs for a long-term program
• Become
a model for the seamless transition from DOD to VA
• Develop
long-term program for region involving private sector employers in addition to
NSWC Crane
The CLEC Story:
Keeping Government Informed
• Briefings
with
– DOD
– VA
– Congressional
Representatives
– State
of Indiana
– Others
Project Status
• Completed
pilot program
• Have
exceeded the original target for participants (Originally 15-20, currently ~60)
• Education/Enrollment
procedures have been developed
• Created
excellent working relationships with partnering organizations
• NSWC
Crane approved increasing the number of participants
• Have
had discussions with the Navy (NAVSEA/CNIC) about expanding the program
– Visited/assisted
NAVSEA, NSWCs at Pt Hueneme, Corona, Dahlgren, Indian Head, Dam Neck and NTC
Great Lakes
CLEC Phase II
• Entering
Phase II (2 year expansion program)
– NSA/NSWC
Crane expansion
• Other
NSA Crane tenants
• Beginning
to explore private sector employers for participants
– Assist
with Navy (NAVSEA/CNIC) export of program
– Planning
for expansion to other Indiana Locations
• Indianapolis
(Stout Field), Fort Wayne(?), Other(?)
• Also
partnering with Defense Finance and Accounting Service – Indianapolis
(Indianapolis site provides all HR/hiring services for DFAS nationwide)
– Phase
II funded with expansion grant ($220K) from McCormick Foundation, follow-on
grant from Lilly Endowment ($898K), follow-on grant from IDWD ($150K),
A Key Issue: Increasing the Number of Private
Sector Employers
• Pilot
project depended mainly on NSWC Crane.
• Phase
II will need for-profit companies to participate.
What We Have Found So Far (1 of 2)
• The
military has changed how it handles personnel with long-term injuries.
– Keeping
them longer before discharge.
– Services
VERY protective of their injured.
• Federal
and State Support Organizations (e.g. VA, DWD, FSSA, IDVA, etc) have great
people, but their case loads are huge.
• The
focus should be on the career and not the initial job – this is unique to CLEC
within DOD programs.
• We
are moving toward a knowledge-based economy in which education is a primary
worker asset.
• MFRI
data indicates only 9% of returning DAVs that start degree programs actually
complete degrees
• MFRI
research implies programs like CLEC will have significantly higher success
rates
What We’ve Found So Far (2 of 2)
• Many
newly discharged vets with disabilities have serious financial problems.
– As
many as 20 percent of CLEC candidates faced bankruptcy or were in other
financial difficulty resulting in Dept Of Navy Central Adjudication Facility
(DONCAF) denying clearances which made it almost impossible to be hired as a
civilian employee at a military base.
• The
vet’s medical problems must be included in career planning and on-the-job
training.
• The
vet’s family often needs significant support.
• Federal
service presents unique requirements/issues regarding non-competitive
appointments, have to work within the regulations/laws
– VRA
“Ten Point” preference
– “Schedule
A”
– Student
trainee
CLEC Services
• CLEC
provides services such as:
– Recruiting
– Candidate
screening
– Family
financial status and financial counseling
– Spousal
employment
– Relocation
assistance
– Family
assistance
– Resume
writing
– Interviewing
skills
– Administration
of VA OJT training program for Crane
– (and
others)
CLEC Support/Assistance
• CLEC
Support/Assistance
– Limited
funding in place to support NAVSEA/Navy expansion initiative
– Share
start up process/lessons learned
– Advice
on initial planning/workshop(s)
– Sharing
existing program documentation, policies and procedures
– Assist
with implementation
Long-Term Goals
• Establish
a campus and facility for veterans with disabilities.
• In
parallel with the pilot program, develop a long-term program to serve Indiana
and surrounding states.
Contact Info
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