VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011Implementation & Future Impacts

February 27, 2013

Curtis CoyDeputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity

Karen GrossPresident, Southern Vermont College

Robert S. CarringtonSpecial Assistant to the Director for Private Sector Engagement Transition to Veterans Policy Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

President’s Task Force

• 5 August 2011 -- In a speech at the Washington Navy Yard, President Obama outlined his plan to reduce Veterans unemployment

– “You fought for us and now we are fighting for you -- for the jobs and opportunities you need to keep your families strong and to keep America competitive in the 21st century…." -- President Obama

• November 21, 2011 -- President signed VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011

• Task force formed– Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor later joined by Department of

Education and the Small Business Administration

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VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011

• Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) provides one year of Montgomery GI Bill benefits ($1,564/month) to up to 99,000 Veterans

– Must be 35-60, unemployed, and without access to other VA education benefits

• Improved transition of Veterans to civilian employment through expanded Vocational Rehabilitation benefits

• Enhanced tax credits for employers that hire Veterans– $2,400, up to $9,600, depending on Veteran’s circumstances

• Transition Assistance Program (TAP) made mandatory for all transitioning Servicemembers

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VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

Current Legislation

Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013• Introduced in Senate on January 22, 2013• Extends VRAP to March 31, 2016 (currently expires from March 31, 2014)• Adds 50,000 “slots” during period April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015

– Adds another 50,000 April 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016

VRAP Extension Act of 2013• Introduced in House on February 6, 2013• Would extend VRAP to June 30, 2014

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VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION 10

Components of Transition GPS

Pre-SeparationCounseling

DOL Employment

Workshop

Technical Training Track

Education Track

Entrepreneurship Track

CAPSTONE Event

VA Benefits Briefing I

VA Benefits Briefing II

MOC Crosswalk

Financial Planning Seminar

Individual Transition Plan

Review

Core

Cur

ricul

um

Topics for Family

Consideration

Special Issues

Goal, Plan, Success

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

The focus of current efforts are to reform the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) into a standardized, cohesive, modular, mandatory training activity to ensure career readiness.

• Four major components consisting of:– Pre-separation Counseling – Transition Goals, Plans, Success (GPS) Core Curriculum– Transition GPS Tracks (Technical Training, Education & Entrepreneurship)– Capstone Activity

• TAP transitions into Transition GPS with a Military Life Cycle focus

• Based on select goal of Service to seek employment, higher education, technical training or starting a small business

• Focus is on ensuring that separating Service members are career ready by meeting required career readiness standards

• Reflects linked, interagency effort with Departments of Defense, Labor & Veterans Administration, the Small Business Administration , and the Office of Personnel Management

Features of Revised Transition Assistance Program

REDESIGNED SERVICE MEMBER TRANSITION SUPPORT

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

Vet Success

• Veterans Success on Campus (VSOC) places experienced Vocational Rehabilitation counselors on campuses to ease the transition of Veteran-students into academic life

– VSOC counselors provide basic academic counseling and guidance and can coordinate VA healthcare and benefits services

– 8 campuses in FY2011, additional 24 in FY2012 -- adding 52 counselors in FY13

• VetSuccess.gov seamlessly links together Veterans and employers seeking to hire them– Provides military skills translators and resume assistance for Veterans– Searchable databases of resumes and job postings

• Veteran support services offered on-campus, such as The California State University system

• Department of Education– Grants with Connection to Veterans– Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success– Veterans Upward Bound Program– Troops to Teachers Program

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VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

Measuring Veterans Success

• VA began tracking student retention data in 2009

• Working with the National Student Clearinghouse to determine students’ success under the MGIB

• VA, DOD, ED Gap Analysis

• Principles of Excellence and Implementation

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VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

Questions?

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