Veterans’ Priority and the Role of Vet Staff Within a
Functionally Aligned One-Stop Service Delivery System
Questions and Answers
| Q1. | How does veterans’ priority affect the availability of training funds through WIA and other federally funded programs? |
| A. | US DOL/ETA Training and Employment Guidance Letter #05-03, “Implementing the Veterans’ Priority Provisions of the Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288)”, provides information in regard to veterans’ priority in the various programs, including but not limited to WIA. Overall, if the veteran is otherwise eligible for training services in the WIA program, he/she receives priority over non-veterans within the context of the local training policies. |
| Q 2. | Customers who self-identify as veterans are referred to Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialists or Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVERs) for services. Occasionally it is later determined that the customer does not meet the criteria to receive services from a DVOP or LVER. How can this situation be avoided? |
| A. | All One-Stop center staff should be aware of the federal definition of “veteran” as noted below. The self-identification by individual customers must be within the context of the federal definition to minimize inappropriate referrals to DVOPs and LVERs. Vet staff, by law, can only provide services to veterans, transitioning service members, and “other eligibles” but neither a DD 214 or other documentation for veteran status is required by US DOL or NYS DOL. A veteran is defined specifically as follows:
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