Madam Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, Ranking Member Boozman, and members of the Subcommittee:

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before this Subcommittee to discuss the role of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) in providing transition assistance to our returning servicemembers.

The mission of VETS is to provide veterans and transitioning servicemembers with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st century workforce. One of the most important ways that we meet that mission is by providing employment workshops to separating active, Guard, and Reserve servicemembers as part of their transition to civilian life. Our services are provided through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

TAP is a Department of Defense (DoD) program that partners with DOL, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Homeland Security. TAP has four components:

1. Pre-separation counseling – this is mandatory for all transitioning servicemembers and is provided by the military services;
2. TAP employment workshops – these are voluntary on the part of the transitioning servicemember and are administered through DOL and its state partners;
3. VA benefits briefing – these briefings are also voluntary and administered by the VA; and
4. Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP) – also voluntary and administered by the VA.

Sixty to 65% of active-duty transitioning servicemembers have attended the TAP employment workshops. This has risen from a 50% participation rate in 2001. As a result of recommendations of the President’s Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes, each of the military services has established a goal of 85% attendance.

Since 1991, when DOL began providing employment workshops pursuant to section 502 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (P.L. 101-510), over one million separating and retiring military members and their spouses have been provided employment and job training assistance and other transitional services. DOL was further directed to provide these services at overseas locations by section 309 of the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-183). Before this law took effect, VETS began facilitating TAP workshops at overseas military installations where, by previous interagency agreement, the DoD had provided TAP workshops since the program’s inception. VETS continued to expand to additional overseas sites and we are extending efforts to provide workshops whenever requested to those Guard and Reserve units returning from the Global War on Terror. We are currently conducting TAP employment workshops at 55 sites overseas including Germany, Japan, Italy, Korea, Guam and the United Kingdom. Our mission is to provide TAP at every location requested by the Armed Services or National Guard and Reserve Component.

Employment Workshop Overview

DOL is authorized by Chapter 58 of title 10, U.S. Code, to assist the DoD and VA in providing transition assistance services to separating servicemembers and their spouses. The role of VETS in this effort is to conduct employment workshops based on projections made by each of the armed services and the Department of Homeland Security for the U.S. Coast Guard. DOL funded Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER) lead most employment workshops that take place in the United States. In some cases, due to the distances from state employment offices to the military installations, and to assist with the rapid growth of the program, contract facilitators were added in early Fiscal Year (FY) 1992 and federal staff in FY 1996. In overseas locations, contract staff leads most workshops.

To maintain a quality of service delivery and ensure uniformity between locations, all workshops use a common workbook and standard program of instruction. In addition, all facilitators, whether DVOP/LVER, federal staff, or contract, are trained and certified by the National Veterans’ Training Institute.

In FY 2007, over 146,000 separating military personnel and spouses were trained in 4,716 employment workshops at military installations worldwide. In FY 2008, VETS plans to provide employment workshops to over 150,000 servicemembers and spouses at military installations around the world.

The DOL facilitated transition employment workshop is a comprehensive two and one-half day session where participants learn about job searches, career decision-making and current occupational and labor market conditions. Practical exercises are conducted in resume writing and interviewing techniques. Participants are also provided an evaluation of their employability relative to the job market and receive information on the most current veterans’ benefits. Components of an employment workshop include: career self-assessment; resume development; job search and interview techniques; U.S. labor market information; civilian workplace requirements; and documentation of military skills.

Reserve Component (RC) and National Guard (NG) Employment Workshop

Global military commitments have necessitated a mobilization of Guard and Reserve members that is unprecedented in modern times. The longer mobilization periods result in these servicemembers now being eligible for veterans’ benefits, including TAP. The employment workshop is available for most servicemembers at one of the 215 transition offices located on military installations in the United States as well as overseas locations.

However, Reserve and Guard members usually transition at fewer locations, referred to as demobilization sites. Typically the demobilization process is rapid, taking a matter of days once the servicemembers arrive back in the United States from overseas. During demobilization, servicemembers may be expected to participate in many separate briefings and activities. This leaves little or no time for a full two and one-half day employment workshop. Nevertheless, we have found that many Guard and Reserve servicemembers would benefit from such transition assistance. Our State Directors have coordinated with each State Adjutant General and they work directly with the individual reserve and guard commanders to make special arrangements following demobilization in order to present a modified TAP employment workshop to Guard and Reserve service members on an ‘as requested’ basis. Based on requests from Reserve Component Commanders or Adjutant Generals and through coordination with our VETS’ state directors, VETS has offered to tailor the workshops to the identified needs of the transitioning Reserve and Guard members.

In fact, since 2001 VETS has provided transition services to over 146,000 National Guard and Reservists. These transition services range in size and content from mobilization and demobilization briefings to the full scale TAP employment workshops. They are provided in 43 states and the District of Columbia. In some states, National Guardsmen and Reservists have been allowed to attend the regular TAP for Active Component servicemembers. The services provided to the Guard and Reserve are tailored to the needs and requests by the DoD.

To meet the transition needs of the National Guard and Reserves, in FY 2007, DOL directed the National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) to develop a modular version of the TAP employment workshop. The traditional TAP employment workshop was turned into a 15-module menu that Reserve/National Guard commanders may choose from in providing these services to their unit members. This training includes a mandatory module that covers local labor market information, USERRA, the One-Stop Career Center system, small business opportunities, and the risks of homelessness. The other 14 modules consist of the current TAP employment workshop curriculum broken down into logical and connected blocks of instruction. This is not a new or separate curriculum for the Reserves and National Guard; rather it has been packaged to better serve this community.

South Dakota Programs

I have provided an overview of what is being done to assist those servicemembers transitioning from the military to civilian life. I would now like to focus on what we are doing in the state of South Dakota.

VETS recognizes the need to provide employment transition assistance and has taken the initiative to provide employment based briefings at demobilization sites for National Guard and Reserve Units. These briefings are held along with our other Federal and state partners. The two major demobilization locations in the Dallas Region, which South Dakota is part of, are Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma and Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

VETS state directors in Oklahoma and Colorado conduct these briefings and make sure each and every returning service member from South Dakota has the VETS South Dakota office contact information so we can schedule demobilization briefings and discuss other employment transition assistance needs. Since September 11, 2001, for Guard and Reserve units, we have conducted eight TAP workshops in South Dakota with 345 participants. In FY 2007 alone we conducted 14 active duty TAP workshops in South Dakota that included 403 total participants, including some Reserve and National Guard members. In FY 2008, through June 2008, we have conducted 11 workshops that included 299 participants.

In closing, I again thank you for allowing me to address you today on this very important issue and program. I would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have.