Veteran Gold Card data collection extension

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2013/TEGL_35_11_Chg1_Acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                 Wagner-Peyser/Performance
                                                          Reporting
               ADVISORY SYSTEM
                                                          CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                        OPDR
             Washington, D.C. 20210                       DATE
                                                          March 18, 2013


ADVISORY:          TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 35-11,
                   Change 1

TO:                STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                   STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
                   STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS

FROM:              JANE OATES /s/
                   Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:           Early Collection of Priority of Service Data for Post-9/11 Era Veterans under
                   the Gold Card Initiative through Wagner-Peyser Act Funded Activities


1. Purpose. To inform states of the extended timeline for the collection of data on the provision
of intensive services to Post-9/11 Era Veterans through the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service
under the Gold Card Initiative.

2. References.
   •   Workforce Investment Act of 1998 Sections 134 and 136; as amended (29 U.S.C. 864
       and 29 U.S.C. 2871);
   •   Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.);
   •   Wagner-Peyser Regulations, 20 CFR 653.107;
   •   Jobs For Veterans Act of 2002, Section 2, Pub. L. 107-288;
   •   Priority of Service for Veterans in Department of Labor Training Programs (38 U.S.C.
       4215; originally added by Section 2(a)(1) of the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, Pub. L.
       107-288);
   •   Priority of Service for Covered Persons Regulations at 20 CFR 1010.330;
   •   VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, Section 239, Title II of Pub. L. 112-56);
   •   Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 7-12, Implementing the Veterans-
       Related and Other Reporting Change Requirements in the Labor Exchange Reporting
       System (LERS);
   •   Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 15-11, Gold Card Initiative;
   •   TEGL 28-11 and Change-1, Program Year 2011/Fiscal Year 2012 Performance
       Reporting and Data Validation Timelines;
   •   TEN 15-10, Protocol for Implementing Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible
       Spouses in all Qualified Job Training Programs Funded in Whole or in Part by the U.S.
       Department of Labor;

 RESCISSIONS                                              EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                     December 31, 2013

   •   TEGL 10-09, Implementing Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses in all
       Qualified Job Training Programs Funded in Whole or in Part by the U.S. Department of
       Labor;
   •   Employment and Training Administration (ETA) 9002 and Veterans’ Employment and
       Training Service (VETS) 200 Data Preparation Handbook No. 406; and
   •   TEGL 35-11, Early Collection of Service Data on Post-9/11 Era Veterans.


3. Timeline for Collection.
Due to a delay with implementation of the Enterprise Data Reporting and Validation System (E-
DRVS), we are extending the dates for the monthly collection of Post-9/11 Era Veterans survey
to align with the new dates for the Labor Exchange Reporting System. The data collection will
continue through July 31, 2013. We will request survey close out on August 1, 2013. State
personnel who are responsible for reporting state level aggregate data will have 15 days to
aggregate and respond to the request for data. The table below outlines the timeline for
collection over a 7-month period.


Month of Collection               Initial Survey Request            Submission Deadline
January 2013                      February 1, 2013                  February 15, 2013
February 2013                     March 1, 2013                     March 15, 2013
March 2013                        April 1, 2013                     April 15, 2013
April 2013                        May 1, 2013                       May 15, 2013
May 2013                          June 3, 2013                      June 17, 2013
June 2013                         July 1, 2013                      July 15, 2013
July 2013                         August 1, 2013                    August 15, 2013


4. Action Requested. Distribute this TEGL to those personnel responsible for collecting and
reporting performance information on Wagner-Peyser Act programs; including all local areas
responsible for administering Wagner-Peyser Act programs.

5. Inquiries. Please direct questions regarding this notice and instructions to the appropriate
Regional Office.

6. Attachment. Gold Card Initiative – Monthly Survey of Program Provision of Services.

Attachment 1: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2013/TEGL_35_11_Chg1_Att.pdf

OMB Control Number: 1205-0436
                                                                               Expiration Date: 11/30/2013


Gold Card Initiative – Monthly Survey of Program Provision of Services

                                            INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and Veterans
Employment and Training Service (VETS) are jointly surveying the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service’s
provision of services to Post-9/11 Era Veterans. Your responses will help us understand the
implementation and operation of the Gold Card Initiative within the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service.


On August 5, 2011, the President announced the Gold Card Initiative, a high-priority joint effort of two
Department of Labor agencies (ETA and VETS) to provide intensive employment services more quickly
and easily to unemployed, Post-9/11Era Veterans, in anticipation of changes in U.S. military needs
overseas. The Gold Card Initiative, which began in November 2011, is particularly focused on Post-9/11
Era Veterans or those Veterans serving on active duty from September 11, 2001 and documenting their
receipt of priority of service for intensive and staff-assisted services through the workforce system.


This survey, which will be 100 percent electronic in transmission and submission, consists of two
questions: 1) the number of Post-9/11 Era Veterans served through the Wagner-Peyser Employment
Service and 2) the number of those Veterans who received intensive services, and one demographic
identifier: 1) the two letter state code. Each question is limited to the time parameters of the previous
month of operation. For example, the current survey will be for January 1, 2013 through January 31,
                                                                            th
2013. The submission of the surveys’ results will be required by the 15 of each subsequent month. For
example, the first survey concerning monthly data for January 2013 will be received February 1, 2013 and
submission of data is due February 15, 2013. Monthly collection would begin in January 2013 and
continue through August 1, 2013 to provide continuity in data collection, points of comparison, and
technical assistance to states for new elements to be incorporated into the Labor Exchange Reporting
System (LERS).

The information to be collected through the monthly survey is needed for two purposes: 1) to provide
sufficient data to develop performance benchmarks for the forthcoming data elements in the LERS and 2)
to provide more “real-time” data on service levels so that federal and state program managers can assess
levels of service, and if needed, provide timely technical support and assistance to the states to better
serve these individuals.

The monthly data collection is needed in order to collect and provide data sooner than would be available
through the LERS, to have sufficient data points to understand service levels in the near term for technical
assistance, and to establish statistically validated performance expectations when the new data elements
are fully implemented in LERS. Quarterly data would neither be available soon enough nor be sufficient
to identify variations in performance in the coming months in order to provide technical assistance,
conduct corrective action, or set benchmarks in the data system itself. The monthly survey would enable
ETA to collect data relevant to this initiative prior to August 2013 and would also provide multiple points of
data that could be used for validation.
If you have any questions as you complete this questionnaire, please contact Heather Parker at the United
States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration at 1-202-693-2633 or
[email protected]


1.     Please enter your two letter state code: |__|__|.

2.     How many post-9/11-veteran participants are new enrollees in your program? (By new
       enrollees, we mean individuals who have been enrolled in your program during the current month.)

       |__|__|__|__|__| NUMBER OF POST-9/11-VETERAN PARTICIPANTS


3.     How many participants of your post-9/11-veteran new enrollees received intensive or staff-
       assisted services? (By intensive or staff-assisted, we mean as defined by the current Wagner-
       Peyser definitions.)


       |__|__|__|__|__| NUMBER OF NEW ENROLLEES RECEIVING INTENSIVE OR STAFF-ASSISTED
       SERVICES


Persons are not required to respond to this collection of information unless this survey displays a currently valid
OMB control number (OMB 1205-0436, expires 11/30/2013). Participation is voluntary however this is the single
point of data for each state’s implementation of the Gold Card Initiative. Public reporting burden is estimated to
average 4 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate to Heather Parker, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, Room N-5641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20210