Veterans' Employment Committee

November 16, 2016: 10:00 AM
Marion Martin Rm, MDOL Commerce Drive, Augusta

AGENDA State Workforce Board (SWB) Veterans Employment Committee (VEC) November 16, 2016 (10:00am ? 12:30pm) Location: MDOL, Commerce Center, Marion Martin Room Jonathan Farr, SWB Chair Welcome and Opening Remarks Jonathan Farr Around the Room Introductions Jonathan Farr/ALL Approval of Meeting Notes from July 27, 2016 Meeting Jonathan Farr/ALL SWB VEC Strategic Planning Overview/Summary - The Wish List - Challenges o Selected Priorities for 2016/2017  Marketing - focus on driving Vets to MBVS web portal  Education - focus on employers and veterans  Misc Other - important & easy to do tasks SWB VEC Members Strategic Planning Priorities 2016/2017 ? Progress Updates - Marketing - MBVS Website and Portal (Adria and/or Laura) - Marketing ? Other /ME CareerCenters, Veteran Outreach, Social Media - Education - Employers ? Military Culture 101 (Auta, Steve, Bill) - Education ? Business/Employers ? Growing a Military Culture at a Business (Jonathan Farr / T-Mobile) - Education - Veterans ? Civilian Employment 101 / Demilitarizing Veterans (Dave S./Dale Carnegie Training, Mark and Keri) - Education ? Internships ? Opportunities for Veterans to Intern in the Manufacturing Composite Technology Industry (Bob Carr) - Misc Other ? Add Members (Biz and Media) and Veteran Friendly Employer Award George O?Keefe Labor Force Participation among Veterans 10% Lower than Non-Veterans. Intelligence Analyst Why? How can we increase opportunities for older veterans and for MEARNG veterans with disabilities? Implications of CHAMPVA benefits. All SWB VEC Member Updates Dates for 2017 SWB VEC Meetings, Frances Perkins Room, MDOL ◦ Jan 11, 2017 - Mar 8, 2017 -May 10, 2017 ◦ July 12, 2017 - Sept 13, 2017 - Nov 8, 2017 Jonathan Farr Miscellaneous / Adjourn


Meeting Minutes from SWB Veterans Employment Committee MDOL, Commerce Center, Marion Martin Room 16 November 2016, 10:00am ? 12:30pm

Member Attendees:, Bob Carr, Director, Technological Innovations, LLC, Mark Cater, LVER, Lewiston CareerCenter, Leo Deon, Universal Service Associate, Veterans Inc., Jon Farr, Recruiter T-Mobile Maine, Nathaniel Grace, Consultant/Contractor, Military One Source, ME, Adria Horn, Director, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Jeremy Kendall, Director of Military and Vets, Easter Seals Maine, Steven Roy, LVER, Augusta CareerCenter and MHAV Coordinator 2016, Alley Smith, Regional Manager, Veterans Inc., ME, Dave Stearns, President, Dale Carnegie Maine

Guests & Interested Party Attendees: COL Andy Gibson, Director of Deployment Cycle Support, MEARNG, MDOL, William Hurley, Program Manager, RVCP Program, Fred Webber, Chair, State SWB

Staff: Auta Main, MDOL BES Veterans Program Manager

Agenda and Discussion Topics:

SWB VEC Chair, Jonathan Farr: Welcome & Opening Remarks

SWB VEC Chair, Jon Farr: Round the room introductions.

SWB VEC Chair, Jon Farr: Approval of notes from July 27, 2016.

SWB VEC Chair, Jon Farr: SWB VEC STRATEGIC PLANNING OVERVIEW/Summary ◦ Selected Priorities for 2016/2017 ▪ Marketing ? focus on driving veterans to MBVS web portal (and other) ▪ Education ? Focus on employers and veterans ▪ Misc Other ? Important and easy to do tasks

Jon?s review of the strategic priorities prompted several members to mention the importance of Occupational Licensing, reciprocity/simplification and fast-tracking for veterans with relevant education and experience.

Occupational Licensing Next Steps: The Governor has appointed a task force to explore issues and prospective solutions to help veterans with licensing next steps to be led by Commissioner Anne Head, Dept of Professional and Financial Regulation. We will invite Anne Head and/or Catherine Carroll, Regulatory Coordinator, PFR to join us for the January 2017 meeting. Question came up about CDL licensing and the reciprocity, as well. Lots going on in this arena. There is a group established looking at a Medics to RN career pathway (includes Debbie Kelly, DOL, Auta Main, MDOL, Joan Dolan, MDOL, Ami Johnson, EMHS and Robin Doody ? EMHS) and others. And Rhiannon Guzelian is working on an occupational pathway with the staff at Martin?s Point. Another group launched by the State?s IT Dept (Kelly Rickert and Jim Smith) is focusing on fast-tracking veterans with IT experience into IT careers in Maine. Updates will be shared at the Jan 11, 2017 meeting.

Federal Bonding: Another topic that came out of this discussion focused on how we can make homeless veterans more employable. Alley shared that while the Maine Hire-A-Vet is a wonderful, successful campaign it hasn?t worked well for homeless veterans who when pitched up against other jobseekers with fewer barriers to employment tend to lose out on these jobs. With that we discussed the Federal Bonding program. See flyer attached. A presentation on Federal Bonding will be provided at the Vets Quarterly meeting on February 14, 2016 in Bangor. Let me know if you are interested in joining us for that.

SWB VEC Priority ? MARKETING Laura Allen, Outreach Specialist MBVS ▪ Marketing ? focus on driving veterans to MBVS web portal (and other) ? Quick update from Laura. MBVS is working on an RFP for a marketing group to assist with this outreach effort, especially to rural Maine veterans, driving veterans and employers to the MBVS website. Expect more focus on social media marketing and video stories. MBVS will likely have selected a marketing consultant by late November and will report back in January!

Auta Main, Veterans Program Manager, MDOL CareerCenters ▪ Julie and Tim Sardano do an excellent job of keeping the CareerCenters and respective programs on the websites with occasional Facebook outreach, as well. Stories are also shared in Dept newsletters to employers and jobseekers. In addition, Julie and the Commissioner are often on local radio talking about Maine?s CareerCenters. More can be done and in the coming year ? both Julie and Tim are exploring more in the social media arena.

Nate Wildes, Director, Live and Work in Maine Campaign ▪ Nate was not at the meeting, but we discussed the great work that is being done at the Live and Work in Maine Campaign to attract all jobseekers to Maine and its specific focus on veterans. We talked about the power of social media and how easy it is to like and share and really get the word out in a big way. We will invite Nate to join us for a meeting in 2017 for more discussion ? probably the March 8th SWB VEC meeting

SWB VEC Priority ? EDUCATION / EMPLOYERS Auta Main, Veterans Program Manager, MDOL CareerCenters ▪ Employer Resources. A suggestion was made to add links to these resources below and host them on our websites under Employer Resources for Hiring Veterans. We can certainly do this on the CareerCenter website.
? Military Culture 101 video (done) ? Cianbro?s Video ? Why the Company Hires Veterans ? Worth a listen FYI http://www.cianbro.com/NewsMedia/TabId/244/VideoId/76/Supporting-The-Troops-Cianbro-Backs-Our-Service-Members-On-Deployment.aspx ? Live and Work in Maine Veteran videos ? Federal Bonding ? WOTC ? Work Opportunity Tax Credit ? O*NET Military Skills Translator ? Other/More TBD Steve Roy, LVER, Augusta CareerCenter and 2016 MHAV Campaign Coordinator ▪ MHAV Update ? 149 Employers joined the campaign to date. ? 83 hires ? Average wage $$20+ per hour ? Hires in every county

Jon Farr, SWB VEC Chair and T-Mobile Recruiter ? T-Mobile?s Commitment to Veterans. ▪ T-Mobile set up an HR Taskforce around the country focusing on Recruiting and Hiring Veterans. Jon played a key role in launching this country-wide. ▪ See Jon?s PPT ? attached for more details. ▪ Excellent work and a great example to share with other companies who are considering same.
▪ One note of caution from Jon ? Be sure the company is committed and not just providing lip service because it looks good for the company to advertise that they are veteran friendly!

SWB VEC Priority ? EDUCATION /VETERANS Dave Stearns, President, Dale Carnegie Maine and Mark Cater, LVER, Lewiston CareerCenter ▪ Civilian 101 ? Demilitarize to Civilianize. Dave and Mark (and Keri Karsten/Veterans Inc.) met to discuss the existing Dale Carnegie curriculum focused on veterans transitioning into the civilian workforce. Dave had worked with the SWB a few years ago in development of this curriculum. While it met with rave reviews back then - the $1,900 price tag per person was steep. Most federally funded training support programs will not pay for a class unless it is focused directly on occupational training, which left this training out. However, the training is approved with GI BILL for veterans who are eligible for that.
? Dave and Mark looked at the curriculum with an eye toward keeping the class to just 3 days. ? 3-DAY COURSE: A 3-4 day version of the course (see outline attached) is slated to be offered in March 2017 for DVOPs/LVERs and other SWB members who may want to participate (4-5 extra slots available). The idea is to give those who work in the veterans? employment arena an opportunity to experience the training and provide feedback about what worked and what didn?t. ◦ PROPOSAL FOR A ONE DAY TRAINING FOR VETERANS: The group that attends the 3 day course may then be asked for feedback ? how to drill the curriculum down to a ONE DAY workshop, for veterans in transition. The one day course might be facilitated by trained DVOPs/LVERs (others who are interested?), and hosted monthly, at Maine?s CareerCenters later in 2017 on an ongoing basis. TBD. ◦ After the one day course, the next step would be to refer veterans to the longer Dale Carnegie Course, as funding and scholarships are available. ◦ DETAILS to be discussed at the January SWB VEC meeting.

? MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SWIB VEC MEETINGS 2017 ? Jan 11, 2017 Mar 8, 2017 May 10, 2017 ? July 12, 2017 Sept 13, 2017 Nov 8, 2017 The meeting adjourned at 12:30pm


Attachments