Veterans' Employment Committee Meeting

March 8, 2017: 10:00 AM
Frances Perkins Room, 45 Commerce Drive Augusta

AGENDA State Workforce Board (SWB) Veterans Employment Committee (VEC) March 8, 2017 (10:00am ? 12:30pm) Location: MDOL, Commerce Center, Frances Perkins Room Call-In Option: 1-877-455-0244 Code: 8234977613 Jonathan Farr, SWB Chair Welcome and Opening Remarks Jonathan Farr Around the Room Introductions Jonathan Farr/ALL Approval of Meeting Notes from January 11, 2017 Meeting Veronica Danforth Federal Bonding Program ? Maine Dept of Labor Program Coordinator SWB VEC Members Strategic Planning Priorities 2017 ? Progress Updates and Guests - Marketing - MBVS Website and Portal, Laura Allen, Outreach Specialist, MBVS - Education/Veterans ? Internships for Veterans/Advanced Manufacturing / EWI o Bob Carr, Director, Technological Innovations, LLC - Education/Veterans ? Occupational Licensing Simplification/Possible Fast Tracks - Education/Veterans ? Medic to RN (and other medical) - Fast Tracking Exploration o Debbie Kelly, Maine Director, Veterans Employment and Training, USDOL o Robin Doody, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Eastern ME Healthcare Systems o Auta Main, Veterans Program Manager, MDOL - Education/Veterans ? Civilian Employment 101 / Demilitarizing Veterans o Dave Stearns, President, Dale Carnegie Maine o Mark Cater, LVER, Lewiston CareerCenter - Education/Employers - MHAV Update / Military Culture 101 (Auta, Steve, Bill) SWB VEC Members SWB VEC Membership (suggestion to add business and media people to committee) 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, Frances Perkins Room March 8, 2017 (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, Rhiannon Guzelian, Employment Specialist, Military & Veterans Services, Easterseals Maine Nathaniel Grace, Consultant Contractor, Maine Military OneSource, Adria Horn, Director, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Debbie Kelly, DVET, Veterans Employment and Training Maine, Jeremy Kendall, Director of Military and Vets, Easter Seals Maine, Steven Roy, LVER, Augusta CareerCenter and MHAV Campaign Coordinator, Alley Smith, Regional Manager, Veterans? Inc., Joe Tatem, Executive Director, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Maine, Fred Webber, SWB Board Chair

Guests & Interested Party Attendees: Catherine Carroll, Administrator, Office of Professional and Financial Regulation, Jen Fullmer, Executive Director, Boots2Roots, Anne Head, Commissioner, Dept of Professional and Financial Regulation, William Hurley, Program Manager, RVCP Program, Michael Merrill, Program Mngr, VOANNE Veterans Services, George O?Keefe, Intelligence Analyst, Maine Army National Guard, Cheryl Moran, Labor Program Specialist, State Workforce Board

Staff: Auta Main, MDOL BES Veterans? Program Manager

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 January 11, 2017.

SWB VEC STRATEGIC Priorities 2016/2017 ◦ 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

Agenda and Discussion Topics:

Federal Bonding Program ? Veronica Danforth - If veterans need bonding to get a job, fidelity bonds for commercial bonding are provided at no cost to the employer or employee.
- Bonding is insurance to protect employers against employee dishonesty, including theft, forgery, larceny and embezzlement.
- Job bonding enables employers to utilize worker?s skills without taking risks. - A hiring incentive, bonds in the amount of $5,000 provide coverage for six months while employees prove themselves.
- Continued coverage can be obtained commercially if no claim is made during the six-month period. - FMI, contact Veronica Danforth at Bureau of Employment Services, MDOL (207) 623-7977 or veronica.f.danforth@maine.gov

Education: Issues for Veterans and Medic to RN Coalition ? Updates / Auta Main, George O?Keefe - Culture has changed. Used to be veterans came home and worked in factories.
- Veterans have higher expectations today and higher levels of education - Robust G.I. Bill options and Voc Rehab similar benefits ? but needs enhancement - CHAMPVA through the VA needs major enhancement for dependents - In George?s unit half dozen soldiers are being medically retired. Medical retirement is the way to go. Joint VA and disability retirement. - Medic to Nurse coalition is working closely with State of Washington?s veterans program and will speak to the coordinator there, Tommy Simpson, by phone in April

Education: Occupational Licensing ? Anne Head, Commissioner, Professional and Financial Regulation and Catherine Carroll, Administrator, Office of Professional and Financial Regulation - Total of 39 occupations being licensed ranging from trades, massage, deaf interpreters to healthcare occupations and more. - In the trades the board has a special focus on assisting veterans, including revised website, trades licensing conferences.
- Anne testified in support of LD 214,Legislative Document No. 214 H.P. 170 House of Representatives, January 24, 2017 Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Streamline Veterans' Licensing and Certification SUMMARY: This resolve creates the Commission To Streamline Veterans' Licensing and Certification to study and address military service members' and veterans' transition from military service to the civilian workforce. The commission is also charged with making recommendations to streamline licensing and certification processes for service members - All of us working toward simplification of process to honor education, training and experience of veterans as they transition to civilian jobs. - Need assistance from military subject matter experts. - We had developed a small cadre of military subject matter experts (translators) previously when working with Anne and Catherine on developing more opportunities to fast-track veterans in the trades. Need to revisit this list of experts. Nate will email this list to Auta. We will circulate this list as appropriate. - We are by law allowed to give credit where credit is due COMMENTS FROM ALL ? Occupational Licensing Discussion - Colleges give prior learning credits for this training and experience (captured above) - Sometimes it is not enough. Need to meet with veteran and subject matter expert to determine actual number of hours of study or experience on each topic required. This can help immensely. - Dept does not have subject matter experts, but can reach out to those on list. - We might consider hosting a workshop with subject matter experts and Dept of Prof and Financial regulation as a way to continue to expedite veteran applications. - In some occupations entry level licenses are issued / basic licensing that require little or no experience or education to get started - Dept of Prof and Financial Regulation has a list of licensed veterans if employers want to inquire - Need to do more work with community colleges to provide courses needed for people to get licensed. - Catherine will draft info / guidelines for what is needed for entry level licenses and we can share with vet reps and others working with veterans - Application fees are waived for veterans fyi, but they must pay for licensing exam fees

Marketing and Outreach: Adria Horn, Director, MBVS - Broadreach, a public relations firm, has been hired to do marketing and outreach for MBVS - They have done probono work for homeless veterans - MBVS has an onboarding session with Broadreach on Monday, March 13, 2017 - Will discuss PSAs, TV, Radio, collaborative success stories and design some leave behind products - Will redo/revise the state resource guide for veterans - More to come!

? 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