Veterans Employment Committee

January 31, 2018: 10:00 AM
Frances Perkins rm, 45 Commerce Dr, Augusta

AGENDA State Workforce Board (SWB) Veterans Employment Committee (VEC) January 31, 2018 (10:00am ? 12:30pm) Location: MDOL, Commerce Center, Frances Perkins Room Call-In Option: 1-877-455-0244 Code: 9218175360 Jonathan Farr, SWB Chair Welcome and Opening Remarks Jonathan Farr Around the Room Introductions Jonathan Farr/ALL Approval of Meeting Notes from November 8, 2017 Meeting SWB VEC Members Strategic Planning Priorities 2017/2018 ? Progress Updates If Any - Marketing - Education/Veterans - Education/Employers ? Military Culture 202 Update - Maine Hire-A-Vet Updates/Progress - SWB VEC Membership - Veteran Friendly Employer Award Harold Cooney 2018 Key Issues ? Maine / Employment Focus & Other Northeast Region Liaison (Join by Phone) Defense State Liaison Office All SWB VEC Member Updates All Dates for 2018 SWB VEC Meetings, Frances Perkins Room, MDOL ◦ January 31,2018 ◦ March 7, 2018 ◦ May 23, 2018 ◦ July 25, 2018 ◦ September 5, 2018 ◦ November 28, 2018 Jonathan Farr Miscellaneous / Adjourn

Meeting Minutes from SWB Veterans Employment Committee MDOL, Commerce Center, Frances Perkins Room January 31, 2018 (10:00am ? 12:30pm)

Member Attendees:, Laura Allen, Outreach Consultant, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Robert Carr, Director, Technological Innovations, LLC, Mark Cater, Director, Veteran Employment and Strategy, Military Talent Source, Robin Doody, Talent Acquisition Specialist, EMHS, Jonathan Farr, Co-Manager, Joseph?s Fireside Steakhouse and SWB VEC Chair, Nathaniel Grace, Consultant Contractor, Maine Military OneSource, Jeremy Kendall, Director Military and Veterans Programs, Easterseals, Steven Roy, LVER, Augusta CareerCenter and MHAV Campaign Coordinator, Alley Smith, Regional Manager, Maine, Veterans? Inc., Joe Tatem, Executive Director, National Guard Employment and Support Program, Fred Webber, SWB Board Chair

Guests & Interested Party Attendees: Harold Cooney, Northeast Region Liaison, Defense State Liaison Office, Debbie Kelly, Maine DVET, VETS, USDOL, Adria Horn, Director, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Scott Young, Deputy Commissioner, Dept of Defense and Emergency Mngt, SWB Staff: 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, Jonathan Farr: Round the room introductions.

SWB VEC Chair, Jonathan Farr: Approval of notes from November 8, 2017.

SWB VEC STRATEGIC Priorities 2017/2018 ◦ Selected Priorities for 2017/2018 ▪ Marketing ? focus on driving veterans to MBVS web portal (and other) ▪ Education ? Focus on employers and veterans ▪ Misc Other ? SWB VEC Membership, MHAV Updates/Feedback/Veteran Friendly Employer Award

Agenda and Discussion Topics:

State Workforce Board (SWB) Update, Fred Webber, SWB Board Chair - 2017 WIOA funds will soon be released to local area workforce boards (LWBS), after a lengthy delay - The point of tension and cause of delay was primarily a disagreement in the amount of funding that can be used by the LWBS for administration. The Governor has suggested that a minimum of 70% be used directly for participants, leaving 30% for administration. Consequences of not meeting the 70% threshold is also discussed in the new contract. More detailed explanations of what constitutes funding for participants vs funding for admin is spelled out in the new contract.
- Many are concerned that case management services will be compromised with the 70/30 split.
- Questions from SWB VEC board members about how many veterans are served in WIOA, how the training dollars are dispersed and if we can influence goals? - Suggestion to ask someone to speak about WIOA funding and how it?s spent at future meeting.

2018 Key Issues ? Maine /Employment Focus, Harold Cooney, Northeast Region Liaison, Defense State Liaison Office - Harold Cooney is a 30-year Army Veteran. His agency studies key issues impacting veterans and their families in all 50 states.
- Harold works to educate policy makers. In Maine he works primarily with the Adjutant General?s Office and a number of legislators. His organization has spent a lot of time focusing on expediting licensing for veterans in the trades, health care occupations and more. - Harold explained that many bills get passed, but sometimes there is no process in place to ensure compliance. A specific piece of legislation that he referenced, and is little known, is a bill that allows private sector employers to provide veterans preference, LD 1832 An Act to Increase Employment Opportunities for Veterans was approved in April 2014 (see attached).

Committee Updates

Marketing ? Adria Horn, Director, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services wrote an Op Ed for the Portland papers, as well as MaineBiz. She highlighted programs at MBVS and gave big kudos to Maine Hire-A-Vet and all its? partners. MBVS has also been busy developing videos for their website, including a fabulous one of David Katende, who was hired at BIW during the MHAV Campaign 2016. MBVS continues to work with BROAD REACH to establish a broader reach with veterans, employers and veteran resources.

MORE ON OUTREACH - Mark Cater, Military Talent Source (MTS) shared highlights of the work his organization is doing to recruit veterans from out of state to move to Maine. He and the team at MTS are traveling to military job fairs and TAP classes, around the country, to tout the benefits of moving to Maine!

MHAV Update ? in 100 days, 154 employers joined the campaign, 296 veterans were hired (63 were female and 21 spouses or family of veterans), 110 employer staff participated in Military Culture 202, average wage $23.16 per hour

Education/Veterans ? Bob Carr highlighted Advanced Manufacturing Trainings for veterans in precision machining and composites. These courses are being held at SMCC and are approved for GI Bill. See attached flyer.

Education/Employers ? COL Andrew Gibson facilitated the first MHAV Military Culture 202 Training at the Bangor Savings Bank Conference room on January 25, 2018. The training included an hour with Andy focused on a quick review of Military Culture 101, the big picture, importance of structure, mission and purpose, utilizing leadership skills and experience, educational advantages of hiring veterans and importance of communication. Following Andy?s presentation, a panel of employers shared their best practices for recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans. Randy Liberty, Warden for the Maine Prison System moderated the panel, which included Dennis Arnold, HR Recruiter, EMHS, Jeremy Dube, HR Recruiter, MaineGeneral, Clint Peebles, HR Recruiter, Dept of Corrections, SOM and Kelly Rickert, Director of Workforce Development, OIT, SOM. The training was very well received by the 60+ employers who joined us. Ideas shared by the panelists included the following: If you want to hire more veterans, hire a veteran in your HR dept (many of these organizations had done that), host hiring fairs at your company focused on hiring veterans, host special activities for veterans and other staff near Veterans Day and/or other military holidays, host classes for all staff (especially HR staff) about military culture and recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans, provide mentors at your place of employment for new veteran hires, dedicate a section of your website and/or job postings area to state your company?s commitment to hiring veterans, hire veterans at a higher wage than non-veterans, allow veterans compensated time off to get to appointments at Togus and other VA related activities and more. Many thanks to Bangor Savings Bank for providing in kind space along with afternoon snacks, waters and coffee! Next training will be conducted in Portland at the Wishcamper Center of USM on February 1, 2018.

Veteran Friendly Employer Award ? We will revisit the potential of SWB VEC to promote its? own Veteran Friendly Employer Award similar to the Silver Collar Awards that the SWB Older Workers Committee present each year. We?ll also discuss the new USDOL Vets Medallion Program and ESGR Employer Awards. Where do all 3 of these options fit in Maine and how can we work better together for the benefit of Maine?s veterans and employers? More discussion at a future meeting.

Mark Your Calendars for SWB VEC Meetings 2018 May 23, 2018, July 25, 2018, September 5, 2018, November 28, 2018

The meeting adjourned at 12:30pm

Attachments