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The article discusses the finale rule of the uniform national threshold entered employment rate (UNTEER) for veterans by the U.S. Department of Labor. It states that the final rule aims to evaluate the performance of the nation in helping veterans. It mentions that the final rule identifies the process for submitting and reviewing corrective action plan and delivery of technical assistance. It also notes the effectivity of the rule on May 10, 2013.

Roughly 700,000 veterans have been unemployed in recent months, a figure that could swell considerably with the anticipated increase in the number of people leaving active duty. Congress passed the Jobs for Veterans Act in 2002 to improve employment and training services for veterans and to encourage employers to hire them. As mandated by law, GAO reviewed progress to date in its implementation, including the development of new staff roles and responsibilities, performance accountability system, incentive awards, and priority of service to veterans. GAO examined (1) implementation status of the key provisions and any associated challenges, (2) what is known about services and outcomes since the law's enactment, and (3) changes in program accountability. Labor implemented most provisions of the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA) within the first 2 years of its enactment. However, some are not fully implemented, such as measures to increase service priority for veterans in the full spectrum of Labor's training programs, and others designed to improve accountability from states and federal contractors. States also report substantial progress implementing the law, but challenges remain in some areas. About one-third of the states, for example, did not establish incentive award programs for their workforce personnel because their laws, policies, or agreements conflict with this JVA provision. Most state workforce administrators surveyed reported that the new legislation has improved both the quality of services to veterans and their employment outcomes. They credited the greater availability of case management services under JVA for much of the improvement in employment. They cited lack of federal contractor compliance with the law's provisions as most likely to have limited veterans' employment opportunities. Aside from the law's influence, they cited the willingness of employers to hire veterans and the strength of the local job market as significant factors affecting veterans' employment. About half of state directors of Veterans' Employment and Training reported their new monitoring role had strengthened local program accountability. However, just over a third reported that accountability had either lessened or not improved. Some partly attributed this to absence of local performance data and fewer annual visits to one-stop centers. GAO found, as well, that a lack of coordination among Labor's agencies responsible for certain JVA provisions has weakened accountability. Also, while Labor has developed a system to monitor program performance, it lacks a strategy for using the information it gathers to make improvements and to help states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) administers two programs designed to assist the roughly 700,000 veterans who are unemployed in any given month. These two programs, the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) and the Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER) program, fund employment, training, and job placement services to veterans. In 2002, Congress passed the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA), which redefined the roles of DVOP and LVER staff and required that VETS establish a new performance accountability system. This testimony is based on GAO's ongoing work in this area and focuses on three aspects: (1) the separation of DVOP's and LVER's roles and responsibilities; (2) VETS' performance accountability system for DVOP and LVER staff; and (3) VETS' system for monitoring DVOP and LVER performance. VETS has established separate roles for DVOP and LVER staff and has provided policy guidance and training to states explaining these changes. Under JVA, states now determine how many DVOP and LVER staff they hire, where to place them within the local workforce areas, and 23 states are planning to use some part-time DVOP staff. There are indications that integrating DVOP and LVER staff into the local workforce offices remains challenging. While VETS has issued guidance on an incentive program to encourage improved performance, state implementation of the program has varied, and 11 states do not plan to participate. VETS has implemented employment measures for DVOP and LVER staff, but a minimum standard that all states must meet for veterans entering employment will not be available before 2007. VETS reported meeting Labor's goal of achieving a 58-percent employment rate for all veteran job seekers during program year 2003, but fell somewhat short of reaching a 60-percent employment goal for disabled veterans. Assessing how well DVOP and LVER programs are serving veterans may continue to be difficult due to ongoing concerns about data reliability. VETS implemented a monitoring system in program year 2004 that relies primarily on state self-assessments of performance in conjunction with onsite reviews. It is unclear, however, how VETS staff at the state, regional, and national levels will use this information consistently to guide or improve the DVOP and LVER programs. VETS is working with other Labor agencies to coordinate monitoring and enforcement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a notice issued by the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor requesting public comments on the proposed information collection requirements (ICRs) regarding the training of veterans through the Veterans' Retraining Assistance Program. The ICR has been submitted to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for emergency review. The public comments have been invited till March 16, 2012.