Request for Information on Black Veterans and Good Jobs

• Published date: 21 June 2024
• Citation: 89 FR 52099
• Pages: 52099-52101
• FR Document: 2024-13509
• Section: Notices
• Issuer: Labor Department,Veterans' Employment and Training Service,Veterans' Employment And Training Service

Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 120 (Friday, June 21, 2024)

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2024)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 52099-52101]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2024-13509]
                =======================================================================
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
                Veterans' Employment and Training Service
                Request for Information on Black Veterans and Good Jobs
                AGENCY: Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS), U.S.
                Department of Labor.
                ACTION: Request for information.
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL or the Department) is seeking
                information from the public regarding evidence on Black veterans'
                experience transitioning from military to civilian employment and
                veterans' access to good jobs and meaningful careers. The Department is
                publishing this Request for Information (RFI) to gather information to
                continue its efforts in building a strong knowledge base on the
                employment outcomes and experiences of Black transitioning service
                members (TSMs) and veterans to inform and improve veteran policies and
                programs.
                DATES: Comments must be received by August 20, 2024.
                ADDRESSES: Respondents are encouraged to submit their comments through
                one of the methods identified below. Email is the preferred method of
                submission. Email: dol.gov">ORPVETS@dol.gov. Postal Mail: Address written submissions to U.S.
                Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Office
                of Research and Policy, Room S-1325, 200 Constitution Ave. NW,
                Washington, DC 20210. Submissions by postal mail must be received by the deadline and
                should allow sufficient time for security processing.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yolanda Peacock, Research Analyst,
                Veterans' Employment and Training Service, dol.gov">ORPVETS@dol.gov, 202-693-
                0590.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                I. Background The mission of the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS)
                at DOL \1\ is to prepare America's veterans,\2\ service members, and
                military spouses for meaningful careers, provide them with employment
                resources and expertise, protect their employment rights, and promote
                their employment opportunities. VETS' mission is accomplished through
                two grant programs: the Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG) \3\ and
                Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP),\4\ as well as through
                the Transition Assistance Program (TAP),\5\ the Employment Navigator &
                Partnership Program (ENPP),\6\ and the Uniformed Services Employment
                and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).\7\
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets. \2\ Veterans are service members who have served and completed
                active-duty military service. \3\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/grants/state/jvsg. \4\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/hvrp. \5\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/tap. \6\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/tap/employment-navigator-partnership. \7\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The JVSG provides federal funding, through a formula grant, to 54
                State Workforce Agencies to hire dedicated staff to provide
                individualized career and training-related services to veterans and
                eligible persons with significant barriers to employment and to assist
                employers fill their workforce needs with job-seeking veterans. The
                HVRP, through a competitive grant, provides services to assist in
                reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the
                labor force and to stimulate the development of effective service
                delivery systems that address the complex problems facing homeless
                veterans. TAP is a cooperative interagency effort including DOL and the
                Departments of Defense, Education, Homeland Security, and Veterans
                Affairs; and the Small Business Administration and the Office of
                Personnel Management. TAP provides information, tools, and training to
                ensure service members and their spouses are prepared for the next step
                in civilian life. The ENPP provides one-on-one career assistance to
                interested TSMs \8\ and their spouses at select military installations
                worldwide. Provided outside of the formal DOL
                [[Page 52100]]
                TAP classroom instruction, the Employment Navigator will assist them in
                securing meaningful and lasting post-separation careers. Finally,
                USERRA aids those experiencing service-connected problems with their
                civilian employment, and VETS offers guidance to employers on USERRA
                regulations. VETS also assists veterans who have questions regarding
                Veterans' Preference.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \8\ Transitioning Service Members are members of the military
                who are leaving active duty and returning to civilian life. They may
                be within 24 months of retirement or 12 months of separation from
                the military.
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                II. Black Veterans Research Project Research indicates that disparities in employment and wages exist
                both in the general population and within the veteran community, and
                are influenced by factors such as disability status, gender, location,
                and race. It has also been observed that certain groups within the
                military and veteran communities, including individuals of different
                races and ethnicities, women, individuals with disabilities, and
                military spouses, have been historically underrepresented in research.
                In light of this, VETS has undertaken research initiatives focused on
                various demographic groups. Specifically, VETS has conducted research
                on military spouses within our Women Veterans \9\ and Disabled Veterans
                Programs, and through multiple Customer Experience projects, to
                identify the unique challenges and disparities faced by different
                demographic groups. VETS seeks to continue building and using evidence
                to identify and prioritize opportunities to improve overall support of
                veterans' employment outcomes and experiences in accordance with
                Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for
                Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.\10\ To this
                end, VETS endeavors to better understand variations in employment
                outcomes and experiences across different subgroups of veterans and
                build a strong knowledge base regarding underserved communities of
                veterans to inform and improve veteran policies and programs and
                improve veterans' access to good jobs.\11\
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \9\ Women Veterans Research U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov). \10\ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government. \11\ https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In FY23, in an effort to advance equity in VETS programs, VETS
                launched its Black Veterans Research Project. This project was launched
                due to lower economic indicators that are persistent in the Black
                Veteran community when compared to other racial cohorts and the whole
                veteran community. This project serves as a model for further research
                into underserved populations served by VETS programs. This research--
                conducted in collaboration with DOL's Chief Evaluation Office (CEO)--
                was the starting point to building a strong knowledge base regarding
                the employment outcomes and experiences of Black TSMs and veterans. The
                output from this research includes a literature review and three-part
                roundtable discussion series. The research shows that there are many
                commonalities across racial cohorts and that intersectionality \12\ can
                affect economic outcomes. These artifacts are available for viewing on
                VETS' Black Veterans Research web page.\13\
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \12\ ``Intersectionality means that people belong to more than
                one group and, consequently, may experience overlapping health and
                social inequities and have overlapping strengths and assets related
                to their group identities or membership.'' (The Department of Health
                and Human Services Evaluation Policy. Office of the Assistant
                Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and
                Human Services, 2022). \13\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/resources/black-veterans-research.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOL is committed to developing 21st century employment services
                that are responsive to the needs of today's veterans. To achieve this,
                VETS will build on the insights gained from the RFI and the Black
                Veterans Research Project and incorporate the Good Jobs Principles,\14\
                a shared federal vision of job quality published in 2022 by the
                Departments of Labor and Commerce.\15\ The Principles describe good-
                paying jobs that remove barriers to employment for veterans and people
                of color, among other groups. By assessing the potential of existing
                programs and services and incorporating the Good Jobs Principles, the
                aim is to identify the strategies that will have the most significant
                effect in improving employment opportunities and wage outcomes for
                underserved groups, including Black veterans.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \14\ https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles. \15\ https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/goodjobs/Good-Jobs-Summit-Principles-Factsheet.pdf.
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                III. Request for Information One of the key findings from the literature review is that Black
                veterans are not a monolithic group; intersectionality is a
                contributing factor for the Black veteran employment experience. The
                findings from VETS' Black Veterans Research Project also show that
                Black veterans seek assistance and support programs at a higher rate
                while experiencing worse economic and employment outcomes than other
                veteran subgroups. To further enhance the research, VETS seeks to
                continue its evidence building efforts by focusing on insights from the
                public and community at large. Organizations serving veterans, advocacy
                groups, workforce development and/or job centers (including American
                Job Centers \16\), businesses and employers, economic development
                associations, training providers, educational institutions (including
                Historically Black Colleges and Universities), think tanks,
                researchers, and other subject matter experts are invited to share
                their professional and/or research knowledge and experience or any
                other data and information related to the most effective intervention
                strategies to improve the employment and wages outcomes of underserved
                groups, including Black TSMs and veterans. VETS seeks the public's
                insight to identify how its programs can effectively improve employment
                and wage outcomes for underserved groups, including Black veterans.
                VETS is especially interested in comments about outcomes that are
                aligned with good jobs, as defined by the Good Jobs Principles.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \16\ https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/training/onestop.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The literature review identified several factors contributing to
                differences in employment outcomes experienced by Black veterans. The
                contributing factors are discrimination; veteran identity and self;
                military discharge status; social capital of enlisted service members
                and officers; education/training/pathways/advancement; veteran status
                and wages; military experience and occupation--transferability to high-
                demand occupations in the civilian sector; perceived mismatch from
                military to civilian jobs; and military transition. VETS seeks to refine its research scope to identify the most
                immediate employment needs of Black veterans and other intersectional,
                marginalized demographic groups, as well as interventions that would
                have the most immediate positive impact on employment and wage outcomes
                for all underserved groups, including Black veterans. As such, this RFI
                is designed to capture specific, concise responses optimizing VETS'
                ability to easily categorize, group, prioritize, sort, and filter
                responses. DOL asks commenters to address any or all of the following
                questions in the context of the preceding discussion in this document.
                Commenters do not need to address every question and should focus on
                those that relate to their expertise or perspective. To the extent
                possible, please clearly indicate the question(s) addressed in your
                response. Research and evaluation studies,
                [[Page 52101]]
                statistical information, training materials, policy statements or
                reports, or other relevant information may also be included or
                referenced in responses. Please include hyperlinks if available. Although not required, the Department would appreciate submissions
                that include a name, phone number, and email address for a single point
                of contact, in addition to the organizations, tribes, or other
                governmental agencies with which respondents are associated. This will
                allow VETS the opportunity to reach out for any necessary
                clarifications and streamline communication. Responses will not be posted publicly, but will be summarized in a
                report prepared by the Department. Any information submitted in
                response to the RFI may be releasable pursuant to the provisions of the
                Freedom of Information Act or other applicable law. For that reason,
                the Department requests that no business proprietary information,
                copyrighted information, or personally identifiable information be
                submitted in response to this RFI.
                IV. Questions 1. How does identity intersectionality contribute to the employment
                outcomes that Black veterans experience and how can services improve
                and be better marketed to ensure that individuals of all identities and
                localities have access to opportunity? 2. What can VETS programs do to improve employment and wage
                outcomes for Black veterans and other intersectional, underserved
                communities,\17\ including job opportunities with the features of Good
                Jobs described in the Good Jobs Principles? Specifically, what do VETS
                programs need to do and where should the programs be?
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \17\ The term ``underserved communities'' refers to populations
                sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic
                communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity
                to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life.
                (Executive Order 13985: Advancing Equity and Support for Underserved
                Communities Through the Federal Government).
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. What are the primary challenges experienced by Black service
                members that greatly influence their post-military employment
                prospects? 4. What key moments during the transition from military to civilian
                life have a significant impact on employment outcomes for Black
                veterans? 5. What are the most immediate employment needs of Black veterans? 6. How have veterans' benefits programs and other government
                services affected the successful or unsuccessful obtainment of a good
                job as described by the Good Jobs Principles? \18\
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \18\ https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles.
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. What are the most effective intervention strategies to improve
                employment outcomes for Black veterans and other intersectional,
                underserved communities? 8. How can VETS programs most effectively contribute to improved
                employment outcomes for Black veterans and other intersectional,
                underserved communities? 9. Where is the best place to engage with Black veterans and other
                intersectional, underserved communities and meet their needs? Signed at Washington, DC, this 13th day of June, 2024.
                James D. Rodriguez,
                Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training Service.
                [FR Doc. 2024-13509 Filed 6-20-24; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 4510-79-P