Script for Webinar 6
Welcome to webinar number 6 in the Promoting Employment for Homeless Veterans series
of presentations, brought to you by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment
and Training Service, the National Veterans’ Training Institute, or NVTI, and the National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
The logic underlying this webinar is fairly simple: The more our clients possess skills that
enable them to contribute to an employer’s success, the more likely it is that our clients will
be hired, be paid well, and be able to take advantage of employment advancement
opportunities.
It also addresses a paradox facing both job seekers and businesses.
On the one hand, our job-seeking clients are unable to find good jobs.
At the same time, employers who offer jobs with good pay, benefits, and prospects for
advancement are unable to find job candidates with the necessary skills.
Job-driven training is a potential solution to this “people without jobs / jobs without
people” dilemma.
For the next 25 minutes, we will be looking at programs and resources that can close the
skills gap affecting our clients and many businesses in our community, focusing on three
(3) of the most common job-driven training approaches:
 On-the-Job Training (OJT), which most of us are probably familiar with
 Apprenticeships, an option that many of us may be less familiar with, and
 Accelerated training, using the example of Boot Camps
We will
 Describe these three approaches in more detail
 Explain why they benefit both our job seeking clients and local employers
 Offer practical techniques and resources for Disabled Veterans Outreach Program
Specialists (DVOPS) and other American Job Center and employment specialist
staff who assist job seekers identify and select opportunities that best fit their
interests and aptitudes, navigate the application process, and succeed in the
programs and in the world of work.
 Suggest ways that LVERs or employer outreach staff can discover job-driven
training opportunities in the community and to assist employers explore the benefits
and mechanics of launching or partnering with job-driven training programs.
As is the case with all of the webinars in this series, we’ve posted a variety of documents
and links on the resource page for this webinar. We’ll preview these resources later in the
webinar. You can access them by scrolling down the home page and clicking on View
Homeless Veterans Resources, then scrolling down to Webinar Six.
1
First, let’s look at some definitions.
On-the-Job Training
In an On-the-Job Training or OJT arrangement an employer trains a paid participant who
engages in productive paid work that assists the participant to master knowledge and ahrd
and soft skills that are essential to the full and adequate performance of the job.
In some cases, our AJC can enter into an OJT agreement in which the employer is
reimbursed for up to 50 percent of the wage rate of the participant, for extraordinary costs
of providing the training, and for additional supervision of the trainee.
Also, in the OJT agreement, there is an understanding, whether written or implied, that the
employer will hire the trainee upon successful completion of the training.
Apprenticeships
An Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and related instruction – often
classroom—based - in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly
skilled occupation. Apprenticeships take long to complete – many last four years – but the
pay-off can be significant. Those who complete an Registered Apprenticeships increase
their annual wages by $7,000 on average.
Apprenticeship programs can be sponsored by individual employers, joint employer and
labor groups, and/or employer associations.
Pre-Apprenticeship Training is designed to increase or upgrade specific academic,
cognitive, or physical skills that will assist an individual to qualify for entry into a specific
trade or occupation.
Boot Camps
Boot Camps are accelerated and short-term training programs designed to quickly provide
participants with a marketable skill. The format is frequently used in the tech industry to
teach software coding, but the same concept can be used to teach other occupational skills.
Boot Camps designed around construction or manufacturing skills are typically offered by
community colleges, technical colleges, or community—based organizations.
Boot Camps often last between several weeks to several months. The training is intensive,
often lasting seven or eight hours of learning per day, often for five days a week
Boot Camps feature a low instructor to student ratio and emphasize practical, hands-on
training on high-demand skills, with the goal of qualifying learners for good jobs.
2
Now let’s take a quick look at the seven principles underlying Job—Driven Training. We’ll
closely quote Ready to Work: Job-Driven Training and American Opportunity, released by
the White House in July of 2014.
These principles are also laid out in Training and Employment Guidance Letter Number 314, including Attachments A and B plus appendices, titled Implementing a Job-Driven
Workforce System.
By the way, both of these documents provide examples of how workforce agencies,
workforce intermediaries, and employers around the country are applying these principles.
Principle One, Engaging Employers, involves working with employers, industry
associations, and labor unions early in the process of designing education and job training
programs. Together, we are able to more accurately determine local or regional hiring
needs and to design training programs that are responsive to those needs. This process
builds backwards, from the employer to the training to the student. When you embrace this
principle, you see both the client and the employer as your primary audiences. The goal is
to equip individuals with skills that have a high likelihood of leading to employment.
Programs should also seek employer commitments to provide work-based learning
opportunities to participants and to hire program graduates.
Principle Two, Earn and Learn, emphasizes the importance of developing work-based
learning opportunities, including on-the-job training, paid internships, pre-apprenticeships,
and Registered Apprenticeships, as training paths to employment. While classroom-based
learning can be important, individuals are more likely to master new skills when hands-on
experience in a work environment is integrated with classroom learning.
Principle Three, Smart Choices, highlights the importance of using labor market data when
determining what programs should be offered and what skills should be taught, when
guiding job seekers as they choose what to study and where they should apply for jobs. By
following trends in regional, state, and national labor markets, you can more accurately
anticipate the number and types of jobs available and specific job characteristics, skills
requirements, and career opportunities. Analyzing your local labor market information can
help you make the direct connection between a veteran’s skills and available jobs. The gaps
between skills and jobs drive your training decisions and inform your conversations with
veterans about the employment plan.
Principle Four, Measurement Matters, underlines the importance of measuring and
evaluating employment and earnings outcomes so that job seekers can choose appropriate
training and programs can continuously improve these outcomes. Measured outcomes
quantify how training programs promote employee satisfaction, job retention, and career
and earnings growth so veterans are more likely to stay employed, not come back through
your door.
3
Principle Five, Stepping Stones, stresses the importance of promoting a seamless
progression from one educational or training stepping stone to another. When you talk to
veterans about stepping stones in their career progression, you may be better able to have a
realistic conversation about the first steps needed for job success that lead to a meaningful
career.
Principle Six, Opening Doors, addresses the need to neutralize barriers that stand between
any American who is willing and able to work and job-driven training and hiring. Opening
doors may involve the provision of supportive services such as transportation, child care,
and financial and benefits counseling. Programs also should provide accommodations for
persons with disabilities, and include supported employment services, as appropriate. This
is your opportunity to be an advocate for the veterans you serve, and to utilize community
agencies that can fill gaps in accommodations expertise and supportive services.
Principle Seven, Regional Partnerships, emphasizes the importance of collaborations
among all pieces of the puzzle: employers, potential employees, training and education
providers, American Job Centers, higher education institutions, labor organizations,
philanthropic organizations, state and local human service agencies, vocational
rehabilitation agencies, Medicaid agencies, centers for independent living, supported
employment providers, community- and faith-based organizations, and other non-profit
organizations. These partnerships enable us to weave a network of employment, training
and related services that enable our clients to overcome the barriers to becoming and
staying employed, thereby ensuring that vulnerable populations can take full advantage of
job-driven training programs.
Job-driven training approaches deliver a win-win for both our job—seeking clients and the
employers we’re partnering with. Let’s look at Apprenticeships as an example:
Apprentices, for example, will enjoy:
 Immediate employment usually with benefits while in training
 Regular wage progression as skills increase
 Supervised, structured on-the-job training that result in a marketable set of technical
and work skills
 Related classroom instruction which often carries college credit. Some
apprenticeship programs pay for this instruction. Some states reduce tuition for
apprenticeships, and eligible Veterans can use their GI Bill tuition benefits to cover
costs
 A nationally recognized credential they can take anywhere
 Additional income through G.I. Bill benefits, to include the subsistence and housing
allowances.
Employers who participate in apprenticeship programs enjoy:
 A reliable supply of new competent and productive employees
 A reliable way to ensure knowledge among experienced workers who may be
nearing the age of retirement is transferred to younger workers thanks to a carefully
documented and well-structured approach to on‐the‐job learning
4




Enhanced recruiting efforts and reduced turnover
More flexible workforce due to greater employee skills
Greater customer satisfaction resulting from quality workmanship, and
An emphasis on safety training that may reduce worker compensation costs
At first glance, many of the homeless clients we work with may seem like less than ideal
candidates for these programs. However, as we emphasized in webinar 5, if we focus on an
individual’s abilities and on what he or she is able to do rather than on what the client is
unable to do, and we help he client assemble and utilize a network of supportive services,
then their possibilities expand.
Second, any Veteran who successfully completed Basic Training or Boot Camp, and their
initial military occupation-related training, has demonstrated that he or she is are capable of
mastering a great deal of information in a brief period of time.
Third, upgraded skill sets can offset many of the concerns employers may have about hiring
our clients.
When promoting job-driven training among our clients, it’s important to understand the
obstacles to successfully pursing training that they may face:
 If the training is not an “earn and learn” scheme such as an apprenticeship or onthe-job training program, clients may lack sufficient resources to support
themselves during the training
 Clients may be unaware of the training opportunities
 They may be unfamiliar with the application process or prerequisites
 Clients may not fully appreciate the return they will enjoy on their investment of
time and effort by successfully completing the training program
 The same issues that interfere with working – lack of reliable transportation and
child care, for example – may interfere with their ability to attend and complete
training
 They may lack confidence in their ability to complete the training, or they may have
an unrealistically optimistic understanding of what the program will require of
them.
 Clients may need to refresh or upgrade their math, reading or test taking skill that
have become rusty
Here are some possible countermeasures to these obstacles.
First, we and our clients should learn as much as possible about the training, including the
expectations of participants, the academic and/or technical skills participants will need to
possess to succeed in the training, the application and selection process, and other logistical
or administrative aspects of the program, including the length of the program, daily
schedules, work and learning locations, and so on.
5
We may be able to find some of this information, especially for apprenticeships, online.
More established programs will provide contact information, describe the application
process, and provide a wealth of other information on their website.
Our employer outreach colleagues at our AJC may be able to conduct face-to-face research
with members of Apprenticeship committees, with supervisors involved with OJT
programs, and with community college staff who have insights into Boot Camps or other
accelerated programs. They may also be able to arrange for their contacts to provide
informational briefings, presentations, or workshops at our AJC or at other employment
program partner locations.
The goal at this stage is to develop a complete and accurate understanding of both the
benefits our clients will enjoy by taking advantage of the training opportunity, and what’s
required to successfully complete the program.
Second, we can identify the programs and resources that our clients may draw upon to
increase their odds of success. Some examples:
 Skills refresher programs, including
o Credit and non-credit math, reading, computer skills, and other adult basic
education courses
o Pre-apprenticeship programs offered by community colleges or communitybased organizations
o On-line learning options, and
o Self-study guides or manuals
 Wrap-around assistance provided by members of our supportive services network,
such as child care, transportation subsidies, benefits counseling, legal aid, and
behavioral health
 Financial aid sources, including GI Bill benefits or Pell Grants, if the employer does
not pick up the entire cost of the related classroom instruction in an apprenticeship
program, or if our client enrolls in a Boot Camp training program or a refresher
class at a community college or technical institution
 Opportunities to gain work experience and acquire the skills that will impress an
apprenticeship selection committee. For example, apprenticeship staff may be able
to tell us about local volunteering opportunities that provide related experience, and
may even list these online, and
 Assistance customizing the client’s cover letter and resume, as well as his or her
interview answers and skills, since applying for an apprenticeship is very similar to
applying for a job
Third, we can meet one or more times with our clients to discuss the obstacles to qualifying
and succeeding in a job-driven training program, as well as the strengths, assets and
resources they can draw upon to overcome those obstacles. These conversations inform our
mutual employment planning process and guide how it is updated over time.
6
A side note: As is the case when we are attempting to build relationships with employers,
it’s important that we do a consistent and effective job of matching clients with job-driven
training opportunities. Apprenticeship selection committees, for example, will be eager to
partner with any organization that reliably prepares and screens motivated candidates who
are ready to take on the challenges of an apprenticeship.
If we are LVERs or employer outreach staff, there are two strategies we can follow to
support the job-driven training initiatives.
First, we can canvass employers throughout our community to identify those currently
offering job-driven training opportunities.
Since we play a key role in informing our AJC colleagues, including DVOPS and
Employment Services staff, and other employment program partners who serve job-seeking
clients directly, about these opportunities, here are several questions we should ask
employers

How often do you accept applicants into the program?

How many applicants do you accept for each cohort?

Is there a waiting list, and if so, what’s a realistic waiting time for someone
applying to the program now?

How do individuals apply for the program?

How can they get additional information about the program?

What academic or technical skills and work experience do you either require or
recommend that participants possess?

Does the training provide an earn-and-learn element? If so (as will be the case with
On the Job Training or Registered Apprenticeships), what are the typical pay rates
participants will earn during the training phase?

If tuition or fees must be paid by the participant, is the apprenticeship program or
training provider approved for GI Bill financial aid?
When discussing a Boot Camp or other external training program, either with employers or
with the training provider, which might be a community college or a community-based
organization, here are some issues to discuss:
 Is successful completion of the program likely to lead to a job offer?
 Is the training program closely aligned with employers’ needs?
 Do employers participate in delivering at least part of the training?
 Did the employer provide input when the curriculum was being developed?
 Does the training lead to an employer- and nationally-recognized certification?
7
The second strategy we can pursue involves educating employers or employer groups about
job-driven training options. We should stress the benefits of creating, joining, or supporting
a job-driven training, as well as the details of establishing a Registered Apprenticeship or
an OJT program.
We can also connect them with people, programs, and information sources that can support
their efforts to establish their own in-house program, or to join, collaborate with, or cosponsor existing programs, such as Boot Camp courses offered at a nearby community
college.
Now let’s take a quick look at the information and resources available on this webinar’s
resource page.
For a comprehensive overview of the job-driven training concept, including a look at the
dozens of federal programs that can contribute to this initiative, download Ready to Work:
Job-Driven Training and American Opportunity. For a briefer introduction to share with
colleagues, download Ready to Work: New Actions to Expand Job-Driven Training and
Broaden the Pathway to the Middle Class.
We’ve also included Training and Employment Guidance Letter or TEGL Number 3-14,
including Attachments A and B plus appendices, titled Implementing a Job-Driven
Workforce System.
For a look at how the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (or HVRP) is
implementing the job-driven training program, see Job-Driven Training in HVRP,
published by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
Next, we’ve provided an array of resources to share with employers – or our AJC
colleagues - who are unfamiliar with job-driven training options.
The Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship webpage includes two pathways, one aimed at
employers and the other at job-seekers considering an apprenticeship.
Another starting point is Workforce3One’s 21st Century Registered Apprenticeship
Community of Practice webpage. Good places to begin exploring are the Blog and
Resources links.
Here are a few of the resources from these two sites that we’ve posted on our resource
page.
A Quick Start Toolkit for Building Registered Apprenticeship Programs walks
prospective apprenticeship sponsors through five steps for setting up an apprenticeship
8
program, outline benefits, describes the components of a program and different models, and
provides a wealth of links employers can follow to get more detailed information.
Setting up a Registered Apprenticeship Program provides additional tips for planning
and implementing a program, including an example of a Schedule of Work Processes that
illustrates how an apprenticeship provides the structure that ensures all participants master
the wide range of skills a fully qualified expert in his or her occupation should possess.
The Federal Resources Playbook for Registered Apprenticeship describes a variety of
federal workforce and education funds that can provide financial support for job-seekers,
employers, educational institutions and workforce intermediaries pursing, providing or
partnering with apprenticeship programs. Federal agencies profiled in the Playbook include
the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation
and Housing and Urban Development.
The Department of Labor has also developed a series of one or two page information sheets
on a variety of apprenticeship-related topics, and we’ve posted a number of these on our
resource page.
A number of states have also developed excellent information materials.
The state of Wisconsin’s Apprenticeship: It makes Good Business Sense, can serve as a
source and model for information sheets that LVERs and employer outreach staff can
develop to describe the benefits of apprenticeship programs to employers and provide
practical tips for implementing one.
The state of Washington’s Collaborate for Success: Integrating Registered Apprenticeship
for Washington State Training Manual, available via a link on our resource page, is worth a
careful look,
Section B of this manual provides details on how workforce centers can support clients who
are considering, applying for, and participating in apprenticeship programs, and will be
especially useful for DVOP Specialists and other employment staff.
Section C of the manual contains ideas that LVERs and employer outreach staff can use
when educating employers abo the benefits of sponsoring an apprenticeship program or
serving as a training agent, an when answering concerns or clearing up misconceptions that
many employers have.
Section C also includes a table that highlights how common AJC services can support
employers as they develop and operate an apprenticeship program.
Some states are served by federal staff working directly with businesses and industry to
develop programs that meet the skilled training needs of the employer or sponsor. In other
states, a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by DOL registers and oversees
apprenticeship programs and provides assistance to employers. We can identify the federal
9
or state apprenticeship contact person for our state by following the Apprenticeship Contact
link on our resource page.
We have also posted resources for DVOP Specialists and others who are working with
clients who are pursuing job-driven training options.
A recent article from Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Career Outlook site titled Apprenticeships:
Earn and Learn offers a good overview to any of our clients who are unfamiliar with this
approach.
Anyone helping clients prepare for an apprenticeship will find a wealth of information on
the website of Midwest Technical Assistance Center, run by the Chicago Women in Trades
organization.
With the information available for download on this website, AJC staff could offer a fairly
comprehensive program to help clients refresh their math skills.
There are also modules on interviewing, preparing resumes, and dealing with potential
obstacles to succeeding in an apprenticeship program.
Despite the name of the hosting organization, many of the materials will be as valuable for
men as they are for women.
We’ve also included links to several websites for specific apprenticeship programs around
the country to illustrate the kind of detailed information we can often locate about a specific
program. These sites typically include details about the application process, but some sites
also include lists of websites, books, and courses at local community colleges that will
assist prospective applicants improve their odds of earning a spot in an upcoming cohort of
apprentices.
Up till now, we’ve emphasized apprenticeships, but let’s take a brief look at resources we
can tap into when promoting On-the-Job Training.
A good place to start is the Workforce3One Community of Practice webpage for the
Building the Next Generation OJT Toolkit. We’ll find brief case studies and video
testimonies we can share with job seekers and employers.
The site also provides lists of talking points and marketing templates we can adapt when
promoting OJT among local businesses.
For more local details about on-the-job training agreements, we can talk to our American
Job Center colleagues about the guidance, manuals, or other resources our state or local
workforce investment board have issued.
10
As we mentioned earlier, not all of our homeless clients will be interested in or qualified for
a job-driven training program. In webinar 7, we’ll share ideas and resources for helping
clients cover the last mile between their current situation and employment.
We’ll close this webinar by explaining how you can submit questions you may have.
If you scroll down the web page in which you’re watching this presentation, you’ll see a
link labeled Questions and Answers. By clicking on the link, you’ll be able to submit a
question about anything we’ve covered today or about issues related to homeless Veterans
that you’d like us to address in upcoming webinars.
We will research the answer to your question and post it on the Questions and Answers
page as quickly as possible
So be on the lookout for an email from the National Veterans Training Institute alerting you
to the release of Webinar Number 7.
11