Two department programs that help employ the nation's veterans, the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program and Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program, were the focus of a Sept. 12 House hearing. Keith Kelly, assistant secretary of labor for veterans' employment and training, and Gerri Fiala, deputy assistant secretary of labor for employment and training, testified on the effectiveness of the two programs at a hearing by the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Kelly explained the department's intensive outreach process for veterans who are eligible for assistance under the VRAP program and discussed collecting employment outcome data for the relatively young program (VRAP was authorized under the 2011 VOW to Hire Heroes Act). Also discussed was how HVRP's client-centric, hands-on approach has successfully helped place thousands of previously homeless veterans on the path to self-sufficiency. Curtis L. Coy, deputy undersecretary for economic opportunity at the Veterans Affairs Department, spoke about efforts by the departments to reach a data-sharing agreement that will help promote expanded cooperation between the two agencies. read rest>>>
Labor Secretary Tom Perez outlines the department's commitment to veterans. He is accompanied by ETA's Fiala (left) and VETS' Kelly (center). View the slideshow for more images and captions.Secretary Perez reaffirmed the Labor Department's commitment to helping veterans and told a packed audience of veterans service organizations gathered at the department's Washington, D.C., headquarters on Sept. 11 that "we cannot do it without you, and we need your ideas on where we can do better." Perez explained how his father served in the military and later worked at a veterans' hospital, and how he now feels "the torch has been passed to me" to come to the aid of all veterans. He said that with input from veterans groups, the department would be "indefatigable" in providing services to help veterans find training and good paying jobs. Assistant Secretary of Labor Keith Kelly, who heads the Veterans' Employment and Training Service, gave an overview of VETS programs. Employment and Training Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary Gerri Fiala explained how the 2,600 American Job Centers provide veterans with "priority of service" help with career counseling, resume preparation and job placement.
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