Attachment A - Definitions and Terms

Attachment A

DEFINITIONS AND TERMS

Administrative Costs - costs shall consist of all direct and indirect costs associated with the supervision and management of the program. These costs shall include the administrative costs, both direct and indirect, of sub-recipients and contractors.

Adult Basic Education - Education for adults whose inability to speak, read, or write the English language or to effectively reason mathematics, constitutes a substantial impairment of their ability to get or retain employment commensurate with their real ability. Designed to help raise the level of education of individuals to improve their ability to benefit from occupational training. This also increases opportunities for more productive and profitable employment, and assists individuals in taking care of adult responsibilities.

Apprenticeship Training – A formal occupational training program that combines on-the-job training and related instruction where workers learn practical and conceptual skills required for a skilled occupation, craft, or trade. It may be registered or unregistered.

Assessment/Intake - A process for screening individual applicants for program eligibility. This provides information to make level of need determinations, initial determinations of services or programs that best benefit applicants, provide information about services and the availability of services, and routes individual applicants for service delivery or program participation.

Average Hourly Wage At Placement - The mean hourly wage rate for those employed participants reported by the grantee during the quarter. The grantee determines the hourly wage to use in instances where a participant is employed multiple times.

Assurance and Certifications - The act of signifying intent to comply with applicable federal and State laws and regulations as a condition for receiving and expanding USDOL grant funds.

Barriers to Employment - Characteristics that may hinder an individual’s hiring promotion or participation in the labor force. Identification of these barriers will vary by location and labor market. Some examples of individuals who may face barriers to employment include: single parents, women, displaced homemakers, youth, public assistance recipients, older workers, substance abusers, teenage parents, certain veterans, ethnic minorities, and those with limited English speaking ability or a criminal record or with a lack of education, work experience, credential, child care arrangements, of lack of transportation.

Campaign Badge veteran - A veteran who served on active duty during a war (e.g., WWII), action (e.g., Korea, Vietnam), in a campaign, or an expedition for which a campaign badge of an expeditionary medal has been authorized (e.g. Bosnia, Grenada, Haiti, Panama, Southeast Asia, and Somalia).

Career Services (formerly known as core and intensive services under WIA) – Pre-vocational services available to individuals through the grant or through the one-stop delivery system funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The term “career services” used under the VETS competitive grants program is the same as the definition used under WIOA. These services, at a minimum include –
(i) determination of whether the individuals are eligible to receive assistance;
(ii) outreach, intake (which may include worker profiling), and orientation to the information and other services;
(iii) initial assessment of skill levels (including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency), aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and supportive service needs;
(iv) labor exchange services, including— (I) job search and placement assistance and, in appropriate cases, career counseling, including— (aa) provision of information on in-demand industry sectors and occupations; and (bb) provision of information on nontraditional employment; and (II) appropriate recruitment and other business services on behalf of employers, including small employers, in the local area, which services may include services described in this subsection, such as providing information and referral to specialized business services not traditionally offered through the one-stop delivery system;
(v) provision of referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services, including programs and services within the one-stop delivery system and, in appropriate cases, other workforce development programs;
(vi) provision of workforce and labor market employment statistics information, including the provision of accurate information relating to local, regional, and national labor market areas, including— (I) job vacancy listings in such labor market areas; (II) information on job skills necessary to obtain the jobs described in sub-clause (I); and (III) information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings, skill requirements, and opportunities for advancement for such occupations; and
(vii) provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible providers of training services, provided by program

(viii) provision of information, in formats that are usable by and understandable to customers, regarding how the grant program is performing on the local performance accountability measures and any additional performance information with respect to the one-stop delivery system in the local area;
(ix) (I) provision of information, in formats that are usable by and understandable to one-stop center customers, relating to the availability of supportive services or assistance, including child care, child support, medical or child health assistance under title XIX or XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq. and 1397aa et seq.), benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), assistance through the earned income tax credit under section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and assistance under a State program for temporary assistance for needy families funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and other supportive services and transportation provided through funds made available under such part, available in the local area; and (II) referral to the services or assistance described in sub-clause (I), as appropriate;
(x) provision of information and assistance regarding filing claims for unemployment compensation;
(xi) assistance in establishing eligibility for programs of financial aid assistance for training and education programs that are not funded under this Act;
(xii) services, if determined to be appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain employment, that consist of –
(xiii) (I) comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers, which may include— (aa) diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools; and (bb) in-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals; (II) development of an individual employment plan, to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve the employment goals, including providing information on eligible providers of training services, and career pathways to attain career objectives; (III) group counseling; (IV) individual counseling; (V) career planning; (VI) short-term prevocational services, including development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct, to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training; (VII) internships and work experiences that are linked to careers; (VIII) workforce preparation activities; (IX) financial literacy services; (X) out-of-area job search assistance and relocation assistance; or (XI) English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs; and
(xiv) follow-up counseling services.

Carryover Participant - An HVRP participant who was in the grantee’s program during one program year whose participation continued into the following program year. Any individual who is showing as not exiting the grantee’s program by the last day of the program year must be: 1) carried over to the next program year should the grantee receive continuation funding; or 2) exited from the grantee’s program. Carryover participants retain the same participant identification number and name in the Technical Performance Report as assigned in the earlier year.

Case Management - A client-centered approach in the delivery of intensive services designed to: prepare and coordinate comprehensive employment plans for participants; to assure access to the necessary training and supportive services; and to provide support during program participation and after job placement.

Case Management Process - phases through which case managers provide services to their clients through screening, assessing, career planning, job placement, and post placement services.

Case Manager - One who coordinates, facilitates, or provides direct service to a client or trainee from application through placement, post placement follow-up, or other case closing, exclusively, through periodic contact and the provision of appropriate assistance.

Chronically Homeless - A chronically homeless person is an individual who has been continuously homeless for one (1) year or more or has experienced at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the last three (3) years with a combined length of time homeless of least 12 months. Please note this definition of chronically homeless differs from the definition used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the individual is not required to have a verified disability

Classroom Training – Any training of the type normally conducted in an institutional setting, including vocational education, which is designed to provide individuals with the technical skills and information required to perform a specific job or group of jobs. It may also include training designed to enhance the employability of individuals by upgrading basic skills through courses such as remedial education, training in the primary language of persons with limited English language proficiency, or English as a second language training.

Closeout – Grant close out is the process by which the Federal grantor agency (in the case of VETS grants, Department of Labor) determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the grant have been completed by the grantee and the grantor. The closeout period is 90 days after the last day in the period of performance for the grant award.

Cognizant Federal Agency - The federal agency that is assigned audit or indirect cost rate approval responsibility for a particular grantee organization by the Office of Management and Budget (see 2 CFR 200.18 and 200.19).

Community Based Organization – A private non-profit organization in a community that has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in the field of workforce investment.

Continuum of Care - a regional or local planning body, funded by Department of Housing and Urban Development, that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals, promotes communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness, provides funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and state and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities.

Core Training – Core Training activities are employment-focused interventions which address basic vocational skills deficiencies that prevent the participant from accessing appropriate employment.

Cost Per Placement - This cost per placement measure is calculated by dividing the total cumulative expenditures for the reporting period by the total number of participants placed in one or more jobs during the reporting period.

Counseling - A form of assistance that provides guidance in the development of a participant’s vocational goals and the means to achieve those goals. It may assist a participant with the solution to one or more individual problems that pose a barrier to sustained employment.

Counselor - A trained and qualified professional authorized to provide direct assistance (beyond advising and informing) through planning, testing, training and otherwise readying an individual for sustained employment.

Credential Attainment – The receipt of a recognized postsecondary credential, or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, during participation in or within 1 year after exit from the program.

Customized Training – A training program designed to meet the requirements of an employer who has entered into an agreement with a local workforce development area to hire individuals trained to the employer’s specifications. The training may occur at the employer’s site or may be provided by a training vendor to meet the employer’s requirements. Such training usually requires a commitment from the employer to hire a specific number of trainees who satisfactorily complete the training.

Disabled Veteran - A veteran who is entitled to compensation under laws administered by the Veterans Administration; or an individual who was medically discharged or otherwise released from active duty, due to service-connected disability.

Disallowed Costs – Charges to a grant that the grantor agency (or its representative) determines to be unallowable in accordance with the applicable Federal Cost Principles or other grant conditions.

Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) - Under 38 U.S.C. 4103A(a), a DVOP specialist provides intensive services and facilitates placements to meet the employment needs of veterans, prioritizing service to special disabled veterans, other disabled veterans, and other categories of veterans in accordance with priorities determined by the Secretary of Labor (Secretary).

Dropped Participant - A participant who was administratively terminated from participation in the grant program or who voluntarily declined to further participate in the program.  A participant may have his or her participation administratively terminated by the grant recipient for failure to follow behavioral rules established by the grant recipient to ensure program activities are free of extraordinary constraint.

Economically Disadvantaged – An individual who is either a member of a family whose income is below the poverty level, or who is receiving cash benefits from a federal, state or local welfare program, or is receiving food stamps, or who is a homeless person, or who is a foster child, or is an individual with disabilities.

Employability Development Services (EDS) - Includes services and activities that will develop or increase the employability of the participant. This includes vocational counseling, classroom and on-the-job training, pre-employment services (such as job seeking skills and job search workshops), temporary or trial employment, sheltered work environments and other related services and activities. Planned services should assist the participant in addressing barriers to attaining employment. These activities may be provided by the applicant, by a sub-grantee, contractor or another source such as the local workforce development program or the DVOP personnel, or LVERs. Such services are not mandatory; applicants should reflect the services described in the application and the expected number of participants receiving or enrolled during each quarter. Participants may be recorded more than once if they receive more than one service.

Employment Development Plan (EDP) – An individualized written plan or intervention strategy for serving an individual who, as a result of a needs assessment, vocational interests, aptitudes, work history, etc., defines a reasonable vocational or employment goal. The EDP includes developmental services or steps required to reach goals and accomplishments made by the individual.

Employment Service – The state level organization or public labor exchange system affiliated with the Department of Labor’s United States Employment Service funded under the Wagner-Peyser Act.

Enlistments - Individuals who have expressed an interest in, signed up for a workshop, or enrolled in the program.

Employment Rate in the 2^nd Quarter – The percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program. The rate is computed by dividing the number employed in the 2^nd quarter after exit divided by number of exiters.

Employment Rate in the 4^th Quarter - The percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit from the program. The rate is computed by dividing the number employed in the 4^th quarter after exit divided by number of exiters.

Enrolled in an American Job Center (AJC) - Enrollment, for the purposes of HVRP and IVTP grants reporting, occurs when the homeless veterans program participant receives a Wagner-Peyser Act-funded Employment Service (ES), a Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG)-funded Disabled Veterans Outreach Program service, or another WIOA-funded service, such as WIOA title I services for adults or dislocated workers. Please note that homeless veterans program grantees must enroll their participants into ES, JVSG, or WIOA services according to the service strategy and timeline outlined in each individual service plan. Enrollment of the homeless veterans program participant into an ES, JVSG, or WIOA service must occur during the active period of performance outlined in the HVRP or IVTP grant award.

Homeless veterans program grantees are responsible for working with appropriate ES, JVSG, and WIOA title I staff in the local AJC to facilitate the enrollment of homeless veterans program participants. Please note the Department has added two new data elements into the new AJC Participant Individual Record Layout (PIRL) to ensure homeless veterans program participants are uniquely identified in the state’s management information system for ES, JVSG, and WIOA programs. Further guidance will explain that the following data elements to be completed for individuals receiving services from one of the homeless veterans programs and ES, JVSG, or WIOA title I:

1. For participants self-identifying as a veteran, a subsequent question will be posed, asking if the veteran is homeless and receiving VETS’ homeless veterans program services. (Element 309 – “Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program Participant” the PIRL)

2. If the answer to that question is yes, the counselor will be asked to provide the five digit grant number of the homeless veterans program grant. (Element 310 – “Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program Grantee” the PIRL)

A counselor representing the homeless veterans program grantee is required to be present when the veteran is enrolling into a workforce program at the AJC, to properly answer the questions that will identify the veteran as a participant in a homeless veterans program, and provide the 5 digit grant number for element 310 the PIRL. If the responses to the data elements outlined above are not properly reported, the veteran will not be identified as a homeless veterans program participant and that veteran’s outcomes will not be properly credited to the appropriate grant(s).

Enrolled Veteran – Synonymous with the term “participant.” A veteran who is eligible for services at intake and who is receiving or scheduled to receive career services and/or training.

Exit Quarter - The calendar quarter containing the participant’s date of exit from the homeless veterans program. The date of exit is the day the participant received his or her final homeless veterans program service under the grant award.

Exiter - For the purposes of VETS’ competitive grants, a participant who is placed or dropped during a quarter and is not scheduled to receive future homeless veterans program services is considered an exiter. The following services do not count as “future services”:

• Additional career planning;

• Contacting the employer;

• Assisting with work-related problems;

• Peer support groups;

• Informational mailings;

• Co-enrolled partner services extending beyond the end of the active period of performance for the competitive grant award;

• Follow-up tracking services; and

• Referral to supportive services.

Once a participant placed into employment becomes an exiter, the sequence for tracking outcomes is determined by the exit quarter. Those participants experiencing a gap in service of 90 days or more due to a delay before the beginning of training, a serious health/medical condition; and/or temporary departure from the area such as for National Guard/Reserve duty may be temporarily exempted from being exited for a portion of the grantee’s period of performance. Note: Retention services, while extremely important, are not considered “active” or pre-employment services that delay a participant exit.

Family-Sustaining Employment - paid employment, in line with the homeless veteran’s aspirations, talents, and abilities. The employment should provide a family sustaining wage or, in other words, at least the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet his or her basic financial needs.

Follow-up Activities - The administrative tracking of the post-program employment and earnings of participants exiting services. Results from these follow-up activities are used to report quarterly employment earnings for up to four quarters after the quarter of exit for each participant exiting the program.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) – a personnel charge to the grant equal to 2,080 hours per year.

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) - A document which provides the requirements and instructions for the submission by eligible applicants identified in the document’s text of requests for Federal domestic assistance (funds) for one or more programs or grants-in-aid.

Fiscal Year (FY) - For federal government purposes, any twelve month period beginning on October 1 and ending on September 30.

General Equivalency Diploma (GED) – A high school equivalency diploma that is obtained by passing the General Educational Diploma Equivalency Test. This test measures the application of skills and knowledge generally associated with four (4) years of traditional high school instruction.

Grant Officer’s Technical Representative (GOTR) - An individual (usually the DVET) serving on behalf of the Grant Officer to maintain and ensure the integrity of the approved grant agreement. This is done by reviewing applications and making recommendations regarding technical matters of the grant.

Homeless Veteran – A veteran as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2) who is “homeless” or a “homeless individual” as found at 42 U.S.C. 11302(a-b), as amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-22) is:

1. A person who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;

2. A person living in a supervised public or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements;

3. A person who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided;

4. A person with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;

5. An Individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that: (i) Residence will be lost within 60 days of the date of application for homeless assistance; (ii) No subsequent residence has been identified; and (iii) The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing;

6. Unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other federal statutes who have experienced a long period without permanent housing; have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period; and can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment; or

7. An individual or family who is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the individual’s or family’s current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized, and who have no other residence and lack the resources or support network to obtain other permanent housing.

Incarcerated Veteran -- A veteran who is a resident of a penal institution, or an institution that provides long-term care for mental illness, and is at risk for homelessness absent referral and counseling services provided under the program.

Independent City - A city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity.

Indirect cost - A cost that is incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective. This cost is not readily assignable to the specific cost objective.

In-kind Services – Property or services which benefit federally assisted projects or programs and are contributed without charge to the grantee.

Institutional Skills Training – Training conducted in an institutional setting designed to ensure that individuals acquire the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to perform a job.

Intake – An eligibility process for screening individual applicants; (a) an initial determination of application benefits is made; (b) program information is provided; and (c) individual applicants are selected for participation in the program.

Internship – the position held by a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.

Job Club Activities – Job search assistance provided in a group setting. Job clubs provide instruction and assistance in completing job applications, developing resumes and maximizing employment opportunities in the labor market by developing job leads. Many job clubs use telephone banks and provide group support to participants before and after job interviews.

Job Development - Marketing a program participant to employers, including informing employers about what participants can do in order to solicit a job interview for that individual with the employer (targeted job development). The development of one or more job openings or training opportunities with one or more employers uses a variety of techniques and means of contact.

Job Placement Services – Job placement services are geared towards placing participants in jobs and may involve activities such as job search assistance, training, or job development. These services are initiated to enhance and expedite participants’ transition from training to employment.

Job Search Assistance - An activity focusing on building practical skills, identifying and initiating employer contact, and conducting successful interviews with employers. Various approaches may include job club participation, identifying personal strengths and goals, résumé application preparation, interviewing techniques, and receiving labor market information. Job search assistance is often self-service activities where individuals obtain information about job openings.

Labor Exchange – Wagner-Peyser Act-funded services provided to job seekers and employers by the State Employment Services Agencies, or other designated entities. Services to job seekers may include assessment, testing, counseling, provision of labor market information, and targeted job development. This results in job referral and follow-up with prospective employers. Employer-oriented services may include accepting job orders, screening applicants, referring qualified applicants and providing follow-up to foster job retention and develop additional job openings or training opportunities.

Labor Market Area – An economically integrated geographic area where individuals can reside and find employment within a reasonable distance or can readily change employment without changing their place of residence.

Labor Market Information - Labor related information about unemployment, industries, occupations, etc. LMI covers economic, social, demographic, and labor force data. It describes the characteristics of the supply of labor (the people who are workers or potential workers in the labor market) and provides information on the job opportunities in the labor market (current and projected needs of current and future employers). Sources of LMI often give historical, current, and forecast information to satisfy the different users needs. http://www.ides.illinois.gov/LMI/Pages/default.aspx.

Living Wage - The minimum income necessary for a worker to meet their needs that are considered to be basic. This is not necessarily the same as subsistence, which refers to a biological minimum, though the two terms are commonly confused. These needs include shelter (housing) and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition.

Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) - Under 38 U.S.C. 4104(b), the LVER’s principal duties are to: (1) conduct outreach to employers in the area to assist veterans in gaining employment, including conducting seminars for employers and, in conjunction with employers, conducting job search workshops and establishing job search groups; and (2) facilitate employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans in a State under the applicable State employment service delivery systems.

Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) – LWIBs are responsible for overseeing the implementation of America’s public workforce investment system in local communities.

Median Earnings in the 2^nd Quarter - The median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program. The median of a finite list of earnings can be found by arranging all of the earnings in the 2^nd quarter from lowest value to highest value and picking the middle one. The rate is computed by dividing the number employed in the 2^nd quarter after exit divided by number of exiters.

Minority Veterans – For the purposes of the HVRP and IVTP program, veterans who are members of the following ethnic categories: African American, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander.

National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) - An entity, determined by the Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training and contracted with USDOL/VETS, to develop and provide skills development and enhancement training to individuals who deliver or monitor the provision of employment and training services to veterans (38 U.S.C. 4109).

Occupational Skills Training – Includes both (1) vocational education that provides individuals with the technical skills and information required to perform a specific job or group of jobs, and (2) on-the-job training.

Offender – Any adult or juvenile who has been subject to the criminal justice process for whom services may be beneficial or who requires assistance in overcoming barriers to employment as a result of arrest or conviction.

On-the-Job Training (OJT) – Training by an employer that is provided to a paid participant and: (a) provides knowledge or skills essential to performance of the job; and/or (b) provides reimbursement to the employer of up to 50 percent of the wage rate of the participant. This includes costs of providing the training and additional supervision related to the participant and takes into account the content of the training, the prior work experience of the participant, and the service strategy of the participant. In the OJT agreement, there is a promise on the part of the employer to hire the trainee upon successful completion of the training.

On-Site Industry-Specific Training – Training specifically tailored to the needs of a particular employer and/or industry. Participants are trained according to specifications for an occupation or group of occupations at a job site. There is often an obligation on the part of the employer to hire a certain number of participants who successfully complete the training.

Outreach - An active effort by program staff to encourage individuals in the designated service delivery area to avail themselves of program services.

Participant - An individual who is determined to be eligible to participate in the grant program and who receives a service funded by the program (other than follow-up tracking). Grant program eligibility is determined at the time of the individual’s enrollment into HVRP or IVTP grant program activities. A Participant may also be referred to as an enrollee.

Participants Enrolled - A client is enrolled when an intake form has been completed, and services, referral, and/or employment have been received through the program. This should be an unduplicated count over the year, i.e., each participant is recorded only once, regardless of the number of times she or he receives assistance.

Participant Services - This cost includes support, training, or social rehabilitation services that assist in stabilizing the participant. This category reflects all costs other than administrative costs.

Percentage of Participants Receiving Training Services - Performance on this indicator is calculated by dividing the unduplicated count of individuals receiving training services during the reporting period by the total number of participants enrolled in the grant program.

Period of Performance - The time during which the non-Federal entity may incur new obligations to carry out the work authorized under the Federal award. Each grant award includes a start and end dates for the period of performance.

Placed Into Transitional Or Permanent Housing - A placement into transitional or permanent housing is recorded when an enrolled veteran upgrades his/her housing situation during the reporting period from shelter/streets to transitional housing or permanent housing or from transitional housing to permanent housing. Placements resulting from referrals by staff shall be counted. This item is an unduplicated count over the year; a participant may be counted once upon entering transitional housing and again upon obtaining permanent housing.

Placement Into Employment - Participants who secure or obtain employment during the period of participation. Grantees are allowed to report and take credit for one placement per enrolled eligible participant during the course of the competitive grant award active period of performance for services. Please note that each placed participant must also be exited in order to obtain credit when computing performance on the placement rate indicator. Also, while each grantee may only report one countable placement per enrolled eligible participant within the official reporting tools, you may track and report total placement transactions (when a participant is placed into employment multiple times) within your narrative reports.

Placement Rate for All Exiters - The placement rate is calculated by dividing the total number of participants employed in one or more jobs in the reporting period by the total number of exiters during the same period. Each placed participant must also be exited in order to obtain credit on this indicator.

Placement Rate for the Chronically Homeless - A subset of the placement rate for all exiters applicable to only those determined to be chronically homeless. The placement rate for the chronically homeless is calculated by dividing the total number of chronically homeless participants employed in one or more jobs in the reporting period by the total number of chronically homeless exiters during the same period. Each placed participant must also be exited in order to obtain credit on this indicator.

Employment Adjustment Services – services designed to help a newly employed veteran adjust to his or her new job and are considered part of the veteran employment plan.  These services are typically provided during the first month or so of employment by a career counselor or job coach. He or she offers guidance on any issues the newly employed individual encounters, including areas like:

• Counseling to help the newly hired veteran adjust to new routines, schedules, and work environments;

• Building relationships with co-workers;

• Enhancing customer service skills;

• Understanding and adapting to the company’s culture; and

• Counseling to help the newly employed veteran work through the job situations that she or he finds most troublesome.

Pre-apprenticeship Training – Any training designed to increase or upgrade specific academic, or cognitive, or physical skills required as a prerequisite for entry into a trade or occupation.

Pre-enrollment Assessment – The process of determining the employability and training needs of individuals before enrolling them into the program. Individual factors usually addressed during pre-enrollment assessment include: an evaluation and/or measurement of vocational interests and aptitudes, previous education and work experience, present abilities, income requirements, and personal circumstances.

Program Resources – Includes the total of both program grant and outside funds.

Program Year (PY) - The 12-month period beginning July 1 in the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made, and ending on the following June 30.

Recently Separated Veteran - An individual who applies for program participation or assistance within 48 months of separation from active U.S. military service [29 U.S.C. 3102(63)(B)].

Remedial Education – Educational instruction, particularly in basic skills, to raise an individual’s general competency level to succeed in vocational education, skill training programs, or employment.

Service Connected Disabled - A disability that was incurred or aggravated in line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service. (38 U.S.C. 101(16)).

Service Delivery Area - defined by county(s), parish, or independent city, or Native American tribal area

Service Delivery Point (SDP) - Includes offices of the public employment delivery system operated directly or by contract with the State Workforce Agency as grantee within a State and may include American Job Centers, local employment service offices, and any satellite or itinerant offices where labor exchange services are available.

Special Population Groups of Veterans - Chronically homeless veterans, female homeless veterans, homeless veterans with families, and incarcerated or recently incarcerated veterans who are at risk of homelessness.

State Workforce Agency (SWA) - The State level organization, as affiliated with the former United States Employment Service.

Sub-Grant – An award of financial assistance in the form of money, or property in lieu of money, made to an eligible sub-grantee.

Sub-Grantee – The government or other legal entity to which a sub-grant is awarded and who is accountable to the grantee for the use of the funds provided.

Substance Abuser – An individual dependent on alcohol or drugs, especially narcotics, whose dependency constitutes or results in a substantial barrier to employment.

Supportive Services – services which are necessary to enable an individual eligible for training, but who cannot afford to pay for such services, to participate in a training program funded under the grant. Such supportive services may include transportation, health care, financial assistance (except as a post-termination service), drug and alcohol abuse counseling and referral, individual and family counseling, special services and materials for individuals with disabilities, job coaches, child care and dependent care, temporary shelter, financial counseling, and other reasonable expenses required for participation in the training program and may be provided in-kind or through cash assistance.

Targeted Job Development - The identification and marketing of qualified applicants with similar occupations or employment barriers. This requires personal visitation/phone contact with those whom are likely to employ these individuals.

Transitional Jobs - Refers to a vocational rehabilitation program which places people with handicaps or those who are socially, economically, or otherwise impaired, in paid entry-level job in competitive working surroundings to attain the abilities and experience required to, at some point, attain a lasting job in the community workforce.

Unsubsidized Employment – Employment not financed from funds provided under the grant. In the grant program, the phrase “adequate” or “suitable” employment is also used to mean placement in unsubsidized employment that pays an income adequate to accommodate the participants’ minimum economic needs.

Upgrading – Training given to an individual who will advance above an entry level position. This training includes assisting veterans to acquire state certification for employment in a field that they were trained on in the military (i.e., Commercial Truck Driving License (CDL), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Airframe & Power Plant (A&P), Teaching Certificate, etc.)

Veteran - Means a person who served in the active military and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable [38 U.S.C. 101(2)]. Those who received a “dishonorable” discharge are ineligible for HVRP or IVTP services.

Vocational Exploration Training – A process of identifying occupations or occupational areas in which a person may find satisfaction and potential through various assessment tools.

Vocational Guidance - The provision of information, suggestions, and advice through discussion with individuals who are considering a geographical or vocational choice or change relating to their career decision.

Vocational Rehabilitation - also abbreviated VR or voc rehab, is a process which enables persons with functional, psychological, developmental, cognitive, and emotional disabilities or impairments or health disabilities to overcome barriers to accessing, maintaining, or returning to employment or other useful occupation.

Wartime Veteran - See “campaign veteran” above.

Welfare and/or Public Assistance recipient – An individual who, during the course of the program year, receives or is a member of a family who receives cash welfare or public assistance payments under a Federal, state, or local welfare program.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) - WIOA supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act of 1998, and amends the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. WIOA preserves the nation’s workforce program infrastructure allowing continuity in the delivery of federally funded employment services, workforce development, basic education for adults, and vocational rehabilitation activities for people with disabilities. The goal of WIOA is to improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, increase economic self-sufficiency, meet skills requirements of employers, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the nation. The majority of WIOA provisions become effective on July 1, 2015, and additional requirements became effective July 1, 2016.

Work Experience – A temporary activity (six months or less) that provides the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge necessary to perform a job, including appropriate work habits and behaviors, and may be combined with classroom or other training. If wages are paid to a participant on work experience, and if these wages are wholly paid for under WIOA, the participant may not receive this training under a private, for profit employer.

Youth – An individual between 16 and 24 years of age.

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