[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]


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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.

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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\
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    \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.
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    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.
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    \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.
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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\
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    \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.
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    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\
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    \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.
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    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.
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    \14\ https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles.
    \15\ https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/goodjobs/Good-Jobs-Summit-Principles-Factsheet.pdf.
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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.
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    \16\ https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/training/onestop.
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    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?
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    \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).
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    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\
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    \18\ https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles.
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    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