Introduction
“Honoring our sacred trust with America’s Veterans means doing all we can to help them find work when they come home so they never feel as if the American Dream they fought to defend is out of reach for them and their families…It’s also about continuing to fill the ranks of federal employees with men and women who possess the skills, dedication, and sense of duty that Americans deserve from their public servants. And few embody those qualities like our nation’s Veterans.” [1] Over one million Veterans will return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the demand for jobs has grown exponentially.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is fully committed to the employment of our Nation’s returning service members, Veterans and their spouses. DOE’s commitment is communicated in Department-wide strategic plans and standard operating plans. The DOE Strategic Plan Goal 3, Strategic Objective 12 Attract, manage, train, and retain the best Federal workforce to meet mission needs states “DOE faces serious workforce challenges over the coming decade, with 15 – 25 percent of its Federal employees projected to retire. It further states that “Efforts are underway to improve hiring quality and on-boarding processes and outcomes with a continued focus on promoting diversity and inclusion in the workforce.” Annual Veteran hiring goals are established by senior leadership that are carried out through strategic objectives outlined in the “People” Section of the Human Capital Strategic Plan, and this document. The FY 2018 DOE veteran employment goals are outlined in the Veteran Employment Goals Memorandum signed by the Acting Chief Human Capital Officer.
The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. To accomplish this mission, the Department’s workforce consists of over 13,600 Federal employees with expertise ranging from engineering, physics, mathematics, and climate science, to accounting, public policy, law, and professional administrative positions.
[1] President Obama, White House Press Release November 9, 2009
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide operational guidance on the Veterans Employment Initiative to human resources professionals, Administrative Officers, managers, and veterans. Goals and objectives are identified along with a number of options and sources designed to provide equal opportunity in the hiring, development, advancement, and retention of Veterans, and disabled Veterans across DOE. This is a living document that will be revised as necessary to maintain its effectiveness. It also integrates a strategic approach that serves as a guide for the Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program (DVAAP) Plan pursuant to section 403 of the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended (38 U.S.C. 2014); section 307 of the Civil Rights Reforms Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 3112); and Title 5 CFR 720.304(c).
Continued success in executing the plan depends on the commitment of management, dedication of resources, and a collaborative approach that integrates elements of this Operational Plan with the organization’s current and future workforce planning strategies. The Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer utilized a collaborative approach in the development of the original Operational Plan obtaining input from representatives across the agency including: human resources offices; headquarters program offices; field sites; and Power Marketing Administrations. The plan incorporates ideas and recommendations for practices that would best serve management’s needs and those of our Veterans. Veteran employee groups are also engaged in the planning, execution, and integration of Veterans hiring and retention practices into human capital management processes and systems.
Scope
This guidance applies to all Departmental Elements including those that obtain HR services from outside of the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer.
Veteran Employment Mission
Increase the employment of Veterans and returning service members within the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration.
Veteran Employment Vision
The Department of Energy demonstrates commitment to Veterans by identifying and promoting excellence in the recruitment, hiring, development, and retention of Veterans. This vision is supported by educating Veterans and managers to best meet their needs.
FIVE KEY FOCUS AREAS:
1. Leadership Commitment
Strategic Goal: Ensure senior leaders advocate the value and importance of hiring Veterans in the Federal government. Efforts establish governance structure and infrastructures dedicated solely to the employment of Veterans in the Federal government.
DOE Progress and Achievements:
• Veteran employment is discussed at Senior Leader meetings with the Secretary and through monthly conference calls with Human Resource Directors.
• Hiring goals were established through a memorandum issued April 4, 2014, to Departmental Elements from the Chief Human Capital Officer.
• DOE participates in the Interagency Council on Veteran’s Employment.
• Focused attention on human capital practices and processes for Veteran recruitment, training, development ;and ; retention within the agency continues.
2. Skills Development
Strategic Goal: Assist Veterans to better align and translate their competencies and skills with Federal employment opportunities. Focuses on offering training and educational opportunities geared toward employing and retaining Veterans, and providing employment counseling that aids Veterans and transitioning service members in aligning their talents and aspirations with career opportunities in the Federal Government.
DOE Progress and Achievements:
• Information on Mission Critical Occupations and jobs where Veterans are frequently hired is available on the JobsOnePortal. The information is shared with transition assistance coordinators within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other Veterans’ employment services organizations.
• Participated in the interagency Vets 2 Feds (V2F) Career Development Program.
• Funded programs to train separating Veterans for careers in the energy industry that could lead to future Federal employment include: Solar Instructor Training Network; Power4Vets; Veterans Green Jobs; Gemini Energy; Wind Powering America; and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Engineering Construction Management.
• Systems were implemented to address employee competency gaps, particularly in mission critical occupations.
3. Employment
Strategic Goal: Improve the opportunity for Veterans to successfully find Federal employment. Focuses on offering career development programs for Veterans to acquire the competencies, skills, knowledge, and experience in critical occupations. Provides effective oversight through Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Program (DVAAP) strategies that are incorporated and communicated to program offices, field locations, and Power Marketing Administrations.
DOE Progress and Achievements:
• Several program areas provided developmental opportunities to wounded warriors through vocational rehabilitation programs and Operation Warfighter.
• The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is a component of the DOE Scholars Program. The stipend based intern program provides opportunities for veterans to hone their skills and gain experience that contributes to building a clean energy economy. Information sessions were held to educate participants on DOE career opportunities and the Veterans Employment Initiative.
• In FY17, completed quarterly reviews of DVAAP activities across DOE. Findings and best practices were communicated to veteran and disability employment officers in field locations and Power Marketing Administrations.
4. Marketing
Strategic Goal: Ensure Federal hiring officials view Veteran skills and dedication as essential to meet mission objectives and Veterans view the Federal government as an employer of choice. Aligns with the government-wide marketing campaign to aggressively target Veterans and market the benefits of Veterans continuing their service to America through the Federal civil service. Includes targeted marketing to hiring officials on how Veterans can meet skills demands in their organizations.
DOE Progress and Achievements:
• Marketing materials and exhibit displays used across DOE to recruit Veterans were developed in alignment with the Federal government veteran marketing campaign and include the FedsHireVets logo and hot link.
• The DOE marketing campaign has utilized a wide variety of media resources to promote veteran employment including: flyers in Heads-up Boxes, information posted on the HC monitor to target hiring managers, and communications through conference calls for HC professionals and Human Resources Directors.
• Local outreach workshops included participation from military organizations.
• Events, programs and sources for noncompetitive hiring of veterans, strategic guidance and regulatory changes are provided to program offices, field locations, and Power Marketing Administrations through regular conference calls.
• HR Business Partners are responsible for working with managers to execute Veterans’ employment within their areas.
5. Information Gateway
Strategic Goal: Ensure Veterans, transitioning service members and their families, current veteran employees, HR professionals, and Hiring Managers receive accurate and consistent information regarding the Federal employment of Veterans. Maintain web content for accurate and consistent Veteran employment information and sources for Veterans, human resources (HR) professionals, and hiring officials.
DOE Progress and Achievements:
• Maintains a Veteran webpage in the DOE Jobs site that includes links to benefits, training, resources, and Veterans’ services outside of DOE.
• A hot link to the Office of Personnel Management’s gateway to Veteran employment and training resources, FedsHireVets.gov, provides easy access for Veterans from the DOE Jobs site.
• Launched a game for mobile devices that educates players on the DOE mission with a hotlink to the game from the DOE Jobs site.
• Veterans may access DOE job opportunities through the use of internet, social media, and a jobs website formatted for mobile technologies that includes information specific to veterans.
• Managers have electronic access to information and sources for recruiting Veterans, as included in the Veteran Employment Goals Memorandum.
Intergrating Veteran Employment Options and Strategies
Numerous Veteran hiring flexibilities exist and use of these options is encouraged to meet workforce needs across the Department. An organization may select one or more that best meets their needs in attracting Veterans into their workforce. Use of the flexibilities must contribute to a fair, equitable and transparent process.
Please refer to the Feds Hire Vets website for the most current information pertaining to veteran preference.
Veterans Opportunity to Work Act (VOW) Act of 2011
The Act requires Federal agencies to treat certain active duty service members as preference eligibles for appointments in the competitive service. Service members who submit a “certification” when applying for a job are to be treated as preference eligibles under Section 2108. A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Verification that the service member meets the definition of a “preference eligible” under 5 U.S.C. § 2108 must be made prior to appointment.