Tag Archives: veterans programs

OPINION: Registered Apprenticeships benefit Idaho’s people, economy

Thursday, November 10, 2022

By Jani Revier, director of Idaho Department of Labor

Nov. 14-20 is National Apprenticeship Week and marks the Photo of Jani Revier, Idaho Department of Labor directorcelebration of a proven and time-honored career pathway. Right now, 236 Idaho businesses sponsor apprenticeships, with more than 1,800 participating Idahoans getting paid on the job.

Like many Americans, Idahoans have seen sharp increases in housing costs while the consumer price index has risen 8.2% in just one year. Facing these circumstances, Idaho’s workforce needs competitive job opportunities now more than ever, and the state’s employers need the labor. Continue reading

Labor Program Offers Support to Recently Released Incarcerated Vets

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 13, 2019
Information Contact: Robert Feliciano (208) 364-7785, ext. 3624

Veterans who have been incarcerated – whether city, county, state or federal facility – and have been released within the last 12 months, may be eligible for services under the Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program (IVTP).

The program, managed by the Idaho Department of Labor, can provide services such as classroom training, on-the-job-training, occupational skills training, apprenticeship training and retraining. Additional support may include funding for work clothing and boots, transportation, childcare, vehicle repairs and rent.

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How Can a Vet Rep Help You Find a Job?

Veterans Representative Randy Wilde answers questions about how Idaho Department of Labor employees help veterans find jobs.

What does a Vet Rep do?

We have two types of Veterans Representatives: Local Veterans Employment Representatives and Disabled Veteran Outreach Program specialists. We currently have two local employment reps and 11 disabled veteran program specialists positioned throughout the state based on the veteran population within cities, counties and regions.

Randy Wilde, veteran repI am a Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist. My responsibilities are to provide intensive services to all veterans with barriers to employment including service-related disabilities, homelessness, felonies, etc. We help in many ways including assessing the veterans’ capabilities and what they need to do to become employable. We also use other resources such as Veterans Affairs Medical Center, River of Life, El-Ada, Idaho Division of Veterans Services and the Veterans Center to help veterans and get them retrained if possible.

Once they are ready for the job market, the Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist works with the Local Veterans Employment Representatives to help find employment. The local employment representative works with employers to find veterans with the skills and qualifications for the particular position they are trying to fill. Local Veterans Employment Representatives don’t work directly with veterans.

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Putting the Job Search Puzzle Together

Kevin Mansfield believes he has been under-employed since moving from California to Idaho nearly five years ago. He worked as a private investigator for the past 12 years, traveling all over the West when assignments came in, expending a lot of personal money just to work a case and then waiting two to three weeks to get paid.  While the pay was good, the work was sporadic.

After being randomly selected for an Idaho Department of Labor job search assessment as an unemployment claimant, Kevin was required to attend a class outlining what services were available from the Labor Department and how to look for work.

“The guy who taught the class was fabulous (Frank Garcia), said Kevin. “He obviously had to deal with  ‘students’ who could have cared less about being there and were just going through the motions because if they didn’t show, they would lose their UI benefits.”

“I was engaged and asked a lot of questions. I really wanted a different life,” Kevin said. After  class, Kevin had a discussion with Frank, who recommended that Kevin talk to the local veterans representative.

Kevin was told about VRAP (Veterans Retraining Assistance Program), which pays a monthly stipend for education in a critical career. He was accepted into the program and began school at North Idaho College as a medical billing specialist with an emphasis in medical coding. Kevin said it was important that the majority of the classes were online, so he could continue to work as a private investigator.

Kevin was told about a new-hire program at Kootenai Health for medical coding students. “In a nutshell, they were going to pay for the training and for me to continue to go to school full time,” Kevin said. He was one of 13 selected for the program for the fall semester.

According to Kevin, there were “two critical pieces of the puzzle pieces coming together” to get him on the way to his new career.

  • “I learned about the VRAP program and everything started to come together after that.”
  • “The people involved all took an active, interested look at my circumstances and we came up with a plan.”