Veterans' Employment and Training Service

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) has revised its mission statement to better focus on minimizing unemployment and underemployment among veterans. Although VETS has improved the form and some of the content of its plans, VETS is still not adequately describing the direction it intends to take. For example, VETS has not established a consistent set of priorities in terms of which veterans it intends to target for employment assistance or developed sufficient strategies to address how best to incorporate its programs into the new workforce development system. Furthermore, although VETS recognizes that the establishment of one-stop centers will increase the number of its service delivery points, it has not developed any plans to address how it will provide assistance at all centers. Finally, the quality of some of VETS program management data is questionable; therefore, it is unlikely VETS can accurately assess its performance nationally and know whether it is improving from year to year.

GAO noted that: (1) VETS has made some progress and improvements with regard to its current strategic and performance plans; (2) VETS has revised its mission statement to better focus on the outcomes associated with accomplishing its mission--namely, to minimize unemployment and underemployment among veterans; (3) the plans no longer contain much of the extraneous information found in past plans; (4) however, while VETS has improved the form and, to some degree, the content of its plans, VETS is still not adequately describing the direction it intends to take; (5) for example, VETS has not established a consistent set of priorities in terms of which veterans it intends to target for employment assistance; (6) additionally, VETS has not developed sufficient strategies to address the major and complex challenges it faces, such as how best to incorporate its programs into the new workforce development system established by the Workforce Investment Act; (7) in fact, VETS appears to be taking a reactive rather than a proactive approach wherein it could help shape how its programs will help veterans in the future; (8) for example, while VETS recognizes that the establishment of one-stop centers will increase the number of its service delivery points, it has not developed any plans to address how it will provide assistance at all centers; and (9) the quality of some of VETS' program management data is questionable and, therefore, it is unlikely VETS can accurately assess its performance nationally and know whether it is improving from year to year.