Background:  The good news is that the Federal workforce is becoming more diverse and better able to meet the increasingly complex needs of our nation and our world community.  It is also good news that the Federal government remains committed to be the model in providing employment opportunities for America's true heroes-our military veterans.  The great news is that by providing such opportunities for veterans, agencies have found an excellent source of some of the talented and diverse candidates to meet their employment needs.  The key to making this "new partnership" work is understanding how veterans' preference and special employment authorities for veterans work in practical day-to-day recruitment and selection decisions.

New Developments:  There have been several recent developments which affect veterans' employment rights and diversity. 

• OPM reorganization:  The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has just announced a major reorganization which will reduce the number of divisions from 13 to 5 and will place both the employment of veterans and diversity issues under the new Employee Services Division.  A recent article in govexec.com article observed that "the creation of veterans- and diversity-specific offices reflects the emphasis (OPM Director John) Berry has placed on federal hiring of veterans and increased diversity in federal employment."
• Third-party decisions:  The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit have issued a number of recent decisions reinforcing the employment rights of veterans, and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) successfully intervention on behalf of a returning veteran who had been a Federal contractor, not an agency employee. 
• ADA Amendments Act of 2008:  This Act revises the definition of "disability" to more broadly encompass impairments that substantially limit a major life activity.  It also clarifies coverage of impairments that are episodic or in remission that substantially limit a major life activity when active, such as post traumatic stress disorder, which affects many veterans returning from service in war zones.

Course focus:  The first part of this two-day course will cover veterans' preference eligibility, veterans' special appointing authorities, and excepted appointments, including the processes for converting the latter to competitive appointments. The remainder of the course is devoted to discussions, exercises and strategies for incorporating workforce diversity and affirmative employment goals into our veterans hiring plans.

Course methodology:   The course will include pre- and post-tests, lecture, case studies and a PowerPoint presentation.  It is designed to be an interactive session, with much emphasis on trainee participation and the exchange of information and ideas.

Target audience:   The target audience includes Human Resource and EEO specialists as well as managers, supervisors and others who have responsibility for making or recommending employment decisions.

Session Topics: 

• Veterans' preference overview
• Veterans' special appointing authorities
  • Veterans' Recruitment Appointments (VRA) (formerly Veterans Readjustment Appointments) 
  • 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
  • Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program
  • Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998
• Converting excepted appointments to competitive appointments

  
  Practical exercises in applying special appointing authorities for Veterans

• Competetive examining - Rule of Three and Category Rating Alternative
• Reasonable accommodation and excepted appointments
  • Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008

  Practical Exercises on Reasonable Accommodation

• Recent case law on veterans' rights issues (e.g., Merit Systems Protection Board, Special Counsel, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit)
• Office of Personnel Management's final rule on Noncompetitive Appointment of Certain Military Spouses
• The Uniformed Services Employment & Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)
• Jobs for Veterans Act, Public Law 107-288
• Current White House & Other Initiatives on Hiring Veterans
  • Hire Vets First
  • Wounded Warrior Transitional Programs
  • White House Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes
  • Hiring Heroes
  • America's Heroes at Work
• Veterans Recruitment Sources
  • Military career fairs
  • Military professional associations
  • Military post/base transition centers
  • Military publications

Course Instructors – John Jones and Steve Oppermann

Steve Oppermann has over 25 years of experience as a supervisor and program manager while working for several Federal agencies. He retired as Regional Director of Personnel for the General Services Administration. He is experienced in and knowledgeable of all aspects of human resources management and equal employment opportunity. With expertise in policy development, analysis and presentation; training, and dispute resolution, he brings a practical approach to his classroom instruction, with a wide variety of real-wor­ld experiences.

John Jones completed a 30 year career in Federal service, retiring as the Director of Equal Opportunity for the Bureau of Reclamatio­n. His experience includes Regional Personnel Officer with GSA and EPA. John has a unique ability to evaluate personnel regulations in context with equal opportunity issues. John was a recipient of Interior's Meritorious Service Award for his leadership and contributions in equal employment opportunity and affirmative employment. John's experience as a senior manager in both equal opportunity and human resources provides him with a unique perspective on how these disciplines interface.

For more information on Steve and John, go to www.rushfordtraining.com

Send registration information to
Rushford & Associates
615 South Xenon Court
Lakewood, CO 80228-2820
Fax forms to:               303-985-4996         303-985-4996

Tuition: $545.00 per person

Cancellation policy:
Nominations cancelled 30 days prior to class date, no charge.
Cancellations from 30 to 15 days prior to class, 50% fee charged.
Cancellations 14 days or less, full fee charged.
Registration deadline: Two weeks prior to the start of class

Substitutions accepted until the first day of class

Space is limited. Please register early

Your training expenses—including tuition, travel, meals and lodging—are tax deductible according to Treasury Reg. 1.162-5 Coughlin vs. Commissioner, 203F 2d307.

For more information contact Rushford & Associates at  303-989-3796 or fax 303-985-4996 or email us.