Native American Veterans: DOL Needs a Clear Plan to Improve Employment and Training Services on Tribal Lands
Published: 2013-09-26T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: The unemployment rate for all veterans has risen since the beginning of the economic downturn, but the unemployment rate for Native Americans living on tribal land has been higher. In addition, tribal land is frequently located in remote areas characterized by limited economic development, which can make finding a job challenging. DOL administers several grant programs that provide employment assistance to all eligible veterans, including Native Americans. In response to a statutory mandate, in October 2010, DOL submitted a report to Congress recommending that the agency take actions to increase employment and training opportunities for Native American veterans living on tribal lands. GAO assessed (1) the status of DOL efforts to implement the report's recommendations and (2) whether and how DOL can improve on its efforts to implement the report's recommendations. GAO reviewed federal laws, regulations, and DOL guidance; interviewed DOL, state, and tribal officials as well as Native American veterans; and conducted site visits to tribal lands in four U.S. regions.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: The Department of Labor (DOL) is in the early stages of implementing several of the 2010 report's recommendations, but implementation of the remaining recommendations has not occurred. The agency has begun to take steps to respond to three of the report's six recommendations: improve interagency collaboration, create an advisory subcommittee for Native American veterans, and conduct a needs assessment. To increase collaboration, DOL has conducted several listening sessions with tribal leadership and begun collaborating with agencies that serve veterans, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, to learn more about how to better serve Native American veterans. With regard to an advisory subcommittee, DOL is developing a proposal to establish a subgroup for Native American veterans on its existing veterans' employment and training advisory committee, and is considering appointing a representative from the Native American veterans' community to serve on that committee. To assess need, DOL has identified a potential source for data within DOD that provides race and ethnicity and address information for returning veterans that could help better target visits to tribal land, but its plans to acquire these data are still being negotiated and could take time to finalize. However, DOL has taken little to no action on recommendations to increase outreach, pursue program flexibility, and boost economic development. DOL officials told us that leadership transitions and budget challenges have contributed to their limited response to date. In addition, since delivering the report in 2010, DOL has not developed a strategy that specifically establishes roles and responsibilities, goals, costs, and time frames for implementation of the report's recommendations.
DOL could build on its efforts to implement the report's recommendations, even in a constrained budget environment. For example, DOL could expand the collaboration it has begun with other agencies that serve Native American veterans on tribal land, such as the Department of Education (Education). GAO site visits indicated that some Native American veterans received employment services from a vocational rehabilitation program administered by Education. DOL can consider partnering with this program. DOL could also identify and disseminate lessons learned from states that have collaborated with other agencies and tribal governments. For example, a DOL program in Montana has leveraged other agency resources, such as collaborating with the VA Vet Center to provide both health and employment services to Native American veterans in remote tribal areas using mobile units, an approach that may be applicable in other states. To boost economic development, DOL could review information from its existing grants and guidance on economic development to disseminate to DOL grantees that serve Native American veterans.
section_title: What GAO Recommends
paragraphs: GAO recommends that DOL develop a written strategy to implement the 2010 recommendations that incorporates roles and responsibilities, goals, costs, and time frames. DOL should also expand collaboration with other agencies to leverage resources and identify and disseminate lessons learned from prior relevant efforts. DOL agreed with GAO's recommendations.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: Native Americans historically have shown a higher rate of military service  than other ethnic groups. There are currently more than 150,000 Native  American veterans—some of whom reside on tribal land. Tribal land is  frequently located in remote, rural areas characterized by limited  economic development, which can make finding a job especially  challenging. The unemployment rate for all veterans has risen since the  beginning of the economic downturn—from 3.8 percent in 2007 to 8.7  percent in 2010—and based on the limited data, the unemployment rate  for Native Americans living on tribal land has been higher.
A range of federal programs provide employment assistance that can  serve veterans of any race or ethnicity; in addition, other federal programs  offer similar services to Native Americans (veterans and non-veterans  alike). The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans’ Employment and  Training Service administers several grant programs to support eligible  veterans through the Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program.
The Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 required DOL to assess  and report on the employment needs of Native American veterans living  on tribal lands, including Indian reservations, Alaska Native villages, and  Hawaiian Home Lands. In October 2010, DOL submitted to Congress its  final report committing to address six recommendations (which we  describe further in appendix II) to:  1.  collaborate with federal and state agencies and tribal governments;  2.  conduct outreach to Native American veterans living on tribal lands;  3.  complete an assessment of Native American veterans’ employment  4.  create flexibility among existing employment programs to better meet  the needs of Native American veterans;  5.  create an advisory committee subgroup on Native American veteran  6.  boost economic development on tribal lands.
To address your interest in DOL’s actions on each of these  recommendations since the agency delivered its report to Congress, we  examined the following: 1) the status of DOL efforts to implement  recommendations in its 2010 report on employment services and training  opportunities for Native American veterans on tribal lands; and 2) whether  and how DOL can improve on its efforts to implement the report’s  recommendations.
To determine the implementation status of all the report’s  recommendations, we reviewed the 2010 report and conducted semi- structured interviews with officials from the DOL. We also conducted  interviews with officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Office of Tribal Government Relations, and the Department of the  Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). To identify opportunities for  improvement, we conducted semi-structured interviews with officials from  DOL and VA; and in selected states, federal Jobs for Veterans State  Grants Program directors, state workforce officials, Disabled Veterans’  Outreach Program specialists and Local Veterans’ Employment  Representatives, tribal workforce and veterans officials, as well as tribal  volunteers who educate veterans about available benefits. We also  conducted discussion groups with Native American veterans, tribal  program administrators, and federal agency officials at the National  Congress of American Indians Annual Convention in October 2012 and  the VA Eastern Region Training Summit in May 2013. To better  understand the current status of DOL’s programs with regard to Native  American veterans on tribal land, we visited four areas, meeting with  multiple groups in each location: (1) Arizona and New Mexico (Navajo  Nation and the Hopi and Zuni Tribes); (2) North Carolina (Eastern Band of  Cherokee Indians); (3) Alaska; and (4) Hawaii. We also conducted phone  interviews with officials of tribes in Montana (the Confederated Salish and  Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation) and North Dakota (the Spirit  Lake Tribe). See figure 1. We selected Native American communities to  represent a range of geographic dispersion, estimated Native American  population and unemployment rate, and presence of DOL programs in a  given community.
During our site visits, we met with tribal leaders and officials and held  discussion groups with 59 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native  Hawaiian veterans. In addition, we conducted semi-structured telephone  interviews with federal Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program (JVSG)  directors in Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Montana, North  Dakota, and Washington state, as well as JVSG staff, state officials in  these states and officials of tribes in Montana (the Confederated Salish  and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation) and North Dakota (the  Spirit Lake Tribe).
We reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, DOL guidance, and  supporting documentation for selected existing DOL grants to Native  American entities. In addition, we conducted semi-structured interviews  with relevant associations, experts, and other stakeholders, including the  National Association of State Workforce Agencies, and National American  Indian Veterans. Appendix I provides a more detailed list of groups we  interviewed. We conducted our review from September 2012 to  September 2013 in accordance with generally accepted government  auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the  audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable  basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We  believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our  findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
subsections: section_title: Background
subsections: section_title: Native American Veteran Population and Tribal Lands
paragraphs: In 2011, there were an estimated 150,000 Native American veterans,  representing less than 1 percent of the entire veteran population,   Additionally, according to a VA  according to the U.S. Census Bureau.report that analyzed Census Bureau data, American Indian and Alaska  Native veterans were significantly more likely to be unemployed, as  compared to all other veterans.American Indian and Alaska Native veterans were, in descending order,  California, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico; Alaska had the highest  proportion of Native Americans among its veteran population.
The states with the largest numbers of  Tribal lands vary dramatically in type, size, and demographics. purposes of this report, we define tribal lands to include Indian  reservations, Alaska Native villages, and Hawaiian Home Lands. They  range in size from the Navajo Nation, with a population of over 176,000  American Indian residents spread out over an area of about 24,000  square miles, to some tribal lands with fewer than 50 Indian residents or  an area of less than 1 square mile. In addition, most tribal lands are rural  or remote, although some are near metropolitan areas. Communities  located on tribal land also often lack basic infrastructure, such as water  and sewer systems, and sufficient technology infrastructure, such as  telecommunications lines that are commonly found in other American  communities. Additionally, in 2008, the Census Bureau reported that  American Indians and Alaska Natives had almost twice as high a  percentage living in poverty compared with other Americans—27 percent  compared with 15 percent. While Native Americans reside in every state,  the Census Bureau estimated in 2012 that about 20 percent of American  Indians and Alaska Natives live on tribal lands and that 16 percent of  Native Hawaiians live on Hawaiian Home Lands.
See GAO, Indian Issues:  Observations on Some Unique Factors that May Affect  Economic Activity on Tribal Land, GAO-11-543T, (Washington, D.C.:  Apr. 7, 2011).
Since 1979,  government-to-government relationship with those tribes.BIA has regularly published a list of federally recognized Indian tribes in  the Federal Register.
As of May 2013, there were 566 federally recognized tribes, including 225  in Alaska.  By contrast, Native Hawaiians do not have federal recognition  or a government-to-government relationship with the United States.  However, some federal grant programs target Native Hawaiians as a  group, in some cases along with other populations.
section_title: Federal Programs Serving Native American Veterans, Among Other Groups
paragraphs: Native American veterans can be served by a range of employment- and  training-related federal programs that are administered by DOL and other  agencies (see fig. 2 for selected examples). Within DOL, two  organizations administer programs that serve Native American veterans:  the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), and the Division  of Indian and Native American Programs (DINAP). VETS has  responsibility for a number of programs that serve veterans. Among these   Services funded  is the Jobs for Veterans State Grants program (JVSG).through the JVSG program are available to all eligible veterans, including  those with disabilities and other barriers to employment. JVSG grants  provide funding to states to support two types of staff positions, Disabled  Veterans’ Outreach Program specialists (DVOPs) and Local Veterans’  Employment Representatives (LVERs), who are generally employees of  state workforce agencies. DVOPs and LVERs provide services  including skills assessment, job search assistance, and outreach to  employers on behalf of veteran jobseekers, among other services. JVSG  grants are awarded to states, and although Native American tribes are  not eligible grantees under the program, Native American veterans who  are otherwise eligible can be served by DVOPs and LVERs. In general, in  order to provide services on tribal land, DVOPs and LVERs schedule their  visits to tribal land on a case-by-case basis. JVSG funding is allocated to  each state in proportion to the number of veterans seeking employment  within the state. Additionally, the JVSG program is a mandatory partner in  the Workforce Investment Act system of American Job Centers, or one- stops, where services are provided by a range of employment and   In 2012, there were 2,600  training programs in a single location.American Job Centers nationwide, and according to DOL, 12 are located  on or affiliated with tribal land.
DINAP, within DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, serves  Native American veterans under Section 166 of the Workforce Investment  Act (WIA) of 1998. This program serves all eligible Native Americans— veterans and non-veterans alike—including American Indians, Alaska   Under the program, in 2012, DINAP  Natives, and Native Hawaiians. administered grants to Native American entities in all 50 states, including  Alaska and Hawaii. These grants support comprehensive workforce  investment activities for Native Americans, including employment and  training services for jobseekers. The Jobs for Veterans Act established a  priority of service requirement for veterans in qualified DOL job training  programs, including WIA programs.therefore give priority to veterans over others seeking employment and  training services.
WIA Section 166 grantees must  Other federal agencies also administer employment and training-related  programs that serve Native American veterans, among other groups.  These programs include the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian  Affairs’ Indian Job Placement and Training program; Department of  Veterans Affairs programs including Vocational Rehabilitation for  Disabled Veterans; and the Department of Education’s Vocational  Rehabilitation Services for American Indians with Disabilities, among  other federal programs. In addition, the Department of Defense (DOD), in  partnership with VA, DOL, and other agencies, administers the Transition  Assistance Program, which provides mandatory, multiple-day transition  briefings at military bases to facilitate servicemembers’ transition to  civilian life, including a focus on preparation for employment. Additionally,  the Small Business Administration (SBA) administers programs to  facilitate self-employment for veterans and Native Americans, including  American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.
section_title: 2010 DOL Report on Native American Veterans on Tribal Land
paragraphs: DOL’s 2010 report was prepared in response to a provision in the  Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. This provision required  DOL, in consultation with VA and DOI, to submit a report assessing the  employment needs of Native American veterans living on tribal lands to  the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. The Act further  required that the report include recommendations for improving  employment and job training opportunities for such veterans, and a  review of current and prior government-to-government relationships  between VETS and tribal organizations. DOL contracted with a consulting  firm, which issued a report to DOL in March 2010, and relied on  interviews and surveys of federal and state officials, tribal organizations,  surveys of Native American veterans, and focus groups. The contractor’s  report focused on VETS and the JVSG program, but also considered WIA  Section 166 and other relevant programs. The contractor found little or no  attention by the JVSG program to the needs of Native American veterans,  and although it noted some progress in relationships between DOL and  tribal governments, it found little awareness of VETS programs among  tribal organizations. Based upon the contractor’s report, DOL issued its  final report, including six recommendations, to Congress in October  2010. DOL’s report included recommendations for short- and long-term  actions DOL could take in key areas, but did not include a specific  timetable for implementation.
section_title: DOL Has Made Limited Progress in Implementing Recommendations
paragraphs: DOL is in the early stages of implementing several of the report’s  recommendations, but implementation of the remaining recommendations  has not occurred. The agency has begun to take initial steps to respond  to three of the report’s six recommendations: improve interagency  collaboration, create an advisory committee subgroup for Native  American veterans, and conduct a needs assessment. DOL has taken  little to no action on the remaining three recommendations: increase  outreach, pursue program flexibility, and boost economic development.  DOL officials told us that leadership transitions and budget challenges  have significantly contributed to their current position and limited  endorsement of these recommendations. For detailed information on the  status of each of these three recommendations from DOL’s 2010 report,  see appendix II.
Collaboration. To respond to the recommendations to increase  collaboration with federal and state agencies and outreach to tribal  governments, DOL has begun collaborating with agencies that serve  veterans, including VA and BIA, to learn more about how to better serve  Native American veterans and has conducted several listening sessions  with tribal leadership.
Advisory subcommittee. The 2010 report also recommended that DOL  create an advisory committee subgroup on Native American veterans’  employment issues to the DOL Advisory Committee on Veterans’  Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO). DOL  officials told us that although VETS may offer proposals to the committee,  the ACVETEO members decide—because the ACVETEO operates  independently—whether to establish a new subgroup. DOL is currently  developing a proposal, to be presented to ACVETEO, to establish a  subgroup for Native American veterans, and is also considering  appointing a representative from the Native American veterans’  community to join ACVETEO.
Needs assessment. DOL officials told us that they have no plans to  conduct a needs assessment to develop better data on Native American  veterans living on tribal land, citing potentially prohibitive costs to  conducting a comprehensive assessment. However, DOL has identified a  potential source for data within DOD that provides race and ethnicity as  well as address information for returning veterans. This information could  help DVOPs and LVERs target their visits to tribal land, but DOL’s plans  to acquire these data are still being negotiated and could take time to  finalize. In the interim, DOL has identified VA data that, while not  comprehensive, in the short term, might provide an estimate of the  number of Native American veterans on tribal land.
Outreach. The 2010 report recommended that DOL launch a  communications program focused on outreach to Native American  veterans on tribal land by establishing a public information campaign to  share information about VETS programs through the use of the web,  direct mail, newspapers, and social media. However, DOL officials told us  that they have not initiated such a campaign due to limited funding.
Program flexibility. A DOL official said that the agency has not pursued  the recommendation to provide additional program flexibility, explaining  that under the JVSG program, states already have some flexibility under  current law to permit them to build solutions to fit their needs. The report  recommends that DOL identify, on a program-by-program basis, available  flexibilities to meet the needs of Native American veterans living on tribal  lands. While DOL has indicated that it is open to identifying any such  opportunities that exist under current law, to date it has taken little action  in this area.
Economic development. With regard to economic development, the  2010 report noted that programs to support economic development— such as financing and support for new businesses—lie outside VETS’s  authority. However, the report also noted that economic development  should be a major focus across federal programs addressing employment  concerns for Native American veterans. To date, DOL officials told us  they had taken no action on this issue and emphasized that, with regard  to economic development, DOL’s focus is on the role that skills can play.
Since delivering the report in 2010, DOL has not developed a strategy  that specifically establishes roles and responsibilities, goals, and time  frames for implementation of the report’s recommendations. Our past  work identified key practices for implementing organizational change  efforts to improve an agency’s programs, including establishing a  coherent mission and integrated strategic goals to guide the effort; setting  a timeline to build momentum and show progress from day one; and  dedicating a team to manage the implementation process. Although  there is no established set of requirements for developing a plan to  implement a new effort, components of sound planning are important  because they define what organizations seek to accomplish and identify  specific activities to obtain desired results. According to senior DOL  officials, DOL has prepared a draft internal memorandum that describes  some of the findings from listening sessions conducted with tribal leaders  and contained a few recommended action items that address some of the  2010 report recommendations. However, according to DOL officials, the  memorandum does not address each of the six 2010 report  recommendations. It also does not identify costs, roles and  responsibilities, or project time frames.
section_title: Expanded Efforts Could Improve Implementation of the 2010 Recommendations
paragraphs: DOL could expand on its efforts to implement the 2010 report’s  recommendations to improve employment service delivery to Native  American veterans on tribal land, even within its constrained budget  environment. For detailed information on opportunities for DOL to better  implement the 2010 report recommendations, see appendix II.
Collaboration. DOL could expand its collaboration efforts to include other  federal agencies that administer programs that serve Native American  veterans, such as the SBA, and the Departments of Education and Health  and Human Services (HHS). For example, working with SBA could  provide DOL access to information that might aid Native American  veterans in remote areas with limited employment opportunities by  providing access to training and support for veterans interested in self- employment. An official from SBA agreed that additional collaboration  would improve self-employment training opportunities for Native American  veterans. In addition, DOL can leverage state level collaborations with  other agencies and tribal governments. For example, during our site visits  we learned that some DVOPs and LVERs have leveraged other federal  and state agencies’ resources to help serve Native American veterans.  For instance, in one state, a DVOP that serves Native American veterans  in remote communities joined VA’s mobile units to provide both health  and employment services to Native American veterans to reduce travel  time and reach additional veterans. However, to date, DOL has not  identified promising practices for possible dissemination to other JVSG  grantees.
Advisory subcommittee. We have stated in past work that federal  agencies have used a variety of mechanisms to implement interagency  collaborative efforts, including supporting the establishment of  interagency work groups.veterans on the Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment, Training  and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO), DOL could appoint qualified  individuals from other agencies that serve Native American veterans,  such as BIA and HHS. Both BIA and HHS administer programs that may  be used to provide employment training to Native American veterans on  tribal land. Including BIA and HHS on the ACTEVEO could provide  additional opportunities to leverage resources and share knowledge that  could result in improved access to employment and training services for  veterans on tribal land.
In addition to including Native American  Needs assessment. Options may exist for DOL to develop or obtain  better data to assess the needs of Native American veterans returning to  tribal land. Currently, no mechanism that we could identify exists to share  data with tribes on the number and timing of Native American veterans  returning to tribal communities. In the absence of timely data on the  population of Native American veterans who need employment and  training services, state agencies and JVSG staff must try to gauge and  meet needs in other ways. DOL could develop or obtain better data on  Native American veterans returning to tribal land by coordinating with  DOD and VA or other agencies that maintain contact information on  recently separated veterans. Specifically, according to a DOD official,  DOD data on separating servicemembers are shared with VA, which  modifies the data for its own purposes and then shares the data with state  veterans’ agencies. According to this official, the data include fields for  ethnicity, including Native American ethnicities. As a result, the data that  state veterans agencies receive from VA may be helpful to DOL in  identifying recently separated Native American veterans.
Outreach. DOL can leverage the outreach activities conducted by state  and local entities. For example, JVSG staff in several states have  conducted training sessions in tribal communities focused on veterans’  transition to civilian life, while other JVSG staff have built on a VA  initiative that trains volunteers in tribal communities to educate veterans  about employment and training services available to them. In addition,  some tribal officials and Native American veterans told us that some  veterans prefer in-person outreach. To this end, veterans outreach staff in  some states have been leveraging libraries and tribal colleges to conduct  outreach to tribal veterans.
Program flexibility. Although few tribal officials and Native American  veterans we spoke with identified opportunities for additional program  flexibility in the JVSG program, DOL could consider ways to use existing  program flexibility to better serve veterans and enhance service delivery.  Specifically, DOL is considering plans to ask states to explicitly describe  their efforts to serve Native American veterans in their required JVSG 5- year grant operating plans, which could help ensure that states consider  the needs of Native American veterans when preparing their plans.  However, to date, DOL has not established a time frame for completion.  Encouraging grantees to describe their plans to address the needs of  Native American veterans in their state could increase the likelihood that  grantees might design a service delivery strategy that takes into account  the unique needs of the various tribal communities they serve.
Economic development. DOL has the potential to better understand and  support economic development by reviewing its existing grants and  guidance on this topic and identifying lessons learned to disseminate to  JVSG state and WIA Section 166 grantees. In the past, DOL, through its  Employment and Training Administration (ETA), has awarded grants that  have aligned employment and training grants with economic development  needs. Recent grantees have included tribal entities. For example, ETA  awarded a grant to a tribal college to train workers, foster business  development and promote entrepreneurship on tribal land. DOL has an  opportunity to review such grants to disseminate lessons learned on the  extent to which Native American veterans participated in and benefited  from grant-funded activities, as well as opportunities to incorporate  economic development principles into existing grants. For example,  DINAP recently visited an Arizona tribe to identify lessons learned on its  progress in implementing a grant that aims to increase job opportunities  for veterans and others in occupations that reflect employers’ need for  skills, according to ETA officials.  However, DINAP’s grant review  activities to date have not involved VETS, nor has there been any  technical assistance developed in connection with these activities,  according to a DINAP official.
section_title: Conclusions
paragraphs: The 2010 DOL report provides the foundation upon which to develop a  strategy for achieving the recommendations’ goals. However, DOL has  not yet developed a strategy to implement all of its recommendations to  improve employment and training services for Native American veterans  living on tribal land. Until DOL develops an overall strategy that  establishes the roles and responsibilities, costs, and time frames for  implementation, it will be difficult to determine whether DOL is on track for  effectively implementing the recommendations.
Under current budget limitations, DOL must approach the needs of Native  American veterans in tribal communities with a response that is both  proportionate to the needs of this community and cost-effective. It is  essential for DOL to properly target its efforts to ensure that those most in  need of services receive assistance. Without current information on the  number of Native American veterans living on tribal land and a fuller  understanding of their needs, DOL will be unable to appropriately identify  and target those services. DOL has taken some initial steps to conduct  outreach to tribal communities and has begun collaboration with other  agencies. However, without conducting additional outreach and  collaboration with other organizations within DOL and other federal, state,  and tribal agencies that serve Native American veterans, DOL may miss  the opportunity to leverage the knowledge and resources of those  agencies that are already serving veterans in tribal communities.
Without adequate job opportunities, employment and training services  alone may simply frustrate Native American veterans seeking  employment. While economic development is not DOL’s primary mission,  the agency has an opportunity to better understand and support  economic development on tribal land by reviewing its existing grants and  guidance on this topic and identifying lessons learned to disseminate to  its grantees that provide these critical employment and training services  to Native American veterans on tribal land and forming partnerships with  other agencies that can support these efforts. Without action from DOL to  provide improved access to employment and training services, many  Native American veterans that have honorably served their country will  remain at risk of being underserved and unemployed.
section_title: Recommendations for Executive Action
paragraphs: To strengthen DOL’s efforts to respond to the 2010 report  recommendations to improve employment services and training  opportunities for Native American veterans on tribal land, we recommend  that the Secretary of Labor undertake the following three actions:  1.  Ensure it has a written strategy to position the agency to efficiently  and effectively respond to the 2010 recommendations, including the  identification of roles and responsibilities as well as the goals, costs,  and time frames to complete their implementation.  2.  Identify and disseminate lessons learned and promising practices  from DOL and other agencies’ efforts. To identify such lessons or  practices, DOL could:  a.  Review efforts by JVSG grantees to improve DVOP and LVER  outreach, such as the use of mobile units to conduct outreach on  tribal lands; and b.  Review DOL’s portfolio of employment and training grants and  guidance related to economic development for application to  JVSG and WIA Section 166 grantees.  3.  Expand collaboration with other agencies to leverage agency  resources. This effort could include working through the ACVETEO  and other efforts, strengthening relationships with agencies that also  serve Native American veterans, such as DOD, VA, SBA, and BIA, as  well as building relationships with other agencies that serve Native  American veterans, such as Education and HHS.
section_title: Agency Comments and Our Evaluation
paragraphs: DOL Comments. We provided a draft of this report to DOL for review and  comment. DOL provided a written response to this report (see app. IV).   DOL agreed with our recommendations and identified actions it has taken  to implement the recommendations of the 2010 report. Regarding our first  recommendation, DOL noted that it is working to develop a written  strategy to implement the 2010 recommendations. However, DOL noted  that it must first develop a better understanding of the extent of  unemployment and training gaps on reservations nationwide, among  other pieces of information, to establish a more comprehensive plan of  action, and cited the need for an update to the Bureau of Indian Affairs  (BIA) report American Indian Population and Labor Force Report—last  published in 2005—as key to developing its plan. To the extent that there  are obstacles to implementing the 2010 recommendations, such as  incomplete data, it is important that DOL proceed with developing a  written strategy that explicitly identifies such obstacles and proposes  ways to mitigate them. One mitigation strategy, consistent with our  findings and recommendations, could be to further leverage collaborative  relationships with other federal agencies.
Regarding our recommendation to identify and disseminate lessons  learned and promising practices from its own and other agencies’ efforts,  DOL agreed to review efforts by the JVSG state grantees and their  DVOPs and LVERs who serve Native American veterans. DOL noted that  its Division of Indian and Native American Programs (DINAP), located  within the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), already  reviews employment and training grants related to economic development  for application to DINAP’s WIA Section 166 grantees, and will continue to  do so. DOL added that it held national conferences for the WIA Section  166 grantees, which provided a platform for sharing best practices. While  these actions are useful, in order to fully leverage the department’s  efforts, dissemination of lessons learned and promising practices should  extend beyond these grantees to the JVSG program and the DVOPs and  LVERs whose efforts are supported by the JVSG grants. For example,  information about ETA grants that include Native American veterans  could help DVOPs and LVERs learn about promising practices and inform  the Native American veterans they serve about additional training  opportunities. Finally, another way to disseminate lessons learned and  promising practices is through technical assistance. However, a DINAP  official acknowledged, as we indicate in this report, that no technical  assistance has been developed to date in connection with its efforts to  review ETA grants for lessons learned.
Regarding our recommendation to expand collaboration with other  agencies, DOL agreed and noted that collaboration with other agencies  has been effective in addressing the needs of Native American veterans  living on tribal land. DOL also noted that it will propose that the  ACVETEO establish a subcommittee to advise its members on issues  and services related to Native American veterans on tribal lands.
VA and BIA Comments. We provided a draft of this report to VA and   BIA for review and comment. Both provided technical comments, which  we incorporated, as appropriate. VA generally agreed with our findings.  VA noted that under the auspices of a Memorandum of Understanding  between VA and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian  Health Service signed on October 1, 2010, there are shared opportunities  for coordination, collaboration, and resource-sharing for workforce  development, and cited six action steps reported in FY 2013.that it was an outstanding report.
Tribal Groups. Additionally, we provided selected tribes, with whom we  met during site visits, with a draft of pertinent excerpts and incorporated  their technical comments, as appropriate.
As agreed with your staff, unless you publicly announce its contents  earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report until 30 days from its  issue date. At that time, we will send copies of this report to interested  congressional committees; the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of  Veterans Affairs; the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs; and other  interested parties. The report also is available at no charge on the GAO  website at http://www.gao.gov.
Please contact me on (202) 512-7215 or at sherrilla@gao.gov if you or  your staff have any questions about this report. Contact points for our  Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on  the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report are listed in  appendix V.
section_title: Appendix I: Groups Interviewed
paragraphs: Appendix I: Groups Interviewed Department of Labor (DOL), Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, including senior  agency officials, and State Directors for Veterans’ Employment and Training (DVETs) from  Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, North Dakota, and  Montana  Department of Labor (DOL), Division of Indian and Native American Programs (DINAP)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Tribal Government Relations  Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC)
State veterans coordinators from Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Alaska, Hawaii, North  Dakota, and Montana  Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program specialists (DVOPs) and Local Veterans’ Employment  Representatives (LVERs) from Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Alaska, Hawaii, and  Montana  Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico  Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah  Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians  Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation  Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota  White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota  Papa Alo Lokahi (Uncles and Aunties initiative)
section_title: Appendix II: Status of Recommendations from DOL’s 2010 Report and Steps to Improve upon Efforts
paragraphs: Recommendation Summary  The 2010 report found that there  was a need for increased  collaboration across federal and  state agencies with tribal  governments in improving  employment for Native American  veterans. The report suggested  that agencies that address the  employment needs of Native  American veterans, such as DOI  and VA, could work with DOL to  help address barriers that Native  American veterans often face in  accessing and maintaining  meaningful employment. Closer  collaboration between these  agencies could boost focus on the  veterans’ needs and help to  leverage agency resources to  provide more coordinated service  delivery.
DOL Recommendation Status  DOL is in the early stages of implementing the report’s recommendations  related to improving collaboration with federal and state agencies and  tribal governments. In October and November of 2012, a DOL official  conducted several listening sessions with tribal leaders in Arizona and  with a tribal workforce administrator in California to learn more about the  needs of Native American veterans.
In preparation for conducting its listening sessions, DOL Veterans’  Employment and Training Service (VETS) staff met with officials from  other organizations within DOL and other agencies that serve Native  American veterans. VETS staff received guidance from DOL’s Division of  Indian and Native American Programs, VA’s Office of Tribal Government  Relations, and the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Indian  Affairs (BIA) to identify potential sites and to inform how DOL should  structure its listening sessions. One DOL official told us of preliminary  plans to meet quarterly with both VA and BIA to discuss issues related to  employing Native American veterans.
The report also proposed that  offering services in true partnership  with tribal governments brings local  knowledge, local relationships, and  cultural understanding. To better  serve Native American veterans,  the report recommended the  following specific actions:  leverage agencies’  resources; and  governments.
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts  There may be additional opportunities for DOL to expand its proposed  approach to improving collaboration with other agencies and tribal  governments. At the federal level, DOL has reached out to initiate  collaboration with VA and BIA, but it currently has no plans to initiate  collaboration with other agencies that offer employment and training and  other support services to Native American veterans, such as Education,  HHS, SBA, or DOD.  For example, our site visits indicated that some  Native Americans veterans received employment services from  Education’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services for American Indians with  Disabilities program. DOL can consider partnering with this program to  jointly serve Native American veterans. At the tribal level, DOL’s efforts to  reach out to selected tribes has focused on tribal leadership to date, but  has not included tribal veterans agencies.
In addition to efforts at the federal level, at the state level, there have been  efforts to collaborate with other agencies and tribal governments.  However, to date, DOL has not made efforts to identify promising  practices to improve service delivery and disseminate them to other state  grantees. For example, during our site visits we learned that some DVOPs  and LVERs had made their own efforts to leverage agency resources and  partner with leaders in tribal communities:  In North Carolina, a LVER established relationships with the Eastern  Band of Cherokee Indians’ veterans’ service organization to begin to  bring services to veterans in the community.
In Montana, a DVOP established a partnership with the mobile VA Vet  Center to provide both health and employment services to Native  American veterans in remote areas (see fig.).
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts (cont.)
Improve Agency  Collaboration (cont.)
JVSG staff in Montana visit the Crow Agency using a VA Vet Center mobile  unit, May 7, 2013.
During our site visits, we also brought together tribal workforce and  veterans’ agencies, and these meetings often served to initiate  discussions for future collaboration between them in specific areas, such  as the use of incentives for employers to hire veterans and assistance in  preparing resumes that explain veterans’ military backgrounds and skills.  However, DOL has issued no guidance or technical assistance to its  Native American WIA Section 166 grantees to encourage collaboration  within tribal governments or to help them develop their own outreach  plans. DOL officials told us they expect to provide additional guidance in  this area beginning in 2014.
Alaska, New Mexico, and North Dakota offer cultural competency training  to staff serving veterans, which some JVSG staff said was beneficial in  their efforts to serve Native American veterans. In addition, some Native  American veterans emphasized the importance to them of culturally- sensitive services.
DOL Recommendation Status  The 2010 report recommended that DOL create an advisory committee  subgroup on Native American veterans’ employment issues.DOL officials  told us that although VETS may offer proposals to the committee, the  ACVETEO members decide—because the ACVETEO operates  independently—whether to establish a new subgroup.
According to agency officials, DOL is currently in the process of  developing such a proposal to present to the ACVETEO to establish an  advisory committee subgroup on Native American veterans. In addition,  DOL is considering appointing a representative from the Native American  veterans’ community to participate on the DOL ACVETEO. However, DOL  has not specifically identified who they might appoint for this position.  Currently, the ACVETEO has members from VA, DOL, DOD, and SBA,  but does not have members from other agencies that provide employment  services to Native American veterans, like BIA and HHS.
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts  Our past work has stated that federal agencies have used a variety of  mechanisms to implement interagency collaborative efforts, including  establishing interagency work groups. In addition to including Native  American veterans on the ACVETEO, DOL has the opportunity to appoint  qualified individuals from other agencies that serve Native American  veterans, such as BIA, HHS, and Education. Members from other  agencies that also support employment and training services on tribal land  could provide the opportunity for DOL to coordinate efforts, share  knowledge, and leverage agency resources to provide services to Native  American veterans living on tribal land. that the subgroup meet  periodically and include  representatives from the VA,  DOD, DOL, DOI, and other  departments, as appropriate.
As DOL develops its proposal to create an ACVETEO subgroup, it has the  opportunity to encourage the committee to form the group in a way that  enhances and sustains its collaborative efforts. Our past work suggests  that to establish effective work groups or other mechanisms for  collaboration, agencies should: define and articulate a common outcome; establish mutually reinforcing or joint strategies;  identify and address needs by leveraging resources; agree on roles and responsibilities; establish compatible policies, procedures, and other means to operate develop mechanisms to monitor, evaluate, and report on results;  reinforce agency accountability for collaborative efforts through agency  plans and reports; and  reinforce individual accountability for collaborative efforts through  performance management systems.
Recommendation Summary  The 2010 report recommended  conducting a needs assessment by  reviewing existing federal and state  programs and services available to  Native American veterans, in order  to identify unmet needs and  eliminate inefficiencies with the aim  of improving service delivery.
DOL Recommendation Status  DOL has no plans to conduct a formal needs assessment of the  employment and training needs of Native American veterans. The cost  and complexity of such a project would likely be prohibitive, according to a  DOL official. However, regarding the recommendation to estimate the  number of Native American veterans on tribal land, a DOL official told us  that the agency is in the early stages of identifying potential data sources.  Specifically, DOL has identified a potential source for data within DOD that  provides race and ethnicity as well as address information for returning  veterans that could help DVOPs and LVERs target their visits to tribal  land, but its plans to acquire these data are still being negotiated and  could take time to finalize. In the interim, DOL has identified data from VA  that, while not comprehensive, might in the short term, provide an  estimate of the number of Native American veterans on tribal land.   Regarding outcome data, DOL does not collect data on veterans served  by the JVSG program by race or ethnicity. However, according to a VETS  official, DOL is planning a comprehensive review of its approach to  tracking veterans’ data. Although DOL does collect data on Native  American veterans served by its WIA programs, it does not track those  served on tribal land. transition to civilian life by  providing them with a job  placement and training plan  and with a list of available  resources.
With regard to the recommendation on job placement and training plans,  currently, all servicemembers develop such Individual Transition Plans  through mandatory participation in the Transition Assistance Program  (TAP), which is currently being revised. However, although DOL provides  information through TAP that could help veterans returning to their  communities, such as how to access DVOPs and LVERs at American Job  Centers, as of July 2013, due to changes in agency priorities, DOL had no  plans to include contact information for WIA Section166 grantees, which  could help Native American veterans returning to tribal land. According to  a DOL official, providing this level of information during TAP sessions,  which are applicable to all veterans, would be impractical. Additionally, as  of July 2013, a DOL official acknowledged that there are no specific  changes to TAP that focus on Native American veterans. However, DOL  told us that there will be overarching changes to the TAP program that will  aid all transitioning servicemembers.
Regarding service delivery, DOL requested and received information in  November 2012 about DVOPs’ and LVERs’ services to Native American  veterans, but to date, has not fully reviewed this information to identify  promising practices that could improve services for these veterans.
Assess Needs (cont.)
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts (cont.)  employment and training services. Furthermore, both tribal administrators  and officials at the state level identified various data sources that they  used to estimate the number of veterans living on tribal land, including  2002 Census data, and tribal veterans and health agencies’ data. Such  data, however, may not reflect the need for employment and training  services. For example, tribal health agency data are likely to reflect Native  American veterans’ needs for medical care, not necessarily for  employment and training services, and not necessarily the needs of  recently separated veterans.
In the absence of timely data on the population of Native American  veterans who need employment and training services, state agencies and  JVSG staff must try to gauge and meet needs in other ways. For example,  in North Dakota, the state workforce agency provides pamphlets on JVSG  services to the state veterans’ agency for inclusion in welcome packets for  returning veterans. In another state, a LVER who has recently begun  working with one tribe told us that he plans to gauge demand for his  services based on attendance when he visits the tribe.
DOL has an opportunity to develop or obtain better data on Native  American veterans returning to tribal land by working with other federal  agencies. Specifically, according to a DOD official, DOD data on  separating servicemembers are shared with VA, which modifies the data  for its own purposes and then shares the data with state veterans’  agencies. According to this official, the data include fields for ethnicity,  including Native American ethnicities. As a result, the data that state  veterans agencies receive from VA may be helpful in identifying recently  separated Native American veterans. However, until DOL reaches a data- sharing agreement with either DOD or the VA, better data will not be  available to state workforce agencies or the DVOPs and LVERs they  employ. Recognizing the potential benefits, the DVET for Montana said he  is seeking access to these data from the state’s veterans’ agency, through  a proposed Memorandum of Understanding.
DOL also has an opportunity to identify and disseminate lessons learned  about states’ efforts to provide short transition briefings tailored to the  needs of Native American veterans. DVOPs and LVERs have identified  opportunities to deliver such customized transition briefings for Native  American veterans in at least two states. In New Mexico and North  Dakota, DVOPs and LVERs have provided abbreviated transition briefings  to tribal communities. In our site visits, when we asked about the potential  value of such customized transition briefings, some Native American  veterans expressed interest in such an approach. Additionally, in one  state, DVOPs and LVERs try to reach Native American veterans through  welcoming ceremonies, according to that state’s DVET.
DOL Recommendation Status  The 2010 report recommended that DOL launch a communications  program focused on outreach to Native American veterans on tribal land  by establishing a public information campaign to share information about  VETS programs through the use of the web, direct mail, newspapers, and  social media. However, DOL officials told us that they have not initiated  such a campaign due to budget constraints, but are currently exploring low  cost options for conducting outreach.
Although DOL officials report participating in tribal conferences and tribal  events at the state level, many of the tribal veterans and workforce  program officials and veterans we spoke with were unaware or had limited  awareness of services offered by the JVSG program.
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts  There may be additional opportunities for DOL to expand its proposed  approach to outreach without the use of a large scale public information  campaign. DOL has an opportunity to take a more comprehensive  strategy and expand outreach efforts that leverage existing state and local  level efforts. Expanded efforts could help to raise awareness of VETS  programs for Native American veterans on tribal land while minimizing  additional costs.
DOL may have an opportunity to learn from the activities of DVOPs and  LVERs in certain states who have conducted targeted outreach. For  example, in one state, a LVER shared information about services  available to veterans through an article in a local newspaper. Several  states we visited make employment and other resources available to  veterans and employers accessible through a website. For example,  according to state officials, New Mexico provides access for jobseekers,  including those living in remote areas, by creating a virtual one-stop that  offers certain services online. facilitate the sharing of  information and data on  available resources among  tribal leadership and other  government entities engaged  in workforce development  programs on tribal lands  throughout the country.
Some tribal officials and Native Americans veterans told us that some  veterans prefer in-person outreach. To this end, veterans outreach staff in  some states have been leveraging libraries and tribal colleges to conduct  outreach to tribal veterans. Conversely, other Native American veterans  we spoke with suggested that in order to reach younger veterans, DOL  should consider employing social media to raise awareness of  employment and training services among veterans on tribal land.
DOL has an opportunity to encourage states to leverage VA’s Tribal  Veterans Representatives (TVRs), who are volunteers based on tribal land  trained by VA to provide veterans with information about available  benefits, to enhance the outreach efforts of DVOPs and LVERs. For  example, Alaska state officials said that DVOPs and LVERs coordinated  with TVRs to schedule outreach visits. As a result, officials reported  improved participation in outreach events and better relations with Alaska  Native communities.  A similar volunteer-based initiative exists in Hawaii.
DOL Recommendation Status  DOL has not pursued the report’s proposal to explore the possibility of  DVOPs and LVERs living and working on tribal land, citing the flexibility of  the JVSG program that states already have under current law.  Specifically, states now employ DVOPs and LVERs as they deem  appropriate and efficient, subject to DOL’s approval. Further, DOL  guidance emphasizes that states have flexibility to assign and place  DVOPs and LVERs to best address each state’s unique needs.
The 2010 report suggested that DVOPs and LVERs live and work on tribal  land and included the proposal that they focus their work on the tribal  level, rather than the state level. However, JVSG grant amounts appear  unlikely to support a full-time focus on tribal land, even for the largest  tribes, and such an approach appears impractical for smaller communities.  For example, in Alaska, JVSG funds support 4.5 DVOP and LVER staff,  who are collectively responsible for outreach to 225 Alaska Native  communities (an average of 50 each). In Alaska, each DVOP and LVER is  assigned a region of the state, and they told us that they try to visit their  assigned region at least twice a year. As in all other states, they also must  balance these efforts with their efforts to serve other veterans because  under current law, the JVSG grants flow to states to support activities on  behalf of all eligible veterans in each state. A DOL official described the  challenge as making optimum use of limited resources.
Nevertheless, with regard to flexibility in general, a DOL official  emphasized the importance of recognizing the substantial diversity among  Native American communities. With regard to additional flexibilities that  could help meet the needs of Native American veterans living on tribal  lands, DOL has indicated that it is open to identifying any such  opportunities that exist under current law, although to date it has taken  little action in this area. explore the possibility of  assigning DVOPs and LVERs  to live and work on tribal  land; and  identify available flexibilities  to meet the needs of Native  American veterans living on  tribal lands, including any  additional flexibilities identified  through consultation with  Native American organizations  and tribal councils.
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts  During our site visits, regarding JVSG program flexibility, few state-level  officials and tribal leaders identified opportunities for additional flexibility as  a primary concern, except for officials and veterans from several tribes,  who suggested that JVSG grant funds go to tribes as well as states, which  is not possible under current law. Additionally, for example, two tribes  favored establishing funding that would be specifically reserved for  veterans within DOL’s WIA Section 166 program, one advocated for  broadened eligibility to allow more veterans to participate in that program,  and two suggested streamlining application procedures for DOL’s  programs to raise participation. Some of these proposed changes might  require statutory changes. However, a few state-level officials, tribal  leaders and administrators, and Native American veterans also expressed  the view that a one-size-fits-all approach would be generally ill-advised,  given state and tribal differences.
Allow Flexibility (cont.)
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts (cont.)  Nevertheless, DOL has an opportunity to consider ways to use existing  program flexibility to better serve veterans and encourage better outreach  and service delivery. Specifically, DOL is considering plans to ask states  to explicitly describe their efforts to serve Native American veterans in  their JVSG 5-year grant operating plans, which could help ensure that  states consider the needs of Native American veterans when preparing  their plans. However, to date, DOL has not established a time frame for  completion.
Report Summary  The 2010 report identified the need  for economic development on tribal  land as a major problem, and noted  that, in the absence of job  opportunities, providing  employment and training services  alone may simply frustrate  jobseekers.
DOL Status  DOL officials told us they had taken no action on this issue and  emphasized that, with regard to economic development, DOL’s focus is on  the role that skills can play.
While noting that economic  development programs are outside  VETS’s authority, the report noted  that economic development should  be a major focus across federal  programs addressing employment  concerns for Native American  veterans.
Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts  DOL has an opportunity to better understand and support economic  development on tribal land by reviewing its existing grants and guidance  on this topic and identifying lessons learned to disseminate to JSVG state  and WIA Section 166 grantees. DOL, through ETA, has taken steps to  boost economic development generally by aligning some of its  discretionary grants with local demand for skills, and by issuing guidance  on economic development and entrepreneurship.
In the past, DOL has awarded grants that have aligned employment and  training with economic development. ETA has awarded some of its recent  grants to Native American entities, and some grants included veterans  (see appendix III). DOL has an opportunity to review such grants for  lessons learned on how to incorporate economic development principles  into existing grants for tribal veterans. For example:  the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona was awarded a grant to  develop career pathways, a sequenced training approach that  supports career progression, including a career pathway for veterans;  and  success stories, share best  practices, and provide  benchmark information to other  tribes; and
United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota was awarded a grant  to train workers, foster business development, and promote  entrepreneurship in 19 tribes across 3 states, under a collaborative  program that also involved the Small Business Administration (SBA)  and the Department of Commerce. sponsor and fund training  and education for business  start-ups and entrepreneurs on  tribal land.
Additionally, in 2007, ETA issued guidance to highlight allowable and  prohibited activities under WIA related to economic development, and in  2010, it issued guidance on the use of WIA funds to support  entrepreneurship training. VETS and DINAP officials told us that they do  not automatically receive notification of ETA grants to Native American  entities or ETA guidance not addressed to their grantees.
During our site visits, many officials and veterans alike, as well as others,  identified economic development as a need, and some agreed that  entrepreneurship could be a viable option for some Native American  veterans. For example:  In Montana, the Salish Kootenai College offers an entrepreneurship  program;  In North Carolina, Cherokee entrepreneurs can seek funding and  coaching from the Sequoyah Fund, a Community Development  Financial Institution;  Possible Expansion of DOL Efforts (cont.)
Boost Economic  Development (cont.)
Native Hawaiian veterans and their families built greenhouses to grow  crops for supplemental income.
In Hawaii, the Vets to Farmers initiative, partly funded by a DOL grant,  trained some Native Hawaiian veterans in sustainable agriculture,  provided marketing assistance, and continues to help them sell their  produce to coastal resorts (see fig.); in addition, initiative leaders told  us that participants could use VA education benefits to cover their  training costs; and  In Alaska, the Cook Inlet Tribal Council refers those interested in  entrepreneurship to the SBA and other resources.
section_title: Appendix III: Selected Recent DOL Grants to Native American Communities That Address Workforce or Economic Development Needsa
subsections: section_title: Year Grant Awarded 2012
paragraphs: Purpose of Grant Project  To increase opportunities for advancement and employment,  create partnerships, engage employers, and develop career  pathways, in hospitality, construction, health care, and other  occupations.
To meet the region’s need for qualified environmental technicians  and other professionals, accelerate business development  opportunities for Native Americans, and reduce unemployment in  economically distressed areas.
To provide green industry and energy training in construction and  sustainable manufacturing, to provide support services and to  address Native Americans’ unique circumstances.
To build on training models with proven success, address retention  issues, and create a career ladder in construction, industrial  maintenance, and health care.
To increase the supply of workers with energy-efficiency skills to  support energy-efficient end user technology and the geothermal,  hydroelectric, wind turbine and biomass industries.
To provide targeted training and job placement services for green  energy industries.
To develop green industries, provide training in green skills, such  as home energy rating, construction, biofuels, and sustainable  agriculture, and attract private investment in energy.
The grantee is developing a career pathway model specifically for veterans, according to a Gila River  official.  Veterans were included in the target populations to be served by these grant projects. For the other  grants shown, veterans were eligible to participate, according to grantee officials.  The grant project summary identified Native American entities as partners.  Grant funds supported an entrepreneurship component in which Native Hawaiian veterans are  participating.
section_title: Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of Labor
section_title: Appendix V: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
subsections: section_title: GAO Contact
section_title: Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: In addition to the contact named above, Brett Fallavollita (Assistant  Director), Michelle Bracy, and Christopher Morehouse made key  contributions to this report. In addition, key support was provided by  James Bennett, Sarah Cornetto, Holly Dye, Kathy Leslie, and Jean  McSween.
section_title: Related GAO Products
paragraphs: VA and IHS: Further Action Needed to Collaborate on Providing Health  Care to Native American Veterans. GAO-13-354. Washington, D.C.: April  26, 2013.
Entrepreneurial Assistance: Opportunities Exist to Improve Programs’  Collaboration, Data-Tracking, and Performance Management.   GAO-13-452T. Washington, D.C.: March 20, 2013.
Veterans’ Employment and Training: Better Targeting, Coordinating, and  Reporting Needed to Enhance Program Effectiveness. GAO-13-29.  Washington, D.C.: December 13, 2012.
Regional Alaska Native Corporations: Status 40 Years after  Establishment, and Future Considerations. GAO-13-121. Washington,  D.C.: December 13, 2012.
Managing for Results: Key Considerations for Implementing Interagency  Collaborative Mechanisms. GAO-12-1022. Washington, D. C.: September  27, 2012.
Indian Issues: Federal Funding for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes.  GAO-12-348. Washington, D.C.: April 12, 2012.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: HHS Needs to Improve  Guidance and Monitoring of Tribal Programs. GAO-11-758. Washington,  D.C.: September 15, 2011.
Indian Issues: Observations on Some Unique Factors that May Affect  Economic Activity on Tribal Lands. GAO-11-543T. Washington, D.C.:  April 7, 2011.
Veterans’ Employment and Training Service: Labor Could Improve  Information on Reemployment Services, Outcomes, and Program Impact.  GAO-07-594. Washington, D.C.: May 24, 2007.
Results-Oriented Government: Practices That Can Help Enhance and  Sustain Collaboration among Federal Agencies. GAO-06-15. Washington,  D.C.: October 21, 2005.
Results-Oriented Cultures: Implementation Steps to Assist Mergers and  Organizational Transformations. GAO-03-669. Washington, D.C.: July 2,  2003.