DirectEmployers Executive Director, Candee Chambers, is joined by OFCCP Director Craig Leen and NASWA Executive Director, Scott Sanders, for the official signing of the MOU on February 13, 2020.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN –– On Thursday, February 13, 2020, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), DirectEmployers Association, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Officially signed by OFCCP Director Craig Leen, DirectEmployers Executive Director Candee Chambers, and NASWA Executive Director Scott B. Sanders, this MOU takes steps toward creating collaborative relationships Leen has sought to establish, and sets mutual goals to support the OFCCP’s contractor and compliance officer education and training related to specific aspects of the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA).
“As a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting our Members in listing jobs for Protected Veterans, we hope the MOU will further assist OFCCP’s understanding of our important shared mission to provide the ‘magic sauce’ which helps Protected Veterans find jobs and get hired more quickly,” stated DirectEmployers Executive Director, Candee Chambers. “With NASWA’s assistance, we also hope the MOU will help contractors with the important mission of providing more effective Priority Referrals for Protected Veterans within each state’s CareerOneStops.”
Specifically, this MOU seeks to increase the efficiency of the OFCCP’s compliance evaluations and investigations of federal contractors. Thanks in part to DirectEmployers’ expert knowledge and trust built during Leen’s time in office, this MOU marks a milestone for all parties. The OFCCP will now openly share training materials with DirectEmployers and NASWA developed for compliance officers, with the sole intent of gaining feedback on the topic of listing employment opportunities with the appropriate employment service delivery system (ESDS) per VEVRAA regulations.
“State workforce agencies support employers in meeting veteran recruitment goals through the use of the National Labor Exchange and this MOU will only strengthen our ability to align employers with the public workforce system,” said Scott B. Sanders, Executive Director of NASWA. “Last year, the workforce system served almost 300,000 veterans. We look forward to continued opportunities in serving veterans through being a trusted partner of OFCCP.”
This MOU came to fruition after much industry confusion surrounding the misconception about OFCCP VEVRAA job listing requirements. The on-going confusion in the federal contractor community and amongst compliance officers remains the same since the issuance of the Final Rule in March of 2014, concerning whether contractors are required to list or post job openings. Now, with the ability to provide guidance and feedback on training materials, the organizations hope to dispel the confusion, and most importantly, further a shared mission on behalf of Protected Veterans.
For more information on VEVRAA mandatory job listing requirements, please visit https://directemployers.org. To see the full purpose, scope, and commitment of all parties, visit https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/directives/OFCCP-DE-NASWA-MOU.htm.
For more information on National Labor Exchange, please visit http://www.nlx.org.
About DirectEmployers
DirectEmployers is a nonprofit member-owned and -managed association focused on providing its 920+ members with simple solutions for OFCCP compliance and online recruitment challenges. The Association’s proprietary technology powers a federal contractor compliance solution that assists with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program’s (OFCCP) VEVRAA mandatory listing requirements and Section 503 outreach requirements, while also offering recruitment marketing and creative services that help win the best candidates with a combination of vivid recruitment videos, real-life photos, and bold branding through its wholly owned subsidiary, Recruit Rooster.
About NASWA
National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) is the organization representing all 50 state workforce agencies, D.C. and U.S. territories. These agencies deliver training, employment, career, and business services, in addition to administering the unemployment insurance, veteran reemployment, and labor market information programs. NASWA provides policy expertise, shares promising state practices, and promotes state innovation and leadership in workforce development.
Media Contact: Jaime Costilow, Director of Marketing, DirectEmployers Association, (317) 874-9093, jaime@directemployers.org
