The Gold Card gives veterans access to special intensive follow-up services as they transition into the civilian workforce.

In August 2011, President Obama announced the Gold Card initiative to help ensure that Post 9/11 Era Veterans leave the military career ready. With the declaration of the Iraq war’s end last December, our Workforce Centers stand ready to serve returning veterans and assist them with intensive, follow-up services for a successful transition into the civilian workforce.

“Most veterans receive their Gold Card as they go through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), said Harry Reed, Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) assistant regional vet employment representative. “Eligible veterans can also go online and print their Gold Card.” Reed, who works with returning servicemen and women from the Beaumont Workforce Solutions Center, has noted that the number of veterans coming to the Workforce Center is expected to jump in the next few weeks.

Enhanced Intensive Services at the One Stop Centers via the Veterans’ Gold Card include skills assessment, career coaching, identification of transferable skills, and job search strategies to meet the challenges of a complex job market. In addition to priority services at the One Stop Career Centers, veterans have access to several online tools:

Gold Card Services
http://www.dol.gov/vets/goldcard.html

• Veterans can print their Gold Card and get information on how to access available services

My Next Move for Veterans
www.MyNextMove.org/vets

• A simple and quick search engine to enter prior military service that links to information exploring civilian careers and related training

Career One Stop
http://www.careeronestop.org/VetsJobs

• Allows veterans to quickly identify civilian job openings related to prior military experience

Texas Veterans Leadership Program
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/tvlp/tvlp.html

• A Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) resource and referral network that serves to connect returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan with resources and tools

Just for Veterans
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/customers/jsemp/veterans.html

• Connect with resources for transitioning from military to civilian life.

Workforce Center staff and veterans' representatives can also provide veterans with information on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, a federal business income tax savings available to private sector/for-profit companies that hire eligible veterans.

According to the local Manager’s Report on Services to Veterans, veterans' employment representatives maintain partnerships with community-based organizations such as Orange County Veterans Service, Beaumont VA Outpatient Clinic, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion to provide a wide scope of services to returning veterans. Veteran reps in the Workforce Centers also work closely with local businesses and employers to develop jobs, when appropriate, for skilled veterans. Local business organizations such as the Golden Triangle Business Roundtable and the Southeast Texas DDS Consortium, in addition to the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) are instrumental in providing services to veterans.

Executive Director Marilyn Smith echoes the Workforce Center’s ‘ready to serve’ attitude. “We encourage eligible veterans, spouses, and their families to come to our Centers and take advantage of the services we offer. Gold Card is an important tool to help our veterans reintegrate into civilian life.”