FederalDaily - July 7, 2005

VA Wants to Outsource Some Jobs

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is lashing out over a plan to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use its health care budget, which is already running a $1 billion deficit, for cost-comparison studies on contracting out some government jobs. “Even as several VA facilities cancel scheduled surgical procedures for veterans because of a dire budget shortfall, the Bush administration is leaning on the Senate to pass legislation that will funnel VA health care funds into the administration’s scheme to outsource jobs critical to the well-being of America’s heroes,” said AFGE President John Gage. The administration is looking at cutting costs by outsourcing a number of unspecified VA jobs to private contractors.

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Private Industry Concerned Over Background Check Delays

A plan to speed up the backlog of government security clearances for government workers and private contractors is drawing concern from those it is seeking to help. The Information Technology Association of America (ITTA) is worried that an executive order issued in December 2004, which hands the responsibility of speeding up the security clearance process over to the Office of Management and Budget, could cause problems when it expires July 1, 2006. “Since reforms were passed, what I am hearing is that the backlogs have become worse rather than better,” said ITTA President Harris N. Miller. “America needs a permanent improvement in the security clearance process, not a temporary Band-Aid.” According to Miller, when the order expires it will leave in doubt the process that government and private contract workers need to follow to secure their clearances.

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FAA Dependents Barred From DoD Schools

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is blatantly ignoring clear guidance from Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta by continuing to deny children of its employees in Puerto Rico and Guam access to the Department of Defense (DoD) school system, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). Mineta determined one year ago that local schools in Puerto Rico and Guam are not appropriate for the dependents of FAA employees because the curriculum is not taught in English. The only access to public education taught in English is through the schools provided by DoD. However, the FAA has told the NATCA that they will not certify certain children of FAA employees for school at the DoD programs for the 2005-06 school year.

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DOL Funds Vet Job Training

The Department of Labor (DOL) has released 95 grants totaling 25.9 million to provide job training to more than 20,000 veterans. The grants are part of DOL’s Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program and the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. The grants are supposed to help veterans from targeted groups overcome employment barriers and ease their transition into unsubsidized jobs. The programs provide veterans with skill assessment, individual job counseling, labor market information, classroom or on-the-job training, skills upgrading and retaining, placement assistance and follow-up services. More information on the programs can be found at www.dol.gov.

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