Helpful unemployment information due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Texas Unemployment Insurance Program

General Information about the Unemployment Insurance Program:
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/jobseekers/unemployment-benefits

 Coronavirus update: Texas is providing updates on Unemployment Insurance changes related to COVID-19 here:
https://twc.texas.gov/news/unemployment-news
To file a UI claim online:
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/jobseekers/unemployment-benefits-services		 To file a claim by telephone number:
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/jobseekers/unemployment-benefits-contact-information-claimants#teleCenterPhoneNumberAndHours

Veterans Employment Services

Providing focused employment assistance for eligible veterans, transitioning service members, and family members. Educating employers on the qualifications and benefits of veterans.

The Veterans Employment Program’s mission is to provide sound job coaching and to assist employers with understanding the unique benefits of hiring Veterans so that every Texas Veteran and eligible Veteran spouse has access to long term and meaningful employment.

Contact Employment

Jim Martin
Director
Veterans Employment Services

Darlene Cote
Operations Manager
Veterans Employment Services

tvcemployment@tvc.texas.gov
512-463-2333


General Contact Form

Veterans Employment Services 

Veterans Employment Services (VES) assists veterans with finding long-term and meaningful employment by conducting  job matching services for employers and providing individualized career services to Veterans with significant barriers to employment at American Job Centers, VA facilities, and military installations throughout Texas.

VES is organized into major functions:

Veteran Career Advisors (VCA)

Veterans Career Advisors provide individualized career services to ensure Veterans are job ready. Individualized career services provided by the Veteran Career Advisors (VCA) include:

  • Job coaching
  • Résumé and application assistance
  • Job search techniques

Veterans Employer Liaison (VEL)

Veterans Employer Liaison’s promote the benefits of hiring Veterans to employers, employer associations, and business groups. Their primary efforts include:

  • Career fairs/Hiring events
  • Referring job ready Veterans to meet employer hiring needs.

Family Career Advisor (FCA)

Family Career Advisor’s provide job coaching to spouses, family members, and caregivers of active duty service members and Veterans who are not eligible for Disabled Veterans Outreach Program funded services. FCA’s offers eligible job-seekers’ services including:

  • Job search techniques
  • Résumé and application assistance

Start Here:

Assistance for Veteran Job Seekers

For Veterans

Your transition from the military profession to a civilian job might be one of the toughest obstacles to overcome as you return home, however it is not insurmountable. There are many employers out there who are looking for your skills; the challenge is relating those skills in a manner that they can understand.

Hire a Veteran

For Employers

Texas Veterans Commission helps employers by serving as the link between companies needing quality employees, and Texas veterans who are seeking employment.

Government & Higher Education

For Agencies

The Purpose of the Veterans in Government is to assist Government agencies and Institutions of Higher Education in navigating the Veteran’s Employment Preference and simplify Veteran Hiring practices. In doing so, many Government Agencies have actively participated in the development of materials and resources for Veterans interested in obtaining employment in the government sector.

For employment opportunities at Texas Veterans Commission, please view our Careers page.

 

Learn More:

    Veterans Preference

    State Law

    Wartime veterans have preference in employment with State agencies or offices, as do widows and orphans of those killed on active duty. State law requires State agencies must practice veterans’ preference with the goal of reaching 20% veteran employment within the agency.

    Non-retired veterans who are employed by the State of Texas are entitled to claim their active duty military time toward retirement, provided they present a proper request and pay to the Retirement System the specified amount of retirement contribution for up to 60 months military credit. Such contribution is paid at the rate which was applicable at the time the employed veteran first was covered by the state Retirement System, plus any accrued interest. The State Law, Texas Government Code Chapter 657.001-657.009, is posted below.

     

    Texas Government Code

    Review the states law code.

    Read more

    Veterans Preference Advisor

    This Advisor is designed to help you learn more about veterans’ preference. To determine your rights and responsibilities, select from the list below. To ensure an accurate understanding of veterans’ preference, we encourage you to go through all of the sections in the Advisor that are applicable for you.

    Read more

    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers entitlement to veterans’ preference in employment under title 5, United States Code, and oversees other statutory employment requirements in titles 5 and 38. (Title 38 also governs Veterans’ entitlement to benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

    Read more


    Priority of Service

    The Department of Labor and the State of Texas recognize and salute the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. In honor of our “Heroes at Home” numerous employment and training programs are available to identify, inform, and deliver comprehensive services to all veterans and qualified spouses of veterans.

    Veterans possess unique attributes and contribute important skills and resources to the workplace, and for this and other reasons, the Department of Labor has recently reinforced its implementation of Priority of Service for veterans and qualified spouses of veterans.

    Priority of Service means that all veterans and qualified spouses of veterans are entitled to precedence over non-veterans in obtaining the full array of employment, training, and placement services, as well as Priority of Service pertaining to any applicable eligibility requirements for those programs and services. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and visit your nearest Workforce Center to inquire about the specific entitlements your veteran status affords you.

    View Priority of Service Presentation

     

    To qualify for Priority of Service, you must fall in one of the following categories:

    • Veteran. A veteran is any person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released there from under conditions other than dishonorable.
    • Qualified Spouse. A qualified spouse is the spouse of:
      • any veteran who died of a service-connected disability.
      • any member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who, at the time of application for Priority of Service is listed in one or more of the following categories and has been so listed for a total of more than 90 days:
        • missing in action.
        • captured in line of duty by a hostile force or,
        • forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
        • any veteran who has a total disability resulting from a service-connected disability.
        • any veteran who died while a disability (as outlined in the previous bullet) was in existence.

    To qualify for Veteran Representative Services, veterans must meet the following definition:

    Veteran. A veteran is any person who:

    • served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days and was discharged or released there from with other than a dishonorable discharge;
    • was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability; or
      • as a member of a reserve component under an order to active duty, served on active duty during a period or war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge is authorized, and was discharged or released from such duty with other than a dishonorable discharge.

    Qualified Spouse. A qualified spouse as defined above.

    Please contact a Workforce Center Representative or a Veteran Employment Representatives (VER) at your local Workforce Center if you have any questions about eligibility for Priority of Service and/or you want information on the services and programs available to veterans and qualified spouses of veterans.


    Re-employment Rights (USERRA)

    State Law

    A veteran is entitled to reemployment rights with his last employer when he is released from the Armed Forces of the United States, providing his absence is no longer than four years. The right of reemployment is available regardless of whether the veteran was, prior to service, employed by the State, county or city government, or by private industry.

    Reemployment rights of veterans are now provided by both State and Federal laws. We have posted the State Law, Texas Government Code Chapter 613.001-613.006; and 613.021-613.023, Enforcement, is below below.

    Texas Government Code

    Review the Texas Government Code Chapter 613.001-613.006; and 613.021-613.023.

    Read more


     

    Federal Law

    The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

    The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects service members’ reemployment rights when returning from a period of service in the uniformed services, including those called up from the reserves or National Guard, and prohibits employer discrimination based on military service or obligation. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) administers USERRA.

    USERRA Information and Complaint Process

    If you believe your USERRA rights may have been violated, or you are an employer seeking compliance assistance, you may consider one of the following options:

    1. Seek assistance from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve www.esgr.org; 1-800-336-4590.
      ESGR is a U.S. Department of Defense entity established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. It operates through a network of thousands of volunteers throughout the nation and Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  ESGR assists in answering USERRA questions from employees and employers and attempts to informally resolve disputes.
    2. File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans Employment & Training Service (DOL-VETS) http://www.dol.gov/vets/; 1-866-487-2365.
      Information about USERRA, including an interactive guided program called the “USERRA elaws Advisor,” is available at: http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/main.htm.

    The contact information for your local DOL-VETS office is available at:
    http://www.dol.gov/vets/aboutvets/contacts/main.htm.

    The DOL-VETS USERRA complaint form, VETS-1010, and instructions for completing and submitting it, are available at:
    http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/1010.htm.

    If you choose to file a USERRA complaint, DOL-VETS will investigate and attempt to resolve it; if its efforts at resolution are unsuccessful, you may have the option of seeking representation from either OSC (if the complaint involves a federal executive agency, with certain limited exceptions) or the U.S. Department of Justice (if the complaint involves a state, local, or private employer).


     

    Upcoming Events

    Wed 25

    Raytheon Technologies Employer Showcase

    May 25 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
    Thu 26

    Employ Edinburg Job Fair (In-Person)

    May 26 @ 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
    Jun 02

    RecruitMilitary Houston Veterans Job Fair

    June 2 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

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