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Cicero native patrols seas from the air for U.S. Navy
Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicole Rodriguez, a native of Cicero, joined the Navy for the benefits provided and the opportunity to experience new aspects of life. Now, three and a half years later, Rodriguez serves as a logistics specialist with “The Golden Swordsmen” of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 47, working with the Navy’s […]
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Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicole Rodriguez, a native of Cicero, joined the Navy for the benefits provided and the opportunity to experience new aspects of life.
Now, three and a half years later, Rodriguez serves as a logistics specialist with “The Golden Swordsmen” of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 47, working with the Navy’s cutting-edge maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
“The people are what makes this command special,” said Rodriguez. “The people are easy to get along with and work with and make the work days go by faster and better.”
Rodriguez, a 2006 graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School, serves with VP-47, a high-tech maritime patrol and reconnaissance squadron tasked with monitoring the world’s oceans in the state-of-the-art P-8A “Poseidon.”
Rodriguez is also currently enrolled at Arizona State University, pursuing a degree in nutrition.
“I’m responsible for ordering and tracking supplies for Naval aircraft,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Cicero.
“My parents taught me the importance of working hard and always giving everything you have,” she said. “I am a very take charge person and make sure things get done and done correctly, so I use that lesson daily in the Navy.”
VP-47’s primary mission is to conduct maritime patrol and reconnaissance as well as long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence gathering missions. The squadron deploys around the world to monitor the world’s oceans wherever they are needed.
The P-8A Poseidon, the Navy’s newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, is a replacement aircraft for the legacy P-3C “Orion”. According to Navy officials, leveraging the experience and technology of the successful P-3C “Orion” with the needs of the fleet, the P-8A is designed to be combat-capable, and to improve an operator’s ability to efficiently conduct anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
As the Navy transitions to the full capacity with the P-8A “Poseidon”, the aircraft continues the work-horse tradition established by the P-3C “Orion”. The P-8A has a planned state-of-the-art open architecture mission system and next-generation sensors. These capabilities give warfighters added protection. The aircraft empowers the fleet with more combat capability, responsiveness, and interoperability with traditional manned forces and evolving unmanned sensors. The P-8A “Poseidon” has significant growth potential, with planned, phased-in technological improvements that extend global reach, payload capacity, and higher-operating altitude.
“The travel is pretty cool working with this command,” said Rodriguez. “We aren’t on a ship, but we still get to see some pretty awesome places.”
Serving in the Navy means Rodriguez is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances, and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Rodriguez is most proud of earning “Sailor of the Year” honors.
“It took working well above my pay grade,” said Rodriguez. “I cleaned up the programs that I took over and I am using those skills now that I am at this command.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Rodriguez and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy is like having any other job, but you know that what you are doing will provide defense and security for the country,” said Rodriguez.
Some Thoughts for Employee-Benefits Season
— “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of the employees, they will take care of the clients.” — Richard Branson The famous white duck, perhaps the most recognizable mascot on television, just may be the most effective marketer in the insurance industry. Before you finished that sentence, you knew who
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— “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of the employees, they will take care of the clients.” — Richard Branson
The famous white duck, perhaps the most recognizable mascot on television, just may be the most effective marketer in the insurance industry. Before you finished that sentence, you knew who I was talking about — the Aflac Duck. The supplemental-insurance benefits that duck promotes are vast — ranging from $120 for a hospital visit, to large lump-sum payments for a cancer diagnosis. These payments are no doubt a welcome relief during a trying time.
Short-term benefits
Although there are some on-going payments provided by the insurance company, these policies generally provide short term benefits. The premium, as low as $5-$6 per week per policy, is paid by the employee directly from payroll, and coverage is guaranteed issue in most cases.
The bigger risk — long term disability
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 26 percent of Americans live with a disability, with the most common challenges being mobility, cognition, and independent living. (See www.cdc.gov/disabilities)
The impact of a long-term disability, however, should not be understated. A long-term disability is exponentially more devastating than short-term disabling events. Your cost of care goes up while your income goes down, often leading to unexpected expenses, debt, bankruptcy and even divorce. Your quality of life suffers, and you may have to apply for Social Security disability.
Group LTD (long-term disability) plans are an incredibly effective solution, but too many employers have not been presented with these plan options.
The typical group LTD plan provides employees with 60 percent of their earnings, after a waiting period of 90-180 days. That payment continues indefinitely, as long as your disability keeps you out of work. Most plans continue to pay you all the way to age 65 or 67.
Life-changing benefits
Ideally, we should consider an individual plan to supplement group coverage, but a group LTD policy provides foundational and truly meaningful benefits.
Consider a 40-year old with a $50,000 annual income who experiences a disabling event. That group policy will pay him $30,000 per year for 27 years. I’ll do the math for you — that’s $810,000.
Once employees become disabled, the employer is not required to keep them on the payroll if they can’t perform their job function. Having this type of plan is a life-changer for your employees, their families, and potentially for your business. (LTD plans have additional benefits for owners and key employees).
Considering your options
Must be expensive, right? That must be why employers don’t offer group disability plans. Recently, we quoted a group in a retail/blue collar industry (the industry matters). The cost was only about $9 per month per employee.
The leverage obtained by using employer-paid group benefits goes beyond cost. All employees are eligible, regardless of any pre-existing conditions, because group plans can qualify for guaranteed insurability — no underwriting.
Successful businesses, those that have thrived, overcome various economic cycles, survive business transitions and generational successions, have commonly demonstrated open-minded leadership, have forward-looking, trusted advisers, and loyal, dedicated and satisfied employees.
During renewal season, it’s easy to get bogged down by the decisions we have to make about our group medical and dental plans, but let’s educate our employees on additional benefits as well.
Brian Winchell is a senior benefits advisor at CH Insurance, and founder of Life Insurance CNY, an insurance-only financial-services brand. With nearly 20 years of broad-based experience in the financial services industry, he works with consumers, business owners, investment managers, financial planners, HR and benefits managers, attorneys and accountants to review existing plans and design insurance-based solutions. Contact Winchell at (315) 552-5344 or email: bwinchell@chinsurance.cc
State: No 2020 cost rise for most NY State of Health enrollees
“There will be no cost increase for nearly all” 2020 enrollees in NY State of Health, New York State’s health-plan marketplace, state officials say. That includes consumers enrolling in Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, as well as those enrolling in qualified health plans who receive tax credits, according to an Oct. 31 news release
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“There will be no cost increase for nearly all” 2020 enrollees in NY State of Health, New York State’s health-plan marketplace, state officials say.
That includes consumers enrolling in Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, as well as those enrolling in qualified health plans who receive tax credits, according to an Oct. 31 news release from the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Consumers who receive premium tax credits will see no change, or in some cases a small decrease, in the cost of coverage compared to 2019.
Consumers must enroll or renew by Dec. 15 for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2020. Enrollment in the Essential Plan, Medicaid, and Child Health Plus plans is open all year.
The open-enrollment period for New Yorkers who want health-insurance coverage in 2020 through NY State of Health is underway. Open enrollment for qualified health plans started Nov. 1 and will continue through Jan. 31, 2020. New enrollees were able to start applying for coverage on Nov. 1. Current enrollees may begin renewing coverage on Nov. 16, Cuomo’s office added.
The marketplace offers a choice of health plans across all marketplace programs in every county of the state, with free in-person assistance available to help consumers shop for and enroll in plans that fit their needs.
In New York, the number of uninsured people has been reduced by 1.2 million since 2010, including 1 million since the NY State of Health marketplace opened in 2013. More than 4.8 million people are currently enrolled in coverage through NY State of Health, Cuomo’s office said.
“As we begin our seventh open enrollment period, New York remains more committed than ever to getting New Yorkers covered,” Donna Frescatore, executive director of NY State of Health (nystateofhealth.ny.gov), contended in the release. “We are proud of our success lowering the state’s uninsured rate and will work to help more New Yorkers gain access to the affordable health care they deserve in 2020.”
Open enrollment: Not just about group health-plan selection anymore
Remember how open enrollment used to go? Your agent would come to your business location, review the goals of your company and how they related to the health-insurance plans you offered to employees. You would review benefit levels, deductibles, claims experience (for larger companies), how many plan choices to provide, and what funding levels you
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Remember how open enrollment used to go? Your agent would come to your business location, review the goals of your company and how they related to the health-insurance plans you offered to employees. You would review benefit levels, deductibles, claims experience (for larger companies), how many plan choices to provide, and what funding levels you wanted to pursue. There was real flexibility in the way your agent could tailor your coverage offerings to meet and exceed your company’s and your employees’ needs.
Where did the good times go? The Affordable Care Act and rising health-insurance costs have permanently changed things. Plan differentiation is minimal, costs are continuing to rise, benefit levels have gone down, deductibles are up, and funding levels have become difficult conversations, as no one feels good when they are done.
I am here to tell you the excitement is back — and in fact, it may be more exciting than ever. As a direct result of the changes described above, the lifestyle-benefits space has exploded.
Health plans and coverage offerings have stabilized with high-deductible plans here to stay. Lifestyle benefits have become the way in which employers can ensure that their greatest asset, their people, have access to plans and options that allow them to be properly insured when dealing with life’s challenging moments. Beyond group health-care coverage, lifestyle-benefit offerings like accident insurance, individual/group life insurance, supplemental disability insurance, and cancer protection create the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have accounted for as many of these “moments” as possible.
Lifestyle benefits are not limited to health-care-related and supplemental coverages, however. They have expanded into areas like pet insurance, which has become a popular option for families looking to avoid the financial stress that trips to the veterinary clinic can create.
Similarly, personal property and casualty insurance products go well beyond home and auto insurance. They now include coverages like a personal umbrella to layer your coverage for increased personal-liability protection and unique property coverages to provide protection in today’s technologic world. For example, there is a subscription-based insurance product to protect cell phones, gaming consoles, jewelry, and more with no deductibles.
We are also finding that providing convenient ways to allow employees to review their lifestyle-benefits options can help educate them on how to best incorporate the benefits into their lives. We’ve worked with companies to provide customized landing pages so employers can share the lifestyle benefits that are available to their employees. Information can also be sent to significant others and family members by quickly copying and pasting a unique URL into their browser. Employees don’t have time to sit around the dinner table, hovering over a piece of paper, discussing their insurance options anymore. It’s key that the lifestyle-benefits discussion is made to fit into our daily lives in 2020.
Insurance technology is growing with a mission of making enrolling in benefits more convenient than ever before — whether it’s groups of 10 to groups of 1,000-plus members. By utilizing an online-benefits portal, employers can expand their benefit offerings without additional paperwork, increase employee understanding of benefits, and simplify open enrollment.
There’s no need to print packets of information for your employees with long forms to fill out. Using a portal, employees can see plan descriptions, helpful tools, manage their elections, and view any outstanding benefits enrollments. In addition, the employer can manage administration more efficiently through advanced reporting features that strive to help improve the health and welfare of their employee population through higher participation rates in available benefits offered. All of these things are geared to help create a more engaged workforce, which is a top goal for employers in this increasingly tight labor market.
Tucker Lounsbury is president of NBT Insurance Agency. He has 24 years of experience in the insurance industry, which includes underwriting experience for a national insurance carrier, starting his own agency, and taking on significant executive-leadership roles.
NBT’s Wiles named to Risk Management Association board
NORWICH — NBT Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: NBTB) announced that Amy Wiles — its executive VP and chief credit officer and chief risk officer — was elected to the Risk Management Association’s (RMA) board of directors. The RMA is a not-for-profit, professional association that advances the use of sound risk-management principles in the financial-services industry, NBT
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NORWICH — NBT Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: NBTB) announced that Amy Wiles — its executive VP and chief credit officer and chief risk officer — was elected to the Risk Management Association’s (RMA) board of directors.
The RMA is a not-for-profit, professional association that advances the use of sound risk-management principles in the financial-services industry, NBT said in a news release. RMA has 1,900 institutional members that include banks of all sizes as well as nonbank financial institutions. They are represented in the association by 18,500 individuals located throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia/Pacific.
Wiles has more than 35 years of experience in banking. She joined NBT in 2015 as senior VP and chief credit officer, and was promoted in 2017 to her current position. Prior to joining NBT, Wiles had previous senior management experience with both KeyBank and JP Morgan Chase, per the release.
A native of Syracuse, Wiles earned her bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and her MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
NBT Bancorp is a financial holding company headquartered in Norwich, with total assets of $9.7 billion as of Sept. 30. The company primarily operates through NBT Bank, N.A., a full-service community bank, and through two financial-services firms. NBT Bank has about 150 branches in six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
MVCC Trustee Mathis named to lead national organization of community college trustees
UTICA — Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Trustee David Mathis is one step away from leading the nation’s largest organization of community college trustees, the college recently announced. Mathis, of Utica, was recently named chair-elect of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), which represents more than 6,500 trustees at over 1,200 community colleges across
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UTICA — Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Trustee David Mathis is one step away from leading the nation’s largest organization of community college trustees, the college recently announced.
Mathis, of Utica, was recently named chair-elect of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), which represents more than 6,500 trustees at over 1,200 community colleges across the nation, MVCC said in a news release. Mathis has previously served as vice chair and secretary/treasurer of the ACCT board’s executive committee and is currently serving as northeast regional director.
Mathis is the director of the Oneida County Office of Workforce Development, a position he has held since 1986.
“Our community colleges are facing both great challenges to preserve access but also great opportunities to provide the training and education for the technology-based jobs that are being created in our economy,” Mathis said. “Trustees are the ones who face the ultimate fiscal reality of doing more with less while ensuring that the gains colleges have made in serving the neediest students are not lost.”
Mathis, an MVCC graduate who also graduated from Utica College, joined MVCC as a trustee in 1977, per the release. He has served as VP of the board from 2002 to 2004 and 2011 to 2013, and has been chair of the board of trustees three times — with terms held from 1983 to 1987, 2004 to 2006, and 2013 to 2015.
Named a “Living Legend” by the Oneida County Historical Society, Mathis has been a long-time member of many community boards, and currently serves on boards including Stanley Center for the Arts, New York State Workforce Investment Board, The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, Insight House, Oneida County NAACP, MVCC Alumni Association, and the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES School & Business Alliance Program.
MVP Health Care outlines new health-benefit options
SCHENECTADY — MVP Health Care on Nov. 1 announced a lineup of new health-insurance benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2020. At the start of the new year, MVP’s members will have access to a no-cost health-savings account, on-demand telemedicine visits, a national network of providers, and the chance to earn up to a $600 through its
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SCHENECTADY — MVP Health Care on Nov. 1 announced a lineup of new health-insurance benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2020.
At the start of the new year, MVP’s members will have access to a no-cost health-savings account, on-demand telemedicine visits, a national network of providers, and the chance to earn up to a $600 through its well-being incentive program.
Schenectady–based MVP Health Care operates a Syracuse office at 333 West Washington St., an Endwell office at 3660 George F Highway, and another location at 421 Broad St. in Utica, per its website. MVP has a total membership of more than 700,000 people, including more than 600,000 in New York state, according to Michelle Golden, a company spokesperson.
The open enrollment period for health-insurance coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2020 started on Nov. 1 for new members and begins Nov. 16 for returning members, the health insurer said.
Beginning in January 2020, MVP said it will waive administrative fees for members wanting to enroll in or use a health savings account (HSA) with a qualified high-deductible health plan. An HSA is a personal, tax-free checking account that members can use to help offset health-care costs. An HSA can pay for qualified, out-of-pocket, health-related expenses, including an annual deductible.
MVP’s members can also utilize its telemedicine tool, myVisitNow, to connect with a doctor or other health-care professional, such as a mental-health counselor or psychiatrist, using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. MVP’s telemedicine service allows the user to see the same counselor, psychiatrist, or dietician each time to “build relationships and provide continuity of care.”
MVP Health Care started offering telemedicine to its members on Jan. 1, 2017, Golden tells CNYBJ.
Since September 2018, MVP has seen a 50 percent increase in the use of its telemedicine app. The insurer states that 29 percent of all visits have been for behavioral health or psychiatric needs. In addition, overall enrollment and utilization specifically for behavioral health visits has increased 193 percent, MVP added.
MVP is allowing members to earn up to $600 with “well-being” rewards for making healthy choices in various lifestyle categories such as: social, physical, and mind and spirit. Some of the activities that will qualify members for the rewards include participating in a yoga class, purchasing an activity tracker, taking an art class, or even buying a museum subscription.
Latest SBA Syracuse Emerging Leaders class graduates
SYRACUSE — The owners of 20 participating companies in the 2019 Emerging Leaders class have completed the program. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Oct. 29 honored the group at the annual graduation ceremony, which was held this year at Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. “Our graduates have just spent months
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SYRACUSE — The owners of 20 participating companies in the 2019 Emerging Leaders class have completed the program.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Oct. 29 honored the group at the annual graduation ceremony, which was held this year at Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
“Our graduates have just spent months analyzing their business financials, identifying sales trends, leveraging resources, learning new management skills, and planning how to sustainably expand their business. I am positive that each graduate stands better prepared to face new challenges and opportunities for their small business,” Bernard J. Paprocki, SBA Syracuse district director, said at the graduation ceremony.
The Emerging Leaders initiative provides free entrepreneurship education and training for executives of small, poised-for-growth companies that are potential job creators. This intensive executive entrepreneurship series includes nearly 100 hours of classroom time. It also provides opportunities for small-business owners to work with experienced coaches and mentors, attend workshops, and develop connections with their peers, local leaders, and the financial community.
Ellen Goldberg, co-owner of CrossFit Syracuse, LLC, shared her experience at the ceremony as the class of 2019 speaker.
“I applied for the Emerging Leaders program with the focused goal of expanding our space this year. I was looking for a how-to guide on applied financial analysis and commercial loans. It felt like the course came at the perfect moment to help me solve a one-time problem. Over the course of this program, I learned so much that was relevant to my immediate situation, but I also picked up habits that have forever changed my entrepreneurial lifestyle. I began thinking of everything in terms of repeatable processes, systems that will serve me now, but also in every other challenge I face in the future of my business. Thank you to our teacher, John Liddy, for guiding us with humor and empathy, to the Syracuse SBA for hosting this invaluable program and supporting our dreams, and to my fellow classmates for all you have shared and taught me,” said Goldberg.
The SBA program is made possible through support from local cosponsors that include Blackstone LaunchPad; CenterState CEO; CNY TDO; City of Syracuse Office of Neighborhood and Business Development; Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship; MACNY; Onondaga County; Onondaga Small Business Development Center; SUNY ESF; Syracuse SCORE Chapter; the Downtown Committee of Syracuse Inc.; the Tech Garden; and the WISE Women’s Business Center.
Bergmann hiring for new Binghamton office
BINGHAMTON — Bergmann — a Rochester–based architecture, engineering, and planning firm with an office in Syracuse — is hiring for its new office in Binghamton. The firm is an anchor tenant in the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator at 120 Hawley St. in Binghamton. Bergmann plans to hire urban planners and civil engineers to join that
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BINGHAMTON — Bergmann — a Rochester–based architecture, engineering, and planning firm with an office in Syracuse — is hiring for its new office in Binghamton.
The firm is an anchor tenant in the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator at 120 Hawley St. in Binghamton.
Bergmann plans to hire urban planners and civil engineers to join that office. Those interested can apply at www.bergmannpc.com/careers, the company said.
A Bergmann employee from the firm’s Syracuse office is currently handling work in the new Binghamton venue, the company tells CNYBJ in an email.
The Binghamton office joins five other Bergmann locations in New York, including Syracuse, Horseheads, Albany, Buffalo, and its headquarters in Rochester. It is Bergmann’s 15th office nationwide.
Bergmann says its recent projects in the Binghamton region include the Village of Endicott iDistrict revitalization strategy and the Greater Binghamton Fund.
“Bergmann has served Greater Binghamton for more than 30 years with design and planning projects throughout the region,” Andy Raus, senior VP at Bergmann, said in a statement. “During this time of economic evolution for the area, we’re excited to establish an office in Binghamton, especially in a space as energetic, innovative and entrepreneurial as the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator.”
Bergmann services clients across the U.S. and Canada. The firm has more than 400 professional and technical staff in the Northeast, Midwest, and Atlantic regions.
Career Assistance for Veterans Available at Local Job Centers
On Nov. 11, our country celebrates Veterans Day. This day provides our nation the opportunity to honor all those who served and sacrificed for our country. It also offers a chance to acknowledge some of the practical difficulties’ veterans encounter in transitioning from military life back to civilian. One of the biggest concerns returning veterans
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On Nov. 11, our country celebrates Veterans Day. This day provides our nation the opportunity to honor all those who served and sacrificed for our country. It also offers a chance to acknowledge some of the practical difficulties’ veterans encounter in transitioning from military life back to civilian.
One of the biggest concerns returning veterans face is finding a job back home. Given this, many state and federal resources for returning veterans are focused on job placement and career development. The hope is that providing resources that lead to an occupation and financial stability for veterans will directly benefit the veteran and his or her family members in more ways than one.
In order to assist veterans in gaining employment, New York State Career Centers —which are located in Jefferson, Oswego, and Onondaga counties — are staffed with specially trained personnel dedicated to servicing veterans. These trained specialists are known as Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVERs). They are veterans themselves and can easily relate to what it is like to be in the military and the challenges that veterans face following their service. It is hoped that these LVERs can serve as a bridge between a veteran and an employer, which will lead to a fulfilling career that is beneficial to both the veteran and employer.
LVERs are tasked with working with businesses, industry leaders, and community organizations to promote the hiring of veterans. In addition, they provide services, such as job training, job matching, and job placement for veterans, inform federal contractors of the process to hire qualified veterans, and promote credentialing and licensing opportunities for veterans. To find an LVER, visit www.labor.ny.gov/vets/employspec/veteransemployspec.shtm.
Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists, which are also located at the same career centers, provide more intensive case-management services to veterans with disabilities. DVOP specialists themselves are disabled veterans. They provide individual employment plans, job referrals, referrals to training and support services, and résumé and interview-preparation assistance to disabled veterans. To learn more, visit https://labor.ny.gov/vets/employspec/dvop.shtm.
A degree or coursework is sometimes necessary depending on the veteran’s next career pursuit. The state also provides Veterans Tuition Awards for full- or part-time study for eligible veterans. These awards are provided for classes taken at undergraduate or graduate institutions or at an approved vocational training program. Full-time students can receive awards up to the full cost of tuition. For the 2019-20 academic year, the maximum annual full-time award is set at $7,070. More information on this award and other tuition awards such as the Military Service Recognition Scholarship and the Regents Award, which are available to veterans’ family members, can be found at www.hesc.ny.gov.
The time of reintegration is critical and often the most difficult for veterans and their families. Career assistance during this period is one way that can help. For broader services, the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs has veteran-benefits advisors who work with veterans on a case-by-case basis to connect them with services and benefits they may need. If you are a veteran or a family member of a veteran, you can contact a benefits advisor at (888) 838-7697 or online at www.veterans.ny.gov.
William (Will) A. Barclay is the Republican representative of the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact him at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or (315) 598-5185.
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