GB One Stop Career Center, 1025 Main, Great Bend, KS
Veterans' Services
- Job Placement
- Referrals to Jobs
- Counseling
- Testing
- Individualized Job
Development
- Veterans Benefits Information
- Transition Assistance Program
- Referrals to other Supportive Services
- Labor Market Information
If you want assistance, visit the Great Bend One-Stop Career Center and talk with the Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER), Elwyn “Dusty” Briggs. If you have e-mail, you can write to him at vetrep@gb1stop.org The LVER is an employment specialist and has a large reservoir of information about jobs and education/ training opportunities, veterans rights and benefits, laws affecting veterans, employment trends, and all services available through the Job Service. The LVER also has information about other services available to you from other agencies including veteran organizations.
Job Placement
Veterans job placement services are provided by the local office
veterans representative. Veterans in the state of Kansas are guaranteed
priority service on all job orders. Once the job order is written, it
is not released to the public until veterans are notified that have
prior experience or desire that type of work. The LVER or assistant
will make every effort to notify qualified Veterans but here are a few
suggestions to help in the process. Make arrangements to have some way
for the representative to contact you. This may be a telephone with an
answering machine, a message number or a pager of cell phone or similar
devices. On most job orders, the sooner that you apply, the better
chance of being selected for an interview. Keep in touch with your
representative on a regular basis, if we have no contact with you for a
30-day period you will be deactivated.
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Referrals to Jobs
When checking with your Job Service Representative, we will give you a
written referral to open jobs. If you decide not to apply for a job
given, please notify us that you will not need the referral. Not doing
so might keep someone else from being able to apply for that position.
If there is a particular type of work that you are interested in another
part of the state, notify your representative and check regularly to
see if anything has come up.
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Counseling
Career counseling is available through your representative to help with
the problems that might arise in the job search. Do not be embarrassed
to ask. Everyone needs some help sometimes.
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Testing
We have several testing programs available to check your technical
expertise, to see what you need in the way of training, and to see what
your interests are. The types of technical testing are an excellent way
to show a prospective employer just what you are capable of.
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Individualized Job Development
Job development is checking with all of the employers in the area that
would hire a person with your job skills. Most times these employers do
not have an active job order with the Career Center. These employers
are polled to see if something may be coming up in the future. The best
way to advertise your skills is to check with these employers. The
representative keeps in touch with all of the local employers to keep
abreast of opportunities that may be coming up later and passing this
information to all active Veterans.
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Veterans Benefits Information
Your Local Veterans Employment Representative is your best source of
information on veterans programs and benefits. We constantly strive to
keep abreast of all program and benefit information. We also keep in
touch with benefit advisors about questions and problems.
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Transition Assistance Program
The TAP program is one of the best programs available to veterans
nearing their discharge or retirement from active duty. All of the
Veteran Representatives in Kansas work very closely with people in TAP
to try to provide information and avert discharge problems. You as a
veteran can help to avoid problems after discharge by following the TAP
recommendations while you are there. There are several things that must
be accomplished before discharge. First and foremost is to make copies
of all of your records, they will be needed later and replacing them is
a very tedious job. Next, see your educational services officer and
apply to have your military training translated to civilian college
credit. This is not free but is money well spent. Last, protect your
DD-214 and all discharge documents by having them registered with your
county courthouse when you get home. These documents are very hard to
replace if lost and you will need them. Pay close attention to what the
Tap instructors and counselors say, it is all very important!
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Referrals to other Supportive Services
When problems arise, check with your veteran representative. We have a
working relationship with all state agencies and can help put you in
touch with someone that can solve your problems. We also have contacts
in the education community that can help with you training needs. If
you don't know where to go, see us and we can help.
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Labor Market Information
Labor market information is information about the status of a
particular job or trade in the local area. This information includes:
average pay and what companies are paying best and offer the best
benefits, availability of positions, training available, locations of
positions and qualifications required. All of this information is
available through your Veterans Representative.
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