Empowering Federal Employment for Veterans Act of 2017 or the Empowering FED Vets Act
This bill requires executive agencies to establish or maintain a Veterans Employment Program Office and designate a veterans employment official to: (1) enhance employment opportunities for veterans within the agency, (2) provide employment counseling and training programs to applicants to help match the skills and career aspirations of veterans to agency needs, (3) participate in agency career development programs to leverage those programs in matching veterans' career aspirations with high-growth occupations, and (4) provide mandatory annual training to human resources employees and hiring managers concerning veterans' employment.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shall:
- facilitate coordination among such officials;
- establish a Veterans Program Office to provide government-wide leadership in recruitment and employment of veterans in the executive branch;
- regularly convene such officials for working-level meetings to share information on best practices, prospective applicants, and strategies for matching veterans with appropriate employment;
- develop mandatory annual training on veterans' employment for agency human resources employees and hiring managers;
- develop a skills-based, cross-governmental career development program for agencies;
- promote the government as an employer of choice to transitioning members of the Armed Forces and veterans;
- market the talent, experience, and dedication of such members and veterans to agencies; and
- disseminate federal employment information to veterans and hiring officials.
The bill establishes the Interagency Council on Veterans Employment, which shall:
- advise and assist the President and the OPM on matters relating to maintaining a coordinated government-wide effort to increase the number of veterans employed by the government in positions that match their skills and career aspirations by enhancing recruiting, hiring, retention, training and skills development, and job satisfaction;
- serve as a national forum for promoting employment opportunities for veterans in the executive branch; and
- establish performance measures to assess effectiveness.
The Department of Defense (DOD) shall make appropriate modifications to its SkillBridge initiative to enable federal agencies to participate as employers and trainers.