Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses 

Priority of service means, with respect to any qualified Department of Labor employment and job-training programs, that Veterans 1 and Eligible Spouses 2 shall be given priority over non-Veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services, notwithstanding any other provision of the law.
Each of our Workforce and One-Stop Centers has staff to assist Veterans and Eligible Spouses.  Many of these Centers have Veteran Representatives who are specifically trained and dedicated to helping all qualified Veterans and Eligible Spouses in their career goals.  Among the many services they provide are:

• Career and job counseling
• Providing Labor Market Information on the jobs and employers in this area.
• Assistance in tailoring skills and abilities to the job market.
• Assistance with locally listed jobs.
• Help using the Internet to expand your job searches.
• Recommendations for training and education to qualify for better jobs and careers.
• Information on Veteran job programs and training.
• Assistance and instruction in use of the Resource Room facilities.
• Resume preparation and critique.
• Developing jobs for those Vets with barriers to employment.
• Providing referral information on social service and family support.
• Linking Vets with Department of Veterans Affairs medical and benefits information.

In addition, our staff will file search all new job orders to see if any Veterans and Eligible Spouses in our files qualify for the position and contact them immediately. Our aim is to get the best-qualified Veterans and Eligible Spouses to employers as quickly as possible.
You can call for an appointment or stop by any VEC Workforce Center for additional information.  Please be aware that some programs may have additional eligibility requirements. 

1 Veteran: a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released there from under conditions other than dishonorable.  Active service includes full-time duty in the National Guard or Reserve component, other than full-time duty for training purposes.
2 Eligible Spouse: the spouse of any of the following:

1. Any Veteran who died of a service connected disability;
2. Any member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who, at the time of application for priority, is listed in one or more of the following categories and has been so listed for a total of more than 90 days:
   1. Missing in action;
   2. Captured in line of duty by a hostile force; or
   3. Forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power;
3. Any Veteran who has a total disability resulting from a service-connected disability, as evaluated by the Department of Veterans Affairs;
4. Any Veteran who died while a disability, as indicated above in section (3), was in existence.

 Find a Job on the Virginia Workforce Connection:

 The Virginia Employment Commission is committed to assisting transitioning military, National Guard, Reserve Component Members and veterans to be productive in the civilian workforce. Employers know Veterans are diciplined and dedicated and are ready to be matched with YOU!

Services available to workers include job referral and placement, referral to training, and job search skill building activities. VEC staff assists employers by screening and referring applicants for job vacancies, providing critical labor market information for business and economic planning, and coordinating Employer Advisory Committee activities across the state.

You can quickly find a potential job on the Virginia Workforce Connection:

• Click on "Services for Job Seekers" in the Top Menu.
• In the "Quick Menu" on the left, click on "Job Search"
• You can search by military occupation by clicking the "Click Here" link next to the American flag, just below the Search button.

Be sure to register as a Job Seeker with the Virginia Workforce Connection for access to all the services available and so Employers can Find You!

File an Unemployment Claim:

• File a new claim for unemployment benefits
• Reopen an existing claim after a break has occurred in your weekly request for payments.
• File a partial Claim
• File your Continued / Weekly claim for benefits.
• Electronic Payment Method - Debit Card/Direct Deposit
• Download a 1099-G for 2011

• Click here for these online services in English
• Click here for these online services in Spanish
• Need to file in another state?

 VEC Military Base Locations:

 Transition Assistance:

The VEC operates the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) on-site at nine military bases throughout the Commonwealth representing the Navy, Air Force, Marines and U.S. Army. The TAP Program is a jobsearch workshop that prepares exiting military personnel to begin their job search in the private sector. Approximately 15,000 active military personnel are served each year through the Transition Assistance Program.

Other Resources:

• Transition Assistance Program Information
• Transition Assistance On-line