Insights and Perspectives

Ask the Experts: Navigating Veteran Employment in North Carolina

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:43:00 GMT

Every year, hundreds of thousands of dedicated service members transition from military service to civilian life, bringing with them unparalleled discipline, leadership, and technical skills. However, the process of translating those achievements into a successful civilian career is often complex. Veterans frequently face challenges like deciphering their military experience for civilian resumes and navigating a new professional culture. This Veterans Day, we explore how government programs can address veterans' needs, such as skill transfer, job search assistance, and access to training programs, ensuring a smooth transition to civilian life.

This Q&A from a recent webinar hosted by Geographic Solutions focuses on the North Carolina Works Veteran Portal, which assists veterans transitioning to civilian jobs. Chris Silvers and Amy Pritchett from the North Carolina Department of Commerce discussed the portal's development, challenges, and features such as the military occupational code (MOC) job search, Veterans Crisis Line, and HIREvets Medallion program. They highlighted the portal's accessibility to veterans and their spouses, along with the importance of personalized resources and collaborative efforts.

SPEAKERS

Q: Among the key challenges in designing and launching the NC Works veterans portal, what are some of the main issues you’re encountering while working with veterans in North Carolina?

Chris Silvers:

One of our challenges was developing the overall concept. Initially, we started with a mobile app designed exclusively for veterans to provide support. This app was our initial approach before we transitioned to what is now known as our veterans portal. Creating and refining this concept was a key part of our process.

The other challenge was the content. We aimed to deliver all essential information to veterans without overwhelming them. Given the vast amount of information available today, we wanted to share it all, but in a manageable way. It took nearly 10 months from initial mock-up to go into production, giving us ample time to address many challenges. However, some issues persist, such as keeping resource links current. We provide numerous resources to veterans, but sometimes these links become inactive, their certificates expire, or the websites themselves go offline. We typically review them quarterly, but whenever our staff identifies issues, we aim to get them fixed as soon as possible.

Another challenge we sometimes mention, especially for anyone planning to do this in the future, is that we often have trouble agreeing on logos or colors. That was one of the hurdles we encountered, but we finally resolved those issues, and I think it looks good now. Those were our biggest challenges.

Q: We know that the NC Works general site is for all job seekers, but the veteran site is tailored to their specific needs. So how does the portal specifically address those unique needs compared to the general NC Works site?

Amy Pritchett:

Yes, as you mentioned, our NCWorks site covers all the needs of individuals and employers for workforce activities, including job connections, training, and Labor Market Information (LMI) data access. With the NC Works veterans portal, we've adapted this concept specifically for veterans and employers hiring veterans. Essentially, the veterans portal builds on our NCWorks platform, providing the same features but tailored to veterans' needs. When veterans visit the portal, they should feel it's designed for them. We've added a Military Occupational Code (MOC) search feature to the homepage for job searches. This MOC job search is also accessible under the Employment tab of the Veterans Portal.

To better serve veterans, we've also added the Veterans Crisis Line to the footer of every page on the portal. We believe it's important to provide a quick link or contact number for them, which is accessible on all pages. Additionally, veterans can view the portal without logging in, which includes access to all our resources and links. Overall, while it offers the same functionalities as NCWorks, we tailored it more specifically to meet veterans' needs and provide relevant resources.

Q: We understand the Florida Veterans Portal may have inspired the North Carolina version. Could you specify which features you adopted from Florida and outline the innovations North Carolina added to improve that model?

Chris Silvers:

Our initial inspiration came in 2017 when our Employment Services Director saw the Florida site and recognized its potential. We adopted the Geographic Solutions general portal structure and many of the default resources, such as employment links for job seekers and employers. Where we really focused our innovation was in creating specialized tools and localized content to better serve our specific veteran population.

One of our most significant additions is the feature sometimes called the MOC crosswalk, which Amy previously mentioned. This tool allows veterans to input their MOC and automatically translate those military skills into corresponding civilian job skills; this is essential during the transition phase. recognizing that many service members may be new to the civilian job market, we created direct, highly visible links to local and regional job fairs specific to where they are transitioning, alongside ensuring easy access to links for utilizing the GI Bill and other education/training programs.

In September 2021, we added a feature that integrates direct links and search capabilities for employers participating in the Department of Labor’s HIREVets Medallion Program, helping veterans specifically target demonstrably vet-friendly employers. Finally, to make the portal feel truly ours, we replaced the generic stock photos with high-quality, personalized images taken directly from the various military bases across North Carolina, creating a much more relatable and welcoming aesthetic compared to other representative portals.

Q: What do you think are some challenges veterans encounter when transitioning from military service to civilian employment? Additionally, how does the NC Works veterans portal assist in addressing these challenges?

Amy Pritchett:

Veterans encounter many challenges when transitioning from military to civilian employment. These include translating military skills into civilian language, navigating unfamiliar job markets, figuring out hiring processes, and understanding the differences between corporate culture and military culture. They may also have difficulty or face challenges in identifying career pathways that match their military experience, accessing training or certification programs, or building professional networks outside of their military community.

The NC Works veterans portal is designed to help address these challenges by providing a centralized platform specifically for veterans and their families. It offers tools like the MOC search to help transfer military skills to civilian roles, along with career counseling, job search support, resume translation, training resources, and connections to employers who value military experience. Additionally, it links veterans to supportive services such as education, employment workshops, and partner agencies, ensuring they receive the guidance and resources needed for a successful transition to meaningful civilian careers.

Q: What kind of incentives or benefits do employers receive, besides the exceptional employees they gain from participating in the medallions program?

Chris Silvers:

The program has been very successful, and our veterans portal specifically targets employers that qualify for the HIREVets Medallion program and their job listings. This program is the Department of Labor's only federal award recognizing a company's commitment to hiring, retaining, and supporting veterans in professional development. What's interesting is that employers participate primarily for visibility, as there are no direct monetary incentives offered. Their main benefit, besides gaining great employees, is the prominent recognition on our site.

The medallion structure itself is tiered based on employer size—small, medium, and large—with varying eligibility criteria for each. Employers can strive for either Platinum or Gold status, each requiring them to meet specific benchmarks regarding the number of veterans hired, retention rates, and the frequency and depth of professional development offered. In our system, we visually represent this by displaying the actual medallions directly next to the employer names and their job listings. This instantly signals to veterans, and frankly to any job seeker, that these employers are highly regarded and committed to a veteran-friendly workplace.

Final Thoughts:

We want to thank Amy and Chris again for taking the time to join us today, and a special thank you to all of our veterans. We truly appreciate your service and are excited to showcase your contributions. We're also proud to highlight our partner’s NC Works veteran portal, which offers vital resources to help individuals transition seamlessly to civilian life.

Follow the link here to listen to the full webinar

At the Intersection of Vocational Rehabilitation and Accessibility

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 17:17:39 GMT

With the impact of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, to the rise of hybrid work, 2025 promises to be a transformative year for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and accessibility.

These changes influenced Geographic Solutions to host a timely discussion on trends in vocational rehabilitation and accessibility with Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation's (CSAVR) Chief Executive Officer, Steve Wooderson and Director of Business Relations, Kathy West-Evans. The panel also included Joe Devon, GAAD Foundation Chair, and the Founder of A11y Audits, a boutique consultancy that derives its name from the numeronym for the word accessibility.

Throughout his career, Wooderson has been acutely involved in public VR programs with over 40 years of service in the industry, initially starting his career as a counselor with the Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. At CSAVR, his guiding principles are still very much intertwined with the programs he supported at the beginning of his career.

“We help folks with disabilities return to work, find new employment, and gain skills necessary to retain employment through a variety of different employment-related services,” said Wooderson during the webinar of his work with VR and at CSAVR.

West-Evans’ career began in 1978 working at the community, state, federal, and national levels during what has become over a 45-year tenure in the industry. At the beginning of her career, she worked as a vocational consultant and manager of the Projects with Industry program at the Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center. From there, she joined Washington State’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, holding several positions over a 14-year tenure. She worked at the Federal level in the Rehabilitation Services Administration for close to ten years before being hired by CSAVR.

“Twenty-eight percent of people in the United States are individuals with disabilities, and disability can happen at any time during your life, including the employment life cycle,” said West-Evans communicating the importance of VR to the career journey.

Perhaps most well known as co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Devon is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and public speaker. He’s consistently at the forefront of technological advancements, especially with accessibility.

“Almost everybody does work that is connected to a computer, and any at any place that touches a computer, you need to make sure that there’s digital accessibility,” said Devon.

Devon’s inspiration for accessibility stems from his father. He observed the challenges his father would go through after losing his eyesight and hearing. It would take all day for his father to do a simple task, such as visiting a bank using a standard ride-share program.

In an article that first appeared in the Jewish Journal, Devon stated that he believed developers and designers were not making websites inaccessible out of malice, but simply out of ignorance. Thus, his journey began.

How does this tie in with VR? Keep reading!

VR at its Core: A Brief History

CSAVR, the organization represented by Wooderson and West-Evans, was initially formed to maintain and enhance a strong, effective, and efficient national program of public VR which, in partnership with education and business, and the workforce system, empowers individuals. The Council is made up of chief administrators of public agencies serving individuals with physical and mental disabilities in the states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

Within CSAVR is the NET, or National Employment Team, a network of 78 public vocational rehabilitation programs united in serving its customers. The NET is based on a dual customer strategy, connecting the talents of candidates with disabilities to the employment needs of business.

VR established its roots in the World War I era. The Soldier’s Rehabilitation Act of 1918 helped hundreds of thousands of soldiers returning home with war-related disabilities. The Act essentially sparked the first vocational rehabilitation program, establishing training for injured veterans to find new jobs. The act also created a federally-funded program to help veterans find employment in civilian jobs. The success of this program made it easy for Congress to extend its offerings to civilians through the 1920 Smith-Fess Act.

Since then, there have been a lot of changes to the program. But its core mission remains the same – provide a variety of different services, including career counseling, skills training, job career placement, workplace accommodations, support services, and working with businesses for job placement.

Today, the program is still constantly evolving. Many of the trends that are causing transformation and disruption in similar industries that are tied back to employment, are also affecting VR.

Where Does VR and Accessibility Intersect?

Employment and the activities around finding a job, upskilling, reskilling, or applying for benefits more often are found at this intersection. From legislative mandates, to simply using a mobile device to search for jobs, VR and accessibility have many intertwined waypoints.

“Accessibility and independence for individuals, as well as accessibility in the workplace, are key elements of the work that we do, supporting people in their training, their careers and independence” said West-Evans.

Devon built upon West-Evans’ sentiments adding that as the world becomes more technology driven, there are even more intersections between VR and accessibility.

“When you’re doing work remotely, it’s almost all digital accessibility…this very platform that we’re on is a prime example,” said Devon, referencing the GoToWebinar platform for virtual meetings.

The Influence of AI

There is no shortage of industries that AI has touched. VR and accessibility are no exceptions.

“We’re seeing artificial intelligence being developed and deployed to assist with communications between the VR staff and the VR customer, even to the point of reminders, appointments, and initial information gathering,” said Wooderson. “It still blows my mind.”

Wooderson added that there is still a ways to go in understanding how AI maximizes access to employment for VR customers. He advised that caution still be applied to developing AI tools for employment, especially to combat bias, and that the disability community remain vigilant in the design of products that use AI.

"Hire talent with disabilities to be part of the team that is developing the tools," recommended West-Evans.

Devon hosts a podcast called Accessibility and AI. Being a part of this production has exposed Devon to many AI tools, some because of captioning and transcription. Devon talked about how in this instance, it’s still very important to put a human in the loop.

“The way I view AI is that it’s all very highly connected to disability because artificial intelligence is trying to emulate all of the different sensations, senses, and generative abilities,” said Devon.

What’s in Store for Vocational Rehabilitation and Accessibility?

From AI and automation in vocational training, to the expanded need for digital accessibility for job seekers with disabilities, these two industries will continue to intertwine. Coupled with the rise of hybrid work and the need for personalization in Individualized Plans for Employment, the software industry will have the opportunity to rise to the occasion with new solutions that bring both features that are both accessible and poised to assist in rehabilitation.

Towards the end of Pathways to Employment: Empowering Abilities, Devon imparted wisdom about the uncertainties around AI with regards to both VR and accessibility, and employment in general, but also his innate excitement.

“Don’t let fear stop you from paying attention to AI and playing with it,” said Devon.

Interested in seeing the full webinar that this article is based on? Visit our Pathways to Employment page to watch.

The ADA At 31: Observing National Disability Independence Day

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 15:08:00 GMT

One of the most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act paves the way for accessibility and inclusion.

Today is National Disability Independence Day, which commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by President H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990.

The ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same equal opportunities to participate in mainstream American life. It paves the way for Americans with disabilities to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs and services.

The ADA is modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

According to Census Bureau surveys conducted in 2019, it's estimated that:

• 41.1 million people in the United States have a disability
• Of those employed between the ages of 18-64, 7.9 million reported having a disability.
• Median earnings for those with disabilities age 16 and older were $25,270.

Amending the Act

In 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) was signed into law and became effective on January 1, 2009. The ADAAA made a number of significant changes to the definition of "disability." The changes in the definition of disability in the ADAAA apply to all titles of the ADA, including Title I (employment practices of private employers with 15 or more employees, state and local governments, employment agencies, labor unions, agents of the employer, and joint management labor committees); Title II (programs and activities of state and local government entities); and Title III (private entities that are considered places of public accommodation.)

Our Commitment to Accessible and Inclusive Design

We're focused on bringing ease-of-use in our products to people with disabilities, and we're committed to ensuring our software is universally accessible. Our Accessibility Services Team devotes their time to analyzing websites, documents, and other materials for compliance with the latest accessibility guidelines. They review and ensure web pages are decipherable to enhance the user experience for all.

"We do whatever is necessary to ensure our products are accessible to as many people as possible, helping to level the playing field for all individuals, regardless of specific impairment," said Accessibility Services Team Lead, Patti Arouni.

To those celebrating today and all month long, we honor you for your uniqueness and courage.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month Highlights The Importance Of Accessibility And Inclusion In The COVID Age

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 13:59:00 GMT

National Disability Employment Awareness Month brings focus to the proliferation of accessible practices due to the global pandemic.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: An Important and Timely Observance

2020 marks two important milestones for disability awareness: the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 1945 was the year Congress initially declared the first week of October to be “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week”; the name was changed 16 years later to acknowledge individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress moved to expand the observance from a week to a month, giving us the NDEAM we know today.

To commemorate this important year, the Office of Disability Employment Policy chose to center their celebrations on the theme “Increasing Access and Opportunity”. NDEAM is a way we can celebrate American workers with disabilities and remind employers of the importance of inclusive hiring practices.

Accessibility and Coronavirus

The coronavirus has become a catalyst for digital transformation in many companies and industries. This is the age of COVID-19, and technology is at the forefront. In some cases, the pandemic has helped to level the playing field—especially for persons with disabilities. Firms large and small have adapted and created new policies meant to keep their employees safe.

In August, the New York Times published an article discussing how the coronavirus pandemic limited public life for most yet opened some doors for persons with disabilities. Thanks to modern technology, house parties, professional conferences, and improv classes became more accessible.

And, earlier this month, the Seattle Times posted that embracing universal design could make the digital world more accessible. With 26 percent of Americans having a disability, there is an opportunity as businesses and institutions reopen to become more inclusive.

Vocational Rehabilitation, Disability, and Empowerment

At Geographic Solutions, we’re working to help close gaps in digital accessibility, especially for state and local workforce agencies. In addition to crafting accessible software to assist people with all levels of ability, we also created an effective Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) case management module to track and manage individuals with disabilities as a way of supporting them in their goal of working and living independently. The module has been designed to give program staff the tools they need to improve efficiency and service delivery, while providing individuals with the necessary resources to find employment that is suitable for them.

Although the entire module focuses on helping people with disabilities find employment, some sections are unique because they focus on program eligibility, and tailoring services to maximize success. For instance:

The accommodations section of the application is designed to for use by workforce agency staff since they too have people with disabilities making use of the program.
The Health Assessment wizard in the VR Module uses a determination formula to help with finding a person with disabilities eligible for VR services.
The Individualized Plan for Employment is a key component for outlining the services needed by the person with a disability.

The Future of Disability Employment Awareness

To quote Office of Disability Employment Policy Deputy Assistant Secretary, Jennifer Sheehy, "People with disabilities are experienced problem solvers with proven ability to adapt. Now more than ever, flexibility is important for both workers and employers".

The 75th anniversary of NDEAM and the ongoing implication of coronavirus makes this the perfect time to reassess accessibility and promote inclusion for all.

Vocational Rehabilitation: Constantly Evolving to Meet Workforce Needs

Sun, 01 Jul 2018 17:38:00 GMT

The Evolution of Vocational Rehabilitation

Before the turn of the 20th century, Vocational Rehabilitation was mainly a service provided by psychologists and charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.

With incremental changes to public health policies, social, political, or both, Vocational Rehabilitation has adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of the workforce. During Theodore Roosevelt's time in office, a presidential committee deemed public health a core priority of the federal government. By 1921, worker compensation laws expanded to cover disabled workers. Towards the end of World War II, the Disabled Veterans Act ensured assistance to returning servicemen and women. And during what some consider the start of the "golden age" for the field, lawmakers passed the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1954, enabling those in higher education to train rehabilitation professionals.

The Impact of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Between the mid-20th century and today, Vocational Rehabilitation professionals and its recipients have reaped the benefits of many industry advancements, culminating with 2014's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), legislation that placed the program front and center, essentially tying it together with the most important job skill-building programs.

Geographic Solutions' Vocational Rehabilitation Module

The evolution of Vocational Rehabilitation helped lead the way for Geographic Solutions to create a module that tracks and manages individuals with disabilities on their quest toward independence. The program is designed to give staff the tools they need to improve efficiency and service delivery while providing individuals with the necessary resources needed to gain and maintain employment.

"Having all the WIOA reporting requirements in place along with the proven record of Virtual OneStop is what sets our module apart," said Geographic Solutions' Vocational Rehabilitation Business Analyst, Sandi Bilbo.

Seeking more information on Geographic Solutions' Vocational Rehabilitation module? Visit our Vocational Rehabilitation page or contact Director of Marketing and Sales, Deane Toler at DToler@geosolinc.com.