DVET Home > FAQ for Veterans with Disabilities
Veterans with Disabilities
Table of Contents:
- How can I find out more about this program?
- What are the DVET Enrollment Activities?
- What do you do with my personal Needs Assessment?
- What is the Technology Aptitude Checklist (TAC)?
- What is the DVET Pre-Test?
- Why do I need to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement?
- Who is going to be in charge of training?
- How will students receive the program training materials?
- How often are students in contact with the DVET trainers?
- If I have a question, how do I go about getting an answer?
- What is the role of the DVET Advisor?
- How many trainers are there? Who are they?
- How do we actually get started with training?
- How do you determine what will be included in a student´s training curriculum?
- Will I have someone to work with or is everything done online?
- Do you know what the goals of DVET candidates are?
- What happens if a student drops out of the program?
- If a company wants particular skills, how do you match them to students?
- What kind of work history do students have? Is that a concern for this program?
- Do you find that students are willing to complete training curricula on schedule?
- How do you monitor what students are doing (or not doing)?
- Will students be able to communicate with each other? How about study groups?
How can I find out more about this program?
The first step is to learn as much as you can about the basics of our DVET Training Program by reading through your DVET Student Guide! Then you should check out our website to make sure you have the latest information about the program at www.vetaccess.net.
Next, you can also set up a telephone interview with one of our program recruiters by calling (804)749-8646, or sending email to DVETinfo@Tecaccess.net. Please be sure to provide your contact information and tell us when it is a good time to contact you.
Our DVET Training Program candidates are frequently nominated by various state and federal agencies, according to criteria we have provided for this purpose. We are working to build relationships with various Veterans Affairs hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the country to help us identify qualified candidates for the DVET program. In addition, various Veterans´ Services Organizations (VSOs) are also sources of candidates and are valuable partners.
Although some candidates come to our program as experienced computer users and have some working knowledge and experience in Microsoft Office products (i.e. MS Excel and MS Word), other students have very little training in these technology products. The complete list of qualifications and criteria for DVET students in this program is located in Appendix A to your Student Guide.
We have found our incoming DVET students to be highly motivated individuals with a strong drive to succeed in our program.
What are the DVET Enrollment Activities?
The following table outlines the sequence of events associated with the candidate enrollment process:
Enrollment Activity |
Responsible Party |
Timing & Dependencies |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate is nominated for program and Candidate´s Assessment provided to TecAccess | Referring entity | N/A |
| In-person meeting with candidate | TecAccess | Within 5 working days of nomination |
| Technology Aptitude Checklist is completed and returned to TecAccess Recruiter | Candidate | Required for administration of Pre-test |
| Candidate signs Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) | Candidate | Required for administration of Pre-test |
| Candidate enrolled in program | TecAccess | 5 working days after receipt of all documentation |
| Candidate is administered DVET Pre-test | TecAccess | Within 5 working days after in-person meeting |
| Pre-test results briefed to candidate | TecAccess | 5 working days after pre-test |
| Training Manager interviews candidate | Candidate & TecAccess | 5 working days after pre-test |
| Candidate is provided Custom Training Plan | TecAccess | 5 working days after candidate interview |
| Training delivery begins | Candidate | (Immediately) |
Once the recruiter completes the personal interview, determines the candidate to be ready for the challenge of our DVET Training Program and provides the candidate with the NDA and Technology Aptitude Checklist (TAC), the candidate is considered to be eligible for the program. When the candidate successfully completes and forwards these documents to the TecAccess DVET staff, they move to the final stages of the enrollment process.
Enrollment is complete when these conditions are met:
- The NDA is signed and received by TecAccess,
- The completed TAC indicates the candidate possesses the minimal computer platform, office applications and Internet access to enable he/she to take online DVET courses, and communicate effectively with DVET training staff via email,
- The DVET Training Manager notifies the candidate via email that they have met the criteria for enrollment in the DVET Training Program, and informs the candidate what will happen next. The TecAccess Human Resources (HR) Manager and the TecAccess Information Systems (IS) Manager are copied on this notification email.
Next steps include:
- The TecAccess HR Manager will send the candidate an email with the USE OF TECACCESS COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS agreement as an attachment. The candidate must read and electronically sign this agreement, and then return it to the Human Resources Manager where it becomes part of the candidate´s Student Profile record. The USE OF TECACCESS COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS agreement is shown in Appendix E.
- The TecAccess IS Manager will set up an active email account on the TecAccess POP email server. The candidate is sent a detailed description of the new TecAccess email account with instructions for adding this account to the candidate´s local client email application(s), such as MS Outlook, Eudora or similar email tool. Alternatively, the candidate can use web-based email to communicate with the DVET training staff to send/receive training materials as required in their training curriculum.
- The Student Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is physically or electronically signed by the candidate and returned to the DVET Recruiter. This MOA is shown in Appendix F.
- The candidate is sent their Custom Training Plan (CTP), which they must review and agree to follow. The CTP has the detailed training curriculum and instructions about how to access, login and complete the online training courses that comprise their custom plan.
When the candidate receives a CTP from the DVET Training Manager they are considered to be fully enrolled in the Training Program. At this point the candidate is turned over to a Lead Instructor who will welcome the candidate to the training program and answer any remaining questions the candidate may have. The candidate is now considered a student in the program. Student access to required learning platforms or other needed training resources is confirmed by the Lead Instructor, and training begins immediately.
What do you do with my personal Needs Assessment?
When we receive a Needs Assessment for a candidate, we will use the information to help us understand how that candidate will be interacting with our course materials, the challenges they may face using assistive technology, their availability to devote specific time to training, and other important information that may influence how they will participate in our program.
The Management Team will factor the Needs Assessment into the Custom Training Plan, potential employer hiring requirements and support planning for each candidate.
What is the Technology Aptitude Checklist (TAC)?
This is a simple checklist we ask you to complete to help us understand the technical skills you possess as you enter our program. TecAccess understands this to be a self-assessment of the individual´s competency or comfort level using many of the computer based tools and techniques we recognize as crucial to working effectively in a professional work environment, and which are known to be especially valuable when the trainee is exposed to a virtual work environment.
The TAC is a listing of typical tools (programs) and activities that we feel are important to performing effectively as an IT technologist trainee or intern. The candidate is encouraged to rate their level of competency for each of the items on the list. This self-assessment will assist us in developing your Custom Training Plan and assigning an Advisor to you for the duration of your time as a DVET trainee.
You will be provided the TAC as either a hardcopy or electronic file by the TecAccess DVET Training Program Recruiter at the time your enrollment activities begin. Appendix C shows a typical TAC.
What is the DVET Pre-Test?
A Pre-test is administered to all candidates. This is an MS Word document with both multiple-choice and essay-type questions dealing with a variety of information technology (IT) and specialized technology topics. The Pre-test is designed to provide our training staff the information we need to craft a tailored training plan that will enable you to meet your career or employment goals. The information you provide also enables us to efficiently begin the process of matching you with potential employers.
It is important to note that there is no "pass-fail" for the Pre-test; it is one of the tools we use to baseline the technical skills of the candidate. The results of the Pre-test are an important element in developing a Custom Training Plan for each candidate.
Why do I need to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement?
TecAccess is a privately held technology company that is working in partnership with many state and federal agencies to deliver training under the umbrella of the DVET Training Program. When you are accepted as a trainee, you will be provided access to our corporate IT infrastructure and other company-sensitive information, processes and products. Although we are pleased to extend these support services and technical capabilities to our students, we also must protect our company´s proprietary interests and Intellectual Property. We ask you to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement to indicate you understand the importance of safeguarding TecAccess´ sensitive resources and information during the course of your training experience. The NDA TecAccess uses for DVET is shown in Appendix D.
Who is going to be in charge of training?
The Training Manager (TM) is in charge of DVET student training.
Once the candidate is enrolled, completes the Technology Aptitude Checklist, and returns the completed Pre-test to us the TM contacts the candidate to discuss his/her goals, background and interests. A draft Custom Training Plan (CTP) is then created and sent to you via email, which you should review carefully. You must indicate to the TM that you understand the elements of your CTP and the schedule and conditions we describe in your plan, and agree to follow your CTP. Once you electronically sign your agreement, it effectively finalizes your CTP. At this point the TM hands you over to your Lead Instructor, who usually sends you your first lesson via email within 24 hours.
Concurrent with finalizing your CTP, our IT manager and HR Manager set up a new TecAccess email account for you, and provide you the legal agreement DVET candidates must sign to access and use our electronic information resources (Intranet and email).
How will students receive the program training materials?
Students get many courses, lessons, quizzes and tests via email from their Lead Instructor. Some courses are accessed directly online from our training partners. SkillSoft Corporation is a premier e-Learning company we partner with to provide DVET Students with certain online, self-paced training courses. The courses that are provided on the SkillSoft online e-learning platform are described in your individual Custom Training Plan. A description of the process you must employ to gain access to the SkillSoft learning portal is provided in Appendix G to this Student Guide. Appendix H provides information regarding a highly useful SkillSoft utility that is available to our students free of charge. The utility enables you to log into your SkillSoft account, download training materials onto your local computer, then disconnect and work on your lessons without being connected to the Internet. When next you connect up to the Internet, your work is uploaded to your SkillSoft account and you can continue to work on your assignments or perform other learning tasks.
This information--how you get materials; which courses come from which location--is also described in your Custom Training Plan.
How often are students in contact with the DVET trainers?
Students are in a near-continuous email loop with their Lead Instructor as emails, documents and other information is exchanged between the student and the instructor. At some point in the training cycle we intend to enable students to communicate with DVET training staff via Instant Messenger (IM) service, if doing so makes sense to both the student and their instructor.
In practice, our DVET students may find themselves communicating with their Lead Instructor at all times of the day and night, on all days of the week weekends included. We will continue this practice unless it becomes necessary to add more structure to how we communicate with our DVET students.
If I have a question, how do I go about getting an answer?
This information is important, so we start telling candidates and students how to get answers to their questions almost from the moment they are first approached to join the DVET Training Program! The individual Custom Training Plans identify telephone numbers and email addresses for the student´s Lead Instructor, assigned Advisor and the DVET Training Manager.
In practice, the DVET candidate is in close contact with the DVET PM from the initial stages and can pose program-related questions. Also, both the Training Manager and the assigned Advisor make an effort to communicate directly with the student frequently. This gives students the opportunity to ask any technical, program or training-related questions they need answered.
DVET students can contact the Training Manager directly anytime. Please see the contact information in Appendix A.
What is the role of the DVET Advisor?
The mission of TecAccess Advisors is to enhance a DVET students´ learning, sharing of wisdom, and foster personal growth. We feel that success is often dependent on having the right help at the right time provided by someone when a student needs guidance and advice.
TecAccess employees will comprise the Advisor pool for the DVET program. TecAccess Advisors to students in the DVET Program will provide coaching, motivation, and feedback to students engaged in training. The Advisor´s role is important in this unique program, providing critical feedback to the student, instructors, and the PM.
Your Advisor will be identified in your Custom Training Plan, along with their contact information. You can expect to communicate with your Advisor on a regular basis as you progress in your training.
How many trainers are there? Who are they?
We have enough qualified trainers to easily support our program commitments. We will assign more if it becomes necessary to meet our program goals or we expand the DVET program.
In addition to the Lead Instructor, the DVET program has a support cadre of qualified Advisors and subject-matter experts to serve as Advisors and Tutors when the need arises. The Training Manager monitors the program closely and works with the Program Manager to assign training staff to meet program requirements. In addition, many of the SkillSoft courses have on-line tutors that are available 24x7 for student support.
How do we actually get started with training?
You get started with your training when you finalize your Custom Training Plan with the Training Manager. You will be turned over to your Lead Instructor on the same day, and may start to receive training materials within 24 hours after the Training Manager informs you that your CTP is finalized.
You may also receive email instructions from your Lead Instructor informing you how to access your online courses in the SkillSoft learning platform, and instructing you to begin taking online classes immediately.
How do you determine what will be included in a student´s training curriculum?
We have developed a comprehensive set of training curricula to meet our requirement to train you to meet the needs of employers. All DVET students start in Career Readiness and Desktop Skills curriculum because we feel this develops an important technology base for all of our students. In addition to a suite of technical courses, each level of training also requires certain business courses and office skill sets. Business topics deal with interpersonal skills needed to communicate effectively with co-workers and clients in a modern business environment. Desktop skills include such topics as using MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-PowerPoint applications and similar tools that are important to business activities and customers.
Employers may, with TecAccess help, develop specific curricula to meet their needs. In addition, certification curricula such as A+ and Network+ are offered. The required training courses for each student are itemized in their Custom Training Plan. The CTP´s are "living documents" which may change over time to reflect the student´s personal and professional needs, or the business requirements of potential employers.
Will I have someone to work with or is everything done online?
As currently structured the DVET courses are delivered online via email, or through the SkillSoft E-learning Learning Management System. In the future we may decide to employ other means of delivering the training, such as online conferencing and collaboration systems with live instructor-led sessions, self-paced online platform-based courseware or other means of delivering training materials in an effective manner.
Do you know what the goals of DVET candidates are?
We will attempt to personally interview each candidate to determine his or her goals. If we can´t personally meet with the candidate, the topic is likely to come up during later discussions with their Student Advisor or other member of the DVET training staff. Also, one of the questions we ask in our candidate Pre-Test is, "Why do you wish to become a trainee in our DVET technology training program?" The answers we get often give us an idea of a candidate´s personal vision and goals.
What happens if a student drops out of the program?
We notify them in writing (or via email) that they are no longer students and we take them off our roster.
If a company wants particular skills, how do you match them to students?
If a company is looking for highly skilled, trained and certified IT technologists and accessibility analysts, then our DVET program is producing the people they need!
TecAccess has established qualified staffing processes that seek to match employer requirements to prospective candidates for those positions. Students in the DVET Training Program are one source of potential candidates for these staffing and employment outreach activities.
What kind of work history do students have? Is that a concern for this program?
A student´s work history is not particularly germane to their eligibility for our DVET training program. Ours is basically a technology-focused training program, so we are more likely to be attractive to veterans who have some background in technology, or personal exposure to technology and computers.
Do you find that students are willing to complete training curricula on schedule?
The answer to this question is, "Yes!" Recently a new candidate was asked, "Are you willing to devote at least 5 hours per week on this program, with the expectation of completing a 31-hour training curriculum in about 6 calendar weeks?" The person replied immediately, "Of course. That is less than one hour a day!"
How do you monitor what students are doing (or not doing)?
There are several ways we are monitoring student progress. The first point of monitoring is the Lead Instructor, who is in close contact with the students. The Lead Instructor publishes a short weekly report that indicates to the DVET Management Team which lessons & tests have most recently been exchanged with individual students during the previous week. The report provides a simple "progress meter" showing the student´s approximately placement in the training program (percentage complete).
The SkillSoft Learning Management System also provides detailed reports on student progress and accomplishments.
The Training Manager publishes a weekly report that shows the progress of all the students in the DVET program, along with the projected graduation dates.
Will students be able to communicate with each other? How about study groups?
We will continue to explore this option with our students. When it makes sense to do so, we will set up student forums or similar discussion-focused sharing tools for use by our students and training staff.
