Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Business Center, 5901 East Seventh Street, Bldg 149, Long Beach, CA 90822

G -- EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT SERVICES FOR VETERANS IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA SOL RFQ 600-043-99 DUE 030599 POC G. Johnson (562) 494-5535 Request for Quotations from vendors that can provide Chapter 31 Employment Placement Services for the Vocational Rehabilitation & Counseling (VR&C) Division at the Los Angeles VA Regional Office. Current Employment Services requirement is for veterans living in the following counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Kern and Inyo. However, such services may be eventually be required throughout the VISN 22 region which includes VA Medical Centers in Long Beach, Loma Linda, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sepulveda, and Las Vegas. Overall emphasis/objective: To provide Employment Sevices within all major population areas to the extent that veterans requiring these services could conveniently take advantage of them. Specific objectives of Employment Services: To assist veterans in meeting goals of individualized Written Rehabilitation Plans (IWRPs) and/or Individualized Employment Assistance Plans (IEAPs) to the maximum extent possible, to become employable, and to obtain and maintain suitable employment. Prospective offerors shall provide employment services in two (2) phases that consist of the following elements: Phase I ":Needs Assessment, Job Seeking Skills; and Job Development"  Offerors shall provide a comprehensive inventory of the veteran's critical employability factors to include vocationally relevant information such as; (1) Age (2) Transportation Barriers (3) Presentation/Grooming (4) Family Support / Issues (5) Financial Status/Barriers (6) Legal Issues (7) Medical Needs (8) Reasonable Accommodations (9) Personal Adjustment Needs (10) Licenses / Certifications (11) Tools and Equipment (12) Education; Knowledge; Skills and Abilities (13) Additional short-term / Refresher Training (14) Other pertinent information Phase II "Placement and follow-up Services" a. Offeror shall provide/perform the following: (a) meet with veteran to initiate Job Seeking Skills Training, (b) Counseling, (c) Develop resumes/applications, (d) Assist veteran inidentifying/communicating his/her skills (e) Provide information regarding appearance and grooming, (f) Provide listings and utilization techniques for community resources to locate suitable placement including California EDD/DVOP, newspaper classified, professional journals, job hotlines, job fairs, school placement offices, direct employer contacts, etc. (g) training in telephone "cold calls" and obtaining job leads, (h) provide realistic data about earnings and the number of jobs openings in the area of interest to the veteran based on labor market orientation, (I) training in appropriate worker traits and behaviors,(j) training in interviewing, and in telephone solicitation skills, (k) training in the use of Job Search Logs to document placement activities, (m) provide copies of all resumes, applications, cover letters and employer contact sheets to VA case managers, (n) job seeking skills training. For the purpose of determining competitive range, cost/price is an important factor. Interested offerors are hereby requested to submit price estimates with responses. Multiple awards are anticipated in order to successfully satisfy this requirement. Contract period shall be one (1 ) basic year with four (4) option years. Solicitation to be available o/a 02/05/99 with quotes due o/a 03/05/99. All requests for the solicitation must be in writing to the Contracting Officer. Facsimile requests may be sent to (562) 494-5828. The requestor must include the RFQ number, requestor's name, address, telephone and fax number. Contracting Officer G. Johnson/NBC/SP PHONE: (562) 494-5535 VA Network Business Center 5901 E. Seventh Street Long Beach, CA 90822 Posted 01/21/99 (W-SN290067). (0021)

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