Federal Reports

The Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Service and Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) programs support veterans seeking education or training for employment. VR&E focuses on disabilities that directly impact employment, and participants must attend GI Bill approved programs (or obtain a waiver). VET TEC was created for veterans pursuing high technology training. VET TEC programs must meet less stringent approval requirements, are not approved for use under the GI Bill, and require a waiver from the executive director for VR&E participants to use them.The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this review to assess the allegation that a VET TEC training provider was knowingly enrolling VR&E participants with improper authorizations. The allegation also stated that some VR&E counselors have worked with the training provider while others have not.Upon review, the OIG substantiated the allegation that VR&E staff improperly authorized 31 participants to attend courses offered by the VET TEC training provider mentioned by the complainant. The team also identified 11 additional VR&E participants attending courses at eight other VET TEC training providers that VR&E staff improperly authorized. Because 33 of 42 VR&E participants were improperly enrolled to attend VET TEC courses, the OIG considers the $387,000 spent on those courses between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2022, as improper payments.The improper authorizations occurred because VR&E staff were not adequately informed about VET TEC and were generally unaware the program could not be used by VR&E participants. VR&E controls also did not prevent participants from being authorized for and enrolled in unapproved courses.The OIG made the following two recommendations to the undersecretary for benefits: develop and implement polices and system controls to verify programs approved meet requirements; and provide training for all appropriate VR&E regional office staff.

The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General (AmeriCorps OIG) investigated an allegation that the President of the Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps (GLCCC) misused personal identifiable information provided by prospective AmeriCorps members at recruitment sessions to enroll them in AmeriCorps' Education Award Program, even though the members did not provide service. It was also alleged that these prospective members were enrolled in the MyAmeriCorps portal with the GLCCC President’s email address. AmeriCorps OIG’s investigation found that the GLCCC President used his email address to enroll 55 individuals as AmeriCorps members, and that at least one of the individuals was unaware that they were enrolled into an AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps OIG further determined that the GLCCC President attended enrollment sessions of a partner organization that did not receive AmeriCorps funding in order to enroll members into GLCCC’s AmeriCorps program, and that hours members served for the partnership organization were counted as AmeriCorps service hours.

We make recommendations to provide clarity and updated guidance regarding the operation of childcare centers on NPS lands.

This report contains information about recommendations from the OIG's audits, evaluations, reviews, and other reports that the OIG had not closed as of the specified date because it had not determined that the Department of Justice (DOJ) or a non-DOJ federal agency had fully implemented them. The list omits information that DOJ determined to be limited official use or classified, and therefore unsuitable for public release. The status of each recommendation was accurate as of the specified date and is subject to change. Specifically, a recommendation identified as not closed as of the specified date may subsequently have been closed.