Call for Workshop Presenters - 2022 NASWA Veterans Conference
Planners for the 2022 National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) Veterans Conference are seeking workshop presenters and panelists from external stakeholders who can provide learning opportunities for conference attendees on a variety of topics relevant to serving our nation’s Veterans, Transitioning Service Members, caregivers and military spouses, and the employers who hire them.
After several years of holding virtual events due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s event will be in-person, with a hybrid component. We will not be offering livestream, but pre-recorded sessions are an option we can discuss.
We would like to provide several Veteran-focused tracks: military spouses, disabled Veterans, significant barriers to employment, employers, state promising practices, and transitioning from the military to a civilian career. Presenters are encouraged to focus on these topics, but a list of suggested subject areas is provided below, along with more information about the conference.
Overview:
Workshop presentations and panels
Both employer panels and breakout sessions will be 60 minutes in length. Presenters should either allow time for audience questions throughout the session or leave time for questions and answers at the end to encourage interactive workshops.
- Presenters should exhibit a high level of professionalism and begin and end their presentations on time.
- Session moderators will be members of NASWA, NASWA staff, the Vets Committee, or one of our agency partners.
- There is a maximum of three presenters per panel or workshop.
- All presentations should have the primary objective of providing information, education, or opportunity for the attendees.
- Presentations should not include any overt solicitation on behalf of any individual, vendor, product, organization or commercial activity; the conference offers paid exhibit space to promote products and/or services.
- Presenters who have presented at previous NASWA events should reference that information in their proposal.
- Presenters must submit a copy of their presentation to the program committee by the designated deadline.
All presentations will be made available to conference attendees on the NASWA website after the event.
Suggested presentation topics:
Conference planners surveyed state Veterans staff who attended the 2021 event to get ideas on the types of information they would like included at the 2022 event. The top 12 requests are listed in bold italics. Some topics could easily be combined, such as serving different generations (older and younger vets) and legal issues/Veteran courts. Here is a list of suggested topics for consideration, but presenters and panelists are not limited to these subjects.
- Apprenticeship & Internship
- Assisting spouses & widows of disabled Veterans
- Building Community Relationships
- Business Services and LVERs
- Case Management SOP for DVOPs
- Compliance and the OFCCP
- Credentialing and Licensing
- DOL VETS Listening Session
- Employer Panel
- Entrepreneurship/Small Business Boot camp
- Grow with Google
- How to Serve a Disabled Veteran when You are a Disabled Veteran as Well
- How to Get a Service Animal
- How to Talk to a Veteran
- HVRP Homeless Veteran Integration Program & reporting process
- Identifying Your Community Resources
- Integrating Veterans into the Career One-Stop
- Jobs of the Future
- Leadership for Veterans Programs (for administrators)
- Legal Issues
- LinkedIn for Veterans & Military Spouses
- Marketing Veterans Services
- Microsoft Tools (hands-on session)
- Military Spouses and Caregivers
- Moral Injury
- National Labor Exchange Academy
- National Veterans Training Institute Update
- Objective Assessment Tools
- Performance Analysis, Metrics & Reporting
- Priority of Service/Veterans Preference Laws
- Racial Equity & Inclusion
- Resume Writing for Veterans
- Role of the Intensive Service Coordinator
- Serving Veterans with Brain Injuries (TBI, CTE)
- Serving Ex-offenders
- Serving Homeless Veterans
- Serving Incarcerated Veterans
- Serving LGBTQ Veterans
- Serving Military Spouses
- Serving Native American Veterans
- Serving Older Veterans
- Serving the military/Veteran family
- Serving Veterans with Mental Illness
- Serving Veterans with PTSD
- Serving Veterans with Brain Injuries
- Serving Veterans When You are Not a Veteran
- Serving Younger Veterans
- Significant Barriers to Employment
- State Veteran Benefits
- State Veteran Hiring Initiatives
- Suicide Awareness & Prevention
- The New Political Landscape
- Transition – Making it Successful
- Using Labor Market Information
- Using Social Media for Employers
- Using Social Media as a Job Search Tool
- Veterans and TANF/SNAP
- Veterans and WIOA
- Virtual Career Fairs & Hiring Event
- Virtual Networking with Other Attendees
- Virtual Service Delivery Trips & Tricks
- Virtual Service Delivery Employer Outreach
- VR&E
- What You Need to Know about UCX
- Women Veterans
- Working Remotely
- Work Opportunity Tax Credit for Veterans
Submitting a Proposal:
Proposal Format
Interested presenters need to provide the following information for either a panel, workshop or both. Multiple proposals are welcome. All proposals must be in this format:
- Presenter Name(s)
- Presenter Job Title(s)
- Company/Organization Name
- Address(es)
- Telephone Number(s)
- Email address(es)
- Proposed Presentation Title
- Proposed Presentation Description (three-paragraph maximum). Please indicate preference for Panel Discussion or Workshop.
- A 75-word Abstract Describing the Presentation for the Conference Program including at least two learning objectives
- Brief biography of each presenter
- Photograph of each presenter, preferably in jpeg format (minimum 300 dpi) for inclusion in the Conference Program
- Audio Visual Support Needed
- Has this presentation been previously given at a NASWA conference? If yes, when and where?
- Contact information for two (2) professional references (name, title, organization, email and phone number)
- Contact name and number the day of the presentation
How to Submit
Please email your proposal with all requested materials to Lori Adams, NASWA Veterans Policy Director, at ladams@naswa.org, by COB Friday, March 25, 2022.
- NASWA Vet Committee leadership will review all proposals and help select final presenters.
- Presentation proposals should include any specific A/V requirements, such as a projector, screen, laptop and wireless internet.
- If you are interested in also being part of a panel discussion, please indicate that on your proposal.
- All presenters and panelists will be notified no later than May 6, 2022, if their proposal was selected.
Thank you for your interest in the 2022 NASWA Veterans Conference.
For additional information, questions, or concerns with regard to the speaker protocol, or to request information about conference sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Lori Adams
NASWA Veterans Policy Director
ladams@naswa.org |(202) 434-8045 |(515) 418-2430 (cell)
About the Conference
The COVID-19 pandemic forced both the 2020 and 2021 conferences to be virtual, but using that forum also allowed significantly more people to participate than in previous years. A total of 1,353 people registered for the 2021 conference– a 230% increase over the 588 who attended in person in 2019. Most attendees were state employees who work directly with Veterans, eligible spouses and Transitioning Service Members, along with the Federal partners, employers and Veteran Service Organizations. We will soon be announcing keynote and plenary speakers for 2022. We will again be at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington DC. More information about the conference will be available at www.naswa.org
Conference benefits
Selected presenters and panelists can attend the conference and if in person, participate in meals and events at no charge if staying for that day only, and do not consume any meals. A discounted pro-rated fee will apply for anyone coming for the day who joins us for any meals, or reception. Registration costs at the appropriate member/non-member/sponsor/exhibitor rate will apply if presenters and panelists plan to stay for the entire conference. All other in-person expenses – hotel, parking, airfare, and ground transportation – will be the responsibility of the presenter or panelist. Please note that participation in conference planning, or sponsorship, does not guarantee selection as a presenter or panelist.
