Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Permanently Fund Veteran Job Training Program
U.S. Congressmen Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to permanently fund the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET-TEC) program, a five-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans' Affairs. The VET-TEC Authorization Act would make the program available to future generations of veterans, providing them with valuable technical skills and a competitive advantage in the job market. The program has already seen success, with an 84 percent graduation rate among the 12,000 veterans who have completed it.
Key Takeaways:
- The VET-TEC Authorization Act would permanently fund the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET-TEC) program, making it available to future generations of veterans.
- The program has already seen success, with an 84 percent graduation rate among the 12,000 veterans who have completed it.
- The program provides veterans with valuable technical skills and a competitive advantage in the job market, helping them transition from the battlefield to the workforce.
- The legislation has earned the endorsement of two key Capitol leaders: Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California and House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost of Illinois.
- The VET-TEC program was originally established by Speaker McCarthy in his 2017 bill, the VET-TEC Act.
- Congressman Ciscomani's district is home to over 73,000 veterans, one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country.
- The legislation also has the support of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
Statistics:
- 12,000 veterans have completed the VET-TEC program, with an 84 percent graduation rate.
- 250,000 servicemembers transition out of the military every year.
- 73,000 veterans call Congressman Ciscomani's district home, one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country.
- The VET-TEC program has trained thousands of veterans for jobs in the tech industry.
Sources:
- "Ciscomani, Khanna introduce bipartisan legislation to permanently fund VET-TEC program." (United States House of Representatives)
- "VET-TEC Authorization Act of 2023." (American Legion)
- "Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)"
- "Disabled American Veterans (DAV)"