Posts Tagged ‘military veterans’

In a bid to assist unemployed veterans who are no longer eligible for education and training programs, the Labor and Veterans Affairs departments are offering up to 12 months of paid training to veterans aged 35 to 60. “They may have had entitlement to education benefits at one time, but have either used them or the time frame to use them has passed,” said Curtis Coy, the VA’s deputy undersecretary for economic opportunity. “This generous new benefit geared toward this specific cohort of veterans provides them the opportunity to jump start a new career that they may not have otherwise been able to afford …

With veterans’ unemployment hovering at a record high rate and plans for 100,000 service members to leave the military over the next five years, the nation must make addressing the challenges of veterans a priority, according to a commentary in the Washington Post. Veterans offer valuable skills to employers, yet many companies do not appreciate how the skills veterans hone on and off the battlefield can benefit them. “We need to show them and offer them tools to better incorporate veterans into the workplace …

The Massachusetts Senate last week unanimously approved legislation extending benefits and increasing access to a range of services for military personnel, their families and veterans. The Valor Act would provide an array of benefits to help veterans and active military members obtain improved business, educational and housing opportunities …

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted Friday to move the Labor Department’s Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) to the Veterans Affairs Department, a far-reaching move that would bring together all veteran employment programs under one roof to provide greater access to programs and services for veterans. “For decades, as part of DOL, the VETS program has not been as effective as it should be and it is time to try a different approach …

The Veterans Affairs Department budget would be exempt from the automatic spending cuts slated to go into effect starting next January, the Office of Management and Budget ruled Monday in response to congressional inquiries. While the decision is boon for veterans programs, it means defense programs would be forced to absorb the brunt of the $500 billion in automatic cuts that would be imposed from 2013 through 2021 …

An eight-day boot camp at Florida State University is teaching the spouses of injured veterans how to become entrepreneurs while taking of their wounded warriors. The program covers key business skills, such as where to obtain financing, as well as how to take advantage of military benefits, reported the Capitol News Service. The state of Florida last week made it easier for veterans to start their own businesses, announcing that it is waiving licensing fees. The move could save veterans’ families more than a thousand dollars.

A new guide released by the White House compiles information from a range of sources designed to help prospective employers recruit and hire military veterans. The 26-page guide answers questions such as how to locate and hire veterans, how to accommodate employees with disabilities, how to address veterans’ mental health concerns and how to interview veterans. It includes guidelines for receiving tax credits, accessing recruitment resources and seeking other information on hiring, training, retaining and supporting veterans in the workforce, according to a post on the White House blog. The guide is intended to provide an organization the information needed to recruit, retain, support and educate veterans in its home area and across the nation.

First Lady Michelle Obama began her remarks at a celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Joining Forces campaign by recounting a lengthy list of the initiative’s accomplishments. “Over the past year, more than 1,600 businesses have hired more than 50,000 veterans and spouses, and they pledged to hire at least 160,000 more in the coming years …

First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden hope to ensure the “Joining Forces” initiative results in a permanent structure that becomes part of the nation’s culture, the two said in an interview marking the one-year anniversary of the effort to recognize and support military families and veterans. The campaign’s first year has been incredibly successful, reaching its goal of obtaining commitments from 100 companies to hire 100,000 military spouses and veterans …

Unveiling a new hiring initiative to aid military spouses, First Lady Michelle Obama announced Wednesday that the Joining Forces program had secured commitments for more than 15,000 jobs that will allow military spouses and veterans to work at or close to home. The new effort will offer spouses thousands of at-home employment opportunities in areas such as customer support and telemarketing, as well as jobs that are located near military installations …