New Program Seeks to Place Unemployed Veterans in High-Demand Jobs

A new program is offering assistance to unemployed veterans hoping to land a job in a high-demand field.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Labor have partnered to offer the program, which is geared toward veterans between the ages of 35 and 60. The program provides benefits toward education costs for up to one year.

The Veteran Retraining Assistance Program, created under the Veteran’s Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, allows veterans to receive up to one year of assistance equal to the full-time Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty rate, currently $1,473 per month, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor. 

“This important tool will help those who served our country receive the education and training they need to find meaningful employment in a high-demand field,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said in the news release. “Veterans are disciplined, hardworking, goal-oriented team members who can play a vital role in helping businesses and the economy grow.”

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis for programs that begin on or after July 1.  Assistance under the program ends on March 31, 2014. 

Upon completion of a training program, the Labor Department will connect with veterans within 30 days to assist them in finding employment that uses the skills they learned, the news release said. 

“This is a true example of interagency collaboration, and we are committed to the full and speedy implementation of this program to ensure the success of our veterans in the civilian labor market,” Ismael “Junior” Ortiz, deputy assistant secretary for the Labor Department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service said in the news release.

To qualify, veterans must:

• Be 35-60 years old, unemployed on the day of application and not dishonorably discharged.
• Start education or training after July 1, 2012, in a VA-approved program of education offered by a community college or technical school leading to an associate degree, non-college degree or a certificate for a high-demand occupation as defined by the Department of Labor.
• Not be eligible for any other VA education benefit program (e.g., Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment).
• Not be enrolled in a federal or state job training program within the last 180 days.
• Not receive VA compensation at the 100 percent rate due to individual unemployability.

For more information and to learn how to apply for VRAP, veterans may go to the website or call VA’s call centers toll-free at 800-827-1000.  Veterans may also access the VRAP application online at through eBenefits, a joint project between the U.S. Department of Defense and VA.

Veterans are also encouraged to visit nearly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers across the nation for assistance.