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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-5573
Veterans leaving the military and trained in telecommunications may find
themselves on a fast track to apprenticeships and jobs, thanks to a pilot
program funded by a grant from the Department of Labor with the Communications
Workers of America (CWA). The grant was announced by Deputy Secretary of Labor
Kathryn "Kitty" Higgins at the department's 17th Annual Salute to All American
Veterans on Nov. 6.
The $138,000 grant from the department's Veterans' Employment and
Training Service (VETS) will enable the CWA to develop a skills and aptitude
assessment program that will be available over the Internet. The program will
evaluate veterans' technical abilities and help them determine the best job
match for their skills, interests, and career goals. It will be pilot tested at
selected sites where VETS conducts its three-day Transition Assistance Program
(TAP) workshops for service members about to be discharged from the armed
forces.
"Veterans are highly skilled, highly creative workers who are ready,
willing and able to contribute to the economic success of any organization,"
said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "This program will help them use the
skills obtained in the military to succeed in good jobs in a growing industry."
For many veterans, this may mean immediate job placement with one of
several companies that have training and development programs with the CWA.
Other veterans who may require additional training or course work will be
directed to apprenticeship and skill certification programs that will enable
them to qualify for career building jobs in a growing industry. Veterans will
be able to use their education benefits to pay for any additional training.
"We are going to work with the employment and training community, with
employers and unions and with federal and state licensing agencies to see if we
can improve the transition process," Higgins said in making the announcement.
"Making armed services training translate to the private-sector workforce is
key to our priority of skills development and lifelong learning."
Employment projections show a growth of nearly 100,000 new jobs annually
in information services and communications. Last year, more than 132,000
service members took part in TAP workshops. Thousands of these men and women
work in communications-related military occupations.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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