Noteboom The Law Firm

New Vocational Training Program Being Offered to Veterans

May 21, 2010 - One very common complaint coming from veterans returning to the civilian world is that the skills they learned in the military do not translate well into the private sector. Not being able to successfully transition back into civilian life and get a decent job in order to support themselves leads many veterans to substance abuse problems, homelessness, or worse. When a veteran comes back from war with a disability, finding a job can be even more difficult.

In response to this very real and growing problem, the Armed Forces Aid Campaign (AFAC) and The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA) have developed a new training program: Vocational Educational Training (VET).

The program is open to all disabled veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq who are leaving the military. VET offers these veterans the ability to obtain educational training in an area of work appropriate and fitting with their military experience and background.

The VET program will help to pay some of the costs not covered by other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or Department of Defense (DoD) government educational assistance programs. VET financial assistance will be reviewed for need and awarded on a case-by-case basis. Assistance will be awarded based on:

• The severity of the disability;
• The type of vocational training sought; and
• The applicants financial need.

 As a positive note for those looking to enroll in VET, the TREA has a rich history of granting both scholarships and financial assistance not only to veterans, but to their families as well.

Anything that can be done to make the transition back to civilian life easier on disabled veterans will be appreciated.