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Miller-Meeks & Kahele Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Veterans Reenter the Workforce

April 1, 2021

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, April 1st, 2021, Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) and Kai Kahele (HI-02) introduced their bipartisan VET TEC Enhancement Act of 2021, legislation that would increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for the high technology pilot program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Veteran Employment Through Technical Education Courses (VET TEC) is a five-year pilot program that allows eligible veterans to use G.I. Bill-style benefits to attend innovative job training programs to prepare them for future employment in the technology industry. This commonsense bill to support our veterans would increase current funding for the VET TEC program from $45 million to $125 million per year to allow the VA to enroll more veterans in this popular program.

“Our veterans gave so much to protect and serve our nation, and we are all familiar with the employment, financial, and mental health challenges many of them face when they leave the military. I have spoken to veterans’ groups in my district and across the country, and there is overwhelming support for this commonsense program,” said Miller-Meeks. “This is another highly successful avenue to assist veterans reentering the civilian workforce. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Kahele to give veterans more job opportunities.”

“No American should be left behind in today’s 21st-century workforce. That’s why I’m introducing the VET TEC Enhancement Act to fund efforts to create more opportunities within the technology industry for our men and women in uniform,” said Kahele. “With veterans making up over 10% of Hawaiʻi’s adult population, I know how crucial it is to invest in our service members’ future and empower them with the high-tech training they need to participate in an evolving labor market.”

This program ensures that our veterans have the tools they need to gain meaningful employment. To date, over 1,500 veterans have completed the VET TEC program and found well-paying jobs, with an average salary of $62,000 per year.

To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.

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