WASHINGTON — For the 200,000 troops leaving the service every year, the return to civilian life can be challenging.
Finding a job that is the right fit can be difficult.
Even though they served their country with honor and distinction, leveraging that military experience into marketable skills in the private sector is simply not easy.
"Getting the vets lined up with a job once they get out is just so crucial," said Rep. David Trone (D-Maryland), during a hearing on Wednesday of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Trone continued: "We can't have them not employed when they have such great skill sets that they've learned in the military."
American Legion Director of Veterans Education and Employment Joseph Sharpe also testified.
He said: "To be a valuable candidate in the 21st Century workforce, veterans need training, opportunities that are affordable, flexible and applicable to their desired industries."
That's where the Department of Veterans Affairs' "Veterans Employment Through Technology Education Course" or, "VET TEC" is supposed to come in, providing training in such areas as information science, data processing and computer programming.
But, the Government Accountability Office, in a new report published Wednesday, finds that the VA program "is falling short."
Specifically, the GAO says, the VA doesn't have documented, measurable pilot objectives.
And that's not all.
"We've also seen that veteran demand for VET TEC routinely outstrips the program's funding," said Rep Mike Levin (D-California). "At the beginning of the pilot, VET TEC had an authorization of $15 million, which was exhausted after the program opened."
Despite the shortcomings, since 2019, VET TEC has graduated over 3,200 veterans, placing 72 percent of them in high tech jobs, with starting salaries of over $60,000 a year.