This paper examines the Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. It outlines the program's mission to prepare veterans for meaningful civilian careers, describes the populations it serves — including disabled, homeless, and recently separated veterans — and details the range of services offered, from outreach and education to licensing assistance and working partnerships with organizations such as the National Veterans Technical Assistance Center. Drawing on peer-reviewed research and government sources, the paper highlights the program's reach, its collaborative structure, and the measurable benefits it delivers to veterans navigating the transition from military service to civilian employment.
The Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) program provides meaningful and successful careers for all veterans (United States, 2015). VETS is much more than a simple placement program, offering a wide variety of resources for any veteran interested in obtaining and keeping gainful employment. The organization's mission describes opportunities that will prepare veterans for meaningful careers, maximize employment, and protect veterans' rights in the workforce.
The number of veterans since 2001 who have received information or been counseled by the VETS program has totaled "more than one million individuals through briefings or individual technical assistance" (United States, 2015). That figure averages more than 75,000 veterans per year benefiting from what the program has to offer. Due to the travesties of war and combat, many of these veterans suffer from debilitating injuries, both physical and mental in nature. Since the early 1970s, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has offered therapeutic work programs through its Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) efforts (Leddy, Stefanovics, & Rosenheck, 2014). Many veterans receiving help are both homeless and destitute. VETS is there to assist these men and women in building new careers, receiving assistance, and landing jobs.
Larson and Norman (2014) determined that a large percentage of discharged combat veterans reported "some" to "extreme" difficulty in one or more areas of concern. Those areas included social functioning, self-care, and productivity. The VETS program seeks to address those problems by focusing not only on assisting in the veteran's assimilation process, but by providing veterans with information, training, and assistance. Without programs like VETS, jobless veterans would not only have to rely on other means of support, but could also suffer needlessly — especially those already affected by various medical conditions. One recent report documents that "participants obtaining competitive employment demonstrated significantly higher scores on the Social Integration, Mobility, and Occupation dimensions" (Ottomanelli, Barnett, & Goetz, 2013, p. 2134); these participants were veterans suffering from spinal cord injuries.
The VETS program was established in response to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 in order to distribute and promote information and data that will assist veterans in gaining training and education within the context of finding a job or career after returning home from combat or service abroad. VETS works hand-in-hand with a number of other veteran groups to ensure the transition from military service to the civilian workforce takes place in an efficient and effective manner.
The program's mission is accomplished through several avenues, including outreach programs, grants, and partnerships with universities, colleges, and employers. Additionally, the VETS program seeks to interact with groups and employers on a consistent and ongoing basis to promote the fact that returning veterans, as a group, offer unique advantages over many non-military employees. Those advantages include a sense of honor and duty, a high work ethic, and a honed discipline and respect for authority.
Many veterans returning from combat have experienced injuries, lost limbs, and other serious physical trauma. The VETS program places a special focus on these individuals, with "a maximum emphasis directed toward serving those who are economically or educationally disadvantaged, including homeless veterans, and veterans with barriers to employment" (United States, 2015). The individuals who benefit most from the VETS program are identified through contact at local Department of Veterans Affairs offices, rehabilitation centers, Veterans Service Organization (VSO) meetings, and military installations.
"Collaboration with NVTAC and other veteran organizations"
"Assistance with credentials, GI benefits, and education"
"Summary of VETS program value and resources"
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