Employment Opportunities for Veterans through Registered Apprenticeship Program

In a recent 2-day conference, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) hosted the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. Leaning on the experience of leaders in the military, government, training providers, and veteran service organizations it focused on strategies to increase veterans’ participation in the Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Aimed at providing workers with skills from in-demand sectors, the Program was created in 1937. In order to suit a particular industry, like plumbing, the on-the-job training (OJT) and technical instruction are tailored accordingly. Some 250,000 employers in 1,000 careers across the country are included in the Program’s network.

The Program has proven to be an effective and important tool in reintegrating veterans back into the civilian workforce, and according to a recent DOL study, Program graduates enjoy increased lifetime earnings by upwards of $250 million.

The Program (in which an estimated 25,000 veterans are participants) provides the bridge between military training and a civilian job by offering the requisite training and credentials necessary to compete in the job market.

KRA Corporation supports the creation of all viable and sustainable models for transitioning our service members back into the domestic workforce. We feel that it is as important to identify and promote programs that will potentially lead to successful employment for those service men and women about to leave active duty, as it is for those who have already served.

KRA believes and has spoken to the importance of OJT as a crucial means of helping workers on the path to success. Additionally, it is an important component of ensuring an industry’s overall health. In contributing to that belief, the KRA team provides Customized Training Services that cater to particular employer needs across numerous programs.

DOL’s forward thinking efforts on behalf of returning servicemen and women, as well as the progressive solutions and strategies to potentially diminish this issue of unemployment amongst military personnel re-entering civilian life, is something that KRA applauds.

We welcome the return of our military and look forward to assisting our veterans in rejoining the workforce as best we can.