Sunday, June 11, 2023

Veteran Apprenticeship Programs

Two West Point classmates who made it to Congress – one Republican and one Democrat – are teaming up on a bill aimed at expanding opportunities for veterans to pursue non-college educational opportunities with their GI Bill benefits. 

Reps. John James, R-Mich., and Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., are leading the legislation, which would target pre-apprenticeship programs that aren't currently covered for those leaving the service. Those programs can help veterans get skills they need for formal apprenticeships that can lead to good-paying jobs. 

"What this bill does is, it helps on the very ground level to help with housing, to help with tuition, to make it more affordable for veterans to have a smooth dovetail into apprenticeship programs," James said in an interview with Fox News. 

"This expands the options for vets who may say, I don't need to go to college," Ryan added. "This lets them use the benefits they've earned to do that."

link

2 comments:

Mike Thiac said...

Darren, maybe I'm missing something, but skill certification (welding, carpentry, pipefitting, etc) is covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill. I have a nephew who got certified as a welder through it. Different direction here?

Darren said...

I don't have any information beyond that which is in the article, but this seems to be the key part:
"...would target pre-apprenticeship programs that aren't currently covered for those leaving the service. Those programs can help veterans get skills they need for formal apprenticeships that can lead to good-paying jobs."