In a speech given at the American Legion National Convention, President Barrack Obama laid out part of his plan to help Servicemembers transition back into the civilian workforce. The President said, “After a decade of war, it’s time to focus on nation building here at home. And our veterans, especially our 9/11 Generation veterans, have the skills and the dedication to help lead the way.”
Pointing to programs that like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which will soon be expanded to include vocational training and apprenticeship programs, and an executive order directing the federal government to hire more veterans, the president said he plans to do more to ensure Veterans get every opportunity to find employment.
The president explained that his new Veterans job initiative has two parts. The first is to create a “reverse boot camp” to help veterans prepare for civilian jobs and translate their exceptional military skills into industry-accepted licenses and credentials.
The second part of the president’s plan is to encourage companies across America to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans or their spouses by offering the “Returning Heroes Tax Credit” for companies that hire unemployed veterans and a “Wounded Warrior Tax Credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans with a disability.
“This builds on the commitments that many companies have already made as part of the Joining Forces campaign championed by my wife Michelle and the Vice President’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden,” said the president.
Transitioning back into civilian life is difficult for most Veterans. However, like the original GI Bill, programs like the ones the president has laid out could have a lasting impact on the lives of those who have served and sacrificed for our country.
