Published: November 01, 2008 02:54 pm      

Veteran skills training fund established by the TWC

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) today approved a $1 million training fund to provide employer-driven skills training for recently separated veterans.

By establishing the training fund, TWC will provide returning veterans skills upgrades that employers identify as necessary for future Texas economic growth.

Private Texas employers can apply to TWC for training grants by partnering with established training providers such as community colleges, apprenticeship training programs or community-based training programs with demonstrated experience.

Active duty service members exiting the military may face challenges transitioning to civilian life and the workplace.

To assist those veterans, TWC established the Texas Veterans Leadership Program (TVLP), modeled on the successful Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program which TWC Chairman Tom Pauken, himself a Vietnam veteran, established during the Reagan administration.

Twenty-eight Veterans Resource and Referral Specialists (VRRSs) are based in local workforce development areas across Texas to assist their fellow veterans with job-search activities, training opportunities and other resources.

“Veterans deserve our utmost appreciation, and we should honor their service by easing their reentry into the Texas workforce,” Pauken said. “Through these training funds, veterans – particularly those who have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan – will receive important skills training to meet the demands of Texas employers.”

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jason K. Doran leads TVLP.