CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) was signed into law recently to expand apprenticeship opportunities for veterans. The legislation, called The Support for Veterans in Effective Apprenticeships Act previously passed the U.S. Senate in December 2019. The bill would allow more veterans to use their GI bill benefits toward securing a registered apprenticeship.

“For our men and women in uniform to successfully transition into civilian life, they need to know all the opportunities available to them through apprenticeships,” Senator Capito said. “Expanding access to these work training programs will better prepare our veterans for their future careers. I’m grateful to Senator Peters for his bipartisan support, and thrilled President Trump has signed this bill into law so we can increase these types of opportunities for our veterans.”

“As our returning servicemen and women in Michigan and across the country transition back to civilian life, they should not have to deal with red tape in order to access the programs that can help them secure good-paying jobs,” said Senator Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I am pleased that the President signed my commonsense, bipartisan legislation into law that will now allow more of our nation’s returning heroes to use the benefits they have earned to get quality apprenticeships and pursue their professional goals.”

BACKGROUND:

The bipartisan legislation will take three commonsense steps to expand opportunities for veterans to use financial assistance in connection with a quality apprenticeship program:

  • New apprenticeship programs applying to register through the Department of Labor (DoL) will need to provide a written assurance that they are aware of GI Bill assistance and committed to taking the steps to enable veteran apprentices to access these benefits.
  • Apprenticeships will need to factor the skills, training, and experiences gained through military service into where the veteran is placed in the program, which could mean a more advanced placement with higher apprentice wages.
  • DoL will need to notify the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of newly registered apprenticeship programs. This would enable the VA to be more proactive in outreach to registered programs not yet approved for GI Bill benefits.

 

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