TWC earmarks $1 million for veteran work force training
The Texas Workforce Commission has approved a $1 million training fund to provide skills training for veterans ending overseas active-duty military.
The fund will provide veterans returning from overseas the skills upgrades that employers identify as necessary for future Texas economic growth. Private state 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.
Research shows that some active-duty service members exiting the military face challenges transitioning to civilian life and the workplace. To assist those veterans, TWC established the Texas Veterans Leadership Program, modeled on the successful Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program, which TWC Chairman Tom Pauken, himself a Vietnam veteran, established during the Reagan administration one hour cash. Some 28 veterans resource and referral specialists are based in local work force 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 re-entry into the Texas work force,” says Pauken. “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.”