Front view of the Capitol

To Celebrate Veteran’s Day, Congressman Troy Carter Introduces Bipartisan Workforce Reentry and Training Program for Veterans

November 11, 2022
Press Release

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – On Veteran’s Day 2022, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) and Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R, S.C.) introduced important legislation to support veterans and V.A. systems in their districts and across the country. The bipartisan WARTAC Improvement Bill would help raise awareness about and bring improvements to the Warrior Training Advancement Course of the Veterans Benefit Administration, or WARTAC. This is a program within the Department of Veteran’s Affairs that helps veterans re-enter the civilian workforce into meaningful roles that also support their fellow veterans. However, just 373 veterans were enrolled in WARTAC last year, leaving a lot of opportunity to grow programmatic participation.

 

Every year, over 200,000 brave service members transition out of the Armed Forces and back into civilian life. Due to the unique nature of life in the military, this transition can be daunting and difficult for many. These hardships were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which veteran unemployment shot up to 6.5% in 2020, with service members of color and women veterans disproportionately impacted.

 

“Our veterans give so much to us, we owe it to them to make sure we do all we can to help them live healthy, productive, and meaningful lives after their service,” said Congressman Carter. “This Veteran’s Day, I’m proud to introduce legislation to improve job opportunities and services for our veterans as they re-enter civilian life. We know that many veterans struggle with mental health, housing, and employment after their military service. By connecting returning service members with critical jobs in the V.A., the WARTAC Improvement Bill can be a win-win for veterans and our wider communities.”

 

“The transition back into civilian life can be a challenge for many of our brave service members,” said Congresswoman Mace. “The Warrior Training Advancement Course is an important workforce training program that not only prepares transitioning service members for a career at the VA but gives the VA more qualified employees to process veterans’ benefits claims. This bipartisan legislation helps us learn more about and improve the Warrior Training Advancement Course and is an important step forward in not only improving this crucial transition but allowing more veterans to receive their disability benefits faster.”

 

While the V.A. and partners have worked hard to bring the veteran unemployment rate back down, there are still over 220,000 unemployed veterans nationwide. With the Veteran’s Benefit Administration (VBA) already dealing with a severe backlog in cases, and with many more coming due to passage of the PACT Act, the VBA is in dire need of qualified Veteran Service Representatives and Rating Veteran Service Representatives to process these claims.

This bipartisan legislation will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report to the bicameral Committees on Veterans Affairs annually on the Warrior Training Advancement Course of the Veterans Benefit Administration, create a structural opportunity to process feedback, and analyze the program for effectiveness and opportunities to grow and improve.

Several groups including Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and The American Legion also support the legislation.

 

DAV National Commander Joe Parsetich said, “As an organization of veterans serving veterans for over 100 years, DAV understands that a service member’s successful transition to civilian life is not complete until they secure meaningful employment, which is why VBA’s WARTAC program is so invaluable. It’s imperative, though, that the VA analyzes and reports the efficacy of WARTAC to Congress to ensure the department receives the proper resources to serve our nation’s veterans through such programs. We thank Rep. Carter for introducing this legislation and his leadership on this issue.”

 

More specifically, The WARTAC Improvement Bill would:

 

  • Include recommendations for best practices and will also include data sets on the number of eligible participants, enrolled participants, participants who successfully complete the program, information on how the Secretary provides the training, and other information deemed relevant.

  • Require that the Secretary will report on hiring information and the cost savings of the program including the determination of the Secretary whether other federal agencies may also save money by establishing a program like WARTAC.

  • Help veterans receive their benefits more efficiently by increasing the VBA’s hiring capacity

 

The bill text as introduced is available here.

 ###