Washington, D.C. – After meeting with young veterans across the state earlier this month, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced Committee passage of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow veterans access to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for up to one year after separation.
Last year, Senator Gillibrand hosted roundtable discussions across the state with local business and veterans leaders to discuss innovative ways to address veterans’ unemployment. As a result, Senator Gillibrand helped pass a bipartisan VOW To Hire Heroes Act to address unacceptably high rates of unemployment among veterans by ensuring that all troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have the necessary tools for a seamless transition from military service to the civilian workforce. This law included measures to incentivize their hiring and ease their transition into the work force. Now, the Senate Armed Services Committee has approved legislation that would make training more accessible.
“This legislation is an important opportunity for our heroes,” Senator Gillibrand said. “We must provide veterans with access to the necessary resources which allow them to get the education, job training and benefits that will ease their transition from military life to the civilian work force. Our veterans have earned this and it’s the least we can do to give them the appropriate tools needed to be successful in their life after the military.”
Make TAP Training Accessible For Veterans And Families
The VOW To Hire Heroes Act made TAP mandatory for all departing servicemembers. TAP gives veterans an opportunity to gain job training, understand their benefits, and practice skills like resume writing and interviewing. Yet many veterans never had the opportunity to take the program or want the ability to come back and receive additional training when they have a fuller understanding of the market demands. This amendment would make improvements to TAP by allowing service members access to TAP programs and counselors for up to one year after leaving the military.