Money on the table
Over the past two years, I’ve started the GI Bill certification process for over 27 employers. To date, only 3 have completed it. The biggest obstacle for most employers is simply the amount of red tape involved. To become GI Bill certified, employers must accomplish three basic tasks:
1. Build a training plan that meets either the VA’s standard for On-the-job training, or the Department of Labor’s standard for a Registered Apprenticeship
2. Apply for GI Bill certification through the VA
3. Manage the program and submit monthly reports on enrolled veterans
Of the 24 employers that didn’t complete the process, 100% stopped at task 1. What’s worse, is that even starting the process places them in a very small club; veterans and employers often don’t know that this is an option. I’ve recently been in contact with some very large companies—brands you would recognize—who in the face of massive employee shortages, are looking for anything that will help them fill their roles. None of these corporations have any idea that through the GI Bill, they can offset payroll while recruiting from a talent rich labor pool.
It would be one thing if the lack of awareness was due to underfunding or lack of resources in the veteran transition space. The reality, however, is that there are 45,000 veteran service organizations, heaps of public goodwill, and billions of dollars dedicated to helping transitioning service members avoid the worst outcomes like unemployment, underemployment, social isolation, substance abuse, and suicide. I am not yet able to change policies that would directly address the reactive, fragmented nature of transition assistance programs. Instead, I will try and clarify the process for future employers in the hopes it will increase the probability that they will successfully complete the GI Bill certification process and have a substantive impact on transitioning service members.
In this series of articles, I will offer answers to the most fundamental questions for employers: who is eligible, why they should consider getting certified for the GI Bill, and how to prepare for success.
I’ll close with a little bit of context. As of 2015, less than half of eligible veterans utilized their GI Bill and less than 3% use it for employment.[1][2]In a world where the two biggest challenges reported by transitioning service members are 1) navigating benefits, and 2) financial hardship, this seems like a significant opportunity for impact. Stay tuned.
[1] C. Zoli, R. Maury, & D. Fay, Missing Perspectives: Servicemembers’ Transition from Service to Civilian Life — Data-Driven Research to Enact the Promise of the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Institute for Veterans & Military Families, Syracuse University, November 2015).
[2] U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Military and Veteran Support: DOD and VA Programs That Address the Effects of Combat and Transition to Civilian Life.” Military and Veteran Support: DOD and VA Programs That Address the Effects of Combat and Transition to Civilian Life | U.S. GAO. Accessed March 21, 2022. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-24.
