Senators aim to smooth veterans' transition into the workforce

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation that would give veterans credit for skills they learned during their service, speeding up their job searches.

The measure, introduced late Tuesday, would require agencies to recognize relevant military training and skills when certifying veterans for federal occupational licenses.  

Instead of spending time retraining, veterans would be able to receive a federal license if it is determined that their military experience is enough to fulfill the license requirements.

“It is unacceptable that so many veterans, especially those recently returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, have found themselves unable to successfully transition into civilian professions for which they have already received world-class training in the military,” said Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), a co-sponsor of the legislation. 

“Instead, too many are forced to spend time and money to go through additional instruction and testing to receive federal certificates or licenses for experience and knowledge that they already possess," she said. 

Snowe also has introduced legislation to streamline the process of obtaining commercial driver’s licenses for veterans, which was included the Senate-passed highway bill.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). 

“Veterans are returning home having already done one of the most difficult, dangerous jobs out there,” Nelson said. 

"This is a way we can ease their transition back into civilian life, and remove some of the obstacles in their way," he said. 

The White House and Congress have ramped up their efforts to deal with the high level of veteran unemployment, which has hovered around 13 percent. 

President Obama signed a veterans bill in November, the “VOW to Hire Heroes Act,” that provides tax credits of up to $2,400 for employers who hire veterans who have been unemployed at least four weeks and up to $5,600 for hiring veterans who have been unemployed longer than six months.

The bill also provides up to $9,600 for businesses that hire veterans who have service-related disabilities and have been unemployed longer than six months.

Last month, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) started a Senate Veterans Caucus — membership has increased to 29 senators, so far. 

On Wednesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Capital One announced a push to help 500,000 veterans and their spouses find jobs by the end of 2014. 

“Hiring a half million veterans in less than three years is an ambitious goal, but we believe that businesses — large and small — want to do their part to give back to the military community that has served and sacrificed so much for our country,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kevin Schmiegel, founder and executive director of the Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes program, which was launched a year ago. 

Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Timothy Walz (D-Minn.) introduced companion legislation in the House earlier this month.  

“Our young men and women in uniform are able to perform complex duties under extreme pressure and danger, and when they return home they should be able to use these battle-tested skills to secure a good job,” Klobuchar said. 

“This common-sense legislation will help our veterans cut through the red tape and get the credentials they need to get the jobs they deserve," she said.