Letter to Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House; Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader; and Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader - Peters, Murkowski Lead Bipartisan Effort to Support Veteran Workforce Development During COVID-19 Pandemic

Letter

Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Schumer, and Minority
Leader McCarthy:

We are writing to advocate for the needs of our nation's veterans, transitioning service
members, and their families in the next COVID-19 legislative response package. The transition
for our service members back to civilian life can be difficult no matter the circumstances. Given
the added challenge due to the current pandemic, we believe Congress must do everything in our
power to support our veterans and transitioning service members, especially by addressing their
workforce development, employment, and economic needs.

Veterans' unemployment rates are rising due to COVID-19. During the Great Recession
from 2007-2009 studies show that veterans who recently transitioned to civilian life faced higher
unemployment rates than both older veterans and non-veterans. These studies also indicate
increased veterans' suicide rates during the Great Recession, tied in part to less economic
opportunity. Accordingly, we are concerned that the adverse economic conditions stemming
from COVID-19 could cause similar harm to the veterans' community today. Therefore, we
believe that additional targeted veterans and transitioning service members' workforce policy
improvements are needed across several federal agencies to respond to COVID-19 and to ensure
economic stability for veterans in the long-term.

Specifically, we request support for the following:

* GI Bill benefit coverage for veterans who are nontraditional students in Registered
Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training programs. These programs are critical career
pathways for veterans and transitioning service members, and they have been
disproportionately disrupted by COVID-19 because they are more difficult to move to
online platforms, making it difficult for enrolled veterans to earn required On-the-Job
hours. Congress has already addressed GI Bill benefit coverage during COVID-19 for
veterans enrolled in higher education. Veterans in apprenticeship and On-the-Job
Training programs deserve parity.

* Funding for the Department of Labor's Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) for
veterans. RAP programs provide paid, work- and classroom-based educational
opportunities for veterans, resulting in the earning of an industry-recognized credential.
Increased funding for RAP will provide additional veterans with immediate skills and
employment opportunities, designed to fit industry needs.

* Increasing access for veterans and transitioning service members to additional skilled
training programs. In addition to RAP, we also advocate that resources be provided to
the following entities that provide high-quality, proven career pathways for veterans and
transitioning service members: veterans service organizations (VSOs), state-level
workforce development agencies, the Department of Defense's (DoD) SkillBridge
initiative, the U.S. Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP), and community colleges.

* Recognizing veterans' service-connected skills through enhancements to our existing
credentialing system. Service members leave the military with an incredible amount of
education and skills. We must ensure federal and state licensing bodies better understand
and can translate veterans' experiences, so that they can more quickly put their training to
work in our communities.

We appreciate your leadership and the work you have done to support our veterans and
our country during this challenging time. We urge you to take the steps outlined in this letter in
the next COVID-19 response package to support our veterans, transitioning service members,
and their families as they navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you
in advance for your consideration, and we look forward to working with you on these issues.

Sincerely,

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