Today, Rep. Kerry Bentivolio introduced the Veteran’s Entry to Apprenticeship Act, H.R. 3384. This act amends current law, specifically Title 38, to allow veterans to use their educational benefits for enrollment in pre-apprenticeship programs.
“Our service members sacrifice everything in defense of this country, said Rep. Bentivolio. “They deserve to be able to use programs designed to help them succeed after their military career. As a veteran, I am well aware of the difficulty transitioning to civilian life and how essential workplace skill training can be. By offering them increased flexibility, this program can better serve their needs as they make this transition.”
In order to enter some trades, basic safety and concepts trainings are needed before these hard-working veterans can obtain a job in their apprenticeship field. Currently, educational benefits cannot be extended to cover these programs. There are several businesses in Michigan’s 11th District and across the country that would love to provide this basic training to our veterans, but cannot attract veterans to their programs due to basic fees the veterans are unable to pay out of pocket after they return from service.
The current restrictions on veterans’ educational benefits create unnecessary hardship for our returning men and women who desire to better educate themselves. If they are unable to pay for pre-apprenticeship training, it may prohibit them from acquiring an apprentice job in the field where they can utilize their educational benefits to complete the program.
To view this bill in its entirety, please click here.
