Economic Opportunity

Our country has an obligation to ensure our veterans are able to navigate the labor market and succeed in the civilian workforce, and that employers know the value of hiring our veterans. The Obama Administration is focused on promoting the economic opportunity of our military veterans. These individuals have the experience, skills, and dedication necessary to become some of the most successful professionals in America.

In addition to improving resources for veterans to translate their military skills for the civilian workforce, the Administration is committed to ensuring that service members leave the military career-ready through hiring tax credits, private sector commitments, and reforms that improve the way we prepare, train, and educate service members for life after the military.

  • The Veteran unemployment rate has dropped to 3.9 percent, a seven-year low.
  • Businesses across the country have committed to hiring or training hundreds of thousands of Veterans and military spouses.
  • We’ve made improvements to the Transition Assistance Program to help transitioning service members acquire the skills they need to seamlessly integrate into the civilian economy.
  • And working with Joining Forces, 49 states have now stepped up to eliminate barriers to licensing and credentialing for military spouses, improving career mobility and job opportunities.

 

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The New Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

To help our service members transition back to civilian life, the Obama Administration brought together a diverse group of government partners to ensure separating service members are prepared for educational advancement and career opportunities throughout their lives.

Under the new program—Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success)—the Department of Defense, has teamed up with the Small Business Administration, Office of Personnel Management, and Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), Labor, and Education, to provide an extended 5-7 day transition program that will strengthen, standardize, and expand counseling and guidance for service members leaving the military.

Transition GPS is transforming the military's approach to education, training, and credentialing for service members. Under the new program, career readiness and transition preparation will be incorporated into the entire span of a service member’s career.

Furthermore, as part of the TAP workshops, the online curriculum will be available to the families of service members through the VA’s eBenefits portal. Family members will be able to access the following tailored tracks:

  • An education track, for those pursing college education
  • A technical training track, for those seeking job-ready skills and industry-recognized credentials in shorter-term training programs
  • An entrepreneurship track, for those wanting to start a business

Visit the DoD’s Transition Assistance Program Website

 

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