U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Join us live on March 24th from 3-4 PM EST for a Q&A session with VA and community partners. Ask your questions of VA and community experts on Veteran employment and entrepreneurship plus access our new Veteran Job Board on RallyPoint!

You can ask questions to the following people:
» 1SG Zelda Davis - Management Analyst, Outreach and Social Media Program Manager, VA
» MSG Darren Sherrard - Associate Director, Recruitment Marketing, VA
» Tim Johnston - Supervisor Employment Services, Veteran Readiness and Employment, VA
» CPO Missina Schallus - Communications Manager, Center for Women Veterans
» Col Michelle Gardner-Ince - Director, Women Veteran Small Business Initiatives
» Cpl Tim Cochrane - SVP, Business Development at American Corporate Partners
» Mona Dexter - Chief of Staff, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Hiring Our Heroes
» Maj Michael Kelly - Assistant Vice President, USAA
» MSgt Charles "Chuck" Bunch - Military Affairs Relationship Director, USAA
» Jimmy Ciampa - Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Walgreens
» Jasmyne Peterson - Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Walgreens
» Cpl Ray Milano - Director, Veterans Business Outreach Center Program (VBOC), SBA
» Cpl Neana Long - Veteran Programs Recruiter, USPS
» Roxann Griffith - Regional Veterans Employment Coordinator, DOLVETS

Are you hiring Veterans? Post your open job here for free: http://rly.pt/FreeJobBoard

Are you a Veteran looking for employment? http://rly.pt/Career

Hiring our Heroes - http://rly.pt/HOH
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative launched in March 2011 as a nationwide effort to connect veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses with meaningful employment opportunities. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vast network of state and local chambers and strategic partners from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, our goal is to create a movement across America in hundreds of communities where veterans and military families return every day. Hiring Our Heroes connects the military community with civilian companies to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce.

Center for Women Veterans - http://rly.pt/CFWVETS
The Center for Women Veterans was established by Congress in November 1994 by Public Law (P.L.) 103-446. Monitor and coordinate VA’s administration of care, benefits, and programs for WVs. Serve as cultural transformation advocate in recognizing service and contributions of WVs. Raise awareness of the responsibility to treat WVs with dignity and respect.

American Corporate Partners (ACP) - https://rly.pt/ACP
Nationwide nonprofit ACP (acp-usa.org) connects post-9/11 veterans with mentors at 80+ top-tier companies like Coca-Cola, Deloitte, IBM, Major League Baseball, Raytheon and Wells Fargo for one-on-one, customized, free yearlong mentorships. Whether you're new to the private sector, looking for advice about how to make a career change or feel stagnant in your current role, a mentor can help you find and maintain meaningful employment. In 2019, nearly 2,000 veterans found a new job with their ACP mentor’s assistance. Since 2008, more than 17,000 service members and veterans have already completed their yearlong mentorship with ACP, and 98% would recommend the program to fellow veterans. To start your mentorship, visit http://www.acp-usa.org/mentoring and complete a Protégé application today, as mentorship openings are limited.

The Veteran Employment Services Office (VESO) - https://rly.pt/2U1bJkP
VESO provides employment readiness assistance and outreach to transitioning service members, Veterans and military spouses while advocating use of special hiring authorities, employment programs and Veteran retention strategies to help VA become the employer of choice. Promotes federal employment, and advancement opportunities for qualified disabled Veterans by providing employment-readiness assistance to enhance federal opportunities, primarily at VA. Increases awareness of federal employment, and advancement opportunities for Veterans and transitioning service members and military spouses, primarily utilizing virtual tools. Promotes DoD’s Operation Warfighter program by matching qualified wounded, ill and injured Service members with internships in VA.

SBA Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) - http://rly.pt/OVBD
OVBD's mission is to maximize the availability, applicability and usability of small business programs for Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans, Reserve Component Members and Military Spouses. OVBD is SBA’s liaison with the veteran small business community; provides policy analysis and reporting; and is as an Ombudsman for veteran entrepreneurs. OVBD has a number of programs and services to assist aspiring and existing veteran entrepreneurs such as training, counseling and mentorship, and oversight of Federal procurement programs for Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.

Please adhere to RallyPoint Answers and Discussion Conduct: https://rly.pt/33ySsg0
Comments have been disabled
Responses: 50
CPT David Gowel
Thanks for joining us and for your commitment to hire Vets! I am interested in the availability of Career Skills Programs, SkillBridge, fellowships and any other program that allows Active Duty service members to get real civilian experience & networking at a potential civilian employer before they ETS. How does a servicemember get connected to your organization to explore these options? How many people working in this capacity have you hired in the past year?
Mona Dexter
Mona Dexter
3 y
In 2020, we had approximately 1300 service members complete fellowships through our program with over 80% receiving job offers.
Roxann Griffith
Roxann Griffith
3 y
If you haven't already gone to https://www.veterans.gov/, and clicked on your state or the state you would like to live in; and registered at the state: Please do so today.
1SG Zelda Davis
1SG Zelda Davis
3 y
Good afternoon and thank you for your interest in Internship programs as you plan to transition from the military. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the following programs for your consideration - VA Skillbridge program: VA in partnership with DoD connects and provides retiring and transitioning Service members the opportunity to participate in industry occupational training programs as they transition out of their military careers. DoD covers military pay and benefits during the Service members time in the Skillbridge program. You may be eligible to participate in the Skillbridge program if you have 180 days of service or fewer remaining prior to the date of separation and you have at least 180 days of active service. You can receive additional information regarding Skillbridge from your Transition Assistance Program (TAP) office. Please note due to COVID-19, the VA Program Office will provide additional information when this program will start.
WARTAC - Warrior Training Advancement Course-VBA- 10-12 Weeks of training towards the VSR/RSVR positions as a GS-7. ICT- Intermediate Care Technician which is aligned to the MTTAC recruits former military medics/corpsman into VA Medical Centers Emergency Departments and specialty areas. Please note due to COVID-19, the VA Program Office will provide additional information when this program will start.
TCF- Technical Career Field -
https://www.vacareers.va.gov/Careers/TechnicalField/ - Career fields can start trainee recruitment mid-February 2019, individuals selected for positions can begin working after June 2 but no later than September 29 of each year. Please note you can search for some of the VA TCF positions on USAJOBS
List of TCF Career Fields:
COMPLIANCE and Business Integrity (CBI)
● CONTRACTING
● ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
● Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
● Finance
● Health Information Management
● Human Resources (HR)
● Office of Health Informatics (OHI)
● Office of Information Technology
● Privacy Officer
● Prosthetic Representative
● Public Affairs
● Supply Chain Management
● Volunteer Management
ENGINEERING
● Biomedical Engineering
● Biomedical Equipment support SPECIALIST
● Boiler Plant Operator/Utility System Specialist
● GENERAL ENGINEERING
● INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST
● SAFETY SPECIALIST
• 2 Year Program- GS7/9
• OIT specific occupations have 25 seats per fiscal year.
SFS- Scholarship for Service
https://www.sfs.opm.gov/
• Career fields can start trainee recruitment mid-February of each year, individuals selected for positions can begin working after June 2 but no later than September 29, of each year
• 2 Year Program- GS9/11
PMF- Presidential Management Fellows
https://www.pmf.gov/
• VA pays OPM a one-time placement fee of $7,000 for each initial PMF appointment
• Eligibility>Advanced Degree
• Application>Assessment test>Top Qualifying will be selected as Finalists and will be eligible for appointment>Finalists has 12 months to accept and start a PMF Appointment
Pathways
https://www.va.gov/employee/pathways-internship-program/
• Aligns with PMF
• Schedule A/Veterans Preference
Please note due to COVID-19, the VA Program Office will provide additional information when this program will start. For additional information please visit the VA for Vets website at [login to see] and VA Careers at [login to see] and Follow and Like Us on Facebook @ veso.vaforvets
Tim Johnston
Tim Johnston
3 y
This is not our area of expertise however I do not know if the Department of Defense will be on this RallyPoint. From our experience, your commanding officer has to approve any Career Skills Program, SkillsBridge, or like program. If you would like to see what programs may be out there, the website you may want to review is: https://dodskillbridge.usalearning.gov/

Hopefully that will be helpful.
Maj Michael Kelly
If you are a veteran in transition take a few minutes to check out USAA's Leaving the Military tools and resources page. Separating from the military is a challenging and rewarding time. Let USAA’s tools like our separation checklist help you keep track of your finances and plan for the future. http://www.usaa.com/ets
Melissa Shinkle
Melissa Shinkle
3 y
Thank you for sharing, sir. I can't stress the importance of getting this education beforehand.
Cpl Tim Cochrane
Edited 3 y ago
ACP Finds Veterans New Careers
ACP has helped nearly 20,000 post-9/11 veterans find meaningful career paths and fulfilling work after the military. The average starting salary for ACP veteran participants is more than $82,000, and ACP’s mentorship program offers connections to leaders at Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Wells Fargo and many others. Accelerate your civilian career today.
http://www.acp-usa.org

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

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