Veterans Training Crosswalk

Problem

Time and again, servicemembers reentering the civilian workforce find that their military credentials do not entirely align with civilian requirements for a similar job. This can lead to a well-qualified servicemember being unemployed while he or she works to get his or her state-mandated credentials together. At the end of 2016, there were 8,000 unemployed veterans living in Massachusetts, representing 4.6% of the workforce. We can do more for those 8,000 veterans, many of whom may be unemployed due to their military occupational specialty not translating to the civilian workforce.

Solution

My legislation would aid military servicemembers in finding civilian employment by making information on civilian credentialing opportunities available to servicemembers and veterans, helping them make the best decisions on which occupational specialties to pursue during service for their desired profession post-service. This bill also aims to correct burdensome licensing requirements that keep some servicemembers from jobs they’re qualified for — helping to correct licensing misalignment through greater transparency of these credentials and requirements. In addition, the bill requires exchange of information about often nuanced requirements to address considerable misunderstanding by both military and civilian employers about what the other requires for equivalent jobs, while also establishing an online resource to make information easily accessible.