(The Center Square) – The U.S. House of Representatives has endorsed a pilot program to train military veterans for employment in the technology industry.
U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., passed his first legislation on May 24 which will cover the costs for veterans seeking job training in high-tech industries.
The VET-TEC Authorization Act permanently funds the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses program, a five-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, according to Ciscomani’s website.
The legislation passed with bipartisan support on the House floor by a vote of 409-9 with some not voting.
The bill earned the endorsement of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost of Illinois.
The program was established by McCarthy in a 2017 bill, the VET-TEC Act. The new legislation will fund the program, making it available to future generations of veterans, according to Ciscomani’s website.
More than 80% of the 12,000 veterans who have participated in this program have graduated, according to a news release from Ciscomani.
“This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to permanently implement a program under which it provides up to 8,000 covered individuals per year the opportunity to enroll in high technology programs of education that provide non-degree training or skills related to computer programming, media application, data processing, or information sciences,” according to Congressional Research Service.
Ciscomani said on his website that funding this program will help many veterans with their transition from the battlefield to the workforce.
The bill is also supported by American Legion and Disabled American Veterans.
