(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray
(D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded the announcement by U.S. Labor
Secretary Hilda Solis that the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs
will receive $500,000 to help Washington state veterans get the skills and
training they need to find jobs. The grant, which will help veterans succeed in
civilian careers, is being awarded under the U.S. Departments of Labor’s
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
“The brave veterans who have served us in Iraq and
Afghanistan are returning home to a particularly difficult job market and they
deserve our strong support to help them get back on the job,” said
Senator Patty Murray. “I have heard from veterans across the state that
too many employers just don’t understand how the technical and leadership
skills they learned in the military translate into skills that can help
private-sector companies. So I am glad that these job training investments will
help Washington state veterans gain the private-sector skills they need to
secure jobs and contribute to our state’s economic recovery.”
“Our veterans have already sacrificed so much during
their military careers,” said Senator Maria Cantwell. “As
they transfer to the civilian workforce, we must help them succeed in this new
chapter in their lives. Our job is to ensure they have the necessary
skills to thrive in the 21st century economy. There is no doubt about the work
ethic of our veterans – employers are lucky to employ such dedicated
Americans.”
In April, Senator Murray introduced
the Veterans
Employment Act of 2010. This bill, which Cantwell co-sponsored, is the
first legislation that takes a comprehensive approach to addressing
skyrocketing veterans unemployment rates. The bill includes a series of
proposals that improve training, skills transition, education, and small
business assistance programs.
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