VA Apprenticeship Program To Train, Employ Veterans To Assist Other Veterans In Properly Filing For VA benefits

These are full-time national service officer positions. For the first 12 months, those selected for the program are paid $2,890 per month…

by, Donna Stratford

Veterans service organizations (VSOs) play a major role as advocates for the Veteran community, and as partners with VA, to ensure this nation’s Veterans receive the benefits they have earned. An important part of this partnership is to support VSOs as they train their advisors on the benefit process.

VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program recently entered in to an agreement with Paralyzed Veterans of America to participate in an apprenticeship program to train Paralyzed Veterans’ employees on how to assist Veterans to file for and obtain their benefits. A similar program is currently in effect with the Disabled American Veterans organization.

Paralyzed Veterans is an advocate for quality health care, spinal cord injury and disease research, VA benefits, and civil rights for Veterans and all people with disabilities. As a service oriented non-profit organization, Paralyzed Veterans employs national service officers to serve Veterans.

“The apprenticeship program with Paralyzed Veterans will put much needed resources into communities nationwide to work with our Veterans and assist them in applying for benefits,” stated Tim Johnston, supervisor for rehabilitation services at VR&E. “This not only gives those accepted into the program a skill, but ensures that Veterans in communities, large and small, have access to trained professionals who can help them understand the process and apply for those benefits they have earned and deserve.”

In a memorandum of understanding between the two organizations, Paralyzed Veterans will provide a 36-month on-the-job training program to qualified Veterans who are selected for the apprenticeship program.

Most of the apprenticeship is supervised work with some classroom and on-line learning. These are full-time national service officer positions.

Pay during the apprenticeship is supplemented by the VR&E program. For the first 12 months, those selected for the program are paid $2,890 per month by Paralyzed Veterans, and an additional $651 from VA as a training allowance.

In the remainder of the apprenticeship, Paralyzed Veterans pays $3,166.66, and VR&E pays $375 per month for training. The VR&E training allowance to the Veteran is tax-free. VA also pays for the training and necessary supplies.

Selection for the program generally comes from two sources. Paralyzed Veterans may notify VR&E that they have a candidate in mind, or a VA vocational rehabilitation counselor can recommend someone for the program.

The current memorandum of understanding will be in effect until May 2021.

This article was originally published by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.