Congressman Hamadeh Introduces Legislation to Broaden Emerging Technology Learning Opportunities for Veterans

WASHINGTON D.C. - Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) is heeding the call of veterans to broaden emerging technology education opportunities through the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program, introducing the Improving Emerging Tech Opportunities for Veterans Act.

The Improving Emerging Tech Opportunities for Veterans Actwould add "emerging technologies" such as artificial intelligence and semi-conductor manufacturing to be eligible for VET-TEC. This critical legislation would also allow the VA and stakeholders to collaborate to identify emerging technology career fields that veterans can enter using their VA education benefits. This bill would also allow specified emerging technologies to have an expedited process for program approvals in VET-TEC, which would allow veterans to fill critical roles more quickly.

The Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program matches veterans with leading training providers to help them develop skills to start or advance their careers in high-tech industries. Under the Biden administration, the Veterans Administration (VA) failed to implement the process as outlined in the DOLE Act which reauthorized 4,000 participants for VET TEC. Now, Congressman Hamadeh and his colleagues on the House Veterans Affairs Committee are aggressively advocating for the rollout.

The U.S. is currently facing gaps in the workforce, while technological fields continue to be in growing demand. Veterans have many advanced technological skills from their time in service that could be applied in their next career, and developing those skills to meet the new technological field demands would truly serve America first.

Currently the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this bill would not affect spending over the budget window.

"I and my fellow House Veterans Affairs Committee members have heard from service members and veterans that they are encouraged to use their education benefits during the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), but they don't know what to use their education benefits on," stated Congressman Hamadeh. "This can lead to veterans using all of their education benefits before finalizing what career field they would like to go into. This bill is especially important for veterans in Congressional District 8 as it becomes a technology hub because it would also allow the VA to identify emerging technologies and open the routes to get veterans in these critical career paths to help boost the American workforce and allow veterans to be informed on career opportunities."

"This bill will go far to eliminate the excuse used by high tech companies that veterans are not qualified to do the work, so HB-1 Visa workers are necessary. This bill pays for veterans training at companies like those found in Congressional District 8, in order to make them qualified for high tech jobs as it creates a government subsidized job training program in AI/semiconductors," stated Congressman Hamadeh. "This bill is not a handout; veterans have EARNED these benefits in addition to the GI bill. Not only are we delivering on our promises to veterans, but we are also ensuring that the high-tech industry has no more reasons to ship in cheap labor."