HARRISBURG – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale this week made six recommendations to help Pennsylvania’s veterans get good jobs after leaving the military.
“Military veterans possess a lot of valuable experience that can benefit civilian employers,” DePasquale said. “We need to do more to help veterans overcome the challenges they face and make a smooth transition into good jobs after their service to our nation ends.”
To follow up on his audit of the state’s workforce development system, DePasquale met with veterans and workforce development experts. Based on those meetings, DePasquale issued a report offering six recommendations:
- Greater coordination is needed between state and federal veterans programs.
- Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly should increase funding for job programs, veterans housing, mental health supports, healthcare, and services to disabled veterans.
- Study of professional licensing requirements for certain occupations should continue to determine if they can be streamlined to ease the burden on veterans and military families who relocate while serving.
- State, federal and private agencies must work together to continue to remove the stigma of seeking mental health treatment within the veteran community.
- The state should continue to expand programs to assist veterans seeking education and training services.
- Pennsylvania must promote and encourage veteran preferences for those applying to colleges and universities.
“We owe it to the women and men who served to provide all available resources to help them find good jobs,” DePasquale said. “I want Pennsylvania to become the model for how every state treats veterans when they transition to the civilian labor force.”
At the state level, Pennsylvania CareerLink Offices offer free job counseling, training, referrals, and placement services. Eligible veterans receive priority in the referral to job openings and training opportunities, with disabled veterans receiving the highest priority.
Learn more about the Department of the Auditor General online at www.paauditor.gov.
