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TESTIMONY OF REAR ADMIRAL FRED L. AMES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION U.S. COAST GUARD ON VETERANS’ EMPLOYMENT: CREDENTIALING REQUIREMENTS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON BENEFITS COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS U.S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 27, 2000 Good
morning, Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Subcommittee.
I am Rear Admiral Fred Ames, Coast Guard Assistant Commandant
for Human Resources. Thank
you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the
Coast Guard’s efforts regarding the transfer of military job skills
to the civilian workforce. Following
my appearance before the Subcommittee last year, the Coast Guard set
out to implement a number of initiatives that were identified during
my previous testimony. My
intent today is to update you on the status of these initiatives and
briefly describe their impact on the Coast Guard. I
am pleased to announce that the U.S. Coast Guard is a full partner in
the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP).
On April 7th of this year, the Coast Guard and Navy
signed a memorandum of agreement that effectively integrated the Coast
Guard into the USMAP. This
federally registered apprenticeship program, under the guidelines of
the U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship Training, Employer and
Labor Services (DOL/ATELS) develops highly trained military service
personnel who continue to use their technical skills and knowledge
when they leave the military service for the civilian workplace. The
goal of USMAP is to develop highly skilled journeymen through military
training and experience that will lead to certification in a
designated trade, occupation or craft.
Through our participation in this program, Coast Guard men and
women now have the opportunity to be recognized for skills learned and
practiced in the service, and their work experience and related
technical instruction documented.
Coast Guard personnel who successfully complete the USMAP are
issued a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship from the U.S.
Department of Labor and are considered among the most highly skilled
craftsmen in industry. Participants
in the program have a greater chance of finding employment utilizing
their military skills when transferring to the civilian sector. The
Coast Guard continues to promote active participation in other
programs that enable service members to receive recognition for the
training, education and experience they gain while on active duty.
These programs include the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional
Educational Support (DANTES) program, the American Council on
Education (ACE) credit recommendation program, the Coast Guard tuition
assistance program and our own educational assessment program, which
is similar to the Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry
Transcript (SMART) program. Participation
by our Coast Guard men and women in all of these programs has been on
the increase. Programs
such as USMAP and an expanded voluntary education program have better
positioned the Coast Guard to compete in today’s highly competitive
labor market. As our
programs mature, we anticipate that the training, education and
opportunity to acquire professional credentials, recognized by
civilian employers will further promote our recruitment and retention
efforts. In
conclusion, Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, your efforts
to promote the efficacy of training and work experiences in the Armed
Forces are to be commended. The
benefits realized through your efforts have and will continue to
influence the recruitment, retention and marketability of our service
members as they transition back to civilian life. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important issue with you today. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Back to Witness List |