Testimony
of Steven
C. Halsey Halsey, Rains, and Associates, L.L.C. The Coalition for Professional Certification HOUSE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE
ON BENEFITS Oversight
Hearing on Licensing and Credentialing of Military Job Skills for Civilian Employment September 27, 2000
Mr. Chairman and
Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to return to
report on our progress in the area of veterans’ employment and
professional certification. As
you know I have worked with the Committee for several years on this
issue and was honored to appear before you last year to offer our
further assistance. That
said I would spare you any re-introduction or description of the CPC,
you have patiently sat through it before. I am proud to report
real progress over the past year in the area of veteran transition as
is pertains to professional certification.
As you know, we have worked diligently from its inception on
the joint Veterans’ and Small Business Committees Veterans
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, P.L.
106-50. Both Committees
have expressed their gratitude to the CPC for our key assistance in
obtaining funding for this important law.
Additionally, you will recall that in our testimony last year,
the CPC called for a national conference on Veteran transition and
certification. As you know we held that conference in June and it was, by
all accounts, an enormous success.
Once again Chairman Quinn, we wish to thank you for serving as
our keynote and displaying your commitment to this issue by repeatedly
returning to the conference in between floor votes on VA-HUD
Appropriations. I am especially proud to acknowledge the personal
gratitude expressed to me by NOCA President Michael Martin and several
NOCA Board Members for the opportunity to take part and learn first
hand about this important issue.
I have since received a hearty “job well done” from another
NOCA Board member who was invited but unable to attend due to
scheduling conflicts. While we were
energized by the outpouring of support this conference generated, we
were disappointed that the majority of the funding promised by the
Administration fell through, literally within hours of the event.
As you know Mr. Chairman, there was no talk of cancellation;
rather the CPC stepped up to assume all financial obligations.
This entailed expenditures well in excess of the entire CPC
budget for this year. I
mention this only to highlight the commitment of our organization to
this cause. All too often
we hear lofty claims of commitment from those who would appear in the
eleventh hour to claim credit for the work of others.
“Put your money where your mouth is” may be a trite phrase,
but it is appropriate when those with the means, both in money and
manpower, fail to participate when there is work to be done but demand
their due when they perceive a benefit in the offering. The immediate results
of the conference are as follow:
On
the issue of reimbursement for certification costs, I must close by
pleading with the Committee to avoid the danger of elevating any
organization which only offers organizational certification standards
to the private sector as a product, or at a cost, to a position of
guidance to the Secretary. Clearly
there is a conflict present if an organization is asked to create for
a government agency that which it sells in the private sector.
Seeking profit or market dominance from a veterans’ desire to
enhance his or her career options is wholly inappropriate and must not
be encouraged. Thank you for the
opportunity to present our views.
I would welcome any questions you might have. Back to Witness List |