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TESTIMONY
FOR THE RECORD BY MR.
VICTOR VASQUEZ, JR. DEPUTY
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (MILITARY
COMMUNITY & FAMILY POLICY) FOR
THE HOUSE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE
ON BENEFITS OVERSIGHT
HEARING ON VETERANS’ EMPLOYMENT: CREDENTIALING (LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, ACCREDITATION, AND APPRENTICESHIP)
REQUIREMENTS SEPTEMBER
27, 2000
Mr. Chairman and members of
the Subcommittee on Benefits, I appreciate the opportunity to provide
written testimony in support of your oversight efforts on Veterans’
Employment: (Credentialing
Licensure, Certification, Accreditation, and Apprenticeship)
Requirements.
The Department, along with
the Military Services, continues to support and encourage all of our
military personnel to seek professional certifications, credentials,
and licenses from recognized associations.
The education, training, and experience that are obtained
during an individual’s military service provide tangible benefits
for the Nation’s defense, and can also contribute significantly to a
skilled civilian workforce.
There is no question that
professional certification promotes growth and professionalism on the
job. Based on our experience with employers, we know that
demonstrated, specialized certification competencies translate to
post-active duty employment. We
also know that certification and credentialing of active duty military
personnel is one of our most powerful and dynamic recruiting tools.
The
Department and the Military Services are making every effort to
enhance and improve the credentialing process for our military personnel,
thus making certification and licensing a win-win situation for the
Department and the private sector.
Mr.
Chairman, thanks to your committee’s interest, the efforts of the
Department of Labor and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and the
hard work of the Military Services, there is a renewed commitment to
improving the well-being of our service members by providing them with
the tools and skills to successfully transition to the civilian
workforce. Our service
members are now seeing implementation of programs that are helping to
enhance their lives and remove many of the roadblocks related to this
most complex problem. We
still have a big challenge ahead of us, but I am encouraged by all of
the on-going initiatives being developed by the Military Services.
I am also confident that the challenges we face will be met as
we continue to work together to provide the best for our Armed Forces
and their families. I
want to update the committee on where the Department stands with our
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES),
Verification of Military Experience and Training Document (VMET)
document initiative, Voluntary Education programs, and Troops to
Teachers program. As
noted in my testimony last year, DANTES is the lead agency for
certification efforts in support of voluntary education.
DANTES has increased its number of Memoranda of Understanding
with professional certification agencies from 32 to 36 and now offers
approximately 180 different certification examinations.
In FY1999, DANTES directly funded approximately 6,000 of the
21,000 exams administered to military personnel. The
DoD Web site managed by DANTES continues to be a valuable source of
information for certification information.
It links certification agencies to all our military education
centers around the world and provides up-to date information on
certification examinations. As
I told you last September, we are redesigning the VMET document.
Phase I was completed on target in October, 1999.
In Phase I, we improved the form and content of the document.
Phase II is scheduled to be completed in January, 2001.
Under Phase II, Service members will be able to obtain their
document via Internet. We
are on target for completing Phase III by the end of FY2001.
It is the completion of Phase III that will add military
certification, licenses, and apprenticeship information to the
document. Under
the Voluntary Education Programs, members of the Armed Forces
servicing on Active Duty are afforded the opportunity to complete
their high school education, earn equivalency diplomas, improve their
academic skills or level of literacy, or enroll in vocational and
technical schools. The
DoD voluntary education program is one of the largest continuing
education programs in the world.
During FY 1999, service members enrolled in over 630 thousand
college courses and earned over 31 thousand degrees.
For fiscal year 2000, the Department will expend over $150
million in tuition assistance. Finally,
the Troops to Teachers Program which, since 1994, has
helped service members earn teacher certification
is scheduled to be transferred to the Department of Education
in FY2001. We are working
on a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Education in
accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2000 to
effect the transfer. As of the end of 1999, over 3,600 Troops to Teachers
participants had been hired as elementary and secondary school
teachers. In
conclusion Mr. Chairman, DoD is continuing its efforts in the
certification and licensing area in conjunction with various
partnerships such as the Department of Labors and Veterans’ Affairs
Interagency Task Force on Certification and Licensing of Transitioning
Military Personnel; the Department of Labor Occupational Information
Network; and various State credentialing pilot initiatives.
Our most recent participation on this subject was at the Transition Assistance: The
Role of Certification Conference in June sponsored by the American
Legion, the Coalition for Professional Certification, the Department
of Labor and other corporate organizations and hosted by you, Mr.
Chairman. As you stated
in your remarks during the conference, it is important to keep
the certification dialogue on-going.
Mr. Chairman, I am encouraged by you holding this hearing.
I am also confident that the challenges we face will be met as
we continue to work and collaborate with all our partners to provide
the best for all members of our Armed Forces and their families.
I look forward to any further guidance and assistance you or other members of the Subcommittee may be able to provide the Department on how to improve the credentialing process for Service members and veterans. Thank you for the opportunity to submit my views for the record. Back to Witness List |