We hope that you find this edition of the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) Newsletter helpful and informative. If so, be sure to share it with others in the VET TEC community or those who may be interested in joining – either as a student, employer partner or training provider.

Don’t let fraud ruin your educational goals

Back to school season is here! It’s time to accomplish your educational goals. While searching for a program, be aware of education scams. Predatory institutions use a variety of methods to manipulate Veterans into committing to misleading or fraudulent education programs.

Some of these methods include:

• Promises of immediate student loan forgiveness
• Guaranteed scholarship or eligibility for financial aid in exchange for a processing fee
• Free gifts for enrolling in classes

You can use the GI Bill Comparison Tool or GI Bill website to find approved VET TEC training providers and to compare benefits. To report suspected fraud or predatory companies, contact VA’s Office of Inspector General at (OIG) Hotline (va.gov). If you miss a VA benefits payment, identify a discrepancy in payments, or find suspicious activity with your direct deposit account, contact the VA immediately at 1-800-827-1000.

Upcoming events

VetBizLady Office Hours and Networking Sessions

When: Tuesday October 10, 2023, Noon–1 p.m. ET

Where: Online event

Tampa Veterans Job Fair

When: Thursday October 12, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. ET

Where: Amalie Arena - 401 Channelside Drive - Tampa, FL

Greater Los Angeles Veterans Job Fair

When: Thursday October 12, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. PT

Where: Riverside Municipal Auditorium - 3485 Mission Inn Avenue - Riverside, CA

VetBizLady Office Hours and Networking Sessions

When: Tuesday October 17, 2023, Noon–1 p.m. ET

Where: Online event

Corporate Gray Virtual Military-Friendly Job Fair

When: Thursday October 19, 2023, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. ET

Where: Online event

Chicago Veterans Job Fair

When: Thursday October 19, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. CT

Where: TBD - Chicago, IL

Job Fair at Joint Base Lewis McChord

When: Thursday October 19, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. PT

Where: American Lake Conference Center - 8085 NCO Beach Road - Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA

VetBizLady Office Hours and Networking Sessions

When: Tuesday October 24, 2023, Noon–1 p.m. ET

Where: Online event

Job Fair at Fort Benning

When: Wednesday October 25, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. ET

Where: The Benning Club - 7010 Morrison Road - Fort Benning, GA

Jacksonville Veterans Job Fair

When: Thursday October 26, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. ET

Where: TBD - Jacksonville, FL

Job Fair at Joint Base San Antonio

When: Thursday October 26, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. CT

Where: Sam Houston Community Center - Bldg. 1395, Chaffee Road - Fort Sam Houston, TX

VetBizLady Office Hours and Networking Sessions

When: Tuesday October 31, 2023, Noon–1 p.m. ET

Where: Online event

National Logistics Virtual Career Fair for Veterans

When: Tuesday October 31, 2023, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. CT

Where: Online event

Resources available to you

Strengthen your resume: Help potential employers understand how the skills and experience you’ve gained as a Service member make you a great employee. The Resume Engine™ powered by Hiring Our Heroes helps translate your military record into a strong resume. Hiring employers can readily connect with you right from the Resume Engine. Free 12-month LinkedIn Premium account subscription: If you are a VET TEC student, you can claim a free 12-month LinkedIn Premium account subscription by simply requesting it from the VET TEC team at VETTECPARTNER.VBACO@va.gov.

Hiring Our Heroes Toyota Giveaway

In partnership with Toyota North America, Hiring Our Heroes is giving a Toyota vehicle to a Veteran, Service member, or military spouse through its annual Committed to America’s Heroes sweepstakes. The annual contest is your chance to win a new Toyota of your choice.

The 2022 winner, featured above, was U.S. Navy military spouse Andrea Unzueta who selected a Toyota Highlander XSE.

Which Toyota vehicle would you choose?

The Committed to America’s Heroes sweepstakes ends December 1.

Enter at: https://www.hiringourheroes.org/committed-sweepstakes/

Career Corner

NOTE: The job listings provided below are provided by our VET TEC training providers or employment consortium members. The VA shares this information but does not specifically endorse any company or position.

• Senior Compensation Specialist - Herndon, VA
• Research Analyst (Postsecondary Education Access and Success) - Herndon, VA

📢Tech to Gov Opportunities!

The Federal Government is looking to recruit top talent. The Office of Personnel Management developed the Federal Tech Portal in mid-January which lists location, position, starting salary and other necessary information to help navigate new employment. If you are looking for a new role in Federal Tech, check out the portal HERE!

Employer-Partner Corner

FY2024 fast facts

This information is current as of October 3, 2023.

• 16,202 students have been paid VET TEC benefits at approved training provider sites.
• 13,261 students have completed a VET TEC program.
• 6,099 students have found meaningful employment.

VA continues to seek employers looking to join the Employer Consortium! Please share this information with employers in need of tech talent, so they know about such a great pool of qualified candidates!

VET TEC Employer Dashboard

Thank you for your continued partnership in the VET TEC Employer Consortium. As a reminder, you can connect with and recruit VET TEC program graduates via the VET TEC Employer Dashboard. In the dashboard, you'll be able to:

• Review VET TEC graduates’ candidate profiles.
• Browse candidate resumes.
• Message candidates you would like to interview.

Hiring Our Heroes initially sent an email with a unique employer link to access the VET TEC Employer Dashboard; if you are having issues accessing the VET TEC Dashboard, please email the VET TEC team.

VET TEC Employer Consortium

It’s time for our Employer Consortium partners to recommit and reconfirm their commitment to hiring VET TEC graduates. 

The VET TEC Employer Consortium team is looking forward to you renewing your Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and hearing from you on how we can improve our partnership. We are asking each employer-partner to renew their commitment to the Employer Consortium and more importantly to the Veterans that the Employer Consortium supports. We need your continued help and support to increase the VET TEC program's positive impact.

As a routine reminder: if you have resources to offer to VET TEC participants to assist them with their journey to find meaningful employment or are looking for highly skilled Veterans or Service members to fill open job positions, you are highly encouraged to volunteer to host an Employment Consortium event! Email the VET TEC team for more information and to express your interest in hosting an event with VA. 

Submit your quarter four hiring data

Employer Partners, please be sure to submit your employment hiring data for the final quarter of fiscal year 2023 to the VET TEC Employer Consortium team. Not only is this an important part of your responsibilities, but this information enables VA to share your VET TEC graduate hiring success stories with stakeholders, to include our Congressional partners, and emphasize your commitment to supporting the VET TEC program and Veteran hiring. Please ensure that this data is supplied to the VET TEC Employer Consortium team no later than October 18, 2023.

In addition to reporting the metrics, we hope that you will help us in telling the success stories of VET TEC graduates. We invite you to share with us the names and email addresses of the Veterans that you have hired for a possible future feature. We want to share their VET TEC success story and highlight your organization’s commitment to helping our Veterans find meaningful employment with the rest of the VET TEC community.

If you have a question about how to submit or need help, we can help you! Please email the VET TEC team to request assistance, today!

VET TEC Webpage | Employer Consortium | Resume Engine | Student FAQs

If you know a Veteran who is in crisis,

call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1.