U.S. Department of Labor Announces Funding for Cooperative Agreements to Assist Veterans and Transitioning Servicemembers Attain Occupational Licenses

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the availability of up to $2.5 million for cooperative agreements with partnerships that will work to increase and expedite attainment of state occupational licenses by veterans and transitioning servicemembers. Through this funding opportunity, the Department expects to award one to three cooperative agreements for between $750,000 and $2,500,000; and the projects will have a three-year period of performance. 

Veterans and transitioning servicemembers face unique barriers to entry into licensed civilian occupations.  Despite having acquired relevant skills and experience, veterans and transitioning servicemembers can encounter lengthy processes and educational requirements to obtain the credentials, such as occupational licenses, needed to enter civilian employment that can impose additional time and financial costs.

To address barriers to licensure for veterans and transitioning servicemembers, funded projects will select one or more licensed occupations and conduct academic credit and gap analyses between military education and training in the selected licensed occupation(s). Based on these analyses, grantees will develop bridge training curricula customized to close those gaps to enable veterans to qualify for state licensure in the selected occupation. The projects will also work to implement other strategies that facilitate licensure for veterans and transitioning servicemembers and streamline administrative processes to the greatest extent possible.

Each awardee will identify and address licensing requirements in one or more of the following high-demand occupational areas for the project: healthcare occupations; protective service occupations; licensed mechanical/construction occupations; and licensed transportation occupations.

Projects funded under this opportunity will build on two previous projects - a six-state demonstration project funded by the Department focused on veterans' occupational licensure and certification, and a 2018 grant awarded by the Department to the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation - to carry out activities similar to those supported through this current funding opportunity. Successful applicants will build on the foundation of the challenges and strategies identified in the earlier six-state demonstration project and any findings or materials that become available from the Kentucky project to support the development and wide dissemination of appropriate accelerated educational and licensing programs.

For additional information on grant eligibility, and how to apply for funds, visit http://www.grants.gov. Applicants must also register in the System for Award Management, and possess a "D-U-N-S" number.  D-U-N-S is a unique, nine-digit identification number for each of a business's physical locations. Businesses seeking federal government grants or contracts may obtain their D-U-N-S number free-of-charge from Dun & Bradstreet.

Applications must be submitted online no later than 4:00 p.m. EDT on May 10, 2019.