Mission ready
Workforce programs assist veterans’ transition to civilian careers
Grant Hardin arrived at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for basic training in May 1999. He’d graduated from high school in his hometown of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, just 10 days earlier, and now he was about to embark on a new journey that would shape his life and career.
Individual Training as a food service specialist and attending Airborne School, Hardin spent the bulk of his military career at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. He deployed to Afghanistan seven times as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, 7th Special Forces Group, and his role as a dining facility manager saw him cooking and overseeing meal service for both small teams and large groups.
Hardin spent the last seven years of his military career as an enlisted aide to a commanding general, helping to host and cook for high-ranking officials, foreign dignitaries and celebrities.
Originally from Plattsmouth, Nebraska,
Grant Hardin deployed to Afghanistan seven times, overseeing meal service for small teams and large groups. Photos: Grant Hardin
As retirement approached, Hardin faced a new challenge: transitioning to civilian life. He returned to his home near Fort Knox in Kentucky, where he’d previously been stationed and where his wife and two small children were waiting, and decommissioned from the Army in June 2023. He and his wife had worked to pay down all of their debts, which afforded Hardin some time to ease back into civilian life, but a fruitless job search made him uneasy.
“I hadn’t worked in the civilian workforce since I was 18 years old. I became very stressed not knowing about another job or if I’d have to change career fields,” he says. The Army’s Transition Assistance Program provided some support, but the process was frustrating. “I was applying for positions and never hearing back,” he says. “It was hard to find someone who valued my experience.”
During a hiring event at Fort Knox, Hardin met representatives from KY VALOR (Veterans Accelerated Licensure Occupational Recruitment), an initiative administered by the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation that helps veterans leverage their military experience to find fulfilling post-service careers. “We were tasked by the federal government to overcome the disconnects between military training and civilian licensure requirements,” explains executive director Molly Bode.
“Historically, civilian licensing requirements have discounted military training and experience. They’ve either not counted it or given them less credit than they truly deserve,” she says. “For military folks, that’s resulted in an unnecessary burden in the form of either having to go back to school for additional education or paying for more training in order to get a civilian job.”
The program has developed 44 accelerated pathways leading to 55 levels or categories of civilian licensures, and covering more than 180 military occupational specialties, Bode says. The initiative has garnered the support of nearly 500 employer partners across various sectors, including health care, protective services, business, skilled trades, transportation and education.
“We are open to any veteran, any interest, any job,” Bode says. “Our goal is for that service member’s resume to be on top of a Kentucky employer’s pile.”
Workforce Development Manager Nicki Stewart and Executive Director Molly Bode represent KY VALOR along with FEAM Aero partners. Photo: KY VALOR
Representatives with KY VALOR worked with Hardin to optimize his resume and identify job leads that matched his desired salary range. The initiative paid off earlier this year when he accepted a civilian contractor position as the east regional manager of the Army’s Transition Assistance Program, where he assists fellow veterans with their transition back into civilian life and, often, refers them to KY VALOR and related programs around the state that assist with veteran workforce development.
OTHER INITIATIVES
Veterans comprise a talent pipeline, bringing maturity, accountability, leadership and stability to the workforce— qualities that employers value. Veteran workforce development programs help match veterans with those positions and translate their military experience and expertise to the workplace.
The Kentucky Veterans Employment, Training and Support program, abbreviated as KY VETS, is a state-run initiative administered by the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs in conjunction with the Kentucky Career Center and other agencies. The KY VETS lead meets with transitioning personnel at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell throughout the year, says Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Whitney Allen. Under the program’s umbrella are services to assist veterans in transitioning to civilian employment, including job search assistance, interview preparation, resume writing, tuition assistance waivers and training opportunities.
“We love our veterans and have various programs in place to assist them in their professional endeavors,” Allen says. “We (also) want employers to honor those who have served our country with an opportunity to interview for gainful employment and allow veteran-owned small businesses to be able to compete on requests for proposals from their organizations.
“I think one of the biggest challenges for transitioning veterans from an employer’s point of view is translating and understanding military skill sets, as veterans during their service are far more multifaceted than their job titles would imply on the surface.”
A SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYER
One employer that has recognized the value of hiring veterans is FEAM Aero, a nationwide company specializing in aircraft maintenance that has a major presence at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
“About 20% of our workforce, or around 300 of our 1,500 employees, are veterans,” says Chief Operating Officer Wayne Sisson. FEAM Aero has hired three people through the KY VALOR program and invests significantly in their transition. “We spend between $16,000 to $18,000 per veteran, covering hotel stays and costs to earn their A&P (airframe and power plant) license,” Sisson says.
FEAM Aero, a nationwide aircraft maintenance company, says about 20% of its employees are veterans. Photo: FEAM Aero
Veterans who can demonstrate qualifying military experience are offered a waiver for the minimum two years of technical school typically required to sit for the A&P exam (and a roughly $40,000 expense) and can move straight to taking the test. FEAM Aero also accounts for a veteran’s years of military experience in its salary program, recognizing those years of service in its pay scale.
“The biggest thing we need on the flight line is maturity and oversight, and these are qualities veterans bring,” Sisson says. “Additionally, there’s more stability; they don’t tend to job hop as much.”
Sisson, a Marine Corps veteran, understands the importance of supporting veterans in their transition. “I served 10 years in the Marine Corps, and the skill set I gained has carried me through my entire adult life,” he says.
Sisson says the industries experiencing or projected to experience a shortage in qualified personnel—including aviation and aircraft maintenance, health care, manufacturing and many others—would do well to actively recruit veterans.
“There’s a hunger for veterans now in every industry for their discipline, leadership, teamwork and loyalty,” he says.
Jobs for veterans: more to explore
Here are several resources that help veterans find jobs and develop their careers, easing the transition into civilian life.
Kentucky Career Center
A comprehensive hub for veteran employment services and programs, offering a robust directory of resources, including job placement, training programs and career counseling to help veterans transition smoothly into civilian employment.
KY VALOR
Originating from the Veterans Accelerated Learning for Licensed Occupations (VALLO), KY VALOR helps veterans translate their military skills into civilian job credentials and licensing.
KyVETS
The Kentucky Veterans Employment, Training, and Support Program, administered by the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs in conjunction with the Kentucky Career Center, assists veterans and their families in the job search process and in obtaining training through a skills-based program that aligns veterans with suitable employers.
Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)
usa.gov/agencies/veterans-employment-and-training-service
This resource offers an array of programs aimed at veterans, including the Transition Assistance Program for those at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell. VETS also funds veteran program specialists at Kentucky Career Centers.
VA for Vets
VA for Vets is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs initiative designed to help veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses secure civilian careers within the federal government, offering resources like job listings, resume building, and career coaching.
Veterans’ Preference
https://extranet.personnel.ky.gov/Pages/Hiring.aspx (scroll down to Veterans)
This program, based on Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 18A.150, provides veterans, and sometimes their family members, with preference during the interview process for competitive classified positions within the state government.
Vets Power Us
An initiative by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Vets Power Us connects veterans with job opportunities in electric cooperatives across 48 states, focusing on careers in the energy sector.
