LVMAC Tidbit — The Little Known Veterans Employment Center™ (VEC)
Last Veterans Day 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs launched with little fanfare a new website, www.vets.gov, though it is still under development and not anticipated to be finally complete for a year. It is part of the ostensibly transformative MyVA initiative and is being done in response to the federal government’s acknowledgment that there is are far too many “helpful” websites, call centers and 1-800 numbers out there. The end result is “the VA customer experience is fragmented, frustrating and confusing.” The VA is attempting to develop a simplified website “which provides useful information that’s clearly written and presented and tools that are easy to find and use” in all one place. This is no easy task.
One of its better efforts on this website seems to be the The Veterans Employment Center™ (VEC). Its intention is to connect veterans and their families with meaningful employment and career-development opportunities. It also addresses those who seek to start or expand their own businesses. The effort is definitely transition-oriented, for it provides a linear way of going about finding a job for those new to the process. However, even those further along in experience can benefit from it, for it appears to be a comprehensive, complete, one-stop package.
VEC considers where you are along in the job-hunting process, to include applying for unemployment compensation. It provides employment career advice, assists in résumé building, offers education advice and free online training, and access to employers who are committed to hiring veterans and military spouses, among other features. Whether can replace the need to know other websites, such as those listed in our Answers Desk, particularly those provided by the federal government, remains to be seen, but does seem to be a good start at it.
P.S. The site may also be reached through eBenefits by using the Employment Center tab on the toolbar at the top.
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As of 29 July 2016