VA to Help Vets With Green Jobs

Image by MichiganMoves via Flickr

It’s nice when chaotic life (redundant, I know) gives the satisfying appearance of completing a circle.

On August 17th, I was in the crowd at the Phoenix Convention Center listening as President Barack Obama assured the men and women attending the annual meeting of Veterans of Foreign Wars, that his administration would not abandon America’s former warriors when the fighting ends.

“We will fulfill our responsibility to our veterans as they return to civilian life,” the president said. “I was proud to co-sponsor the Post-9/11 GI Bill as a senator….And as President, I’m committed to seeing that it is successfully implemented.”

While Obama addressed many concerns that day, education and jobs were near the top of the list.

For so many of you, like my grandfather, the original GI Bill changed your life—helping you to realize your dreams. And it transformed America—helping to build the largest middle class in history. We’re saying the same thing to today’s Post-9/11 veterans—you pick the school, we’ll help pick up the bill.

In the same building, less than three months later, I was surrounded by over 20,000 contractors, architects and educators at the annual conference hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Building “green” — using non-toxic materials to construct energy and water efficient buildings — is one of the few segments of the construction industry to actually experience growth recently. Getting the right kind of education is the key to entering this market, and that means obtaining what are known as LEED credentials.

The acronym stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. To earn LEED credentials, participants have to pass rigorous — and expensive — exams. Each exam can cost up to $2,000. And that’s where the circle that started with the president’s August speech now closes.

Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it is fully-covering LEED exam fees under the G.I. Bill — with reimbursements retroactive back to December 3, 2008. Veterans, reservists and eligible dependents are covered by the plan.

The exams are administered by the Green Certification Institute (GBCI).

If you qualify for benefits under the G.I. Bill, you can learn more about this program at the GBCI website or download information directly from the VA website.