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With the passage of HB1432/SB5841, permitting private employers to exercise a voluntary veterans’ preference in employment, Washington will be the first state in the country to honor our veterans with this kind of employment preference.

Introduced by Representative Jay Rodne, the legislation passed the state Senate unanimously and the state House 94-4.  Championed by Hire America's Heroes, the Chamber was supportive of this legislation as part of our TEACH agenda for workforce development.

The U.S. Department of Labor just awarded $4.8 million to WorkForce Central and its partnership which includes Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council, Thurston County Economic Development Council, WA State Employment Security Department, and the City of Lakewood to help those relocated to Joint Base Lewis-McChord from closed military bases find new employment.

Of this awarded amount, $2.2 million is Pierce County’s share!

The first activity under this award is an impact study to identify existing skills needs and skill gaps within our region’s major industries so that we can utilize training dollars effectively by training individuals for available jobs now and in the near future.  This impact study will be led by the Thurston County EDC.

WorkForce Central and Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council will administer these funds in their respective counties to assist 825 military spouses and civilian defense workers impacted by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure action that closed military bases nationwide and resulted in the creation of JBLM in 2010. The majority of those affected are spouses who have left jobs to follow military members assigned to JBLM.

Services provided will include career coaching, case management, job training, supportive services and employment linkage. In addition, the grant will assist in identifying skill gaps in new and emerging industries critical to the economic growth of Pierce and Thurston Counties.

Beginning November 1, getting a CDL just got easier for military personnel with specialized truck driver training, thanks to the new Military Training Certification Process.

The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) have joined forces to help veterans.  The Chamber has been a long time advocate for recognizing applicable military training for professional licenses and certifications.

Here’s how it works:

WDVA staff will assess the training a military member or veteran received in the military and verify whether it meets the required minimum commercial motor vehicle driver training requirements in Washington State. Once verification is made, a Commercial Drivers Military Training Certificate is provided.

Military member and veteran applicants must pass the applicable knowledge and skills test, pay all basic license and commercial drivers license fees, and present the Commercial Drivers Military Training Certificate to DOL in order to be issued a CDL.

Veterans have one year following their release from the military to take advantage of this new program.

“We often hear of the challenges our men and women in uniform face when they leave the military and try to find jobs that they qualify for,” said WDVA program manager Ric Price. “This is a tremendous step forward in removing a financial barrier to a smoother transition from military to civilian employment.”

In the past, veterans were required to attend additional and often expensive commercial drivers training programs to learn the skills they had used for years in the military. WDVA’s Helmets to Hardhats liaison Todd Mitchell questioned why this training had to be repeated and worked with a number of organizations to develop this new process. Thanks to the hard work of WDVA, DOL, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, Army Reserve Employer Relations, Washington Trucking Association, Teamsters Union and the Washington Defense Partnership, the transition from a military job to a civilian one will require one less step.

This new program allows WDVA to verify an individual CDL applicant has the required minimum commercial motor vehicle driver training requirements provided and documented by a military service.

"This is another instance of agencies working together to make things more seamless for Washingtonians,” said DOL director Liz Luce. “This program is important so that our service members can utilize the training they've received and get right to work in the civilian sector."

For additional information about this new program, contact WDVA at 1-800-562-2308 or contact Ric Price.
 
In addition to Ric Price, other team members who worked to accomplish this first licensing based on military training are Todd Mitchell, DVA, John Patterson, Army Reserve Employer Relations, Olivia Robinson, Washington Military Partnership and Gary Brackett, Tacoma-Pierce Co. Chamber. Thanks also go to the Washington Truckers Assn. and the Teamsters.

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