Walkinshaw Legislation to Strengthen Veteran Tech Training and Boost Job Outcomes Clears Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C . — The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs today advanced Congressman James R. Walkinshaw's (VA-11) bipartisan Veteran Technology Employment Success Act, moving the legislation one step closer to ensuring the VA's Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program is reaching its full potential for America's veterans. The program helps veterans and transitioning service members gain skills for high-demand technology careers and move into good-paying civilian jobs. "Making the transition from military service to civilian life isn't easy, and our veterans deserve every advantage we can give them. This bill is about building on what VET TEC is already doing well and making sure we are squeezing every last opportunity out of it so veterans can thrive in good-paying tech careers,” said Congressman Walkinshaw . “By strengthening transparency and holding providers accountable, we can make a strong program even stronger for those who have already given so much to our country." The bipartisan Veteran Technology Employment Success Act would require the VA to publicly report employment outcomes, standardize how job placement is calculated to prevent inflated numbers, expand reporting to cover full-time, part-time, and self-employment, and strengthen participant feedback to drive program improvement. Rep. Morgan McGarvey (KY-3) and Rep. Abraham J. Hamadeh (AZ-8) are cosponsors of the legislation. The bill now heads to the full House for consideration. Background: Recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports found significant gaps in how the VA's Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses program tracks employment outcomes and collects participant feedback, making it difficult to evaluate whether veterans are actually getting results. Walkinshaw's legislation responds directly to those findings, requiring the VA to give veterans accurate, transparent data. Read Congressman Walkinshaw’s bill text here and the Committee cleared bill text here . ###