The California EDD has awarded nearly $5 million in grant money to organizations participating in the VEAP program.
In an April 6 press release, the California Employment Developmental Department announced that it had awarded $4.9 million in grants for 11 organizations participating in the Veterans’ Employment-Related Assistance Program.
The program, which is ultimately funded by the Governor’s discretionary funds, provides grants for organizations that offer job training (including credentialing), career counseling, and recruitment services for veterans. EDD says, “these grant recipients provide veterans with access to employment opportunities, while supplying high-growth industries with dedicated and highly skilled applicants for fields such as: advanced manufacturing, construction, educational and health services, logistics and transportation, aerospace, and information technology.”
The 11 organizations, almost all of which are located in Southern California, participating in the VEAP program include:
- American Aerospace Technical Academy
- Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Inc.
- Goodwill Industries of Orange County
- Interfaith Community Services
- JVC SoCal
- Managed Career Solutions, SPC
- Mendocino Private Industry Council, Inc.
- NPower, Inc.
- Orange County Workforce Development Board Community Investment Division
- Stanislaus County Workforce Development
- Swords to Plowshares: Veterans Rights Organization
Participating VEAP members include government, private, and nonprofit organizations. Readers can find the contact information for each member in the aforementioned press release.
Veterans Are Among the Most Financially Vulnerable Since the Start of the Pandemic
While exact numbers are hard to find as authoritative sources on veteran employment usually do not publish data on a given year until the following year, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently extended financial relief on the grounds that veterans, nationally, have been one of the hardest-hit groups financially since the pandemic began.
It is unclear if veterans in California have been affected on the same scale as those across the country, but the EDD’s new grant promises to improve veteran employment prospects in the state.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
