| RELEASE: CONTACT: |
IMMEDIATE Chuck Armstrong (804) 786-4243 Chuck.Armstrong@VDOT.Virginia.gov Sande Snead (804) 225-4491 |
CO-0658 Nov. 9, 2006 |
VDOT TO ASSIST WOUNDED VETERANS
New intern program provides new skills, transition to civilian work
RICHMOND – Wounded veterans who can’t or don’t wish to return to jobs they had before serving in combat could find an opportunity at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to restart their working lives as civilians.
VDOT is developing a Wounded Veteran Internship Program for veterans who find they are not suited physically or emotionally to a former job or because the job is no longer available. The program will allow veterans to revamp old job skills or develop new ones, and VDOT will attempt to locate the internships close to where the veterans are receiving rehabilitation or now live.
“This will be a place of transition for the veterans,” according to Louis Bromley, VDOT’s coordinator of the new program. The program is the only one of its kind among departments of transportation across the country, and it is expected to serve as a model for other DOTs, Bromley added. The Federal Highway Administration is providing grant money and is partnering with VDOT in the program.
Wounds can be physical or psychological, and the internship is expected to serve primarily veterans of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but will not be limited to veterans of those operations. A number of veteran service-related organizations are working with VDOT to implement the program.
Internships will last from six months to two years, depending on the needs of the veterans and the VDOT office in which they are placed. Veterans will be compensated at an hourly rate determined by the skill sets involved and the particular position.
“These will be meaningful positions,” Bromley emphasizes. “They will not be for just answering the phone or running errands.” Placement decisions will start with each veteran’s aptitudes and interests, and placement would be in one of many VDOT specialties, including planning, finance, project management, security, procurement, quality control, and others.
VDOT plans to offer veterans in the program an opportunity to be mentored by VDOT employees who are veterans. Mentoring groups will be established as the program develops, Bromley said. They will help the interns adjust to the workplace by giving emotional and technical support.
Several potential candidates have been identified, and the first candidate could possibly begin an internship in late November or early December. The program could be expanded to take 10 veterans. Initially, candidates selected for an intern position would be processing out of active military duty. Later, the program might include those who have returned to civilian life and are having difficulty working a job.
Veterans in the program could compete for full-time VDOT jobs, or they could be introduced to jobs in the private sector or another government agency. VDOT plans to promote the program to businesses and industries that do work for the department to offer veterans broader opportunities in their job search, Bromley said.
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VDOT is developing a Wounded Veteran Internship Program for veterans who find they are not suited physically or emotionally to a former job or because the job is no longer available. The program will allow veterans to revamp old job skills or develop new ones, and VDOT will attempt to locate the internships close to where the veterans are receiving rehabilitation or now live.
“This will be a place of transition for the veterans,” according to Louis Bromley, VDOT’s coordinator of the new program. The program is the only one of its kind among departments of transportation across the country, and it is expected to serve as a model for other DOTs, Bromley added. The Federal Highway Administration is providing grant money and is partnering with VDOT in the program.
Wounds can be physical or psychological, and the internship is expected to serve primarily veterans of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but will not be limited to veterans of those operations. A number of veteran service-related organizations are working with VDOT to implement the program.
Internships will last from six months to two years, depending on the needs of the veterans and the VDOT office in which they are placed. Veterans will be compensated at an hourly rate determined by the skill sets involved and the particular position.
“These will be meaningful positions,” Bromley emphasizes. “They will not be for just answering the phone or running errands.” Placement decisions will start with each veteran’s aptitudes and interests, and placement would be in one of many VDOT specialties, including planning, finance, project management, security, procurement, quality control, and others.
VDOT plans to offer veterans in the program an opportunity to be mentored by VDOT employees who are veterans. Mentoring groups will be established as the program develops, Bromley said. They will help the interns adjust to the workplace by giving emotional and technical support.
Several potential candidates have been identified, and the first candidate could possibly begin an internship in late November or early December. The program could be expanded to take 10 veterans. Initially, candidates selected for an intern position would be processing out of active military duty. Later, the program might include those who have returned to civilian life and are having difficulty working a job.
Veterans in the program could compete for full-time VDOT jobs, or they could be introduced to jobs in the private sector or another government agency. VDOT plans to promote the program to businesses and industries that do work for the department to offer veterans broader opportunities in their job search, Bromley said.
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Page last modified: Nov. 9, 2006
