In early 2026, Sarah Jenkins, the CEO of Phoenix Aerospace, had a serious problem on her hands. Her company was a key supplier for military aircraft components, but its manufacturing lines were getting hammered by labor shortages, especially for skilled technicians. It wasn’t that people weren’t applying. The issue was a gap between the talent walking in the door and the specific certifications needed for Phoenix’s highly specialized work. Sarah needed a solid pipeline of qualified people, and she started to think the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) workforce readiness policy might be the key to their veteran hiring goals.
Key Takeaways
- The VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program is an end-to-end support system for service-connected disabled veterans, covering everything from vocational counseling to job training.
- Employers can tap into a pool of skilled vets by actually understanding and working with VA initiatives like the VR&E program and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS).
- The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is required for everyone leaving the military. It includes employment workshops and resources that companies can plug directly into.
- If you’re a federal contractor, you have specific hiring benchmarks for protected veterans under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), which is sitting at 5.7% for 2026.
- A good veteran hiring strategy comes down to clear communication with VA program managers and a real commitment to understanding the unique skills veterans bring to the table.
The Skill Gap and the Promise of VA Programs
Phoenix Aerospace, working just outside the industrial hub of Marietta, Georgia, had always liked hiring military veterans. Their discipline, work ethic, and ability to perform under pressure were huge assets. But the specific needs of aerospace manufacturing meant a general tech background wasn’t cutting it. Welders had to have specific aerospace certs, machinists needed to know their way around advanced CNC programming, and the quality control folks had to be fluent in complex regulatory standards. Sarah knew that just putting “veteran-friendly” on a job post wasn’t going to fix anything.
Her HR Director, Mark Thompson, was the one who suggested they look deeper into the VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program, which used to be called VocRehab. “We’ve hired a few people through VR&E before,” Mark said in a weekly leadership meeting, “but we’ve never been strategic about it, never used it to build an actual pipeline. They do way more than just placements. They offer serious training and support for veterans with service-connected disabilities.” The VR&E program, run by the VA, gives eligible vets vocational counseling, job training, and employment services, including paying tuition for approved programs, setting up on-the-job training, and even helping them start a business. The trick, Mark pointed out, was for Phoenix Aerospace to map its specific skill needs directly to the training paths VR&E offered.
This was about more than just filling a few open reqs. It was about building a workforce that could last. The aerospace industry, especially around Georgia, is fighting a war for skilled labor. A 2025 report from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (Georgia.org) projected the state’s aerospace sector would grow by 8% in the next five years, creating thousands of jobs. That growth was about to make a bad skills shortage even worse, which meant they had to get proactive about developing their own people.
Working through the VR&E Process: A Case Study in Partnership
Sarah gave Mark the job of building a real relationship with the local VA VR&E office in Atlanta. Their first move was to sit down and write out exactly what roles Phoenix needed to fill and which certifications were non-negotiable. For example, their need for aerospace welders meant they were looking for people with an American Welding Society (AWS) D17.1 certification, which is hyper-specific to welding on aircraft and spacecraft. That kind of detail was everything. “You can’t just walk in and say you need ‘good technicians’,” Mark said later. “You have to tell them the exact NDT certifications, the specific CAD software, the AS9100 quality system knowledge. The more precise you are, the better they can match or train someone for you.”
So, Mark set up a meeting with a VR&E counselor, Ms. Evelyn Reed, at the Atlanta Regional Office near Peachtree Street. He didn’t go empty-handed. He brought a detailed list of job descriptions, salary bands, and the exact training pathways that would make a candidate a success at Phoenix. Ms. Reed walked him through the different tracks inside VR&E, like direct job placement, on-the-job training (OJT), and apprenticeships. For Phoenix, the OJT and apprenticeship options looked like the perfect fit, since they let veterans get hands-on experience while the VA paid for the training needed to meet their specific standards.
Ms. Reed also pointed out a benefit that many employers miss: the potential for wage reimbursement. Under certain OJT programs, the VA can actually pay back a portion of the veteran’s wages during their training period. That got Phoenix’s attention. It could seriously cut the cost of getting new talent up to speed, especially for jobs that required a lot of initial training.
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Beyond VR&E: Using the Broader VA Ecosystem
While VR&E was their main effort, Sarah and Mark quickly figured out they needed to engage with other VA-supported programs too. The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL.gov/VETS), is a big player in connecting vets to jobs. VETS gives money to state workforce agencies to help veterans with things like job searches, resume writing, and interview prep. Mark started making the rounds at local veteran-specific job fairs, which were often put on by the Georgia Department of Labor and VETS reps.
The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) was the other piece of the puzzle. TAP is a mandatory course for everyone separating from the service that’s meant to get them ready for civilian employment. Phoenix Aerospace started sending its recruiters to nearby bases like Dobbins Air Reserve Base to sit in on TAP employment events. Why? Because this direct contact let them talk to service members before they were even officially out of uniform, giving Phoenix a big head start on the competition.
This new, hands-on approach got them results fast. In just three months, Phoenix had found five veterans through the VR&E program who were already enrolled in advanced manufacturing courses at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. These vets were lined up for OJT spots at Phoenix as soon as their coursework was done, and the company was ready to provide the specialized aerospace welding training in-house, with VA funding to back it up. They weren’t just filling jobs anymore. They were investing in people who could become long-term, highly skilled employees.
Policy in Action: Federal Contractor Obligations and Best Practices
As a federal contractor, Phoenix Aerospace was well aware of its duties under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). VEVRAA makes federal contractors and subs take affirmative action to hire and promote protected veterans. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) sets a hiring benchmark for this every year. For 2026, that national benchmark was set at 5.7% of the total workforce (DOL.gov/OFCCP). Mark made sure Phoenix’s applicant tracking system could properly flag veteran status and that their recruiting efforts were actively targeting vets to hit that number.
But for Sarah, this was just good business, not just compliance. “Veterans bring a mix of technical ability and soft skills you don’t find anywhere else,” she’d say. “They get teamwork, they solve problems when everything’s on fire, and they have a dedication to the mission that is priceless in this industry.” Her advice for other CEOs was simple: stop treating veteran hiring like a box to check. Start seeing it as a strategic advantage. It takes real work, a willingness to learn how the VA programs (and their acronyms) actually function, and a commitment to making veterans part of your company’s culture.
One of the hurdles Mark ran into was that some of his own hiring managers were skeptical, worried that veterans wouldn’t have the right civilian experience. He tackled this head-on by running internal training sessions, sometimes bringing in people from local Veterans Service Organizations to help his managers see how military skills translate. For instance, a veteran who ran complex logistics in the Army is probably a perfect fit for a supply chain management job, even if they’ve never had that exact title on a civilian resume. The VA’s “Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Translator” tools were a huge help for this kind of internal education.
The Resolution: A Sustainable Talent Pipeline
By the end of 2026, Phoenix had brought 12 veterans into its manufacturing operations by using a mix of VR&E OJT programs and direct hires from TAP events. Those first five VR&E participants had finished their specialized welding certifications and were already some of their best performers. The company even started a mentorship program, pairing new veteran apprenticeships with seasoned employees (many of whom were also veterans), which helped build a supportive culture and made the transition for new hires much smoother. The numbers told the story: Phoenix’s retention rate for veteran hires was way higher than for its general workforce, which was all the proof they needed that the targeted recruiting and support were working.
Sarah Jenkins looked back at the year’s work. “It wasn’t a magic bullet,” she said, “but by really digging in with the VA’s workforce policies, we did more than just fill jobs. We built a stronger, more resilient team. The VA gives you the framework. It’s on us as employers to build the bridges.” For Phoenix Aerospace, a strategic plan for veteran hiring had turned a dangerous labor shortage into a real competitive edge.
Getting involved with VA workforce readiness policies can completely change a company’s talent game. It gives you access to a skilled and dedicated group of people and lets you meet your social responsibilities. The best advice is to be proactive: connect with your local VA VR&E office and show up at TAP events to build strong veteran hiring pipelines.
What is the VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program?
The VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program, which used to be called VocRehab, gives eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities all the services they need to get ready for, find, and keep a good job. This can include anything from career counseling and job training to paying for education and helping with job placement.
How can employers connect with veterans seeking employment through the VA?
Employers can connect with vets through a few different VA and Department of Labor programs. Your best bets are to contact your local VA VR&E office directly, show up at Transition Assistance Program (TAP) job fairs on military bases, and work with the state workforce agencies that get funding from the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS).
What is the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and how does it benefit employers?
The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is a required course for every service member who is leaving the military, designed to get them ready for civilian life. For employers, the benefit is huge: you can go to TAP employment events and get direct access to a stream of people who are actively looking for jobs and have just been trained on how to do it.
Are there federal requirements for contractors to hire veterans?
Yes. If you’re a federal contractor or subcontractor, you fall under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). This requires you to take affirmative action to hire and promote protected veterans. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) sets the hiring benchmark each year which is 5.7% for 2026.
What specific information should an employer provide to the VA to find suitable veteran candidates?
To get good veteran candidates from the VA, you have to be specific. Give them detailed job descriptions, the exact technical skills and certifications you need (like an AWS certification or proficiency in certain software), salary ranges, and any on-the-job training or apprenticeship programs you can offer. The more detail you give them, the better their matches will be.
