NIICA leverages the VALOR Act, National Program Sponsorship, to expand access to Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) for veterans, providing pathways into high-demand careers in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing
HANOVER, Md., Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement™ (NIICA) is expanding opportunities for veterans to access RAs in the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries through the VALOR Act, which provides additional resources to help veterans transition into civilian careers.
The VALOR Act is designed to support veterans by offering enhanced resources, including housing benefits, to facilitate their move from military service into high-demand civilian jobs. As the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) national Intermediary for expanding RAs in the semiconductor and nanotechnology industries, and as a National Program Sponsor, NIICA helps employers with multi-state operations establish and manage RAs without requiring separate sponsorships in each state. This ensures that employers, especially those operating in multiple regions, can streamline their apprenticeship programs through a single point of management.
As a National Program Sponsor for RAs, NIICA holds a unique role in assisting employers with multi-state operations. This sponsorship enables companies to establish and administer RAs without needing to secure separate sponsorships in each individual state, simplifying the administrative process and ensuring a more efficient expansion of apprenticeship programs under one employer model. By acting as the centralized sponsor, NIICA assumes responsibility for overseeing training, and ensuring hands-on learning opportunities and compliance with national standards. This structure allows employers to focus on recruitment and operations, while NIICA handles the administration of the apprenticeship programs across all sites regardless of location.
NIICA's sponsorship of national RAs aligns with its broader work under the National Center for Skill-Based Learning™ (CSBL), where the focus is on expanding national apprenticeship programs and promoting skill-based learning and hiring in key sectors critical to U.S. national security and global competitiveness. By developing industry-specific pathways, aligning curricula with real-time market demands, and building a national network of community colleges and training providers with aligned curricula to support programs, the CSBL helps to ensure students and workers gain the critical skills needed to thrive.
NIICA is actively working with employers throughout the nation's semiconductor supply chain and advanced manufacturers to develop talent pipeline strategies and establish RAs. Veterans participating in these programs will benefit from additional resources provided under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which includes up to $1,000 per academic year for books and supplies and a monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents in the employer's ZIP code.
The BHA varies according to the length of time the veteran has been in training, starting at 100% for the first six months, reducing to 80% for the second six months, and then tapering to 60%, 40%, and 20% for each subsequent six-month period. These benefits are specifically for Registered Apprenticeships and are managed by NIICA as an approved USDOL National Program Sponsor. Additionally, as VA Certifying Officials, NIICA staff will be able to manage the program for all employer partners.
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