The Veteran Employment Challenge; How the Veteran Benefits Administration can Help

Welcome to my blog on the intersection of Data-Driven Problem Solving and Veteran Employment challenges. In today's world, data has become a powerful tool for solving complex problems, and veteran employment continues to be a critical issue facing our society. In this blog, we will explore how data-driven problem-solving can help to address the challenges faced by veterans seeking employment, and how employers and society can use data to support and empower veterans in the workforce. We will also examine the unique skills and experiences that veterans bring to the table and how they can be leveraged to drive innovation and success in the workplace. Join us as we explore this important topic and work towards a more inclusive and equitable workforce for all.

Changing the Uniform, Not our Mission

Veterans face several challenges when trying to find employment after transitioning from the military. Some of the current problems veterans are facing include:

Lack of Civilian Job Experience: Many veterans have a wealth of experience and skills gained during their military service, but they may not have equivalent civilian work experience. This can make it difficult for them to compete with other job seekers who have more relevant civilian experience.

Difficulty Translating Military Skills to Civilian Jobs: Veterans may struggle to translate their military skills and experience into terms that are easily understood by civilian employers. This can lead to misunderstandings about their qualifications and can make it harder for them to find suitable employment.

Mental Health Issues: Many veterans struggle with mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, which can make it difficult for them to adjust to civilian life and find employment.

Physical Disabilities: Veterans who were injured or disabled during their service may face physical limitations that make it difficult for them to perform certain jobs. This can make it challenging for them to find suitable employment that accommodates their disabilities.

Discrimination: Unfortunately, some employers may discriminate against veterans due to stereotypes or misconceptions about their abilities or experiences. This can make it harder for veterans to find employment and can be demoralizing.

Lack of Resources: Some veterans may not be aware of the resources available to help them find employment or may not have access to these resources due to geographic or financial constraints. This can make it challenging for them to navigate the job market and find suitable employment.

Chosen Data Set

I chose to use the Dataset from US Government Open Data and share the data about:

Veterans who participated in Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Programs

Metadata Updated: November 23, 2021

Veterans who participated in Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Programs - Catalog (data.gov)

Vocational Rehabilitation: All Veterans who participated in various stages of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program were included. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) provides Vocational Rehabilitation/employment services.

The VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program

The VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a program provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assist eligible veterans and service members with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining employment or achieving independence in daily living. The VR&E program provides a wide range of services, including:

Vocational Counseling and Rehabilitation Planning: VR&E counselors work with veterans to assess their skills and interests, develop individualized rehabilitation plans, and provide guidance on education and training programs.

Education and Training: The VR&E program can provide financial assistance to veterans pursuing education or training programs, including college degrees, vocational training, and apprenticeships.

Job Search Assistance: VR&E counselors can help veterans with job search strategies, resume writing, interview preparation, and other job-seeking skills.

Job Placement: VR&E can assist veterans with finding suitable employment and can provide job coaching and support to help them succeed in their jobs.

Support Services: VR&E can provide a range of support services, such as assistive technology, transportation, and other accommodations to help veterans with disabilities succeed in the workplace.

Data Analysis Method Used

Data analysis methods are techniques used to examine, clean, transform, and model data to derive insights and draw conclusions from it. I chose to use the time-Series Analysis method.

Time-Series Analysis: This method involves analyzing data over time to identify trends, patterns, and seasonality.

With the current knowledge of our Armed Forces and acknowledging the gap of our military training to equate to civilian state and national certifications, along with the current declining veteran population I predict future veterans between 2025 to 2050 will be more competitive in the civilian markets when it's time to take off the boots.

Creating a video using Adobe Express was quite an experience.  Fairly easy tool to use and provides a greater range of visualization, learning and ways to communicate on a greater scale.  Themes, layout, music, graphic choices, voice recording, and other options are comparable if not better than using Microsoft PowerPoint.

Before learning about data-driven problem-solving, I felt curious and a little skeptical about the approach. I wonder how data can help solve problems and felt slightly overwhelmed by the prospect of working with large amounts of data. One of the biggest challenges was selecting the subject and choosing the data set to analyze and bring front in the video.

During the learning process, I felt a range of emotions, including excitement, frustration, and confusion.  Frustrated by the technical aspects of working with data and confused about how to interpret the data. This was obvious to me when I am comparing the data with Chat GPT and other online websites or known sources. However, while creating the video and sharing my passion about helping veterans find meaningful employment, it gave me great pride and joy in what I was doing, even though I learned about this just last week.

After learning about data-driven problem-solving, I felt empowered and confident in my ability to approach problems in a more analytical and evidence-based way. I also felt a sense of accomplishment in successfully applying data-driven problem-solving techniques to bring light to a real-world problem.

Chat GPT Prompts

-Define current problems veterans are facing when trying to find employment after transitioning from the military.

-What is the VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program?

-How can society help solve the problem of veterans finding employment?

-What are the Data Analysis methods?

-How to create a video in Adobe Express?

-What percentage of veterans used the VR&E program between 2010 and 2015?

-What is the current unemployment rate of veterans to non-veterans between 2010 to 2020?

-What is the population of US veterans between 2010 and 2015?

-Provide a call to action in supporting veteran employment.

While AI technology has greatly enhanced my learning capabilities in this module as well as all others and including it in my current career path, it is important to approach its use with a critical and ethical lens to ensure that its impact is positive and beneficial for society. This class has really opened my eyes to new tech tools and quite honestly, I am enjoying it.  I will continue to use ChatGPT in the future but be responsible for its use as my own.

Conclusion

Data-driven problem-solving is an approach to problem-solving that relies on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data to inform decisions. This approach can help individuals and organizations make more informed decisions and solve complex problems more effectively. Employers and society can support more veteran employment by offering training programs, mentoring, networking opportunities, and job placement services that specifically target veterans. By recognizing the unique skills and experiences that veterans bring to the workforce and providing them with the support they need to succeed, employers and society can help to bridge the gap between veterans and civilian employment opportunities. I thank the Veterans Benefits Administration for providing the VR&E Program to veterans seeking new skills and career-enhancing opportunities as we seek our new career paths after leaving the service.