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Using the Transitional Jobs Strategy to Help Chronically Unemployed Veterans

The Transitional Jobs Strategy (TJS) has been successful in assisting the chronically unemployed obtain and maintain long-term employment. John Bourman and Kalia Coleman argue that the model has the potential to be equally successful in providing opportunities for unemployed and homeless veterans procure employment and stability. TJS as a model provides a variety of services, including pre-employment training and education, subsidized job placement, counseling, social service referrals, and job development services for individuals living in poverty who have employment barriers such as homelessness, mental health issues, and criminal records. Research has indicated that those who participate in TJS have increased their earning power and reduced their reliance on public benefits, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and food stamps. Considering that the employment rate of veterans is higher than the rate of civilians, a program that provides opportunities for meaningful employment can further create a pathway for increased veteran stability.

A number of issues impact veteran employability, among them the concern of potential employers over both the physical ability and mental health and stability of veteran applicants, particularly in relationship to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Further, those making hiring decisions tend to devalue the skills that veterans bring with them from their military service, particularly when it comes to veterans who had little or no work experience or higher education prior to enlisting. While Bourman and Coleman point to many TJS programs in existence that Veterans may have access to, tailoring programs for veterans and coupling them with resources already made available from the Veterans Administration can increase positive results. In addition, because the TJS model tends to be more expensive, funneling money from the VA into localized TJS options can provide the model resources necessary to be impactful for veterans. The authors point out, however, that for the program to be most cost effective, the focus of services must prioritize the chronically unemployed as they tend to lack the basic job skills possessed by their temporarily unemployed counterparts.

Ultimately, considering the many challenges that veterans face, adapting the best practices from alternatives that have worked outside of the military industrial complex may provide a framework of support for veterans who fall through the cracks. While unemployment, particularly of chronic unemployment, has an obvious impact on homelessness, addressing the underlying causes of such unemployment rather than just getting a person in a job, will not only create opportunities for self sufficiency in the veteran population, but will also introduce veterans to the many other resources that are currently underutilized.

Accessed via Lexus-Nexus Academic:
Bouman, J. and Coleman, K. (2009). Usint the Transitional Jobs Strategy to Help Chronically Unemployed Veterans. Sargeant Shriver National Center on Poverty Law Clearinghouse Review: Journal of Poverty Law and Policy. (Page number not provided)





last updated march 2014