It trains military veterans for jobs in federal acquisition.
The ribbon was cut on Thursday afternoon on the "Warriors To Workforce" Program. It was launched on Dec. 5th, 2011, and will train military veterans as federal acquisition specialists. They will buy the products and services the Department of Veterans Affairs needs to carry out its mission of providing for the needs of veterans.
23 military veterans will be taking part in the first "Warriors To Workforce" training program. The VA says they represent the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Between them, they have seven Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars, and over 170 hours of military experience. "They have all served in highly professional military formations which were entrusted with critical operational missions," says Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, who was the keynote speaker at the ribbon cutting at the VA's Acquisition Academy in Frederick, where the training will be held. "Now, they belong to a highly professional organization, also dedicated to a critical national mission, and that is caring for those, like yourselves, who have, in Abraham Lincoln's words, 'borne the battle.'"
The 23 veterans will undergo three years of training, which includes business courses at Mount St. Mary's University; along with training in leadership and in-house contracting, case studies and simulations, and on-the-job experience.
In his comments to the veterans, Secretary Shinseki told them that they were chosen for "Warriors For Workforce" because they showed potential. "It's sometimes said that people succeed because they're destined to. But in truth most people succeed because they are determined to," he said. "So give us your best efforts. Come to excell; not just to attend class."
The Department of Veterans Affairs is the 4th largest procurement agency of the federal government.
