The Veteran Readiness and Employment Program is for veterans that have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working. The program is designed to help you explore employment options, based on your needs and goals, including additional training and education for the role. The program can help you transition back to civilian life, find employment, including the option to return to a former role or start your own business, get education or training for a professional field that fits well for you, and receive independent living services if you can't return to work right away.

This program can be used up to 48 months in combination with other VA education benefits. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC) can help determine which benefits best fit your goals and situation. Find a VRC at the closest VA regional office.

In some cases, family members may qualify for benefits. Click here to find out more about family members who may qualify.

Are you eligible?

There are 5 tracks that will help you achieve your goals and fit to your needs:

• Reemployment
• Rapid Access to Employment
• Self-Employment
• Employment Through Long-Term Services
• Independent Living

Your VRC will be able to help you decide which track best fits you

Some of the services included in these programs are:

• A complete evaluation to determine your abilities, skills, and interests for employment
• Professional or vocational counseling and rehabilitation planning for employment services
• Employment services such as job training, resume development, and other work-readiness support
• Help finding and keeping a job, including the use of special employer incentives and job accommodations
• On-the-job training (OJT), apprenticeships, and non-paid work experiences
• Post-secondary education and training at a college, vocational, technical, or business school
  
• Supportive rehabilitation services including case management, counseling, and medical referrals
• Independent living services to help you live as independently as possible

Veteran Readiness and Employment Process:

Step 1- Orientation

• Complete VR&E orientation
  • The orientation provides additional information about the program and the different track options.

Step 2- Application

• Apply for VR&E benefits
• Eligibility will be determined and you will receive an appointment letter
• Schedule your initial appointment with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC)
• Complete a Rehabilitation Needs Inventory (RNI) and a CareerScope assessment
• Gather any necessary materials, like your resume, transcripts, job certifications, and medical records

Step 3- Entitlement determination

• Work with your VRC to assess your skills, aptitudes, abilities, and interests
• Work with your VRC to identify entitlement criteria (an employment handicap or a serious employment handicap)
• Your VRC will give you an entitlement determination and tell you about next steps

Step 4- Services

• The VA will help you with employment or independent living benefits and services
• Report your progress with training programs to your VRC
• Get help with anything that may be blocking your participation in the VR&E program
• Gain the skills you’ll need to find employment and stay employed, or improve your ability to live independently
• Tell your VRC when you find a job

If the Veteran Readiness and Employment program looks like something you are interested in, you can apply by following these steps:

Note, you can apply if you have not received a disability rating yet.

Apply for Veteran Readiness and Employment with VA Form 28-1900

1. Complete Veteran Readiness and Employment Orientation
2. Application
   1. Apply for benefits
      1. Sign into your profile and select 'Sign in to start your application.'
   2. Eligibility will be determined and you will receive an appointment letter
   3. Schedule initial appointment with VRC
   4. Complete Rehabilitation Needs Inventory (RNI) and CareerScope Assessment.
   5. Gather necessary documents (resume, job certs, transcripts, etc.)

Information on other common questions about using the Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits and other VA education benefits can be found here and also addressed with your VRC.

The Veteran Readiness and Employment program also offers the Special Employer Incentives (SEI) program and the Non-Paid Work Experience (NPWE) program. More information can be found on the program fact sheets in the next slides.