Veterans in Our Review Said the Post-9/11 OJT and Apprenticeship Programs Helped Them Transition to Civilian Life, but Relatively Few Veterans Have Participated

		Veterans in Our Review Said the Program’s Supplemental Income Helped Them Cover Living Expenses while They Trained

The majority of veteran participants who replied to our survey (125 of  156) cited more than one benefit to the program. Many veterans we interviewed (21 of 28) said  that this supplemental income helped them offset the loss of income they  experienced after leaving the military. In addition to providing supplemental income, about half of the OJT and  apprenticeship participants who responded to our survey (80 of 156)  reported that the programs allowed them to use their GI Bill benefits, to  which they are entitled, when college was not a good fit for them. Since 2011, About 27,000 Veterans Have Participated in the Post- 9/11 GI Bill OJT and Apprenticeship Programs to Train in a Variety of Occupations

Of the approximately 1.2 million veterans who used their Post-9/11 GI Bill  benefits since October 2011, about 27,000—or about 2 percent— participated in the OJT or apprenticeship programs, according to VA  program data. Agency Websites

Focus on Higher Education Benefits  Another source of information about Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are agency  websites, and while VA’s and DOL’s websites provide some information  on these benefits, VA’s website is more focused on higher education  benefits. State Officials We Surveyed Reported Providing Outreach to Veterans and Employers, Which Varied By State

Most state officials we surveyed reported that they reach out to veterans  using direct methods, such as attending job fairs and providing briefings  and presentations to veterans’ groups (see table 6). Lack of Program Awareness and Administrative Burdens Have Challenged Veterans and Employers, According to State Officials and Program Participants

		Veterans and Employers Often Lack Awareness of OJT and Apprenticeships as Options under the Post- 9/11 GI Bill, According to State Officials and Program Participants

Veterans and employers generally lack awareness of OJT and  apprenticeship options, and they most often heard of these programs  from word-of-mouth sources, according to state officials and program  participants we surveyed. Such efforts to ease the administrative challenges  could include allowing employers and apprenticeship sponsors to submit  monthly certification forms by email, or providing confirmation that  monthly forms have been received. Little Is Known about the Performance of VA’s OJT and Apprenticeship Programs

		VA Does Not Measure Outcomes for Participants in the Post-9/11 GI Bill OJT and Apprenticeship Programs

VA has not established outcome measures to report on the performance  of Post-9/11 GI Bill OJT and apprenticeship participants. Specifically, VA  does not measure such outcomes as whether participants retained  employment or experienced earnings gains after completing the program. However, standards for internal control call for establishing and reviewing  performance measures to allow an agency to evaluate relevant data and  take appropriate actions. Data on DOL Programs Indicate Potential for Positive Employment Outcomes for OJT and Apprenticeship Models

DOL collects performance data for its OJT services and Registered  Apprenticeship program, and these data suggest that OJT and  apprenticeship training models can be associated with positive outcomes  for measures such as employment retention and earnings gains. Conclusions

While many veterans benefit from higher education after their military  service ends, for some veterans it may not be the ideal career path to  successfully attain civilian jobs. However, many suggested that VA’s current, paper-based system for  paying monthly benefits is inefficient, leading to administrative burdens for  employers and delayed benefit payments for veterans—adding economic  stress for veterans who are counting on this assistance. However, this system may not be implemented until at  least 2017, and increasing numbers of veterans will become eligible for  Post-9/11 OJT and apprenticeship benefits as the military continues to  draw down its forces. However, VA is  limited in its ability to assess the impact of its Post-9/11 GI Bill OJT and  apprenticeship programs on veterans because VA does not measure  performance outcomes for participants. VA agreed with each of our three recommendations. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

In conducting our review of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post- 9/11 GI Bill on-the-job training (OJT) and apprenticeship programs, our  objectives were to examine (1) how selected veterans and employers  used the programs and how widely they have been used, (2) to what  extent VA and states have taken steps to inform veterans and employers  about these programs, (3) what challenges, if any, veterans and  employers have faced in using them, and (4) to what extent VA has  assessed the performance and effectiveness of its programs. GAO closed  the survey on July 24, 2015. State Approving Agency (SAA) Survey

To learn about what states are doing to help veterans and employers use  the Post-9/11 OJT and apprenticeship programs, as well as gain insight  on veterans’ and employers’ use of these programs and challenges states  faced, we emailed a MS Word questionnaire to SAA officials in the 44  states in which these officials oversee implementation of these  programs.
Why GAO Did This Study

As the military draws down its forces, many veterans will enter the civilian workforce and may seek educational and training opportunities to further their transition into civilian jobs. Because pursuing a higher education degree may not be the best path for some veterans, the Post-9/11 GI Bill OJT and apprenticeship programs provide alternative opportunities. GAO was asked to review these programs.
This report examines (1) how selected veterans and employers used the programs and how widely they have been used; (2) to what extent VA and states have taken steps to inform veterans and employers about these programs; (3) what challenges, if any, veterans and employers have faced in using them; and (4) to what extent VA has assessed the performance of its programs. GAO analyzed VA program data as of March 2015 and DOL program data from 2013 and 2014, and assessed outreach materials. GAO also surveyed officials in all 44 states overseeing VA's programs; conducted nongeneralizable surveys of randomly selected veterans and employers; and interviewed veterans and employers in two states selected for variation in veteran population and type of state agency.

What GAO Found

Veterans surveyed and interviewed by GAO said the on-the-job training (OJT) and apprenticeship programs offered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill—the largest education benefit program overseen by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—have helped them transition to civilian life, though program data show relatively few veterans have participated. Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits were initially available only for higher education, but in 2011 provisions were enacted that expanded benefits to cover OJT and apprenticeship. Many veterans GAO interviewed (21 of 28) said that the supplemental income the programs provided helped them offset income losses they experienced when leaving the military. About half of the veterans responding to GAO's survey (80 of 156) reported that the program allowed them to use their GI Bill benefits even though college was not a good fit for them. Since OJT and apprenticeship benefits became available in 2011, about 27,000 of the 1.2 million veterans who have received Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits have participated in these programs.
VA primarily provides information about the OJT and apprenticeship programs through mandatory briefings for transitioning servicemembers and on its website. While VA's outreach efforts include some information on these programs, VA's mandatory briefings and web resources generally emphasize higher education and lack sufficient detail for veterans to reasonably understand how to use their GI Bill benefits for OJT and apprenticeships. State officials GAO surveyed reported conducting outreach in a variety of ways, such as attending job fairs and speaking to veterans groups. Without more outreach, veterans who could benefit from these programs may not learn about them.
Key challenges faced by veterans and employers using these programs include lack of awareness and administrative burdens, according to state officials, veterans, and employers GAO surveyed. Most state officials surveyed (39 of 44) reported that lack of awareness about the programs is a primary challenge they face in facilitating veteran and employer participation. Further, over half of state officials surveyed (24 of 42) cited challenges related to VA's current paper-based payment processing system, which requires employers to fax or mail monthly forms to VA in order for a veteran to receive benefits. In addition, 11 of the 15 employers and apprenticeship sponsors GAO interviewed said the process is burdensome or inefficient, and 6 of the 28 veterans GAO interviewed said their benefits have sometimes been delayed. VA is developing a new data system, but it may not be implemented until 2017 at the earliest, according to VA officials, and administrative challenges in the interim could hinder program participation.
Little is known about the performance of VA's Post-9/11 GI Bill OJT and apprenticeship programs because VA does not measure program outcomes, such as whether participants retain employment after completing the program. Absent such information, GAO examined Department of Labor (DOL) outcome data for its related OJT and apprenticeship programs, which indicate the potential for positive outcomes for these training models. Standards for internal control call for establishing and reviewing performance measures to allow an agency to evaluate relevant data and take appropriate actions. Without such measures, VA is limited in its ability to assess its programs.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that VA improve outreach, ease administrative challenges, and establish outcome measures for its OJT and apprenticeship programs. VA agreed with GAO's conclusions and concurred with all three recommendations.