In Recognition of Challenges Faced by Military Spouses
/The Connecticut Department of Labor Report on the Application of Military Training or Experience for Service Members was submitted in January 2024 by Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo of the Connecticut Department of Labor to the Connecticut Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Veterans’ Affairs & Higher Education and Employment Advancement in accordance with state statute.
Service Member Applications
During 2023, seventy-four service members and no military spouses applied to the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) for a military training evaluation pursuant to section 31-22u for a license, certificate, registration or an educational credit within the agency’s purview, where military training or experience is relevant and could be applied.
All seventy-four applications were issued a recommendation to review for a deduction from the hours of apprenticeship training pursuant to section 31-22u. No service members were found ineligible for review, and none were denied. All applicants received a reduction in hours needed for the Registered Apprenticeship Program because of their military service.
Processing Time
The Labor Department’s processing time for service members’ applications that are within the agency’s purview as a licensing authority, where military training or experience is relevant and could be applied, was five business days, and all 2023 applications fell within that average timeframe.
Efforts to Inform and Assist Service Members
Labor Department staff in the American Job Centers helped to inform and assist service members in accessing programs that provide the education and training necessary for meeting the requirements for licensure, certification, registration or educational credit, efforts that are related to promoting apprenticeship and other training opportunities.
CTDOL’s Office of Apprenticeship Training employs a designated liaison for veterans, accessible as a veterans’ point of contact on the Veterans’ Services and Apprenticeship pages on CTDOL’s website, the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection website and PSI’s occupational testing website (a third-party administrator for occupational licensing exams). This liaison reviews DD214s, Joint Services Transcripts and other military certifications for credit.
Effectiveness of Existing Law
The agency’s Office of Apprenticeship Training has been reviewing veteran requests for a military training evaluation for 20 years and has maintained effective relationships with the U.S. Navy Subbase, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, state Department of Veterans Affairs, state Office of Higher Education, and other veteran partners.
Given these relationships, it is our perspective that existing law appears to be effective in addressing the challenges that service members face when applying for an occupational or professional license, a certificate, a registration or educational credit upon discharge from military service or relocating to the state.
“...challenges faced by military spouses whose careers and earnings potential are negatively impacted by the relocations that result from frequent duty station changes, CTDOL recognizes the growing need for employment services for military spouses...”
Recommendations
In consideration of the challenges faced by military spouses whose careers and earnings potential are negatively impacted by the relocations that result from frequent duty station changes, CTDOL recognizes the growing need for employment services for military spouses, including professional license reciprocity.
Connecticut’s workforce development system, through registration and intake, ascertains each job seeker’s status as a veteran, active service member, or military spouse; American Job Center staff will continue to provide information about available services and benefits and make appropriate referrals.
