For new technology required by U.S. DOD
The Veterans Business Resource Center (VBRC) has agreed to open and operate a $1 million center to train service-disabled military veterans from across the nation how to create and manage new technology required by the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Disabled Veterans Training Center will train veterans how to create, apply and manage two-dimensional bar codes and radio frequency identification tagging systems. In 2004, DOD began requiring all of its new weapons, equipment and inventory to be tagged with these technologies so that DOD can track millions of pieces of equipment from the warehouse to the war front and at all points in between. Some older inventory must also be tagged and integrated into the supply chain.
The VBRC has signed an agreement with Costa Howes & Associates of Newton, Mass., to create and operate the Center. Costa Howes’ managing partner and Vietnam War Veteran Curtis Howes was one of the primary developers of two-dimensional bar code implementation strategies being used in industry today. His company will provide funding, technical assistance and training information for the center.
The Disabled Veterans Training Center will be the only such center in the nation. It will be disabled-accessible and counselors will be on hand to assist students with physical, emotional and mental issues during their training. Admissions preference will be given to veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
The center will provide training to veterans for well-paying jobs with DOD and defense contractors. Classes are expected to begin later this year at a location in St. Louis still to be determined.
“These men and women often struggle to find meaningful employment,” said Veterans Business Resource Center Director Patrick Heavey, a Vietnam veteran. “But now they have an alternative that not only means jobs but opening new businesses.”
The unemployment rate among the nation’s 2.5 million service-disabled veterans is 15.2 percent – three times the general population rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Anecdotal information nationally indicates rates that are actually 50 percent or more. The unemployment rate is expected to rise as more Iraqi war veterans return home.
Training disabled veterans on this type of ID technology will give them access to jobs paying on average nationally $50,000 a year, Curtis Howes said. The training center will help place the estimated 200 graduates a year in these jobs or as self-employed individuals within the industry.
Because DOD requires such detailed tracking under its Item Unique Identification Program, the agency and defense contractors are seeking companies and individuals who are expert in their use. The training will also enable the center’s graduates to become self-employed and, potentially, gain government or defense-industry contracts. Specifically, the center will train Veterans how to use Data Matrix Symbology – bar codes that look somewhat like a checkerboard – and Radio Frequency Identification as well as other state-of-the-art automatic identification methods.
“We’re delighted to use our expertise with these ID systems to help train the next wave of technology workers and entrepreneurs,” Howes said.
The Veterans Business Resource Center was established in 2004 and is the first such center in the nation. It assists all U.S. military veterans, Guard or Reserve members and active-duty personnel transitioning to civilian life to start businesses or expand existing companies. All services are at no cost to veterans and include entrepreneurial training classes, loan application assistance and individual business counseling.
The VBRC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization chartered in Missouri. Its core funding comes from the nonprofit public-private National Veterans Business Development Corp. of Washington, D.C. This funding is being supplemented by private industry donors including Emerson Electric Co., Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, U.S. Bank, Commerce Bancshares Foundation, Midwest Bankcentre and the Dula Foundation as well as from individual Veterans and concerned citizens.
For more information, please visit www.vetbiz.com.