 "Photo: Zahra Farah/The Ranger")
Today at St. Philip’s College, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced a $3 million workforce development initiative for military personnel and veterans that will affect those studying allied health occupations at district colleges.
Students who have served in any of the armed forces will be eligible for college credit for military experience toward degrees in allied health occupations, which are in demand in Texas.
“As Texas’ population grows, the demand for those essential skills continues to increase, and this program will accelerate veterans’ transfer from the military’s top-quality training environment into helping Texans,” Perry said as he stood in front of a group of St. Philip’s students in military uniforms and lab coats.
The program will fund demonstration grants in San Antonio, Houston and Temple-Killeen, three areas of the state with high veteran populations. Funds will also provide help with job search assistance and training for military families, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, chair of the Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, explained that military personnel have specialized training that should be valued.
“For example, if you’re a Marine and you have been through basic training and you’re now in the reserve, why do you have to have a P.E. credit?” she said. “You still have to work out every day when you’re not at school. It doesn’t make sense that they should have to take all these classes again after they have had all these classes already in basic training."
“This program will allow the students to get out into the workforce quicker and into what is now a highly competitive job market,” she said.
St. Philip’s President Adena Williams Loston, said that the program will be offered in nursing and medical science at first.
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