Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 50

business backgrounder | education & workforce
intensive career counseling, coaching and
other support. VIE stands for Veterans
Industry Education, and 25 refers to the
participating colleges that are within 25
miles of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Last year, about 120 service members
enrolled in community or technical
colleges as a result of VIE-25. They’re are
able to attend college during the last few
months of their tour of duty, at no cost.
The colleges pay for one or two quarters
of classes, and veterans can get certified
in any number of jobs: Commercial truck
driving, machining, computer network
design and security, nursing assistant and
more. There are more than 60 possible
certifications at eight colleges.
Career counselors and staff at eight
Puget Sound colleges are creating a stable connection between the highly-structured armed forces and the
more flexible college campus. In other words, there could be a culture shock between performing patrols in
enemy territory and a boiler operations class at Bates Technical College in Tacoma.
“It’s one of the biggest transitions of their lives,” Pierce College VIE-25 coordinator Cary Ingram said in
an interview. “Ultimately it’s a difficult transition because the structure of the military is not how the civilian
professional world works.”
The VIE-25 program aims to create a stronger connection between these two worlds. Participating colleges
include the Bates, Clover Park, Green River, Highline, Pierce, Tacoma and South Puget Sound community or
technical colleges.
Olympic College in Bremerton is also partnering in the program with Naval Base Kitsap.
One goal of the program is to start the transition process early to help veterans avoid a gap in training or
employment after their service ends.
“Ultimately the goal is for them to work with a college and work with a transition counselor to figure out the
best path forward for them as they transition out of the military and move into the civilian sector,” Ingram said.
The program provides two main benefits to service members, she said: Education and training, and helping
them acclimate to higher education before they separate from service.
“It’s an opportunity to acclimate for those who have never experienced higher education before,” Ingram said.
At Joint Base Lewis-McChord, this process starts at the Stone Education Center. There, service members
work with transition counselors on creating a life after the military.
Participation in the VIE-25 program is subject to approval by a commander. Critically, the process connects
service members with a single point of contact at the
college. Think of this person as the higher education
fixer: They help with application, enrollment, financial
aid and connection with other support services if needed.
If approved, the state pays for one or two quarters of
classes through workforce education funds, Ingram said.
— Cary Ingram, VIE-25 Coordinator
“Ultimately it’s a difficult transition because
the structure of the military is not how the
civilian professional world works.”
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