COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Veterans’ Day holiday is a good opportunity to honor service men and women, and to remind them of benefits they are entitled to.
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State officials are reminding veterans who served in Iraq during the war that time is running out to claim Ohio bonuses of up to $1,500. The Ohio Department of Veterans Services says the application deadline for those who served in Iraq is Dec. 31.
Veterans who served within Iraq’s borders from March 19, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2011, have only until year’s end to file their applications.
Ohio voters in 2009 approved a $200 million bond issue to fund bonuses for veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq war eras. The Persian Gulf-era application period ended last year.
Others who have served in Afghanistan or elsewhere since Oct. 7, 2001, can continue to apply after Dec. 31. No deadline has been set for that bonus period.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are approximately 35,000 unemployed veterans in Ohio, prompting Gov. John Kasich to sign a resolution designating November as Hire a Veteran Month in the state.
The Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, the Department of Veterans Services and the Department of Job and Family Services recently launched the Veterans Business Support Center which offers employers online, over-the-phone or face-to-face help finding skilled veteran candidates for jobs. Staffed by veterans, the center can help employers post openings and screen resumes, said ODJFS Director Cynthia Dungey.
Veterans looking for work or career advancement can get job training and job search assistance at OhioMeansJobs Centers around the state and online.
She says nearly 80 percent of the veterans who got intensive employment services from the agency last year found work. Since launching in July, the Veterans Business Support Center has assisted 1,086 employers and placed 58 veterans into jobs.
The Department can also help employers submit applications for the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit, worth $2,400 to $9,600 for each eligible veteran hired.
Ohio veterans now can receive college credit for military experience, use military experience to meet the requirements for many professional licenses and certifications, and use GI Bill money to pay for occupational license and certificate testing fees.