Welcome Home

VETS program transitions women veterans into jobs

Transitioning is a challenging struggle that all veterans face when re-entering the workforce. Not only do service men and women face barriers while exiting military life, but they are also challenged by the job search, the differences in skillsets and the culture shock that comes with returning home.

In some cases, there is a lack of resources available to assist veterans getting back into civilian life. Fortunately, the amount of resources that can be utilized by former military officers has expanded, especially for women who have faced difficulties when returning to the civilian workforce. Such educational and career programs have been developed to benefit those who have sacrificed their lives to serve and protect.

The U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) has specifically created a program that provides valuable resources for tracking and ensuring that women veterans transition effectively into the workforce. These heroes oftentimes face gender discrimination in addition to their status as military veterans when applying for civilian jobs.

Nancy Glowacki, program manager, U.S. Department of Labor, ensures that the services provided by the department meet the needs of women veterans. Prior to working with this program, Glowacki herself served in the U.S. Army, and became involved in many different programs for veteran employment, including “Coming Home to Work” and “America’s Heroes at Work.” Her own educational background includes a doctorate in management and organizational leadership, a master’s degree in business management and a bachelor’s degree in science.

According to Glowacki, the purpose behind the program is to help these women become working civilians by applying the knowledge and skills necessary to make a successful transition in her desired career. She also had stressed that the lack of awareness of resources may affect the way the veterans view the support of the Department of Labor.

To address this situation, the Department of Labor has created a webinar that allows women veterans to access online classes as well as individualized services in their community. Transitioning out of the military poses its challenges, but Glowacki serves as an asset to the veterans’ employment programs and strives to help women veterans meet their career goals as they come back home.