As employers across industries struggle to find skilled, dependable workers, one workforce segment remains both underutilized and highly trained: the U.S. military community. More than 200,000 service members transition out of uniform every year, yet veteran hiring pipelines remain fragmented, slow, and inefficient.
The Veterans Training Empowerment Center (VTEC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, believes it has a fix. The organization is developing the VTEC National Military Training & Hiring Campus at Fort Gillem, a centralized hub designed to train, credential, and connect military-connected talent with employers—through a single, coordinated system.
The goal is ambitious but clear: replace today’s patchwork of veteran employment programs with a scalable, employer-ready pipeline that delivers job-ready candidates faster and with less friction.
One Campus, One System, All Military Branches
The Fort Gillem campus is designed as a national hub for workforce development, serving transitioning active-duty service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses—all under one operational framework.
Instead of navigating multiple agencies, certifications, and hiring programs, participating employers work through one campus that supports all U.S. military branches. Training, credentialing, and hiring are coordinated in one place, reducing administrative overhead and improving hiring predictability.
For employers, the value proposition is straightforward:
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Access candidates who complete standardized, industry-aligned training
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Engage talent before, during, and after military transition
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Conduct multi-hire recruitment through a single location
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Reduce time-to-hire and onboarding complexity
By consolidating these steps, VTEC is attempting to solve a long-standing problem in veteran employment: strong intent, poor execution.
From Fragmentation to Scale
Over a five-year period, the Fort Gillem campus is projected to:
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Train and place more than 10,000 military-connected individuals
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Support over 700 on-campus and partner-affiliated jobs
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Serve employers operating locally, nationally, and internationally
Those numbers matter at a time when employers are rethinking workforce strategy amid skills shortages, rising labor costs, and declining trust in traditional credentials.
Pilot programs at Fort Benning already offer proof points. According to VTEC, participants complete credentialing in under six months, and a majority secure employment within 90 days of graduation—metrics that compare favorably with many civilian workforce programs.
A VTEC-Managed Training Model
Unlike employer-led academies or government-run programs, VTEC manages the full training stack. That includes curriculum development, equipment, infrastructure, and readiness preparation, funded through a mix of grants, philanthropic contributions, and donated resources.
For employers, this structure means:
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No need to build or maintain internal training programs
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Shorter onboarding timelines for entry-level and mid-skill roles
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Candidates trained to specific, industry-relevant requirements
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The ability to scale hiring without adding facilities or trainers
In effect, VTEC absorbs the upfront cost and complexity of workforce preparation, allowing companies to focus on operations and productivity.
Military Spouses: The Overlooked Workforce
One of the more notable aspects of VTEC’s model is its intentional inclusion of military spouses, a group often overlooked in veteran hiring conversations.
Military spouses bring experience across industries, adaptability shaped by frequent relocation, and increasing availability for remote and hybrid roles. Including spouses not only expands the talent pool but also supports family stability—an important factor in retention.
For employers, this translates into greater workforce continuity and access to candidates already accustomed to change, pressure, and complex environments.
Aligning with ESG and Corporate Responsibility Goals
VTEC’s model also aligns neatly with corporate ESG and social responsibility initiatives. Contributions to support the Fort Gillem campus are 100% tax-deductible, with no minimum donation required, and fund training programs, equipment, facilities, and placement services.
The organization has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (GuideStar), signaling full disclosure of financial, governance, and programmatic information—an increasingly important factor for institutional and corporate partners.
In an era where companies are under pressure to demonstrate measurable social impact, veteran workforce development offers a tangible return: reduced hiring costs, improved retention, and a dependable talent pipeline.
Why It Matters Now
Workforce shortages aren’t going away, and employers are increasingly skeptical of resumes that list credentials without proof of readiness. At the same time, transitioning service members often struggle to translate military experience into civilian job signals employers understand.
VTEC’s Fort Gillem campus sits at that intersection. By standardizing training, centralizing hiring, and integrating military spouses, the organization is attempting to turn a complex social challenge into a repeatable workforce solution.
Whether the model scales nationally will depend on sustained employer participation and funding. But if it works, VTEC could offer a blueprint for how nonprofits, employers, and the military community collaborate to close one of the labor market’s most persistent gaps.
As VTEC CEO David W. Gallemore put it: “Our mission is to guarantee careers for every soldier and their family through a one-stop hiring and training hub.” For employers facing chronic talent shortages, that mission may be arriving at exactly the right time.
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