OPINION:
Every year, over 200,000 U.S. service members transition out of the military. These veterans possess highly technical skills, deep discipline, and leadership honed by a mission-first mindset. At the same time, the United States faces a deepening shortage of skilled workers in the energy, advanced manufacturing, and utility sectors. These are the very fields that underpin our economic resilience and national security.
The numbers speak for themselves. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 10,000 electricians leave the workforce annually, but only about 7,000 new ones enter. The energy sector is struggling to build and maintain the infrastructure needed for a modern grid, and advanced manufacturing continues to face acute talent shortages across the country. These aren’t abstract policy problems they are operational chokepoints that could impact everything from clean energy buildout to critical infrastructure security.
This raises the question: Why aren’t we bridging these gaps?
Veterans often possess the ideal mix of experience and adaptability for these roles. Many have already worked on power systems, heavy machinery, cybersecurity, or supply chain logistics in active-duty settings. Yet barriers remain. Some are bureaucratic: licensing and certifications that don’t translate between military and civilian worlds. Others are structural: limited access to employers who understand how to onboard and upskill veterans. The result is a persistent underemployment problem among veterans and a labor shortage in sectors that can least afford it.
Enter the Veterans Energy Transition (VET) Act, a bipartisan proposal I introduced alongside Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn. The bill strengthens the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, which allows servicemembers transitioning out of the military to intern with civilian employers during their final months of active duty. It also establishes a Department of Labor grant program to support companies hiring eligible veterans, spouses, and retirees. Employers can receive up to $10,000 per hire and $500,000 annually to cover training, certification, relocation, and onboarding costs.
Legislatively, the VET Act enjoys strong bipartisan support, earning praise from groups like the Niskanen Center and industry coalitions. On its face, the VET Act is a refreshingly strategic approach. It doesn’t just support veterans for their own sake. It aligns national workforce development with energy transition and national security. It helps veterans land good jobs while helping America meet the demands of its rapidly evolving energy economy.
Like any plan, this proposal’s success hinges on its execution. If it passes and I’m hopeful it will the program will need sustained support to be implemented at a large scale.
The broader risk is that sound legislation without meaningful follow-through becomes just another underfunded idea. Yet if implemented well, the VET Act could be a model, not just for veteran transition, but for how public policy can meet multiple strategic goals at once: coastal resilience, economic competitiveness, and national security.
Veterans are an asset to America. Policies like the VET Act recognize that reality and act accordingly. That’s something both parties and the country should be able to rally around.
• Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Republican, represents Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She serves on the House Armed Services, Veterans’ Affairs, and Natural Resources committees. Prior to public office, she served 10 years as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, flying H-46 and H-3 helicopters and completing two deployments to the Persian Gulf, and then worked in the health care system as a geriatric nurse practitioner.
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