KY VALOR provides post-service pathways

Aaron Snyder, The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky.
Updated ·2 min read

Mar. 15—Choosing an occupational direction following military service is often taxing and tedious, but an organization is attempting to make the process easier in Kentucky.

KY VALOR — Kentucky Veterans Accelerated Licensure Occupational Recruitment — launched in July 2022. It unveiled its website, kyvalor.com, on Veterans Day 2022. Its team of employees became complete in January with a full-time recruiter.

"We tried to hit the ground running," said VALOR Executive Director Molly Bode.

KY VALOR stems from VALLO (Veterans Accelerated Learning for Licensed Occupations), which became a state-funded resource in 2018 to help military service members and their families overcome obstacles created by the disconnects between military training and civilian licensure requirements.

In other words, if someone has already received training on particular jobs during their service, why would they need to start from scratch on obtaining that training in order to qualify for a career?

"Our philosophy is the shortest pathway is the best pathway," Bode said. "Our sole job was to create these accelerated pathways."

The four-year, $1.5 million VALLO grant ended in June 2022.

What began in 2018 as 35 occupations ended in 2022 with 44 pathways that cover more than 55 levels of licensure or certification, according to Bode.

Before VALLO, veterans would be required to complete civilian training in order to become licensed in certain fields despite the fact that they'd already received proper tutelage during service.

Funded by the General Assembly in January 2022, the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation launched KY VALOR.

By partnering with Kentucky employers, it is designed to recruit transitioning service members and spouses into career opportunities. It helps active-duty spouses, too, Bode said.

"The core goal is to help veterans capitalize on their experience and help them find a fulfilling post-service career," Bode said.

Bode said the career pathways exist in trade, education, transportation, health care and more.

A social worker by trade, Bode said she got involved with VALLO after earning a Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky.

While VALLO was a "really unique and specialized initiative," Bode said, KY VALOR helps folks at a more personal level, she said. "We want to make sure our approach is personalized, not only for the veteran but for the spouse, too."

The program is free for both veterans and employers.

"We're the middle man getting folks together," Bode said.

KY VALOR has about 50 people in its pipeline currently, but "we're looking to amp up very quickly," Bode said.

States the website: "Kentucky offers over 150,000 job opportunities and more than 44 accelerated career pathways that give you credit for the education and experience you gained in the military. You can skip lengthy job searches and certifications to quickly advance to your next career, and KY VALOR can help."

To learn more about KY VALOR, visit kyvalor.com and click "connect with our team."

(606) 326-2664 — asnyder@dailyindependent.com