$5 million awarded to California job agencies to train veterans

Ten job agencies around the state have received a $5-million grant to be used to train and place military veterans in jobs, the California Employment Development Department said Friday.

Each of the agencies, which include four in Los Angeles County, received $500,000 to help train and place military veterans, who have higher unemployment rates than civilian workers.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the jobless rate for military members who have served since September 2011 was 12.1% last year -- more than three points higher than national jobless rate in 2011, which was 8.9%. There are an estimated 2.4 million veterans in this group, called the Gulf War-era II veterans.

For male veterans ages 18 to 24, the unemployment rate was much higher at 29.1%.

“As the men and women of our armed forces get their orders to return home, we should be ready to thank them and honor them with opportunities to smoothly transition into successful and productive civilian careers,” read part of a statement from Pam Harris, director of the state Employment Development Department.

The grant funding came from the governor’s discretionary fund and the federal Workforce Investment Act.

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