STATEWIDE — The Virginia Department of Veteran Services (VDVS) and Virginia Community Colleges will host this year’s Virginia Military and Veterans Education Summit (VMES) virtually on Sept. 22 and 23.
This free two-day event will allow for currently serving members of the military and veterans to attend a variety of presentations and panel discussions focused on student veterans, career planning, educational benefits, opportunities and community resources.
There will be an emphasis on promoting advanced manufacturing and technical career options within Virginia.
The summit will be led by administrators, advisors and faculty members from community colleges and four year universities from all over the commonwealth. Business leaders and representatives from student veteran organizations will also be on hand.
“Military-connected students comprise a growing segment of higher education at Virginia’s community colleges and four-year educational institutions,” said Martina Murray, Director of Education Programs at VDVS. “There is a great deal of diversity among these students in demographics and their service backgrounds. This is why it’s so important to develop comprehensive and targeted support services for these unique students.”
To register for the summit, go to the VMES website or contact or contact Bobbie Blakely, VMES Chair, at (804) 310-0609 or bobbie.blakely@dvs.virginia.gov.
“Here in Virginia, we recognize the valuable contributions that our student veterans make to the economic vitality of our state. Our goal is to assure that, together with our partner educational institutions, we can direct them to successful positions in the civilian workforce and especially to jobs in the growing advanced manufacturing and technology sectors,” said Patrice Jones, VDVS education workforce manager.
More than 780,000 veterans reside in Virginia. The VDVS offers a long list of resources to active duty and separated veterans.
The department, which has been around since 1928, assists veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits and provides veterans and family members with linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs.
VDVS operates two state veterans nursing homes, provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries, and operates the Virginia War Memorial.
