At the Department of State (DOS), we recognize the difficulty service members and veterans often face in translating the skills, education and credentials they acquired in the military into civilian employment opportunities. In order to study this issue more thoroughly and identify the root causes of this barrier to employment, DOS launched a Veterans' Licensure Survey on Nov. 11. The survey is part of a broader three-year study the department is conducting with St. Francis University's Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation (KCSOR).
Current service members, veterans and their family members are encouraged to take the survey, which should require 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary and responses will be kept confidential. Survey questions focus on licensure portability, license reciprocity among states, barriers to licensure and occupational licensing assessment needs.
The survey can be found at http://bit.ly/32Hgi5k and is on DOS' website and KCSOR's website until September 30, 2020. After analyzing survey responses, DOS and KCSOR will offer recommendations to improve Pennsylvania's occupational licensure process for service members and their families.
DOS also is developing a military occupational "crosswalk," which is a framework for converting military duties, skills, training and certifications to fulfill Pennsylvania's occupational licensing requirements. The 29 licensing boards and commissions of DOS' Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs will use the crosswalk as a tool to create a consistent transition from military to civilian occupations.
The survey and crosswalk are part of a $422,000, three-year grant Gov. Wolf secured from the U.S. Department of Labor in 2018 to study professional licensing in Pennsylvania and develop policy solutions to employment barriers for service members and their families.
If you have any questions or comments about the Veterans' Licensure Survey or military occupational crosswalk, visit KCSOR's website at https://csorsfu.com.