Veterans’ Training Institute wins $12.2 million contract
The National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) at the University of Colorado Denver has received a five-year, $12.2 million dollar award from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training (OASVET). The institute trains service providers to assist veterans and military personnel worldwide with finding employment and transitioning out of the military.
The NVTI is within CU Denver’s National Learning Center (NLC), which has held the award for 25 years.
“CU Denver’s National Veterans’ Training Institute is a cornerstone in the effort nationwide to employ veterans and military service members returning to civilian life,” said Vaune Shelbourn, Director of the NLC. “NVTI is recognized nationally as the preeminent training facility for these specialized employment topics as they relate to veterans and military staff. “
The OASVET gives approximately $160 million dollars to veterans programs every year to train service providers like those at the NVTI.
“In order to maximize impact in their job assistance efforts, these veterans representatives require instruction in several key areas, including intensive services, employer outreach, accessing labor market information and job search skills,” said Shelbourn.
As part of the NLC team that wrote the proposal, Shelbourn was pleased to hear that the center would be able to build upon the 50,000 direct service providers it has trained since it was created in 1896.
“We are proud of the work that is done each year to make this contract successful and to serve those who have served, or are serving, this country,” she said, “It was mainly a relief to know the quality of work that we are doing is key to our successful bid and we all truly want to keep contributing to the mission of serving veterans.”
Bob Tolsma, assistant vice chancellor for academic technology and extended learning, oversees the NLC and said that the award is the largest federal contract at CU Denver outside of Health Sciences.