How VR&E Supports Veterans Transitioning to Tech

For Veterans with service-connected disabilities, the journey to find stable, fulfilling employment can be challenging. But there’s a VA program out there that many don’t know about: Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E). It provides the resources and support needed to transition into a new career. For Navy Veteran and Code Platoon graduate Marion Gordon, VR&E was a game changer. It allowed him to move from a physically demanding healthcare job to a tech career that aligns better with his strengths and well-being.

Marion’s story starts in the Navy, where he served for eight years as a physical therapy tech. “Healthcare was all I knew, so it felt too scary to venture into something new,” he recalls. After leaving the military, he landed a job in a Chicago hospital, working in in-patient physical therapy. But after four years, the chronic joint pain he developed during his service made it impossible to continue in the medical field.

“I knew I needed a career change, but I had no idea VR&E even existed,” Marion admits. “Even though I came out of the military with a disability rating, nobody told me what benefits were available.”

“When I was accepted to Code Platoon, I planned to use VET TEC, but it ran out of funding right before I started. Luckily, a friend told me about VR&E, and I had enough time to start a VR&E application.”

The path to securing VR&E support isn’t always straightforward. After applying, the next step is being assigned a VR&E counselor. But this process can vary significantly based on your location or even the counselor you’re assigned. Marion offers some advice for Veterans preparing for that crucial first interview.

“The most critical step is to come to the interview ready to explain why you need VR&E and how you’ll use it. For mine, I explained ‘My service-connected disability doesn’t support the physical labor necessary for the field that I’m in. I’ve already been accepted to Code Platoon where I can learn Full-stack Software Engineering and be ready for a tech job after 15 weeks.’ Code Platoon was on my counselor’s list of pre-approved training programs, so my plan was accepted.”

In addition to paying for Marion’s tuition, VR&E provided him with a subsistence allowance similar to the GI Bill. When he started experiencing dental pain while searching for a job after Code Platoon, VR&E covered his dental care. Finally, he was offered job search services through the VA.

“Although resume and interviewing support was available through VR&E, my counselor had no experience with coding bootcamps or the tech sector. So I took advantage of Code Platoon’s Career Services instead,” Marion says. “The Career Services team is who helped me get my amazing Software Engineer job in Travelers Engineering Development Program (EDP).”

If Marion could change one thing about the VR&E process, it would be the responsiveness from the counselors: “I’ve heard from others that some counselors are better than others. My counselor was pretty good, but my dental care took a few months to access.”

“For anyone looking into Code Platoon or VR&E, I would say do it 100%. My life has improved so much since I took advantage of these opportunities. It’s the biggest life-changing thing I’ve ever done.”

Marion’s story is a testament to the power of using available support for Veterans to make a meaningful career change. If you’re considering using VR&E for a career change, don’t wait to get started! Learn more about VR&E or hear more of Marion’s story on our Service to Software vodcast on YouTube.

Kayla Elkin is the Marketing Content Specialist at Code Platoon. In this role, she uses her marketing, writing, and editing skills developed from previous higher education and educational technology positions. Kayla has degrees in English and Sociology from Clemson University and completed the Study in India Program (SIP) at the University of Hyderabad. Outside work, she enjoys playing video games and Dungeons & Dragons with her friends.