Resources for Veterans

There are many resources available for Veterans and Transitioning Service Members. In order to best serve the Kentucky veteran population, we have assembled several resources and links to assist you.

Employment Assistance

Federal Government

Want to work for the federal government?

Federal government agencies can fill job openings faster when they hire disabled veterans. For more information on how you can qualify for a position in the federal government, visit the Office of Personnel Management's Veterans Employment program at www.fedshirevets.gov/.

Kentucky Hiring Veterans’ Preference

In accordance with Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 18A.150, Veterans’ Preference provides veterans, and in some instances their family members, opportunities for Interview Preference for merit employment within state government agencies. Click here for more details.

National Career Readiness Certificate

The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is a nationally recognized accreditation of demonstrated workplace skills based on the ACT WorkKeys assessments in three foundational areas: applied mathematics; locating information; and reading for information. Many employers use the NCRC and other WorkKeys assessments for hiring and promotion. The governor’s office has made funding available to provide the NCRC free for any veteran.

Click here or go to your local Kentucky Career Center for details and to schedule a test.

Kentucky VALOR

Use your military experience to find a fulfilling post-service career.
Kentucky Valor offers over 150,000 job opportunities and more than 44 accelerated career pathways that give you credit for the education and experience you gained in the military. You can skip lengthy job searches and certifications to quickly advance to your next career, and KY VALOR can help.

VA for Vets

VA for Vets is designed to help Veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses successfully find civilian careers in the Federal government.

Hire Heroes

Hire Heroes USA provides employment assistance for transitioning military members, veterans and military spouses to thousands each year. Through personalized service and support, we help veterans and military spouses get hired, and we help companies hire and retain them.

National Resource Directory

The National Resource Directory is a resource website that connects wounded warriors, service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers to programs and services that support them. The NRD is a partnership among the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. Information contained within the NRD is from federal, state and local government agencies, Veteran and military service organizations; non-profit and community-based organizations; academic institutions and professional associations that provide assistance to wounded warriors and their families.

My Next Move for Veterans

My Next Move for Veterans is designed for U.S. veterans who are current job seekers. The interactive tool helps veterans learn about their career options. The site has tasks, skills, salary information, job listings, and more for over 900 different careers.

My Next Move for Veterans is developed and maintained by the National Center for O*NET Development, under the sponsorship of the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA) through a grant to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

Unemployment compensation

You might be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits when you complete military service and begin to seek employment or if you lose your civilian job.

Veteran-Owned Business Information

The Business Connections Database is designed to help small businesses promote and market themselves to government agencies.

The Kentucky Small Business Credit Initiative (KSCBI), composed of three distinct credit enhancement programs, is designed to increase the availability of credit to small businesses by reducing the risk of participating lenders assume. KSBCI helps to finance creditworthy small businesses that would typically fall just outside of a lender’s normal underwriting standards.

The Governor’s Kentucky Export Initiative assists small companies, including veteran-owned businesses, to begin and expand exporting activity. The State Trade and Export Promotion grant through the U.S. Small Business Administration provides $6,000 to qualifying small businesses for export promotion activities, such as market research, partner searches and translation of materials, participation in trade shows and trade missions, and more.

Additional Resources

Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs

The mission of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs (KDVA) is to provide services and support to the citizens of the Commonwealth who are veterans of military service, their families, dependents and/or survivors, and like persons residing in other states.

The KDVA strives to assist veterans and their dependents in the presentation, proof, and establishment of all claims, privileges, rights, and other veteran benefits, which they may have under federal, state, or local laws. The other services offered by KDVA include veterans’ nursing homes, cemeteries, counseling, and programs for homeless veterans and women veterans.

Help for wounded veterans

There are special resources available for veterans who were wounded while in service.

The Wounded Warrior Project is a charitable organization, unaffiliated with state or federal government, whose goal is to provide a complete rehabilitative effort to assist warriors as they recover and transition back to civilian life.

Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program

The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) is a Department of Defense-wide effort to promote the well-being of National Guard and Reserve members, their families, and communities, by connecting them with resources throughout the deployment cycle.

Commanders and leaders play a critical role in ensuring that National Guard and Reserve Service members and their families attend Yellow Ribbon Events where they can access information on healthcare, education, employment, and financial and legal benefits.

Veterans with disabilities

If you are a veteran who is blind or disabled, the Kentucky Career Center can help you with assessment, counseling, training, personal assistance services, assistive technology and more. See our Office of Vocational Rehabilitation page for more information.