MOHAVE COUNTY – For veterans seeking to further their education or start education in a new career field, Veterans Agriculture Education and Apprenticeship Program (VAEAP) has an opportunity for you. VAEAP’s goal is to provide a free agriculture education for military veterans, with the hopes of helping them with a successful career in agriculture.
The project is seeking 30 to 50 Arizona veterans to participate. With flexibility, the program allows veterans to gain an education at their own pace while also offering one-on-one support with professors. The program provides internships for veterans to complement an online training course.
VAEAP is comprised of a partnership of several Arizona businesses and veteran resource groups including the University of Arizona and Apex Applied Technology. The program is continuing to seek other partners and business resources to further aid veterans who are interested in an agricultural career.
The 2021 program is the first year of its run, and the program partners spent all of 2020 designing the course work and finding business partners to aid in the curriculum. VAEAP is currently accepting applications throughout the year and has hopes to continue the program annually.
With 11 participants already entering the apprenticeship phase of the program, Project Manager Sofia Montes explains, “I want to emphasize how excited our project team is. Everyone who is working on this program is doing it on top of their other responsibilities. Our U of A professors especially, as you can imagine, have their plates full. We are really passionate about this program and want to see it succeed.”
“We just want to get veterans excited about agriculture and get them where they need to be in order for them to do what they want to do,” she continued. Montes says the program is very practical and hands-on. Participants who complete the program will also have aid in starting their own business. Program partners are prepared to graduates with their business plans. “We are excited to connect people who have vision with the resources that will help them achieve their goasl,” said Montes.
The program consists of 33 classes that have been created and administered by professors of the University of Arizona. Though the courses are online, participants will have access to professors, farms, agriculture consultants, and business owners for one-on-one help. The classes are self-paced, and the participants can complete them in between work or their other endeavors. According to Montes, veterans can use the program to kickstart new agricultural businesses or green industry careers. USDA provides program funding as part of their Vet Ag Program.
Onboarding will be available online, and includes an entrance interview, an overview of the program, and subject selection. After onboarding, classes will begin and will take approximately four to six weeks, for eight total credits. Veterans will have the opportunity to participate in virtual discussions and attend farm tours. Once online classwork is complete, participants will select an internship location and identify personal goals and objectives.
Next, veterans will move into the immersive training phase of the program, which includes 40 hours of immersive training. Participants will earn five credits from this phase of the program. During this phase, Veterans will receive travel and lodging compensation, $6 per person per day. At the end of immersive training, participants will be asked provide a short report on their experience and participate in discussion groups and online forums. Participants will then meet with mentors and professors to discuss career options. They will also meet with a business consultant to discuss new business development to obtain any technical assistance they may need, and to also receive job referrals.
Lastly, the veteran will receive a certificate of completion and graduation celebration upon completion of the 12 credits.
If you are a veteran and would like more information about the VAEAP program, contact contact Sofia Montes at 520-877-2697 or email at VAEAPSW@gmail.com. Their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/WAEAPSW/. You can also go to VAEP’s website: https://aatechsolar.com/agvets-2019.
Chad Walker
