New McCormick bill would help veterans transition to civilian life through training in emerging high-tech fields

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), a West Point graduate who served with the 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper and served in the First Gulf War, sympathizes with other veterans, including those who face challenges finding jobs.

On May 14, McCormick partnered with Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) to introduce a bill to help veterans transition to civilian life by helping them start careers in emerging technologies through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program. 

“While the transition back to civilian life isn’t always easy, I know firsthand as a veteran that our service men and women return as leaders, highly skilled and ready to contribute. It is our job to make sure the doors are open when they get home,” said McCormick. “With over 200,000 service members leaving the military each year, the Improving Emerging Tech Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2026 does exactly that by helping to connect veterans in Pennsylvania and across the country to job opportunities in high-growth tech industries where they can find stable employment, financial security, and a renewed sense of purpose.” 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor manufacturing are some of the employment opportunities the bill promotes. 

“Emerging technologies like semiconductor manufacturing are creating thousands of good-paying jobs and shaping the future of Arizona’s economy. This bill would make sure veterans can use the education benefits they earned to train for careers in these rapidly growing industries and help America stay the global leader in technological innovation,” said Gallego. 

The unemployment rate for veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 stayed about the same, at 3.6 percent in 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in April. 

The jobless rate for all veterans increased over the year from 3.0 percent to 3.5 percent in 2025. In August 2025, 50 percent of Iraq War-era veterans had a service-connected disability, compared with only 34 percent of all veterans.

The unemployment rate for people who did not serve in the military was 4.2 percent.

The VET TEC program connects veterans with leading training providers to help them develop or advance in skills needed for high-tech industries. This bill would increase the current program, adding training and employment pathways in emerging industries, like AI and semiconductor manufacturing, so veterans can learn the skills they need to compete for high-demand jobs. 

Specifically, the Improving Emerging Tech Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2026 will: direct the VA to identify and designate technologies of critical national importance as “emerging technologies” eligible under the VET TEC program, with artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing as named examples; require the VA to promote emerging technology fields, courses, and career pathways on its website and add them into transition assistance services, so veterans and transitioning service members are aware of these opportunities.

It also requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to work with private-sector partners, educational institutions, and veteran-serving nonprofits to identify industries and occupations expected to experience significant job growth driven by emerging technologies, with a focus on fields that align with veterans’ existing education, training, and skills.

“The VFW supports the Improving Emerging Tech Opportunities for Veterans Act, which will help veterans access education and training programs for high-demand careers in emerging technology fields such as artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing. By requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with industry partners, expand visibility through the Transition Assistance Program, and implement an expedited course approval process, this legislation will better position veterans to succeed in the workforce of tomorrow,” said Joe Grassi, legislative service associate for Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). 

Kyleanne Hunter, Ph.D., CEO of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), said, “IAVA survey data has consistently shown that veterans are chronically underemployed compared to their level of expertise, abilities, and skillset. We welcome the Senate introduction of the Improving Emerging Tech Options for Veterans Act of 2026, which will help bridge the gap between our veterans’ true capabilities and the high-skilled careers where we know they can excel.” 

McCormick, who was elected in 2024, has introduced or cosponsored several bills to help veterans.

These include: the Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act, which would create a new grant program to fund innovative treatments for chronic mild TBI — an injury that affects thousands of our veterans and is linked to mental health struggles and suicide risk; the VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project of 2025, which would establish a pilot program to significantly reduce veteran suicides by providing extensive training for VA staff about suicide screening, risk assessment, treatment, and care transition procedures; the Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act, which would permanently exclude disability payments from income calculations used to determine housing assistance eligibility so veterans can access HUD-VA housing support without being penalized for benefits they already earned through their service; and the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025, which would increase federally funded research on innovative therapies to treat veterans experiencing conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder, and depression. 

Linda Stein is an award-winning journalist who’s written for newspapers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Arizona. Before joining Fideri News Network, she was the news editor for Delaware Valley Journal. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Temple University and earned her undergraduate degree from Arcadia University. Contact her at lstein@fiderinews.com.