Find veteran employment resources in Vermont. State hiring preferences, career counseling, job training, and transition assistance for Vermont veterans.
If you need work or training help in Vermont, start with the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs and Vermont Department of Labor Veterans Services. Vermont offers practical help with job search, career transition, vocational retraining, state hiring preference, and referrals into federal VA employment programs. If you have a service-connected disability that affects your ability to work, ask about VR&E (Chapter 31) Career Services for Vermont Veterans right away.
Your first calls should usually be the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs at (802) 828-3379 or (888) 666-9844 and, if you may qualify for disability-related employment help, the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000. If you are recently separated, in the Guard, or changing careers, Vermont has transition support and veteran-focused employment representatives who can help you map out next steps quickly.
Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs is the fastest first call for veteran employment help in Vermont.
In a crisis? Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or text 838255. Available 24/7.
4 verified employment resources serving Vermont. Crisis and fastest-path options are listed first.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) provides career counseling, training, education, and job placement for Vermont veterans with service-connected disabilities and an employment barrier.
Career counseling, resume help, skills translation, and job-search tools for Vermont veterans and transitioning service members, including the GI Bill and education-and-career counseling benefits.
Employment and training services for Vermont veterans including job placement and career counseling.
The Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs administers Vermont-specific veteran employment programs and benefits and connects veterans with accredited service officers, state benefits, and local resources.
How each program works, who qualifies, and how state and federal help fit together.
In Vermont, employment help for veterans is not just one program. It is a set of state and federal options that work best when you use them together. The quickest starting point for most people is the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs. That office administers state-level benefits and helps veterans file federal VA benefits claims. It is also the most practical place to confirm whether Vermont recognizes you as a veteran for state purposes, because Vermont follows Title 38 United States Code for veteran designation and warns that another state may count you as a veteran when Vermont does not.
That detail matters. Before you rely on hiring preference, training help, or referrals, make sure your discharge and service record support Vermont recognition. If there is any doubt, ask the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs to review your status early so you do not waste time applying under the wrong category.
The other key state contact is Vermont Department of Labor Veterans Services. Vermont has veteran representatives through the Department of Labor, and veterans receive priority of service in federally funded employment programs. That means you should not wait until you have a perfect resume or a full plan. Reach out first, then let the state and VA systems help you sort out which track fits best.
Vermont’s employment support for veterans generally falls into five buckets:
These are not identical programs and they do different jobs. The state side is often best at local navigation, confirming state benefits, and connecting you to the right office. The federal VA side is often best when your service-connected disability affects employability, when you need educational or career counseling, or when you may need support tied to a formal VA benefit program.
The Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs is the state-level front door. It provides information about benefits and services available to Vermont veterans, administers state-level benefits, and assists with filing federal VA benefits claims. For employment and training, that means it can help you figure out whether your next step should be job placement help, vocational retraining, education benefits, transition assistance, or business development support.
This is especially important if you are unsure how your military service record fits Vermont’s rules. Because the state follows Title 38 for veteran designation, not everyone who was considered a veteran elsewhere will necessarily qualify the same way in Vermont.
Vermont has veteran representatives through the Department of Labor. Existing Vermont guidance also points to federally funded specialists such as Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVERs) at career centers across Vermont. These roles are aimed at practical job-search help: intensive career counseling, job placement support, employer connections, and follow-up.
If you need work now, this is often the best place to start your immediate search while other applications are pending. Veterans also receive priority of service at federally funded employment programs, which can affect how quickly you are connected to staff and services.
VR&E (Chapter 31) Career Services for Vermont Veterans is for service members and veterans with service-connected disabilities when those disabilities limit the ability to work or prevent working. This is not just a training fund. It is a broader employment program with several support-and-services tracks, including:
That structure matters because your plan may look very different depending on your situation. Someone who can return quickly to work may use a rapid employment track. Someone whose disability requires major retraining may be steered toward longer-term services. Someone who cannot continue in a prior field may need a fresh vocational path. A veteran interested in running a business may need the self-employment track instead of a standard job-placement plan.
VA also notes that wounded, injured, or ill service members who cannot perform duties may be able to access VR&E through IDES sooner, rather than waiting until after separation issues are fully settled.
VA Careers & Employment Resources for Vermont Veterans includes the Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG) program. VA describes PCPG as free educational and career counseling, resume support, and help finding a training program or job. This can be useful if you are not sure whether you need school, short-term training, a credential, or a direct job search.
PCPG is different from VR&E. VR&E is tied to service-connected disability and employability barriers. PCPG is counseling-focused and can help you make a plan even if you are still deciding among fields.
Vermont provides veterans' preference in state hiring. That does not guarantee a job, but it can matter in competitive state applications. If you are applying for state jobs, ask early how preference must be documented and whether a specific form, discharge record, or rating evidence is needed.
The Vermont National Guard also provides transition support. If you are in the Guard, recently separated, or coming off active service with a Vermont connection, use that support while also contacting the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs and Vermont Department of Labor Veterans Services. Transition support can help you move faster because it starts before the civilian job search gets derailed.
In Vermont, these programs generally complement each other rather than replace each other.
These supports can stack in a practical sense. For example, you may work with Vermont labor staff on resume and job search while your VR&E eligibility is being reviewed. You may also use the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs to help with federal claims paperwork that strengthens your eligibility for disability-related employment support.
Where benefits overlap, confirm with the administering office before committing to a training program. VA specifically offers tools to compare education benefits for veterans, service members, and members of the National Guard and Reserve. That matters if you are choosing between GI Bill-funded training and VR&E-supported services. The best first application often depends on whether your primary barrier is cost of training, disability-related employability limits, or lack of direction about what field to enter.
If you need employment help now, do these steps in order:
If you are targeting Vermont’s strongest recruiting sectors for veterans, tell staff that directly. Vermont’s healthcare, manufacturing, and tourism sectors recruit veterans. Even if you do not have direct civilian experience in those fields, veteran representatives may help translate your military background into language those employers recognize.
Many veterans do not need a full degree; they need the right bridge from military experience to a civilian credential or employer. Vermont specifically points veterans toward vocational retraining, education benefits, and finding work as transition topics. Existing Vermont guidance also notes that the state has taken steps to recognize military credentials and training for civilian licensing, especially in fields like healthcare, commercial driving, and aviation.
If your military specialty lines up with a regulated occupation, do not assume you must start from zero. Ask the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs for help with credential recognition questions before enrolling in expensive training. In some cases, what you really need is help documenting prior military training in a way a civilian licensing body or employer can use.
For disabled veterans, VR&E may be the better first stop than the GI Bill if your employment challenge is tied to disability rather than only tuition costs. VR&E is designed to help you explore employment options and address education or training needs in a coordinated plan. By contrast, GI Bill-type options are often better understood as funding tools for school or training. Confirm the best route before you enroll.
If your best path is not traditional employment, veteran business support exists at both the VA and broader federal level. VA employment resources identify support for Veteran-owned small business and include a Self-Employment track within VR&E. Existing Vermont guidance also points to Boots to Business, Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs), and SCORE mentoring, along with federal contracting preferences for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs).
This path makes the most sense when self-employment is realistic, not just because the standard job market feels frustrating. If disability, location, or prior experience points you toward running a small business, ask whether VR&E’s self-employment track may fit. If you are not VR&E-eligible, ask instead about business-development counseling and veteran entrepreneurship resources.
The most common problem in Vermont is starting with the wrong program.
As for timing, some supports can begin quickly while others take longer. Local employment assistance and referrals may start as soon as you connect with a veteran representative. Formal VA benefit decisions, eligibility reviews, or training-plan approvals may take longer. To avoid losing momentum, use Vermont Department of Labor Veterans Services for immediate job-search help while the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs or VA works on claims and eligibility.
If your household is also dealing with housing instability or other urgent stress, tell the office you contact first. VA employment pages specifically note help for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, and that can affect which services should be prioritized.
The bottom line: in Vermont, the fastest route is usually to combine state navigation with federal eligibility review. Call the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs, connect with Vermont Department of Labor Veterans Services, and, if disability affects employability, move on VR&E (Chapter 31) Career Services for Vermont Veterans immediately.
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