Honor, Duty, and Service: A Blueprint for Creating Regional STEM Pipelines To Serve U.S. Military Veterans

Abstract

Veterans face the possibility of unemployment after their transition into civilian life. Creating STEM pipelines for local communities that guide veterans towards long-term employment is necessary. The implementation of localized veteran pipelines in STEM is instrumental to ensuring that veteran unemployment numbers decrease. Focusing efforts to a small area, such as a fifty-mile radius around a town, fosters intimate connections among the veterans and other members of the pipeline. Pipeline localization gives each program its own support systems to support STEM careers in that specific location, making a difference for veterans in cities and towns everywhere. Enhancing the resources available for veterans to access long-lasting and meaningful careers in STEM is possible with veteran pipelines in STEM programming.