VA education program started during the pandemic to retrain unemployed veterans goes mostly unused

[Tony]

WASHINGTON – A nearly $400 million program to retrain veterans who were forced into unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic has gone mostly unused, lawmakers said Wednesday.

Congress created the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program last year as part of the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion relief package that sought to bolster the economy as the country struggled with pandemic-related closures and layoffs. The program, known as VRRAP, offers education and training for veterans who became unemployed during the pandemic and have already used their GI Bill entitlement.