Derek Blumke, president of Student Veterans of America, provided more details about plans by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to outsource its implementation of the 21st Century G.I. Bill. Science Careers has followed the new G.I. Bill since its debate in Congress this spring and reported on its potential impact on the scientific workforce.
Blumke told Science Careers today that Keith Pedigo, VA's Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Policy and Program Management, discussed these plans at a meeting of the American Legion's economic commission during the Legion's annual convention last week.
According to Blumke, Pedigo said the bill's many new provisions and quick timetable -- it goes into effect on 1 August 2009 -- required VA to get additional help. However, Pedigo also said VA planned to use outside organizations to run its day-to-day G.I. Bill operations, and that idea generated the negative reactions by Blumke, the American Legion, and Rep. Harry Mitchell, the bill's House sponsor.
Blumke said his reaction to the idea is based on hard experience. In an e-mail, he explained his first-hand experiences with VA's contractors ...
I feel we should have learned our lesson from the private contracting of the educational benefits call center two years ago. This being the same call center that I and veterans across the country would call and either be placed on hold, at times exceeding an hour, or would simply be hung up on with an automated message of: “we are experiencing too high of a call volume. Thank you.”
Science Careers has asked VA to tell us more about its outsourcing plans. Stay tuned.
