The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will cover veterans’ and eligible dependents’ training costs for OST Apprenticeship in Government Business Development. Use veteran educational benefits so that both the employee and the employer can benefit from a successful career in winning Government contracts.

Employers of veterans or their qualified survivors and dependents will grow their business by sending staff to our full-scale training program in BD, Capture, and Proposals. Our training enables veteran Apprentices to deliver a real return on investment as they apply their new business development knowledge learned from each month’s lessons to their jobs.

Veterans, members of the National Guard or Reserves, or a qualified survivors or dependents can find out about eligibility to get VA education benefits for our Apprenticeship program through the GI Bill and other VA educational assistance programs.

Veterans may be eligible for funding for the program under any of the following programs:

• Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill
• Chapter 31: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services
• Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill
• Chapter 35: Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
• Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve Program

Find out more by watching the video from the Director of OST’s Bid & Proposal Academy.

About the Government Business Development Apprenticeship

OST’s Government Business Development Apprenticeship program is a comprehensive one-year training program in the entire federal Government business development lifecycle, including opportunity identification and qualification, pipeline management, capture, and proposal development.

The apprenticeship combines 160 hours of job-related instruction to obtain national skills standards and on-the-job training provided by the apprentice employer. Participants must pass skills tests at each segment of the program.

Employers use this Government-certified program to prepare their future workforce with essential BD skills for Government contracting. The program consists of 12 parts that Apprentices can access through our online Learning Management System (LMS), with live attendance available to academic classes.
Learn more about our Government Business Development Apprenticeship Program and its benefits for you and your company.

Benefits of a VA-Funded Apprenticeship

Nationally Recognized Credentials are awarded to graduates who complete our Apprenticeship program which will help attract and retain talented employees who grow into a career in Business Development.

Customized training from our industry experts in Government Business Development results in highly skilled employees that increase your bid, capture, and win rates.

Increased knowledge transfer through on-the-job learning from an experienced mentor, combined with education courses, supports work-based learning.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports a 91% retention rate nationwide for apprentices that complete an Apprenticeship.

A systematic certified and approved approach to training ensures employees are trained and certified to produce at the highest skill levels required for the business development profession.

Self-paced online instruction is always available so Apprentices don’t need to be gone from the office for long periods of time for training.

Veterans receive VA payments while also learning and getting paid on-the-job.

How Do Veteran Employees Can Get Paid for the Training?

The OST Apprenticeship Program tuition fee is $9,950. With the VA reimbursements, the costs will be covered in full or partially during the course of the program. In addition, Apprentices earn wage increases from their employer through the program.

There are 2 ways to pay for tuition:

1. The employer pays for the tuition and receives reimbursement from the Veteran employee.
2. The Veteran pays for the tuition, and receives reimbursement each month from the VA.

The VA issues payments to the Veteran each month after receiving a report on their hours. The VA reimburses Veterans at a rate of 100% for the first 6 months of the program, and then at a rate of 80% for the second six months, at the point when the Veteran’s wage increases.

For example, if a Veteran is eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill under Chapter 33, in addition to a wage increase, the Veteran will also get reimbursement for the Apprenticeship program from the VA. The final amount of reimbursement will vary case by case depending on the Veteran’s VA educational benefits.

The Enrollment Process

OST will guide the Veteran step-by-step during the enrollment process and through the program.

1. The first step in the process is getting a Certificate of Eligibility from the VA and providing it to OST. The Veteran/Apprentice must submit an application for educational benefits to the VA so that they may determine eligibility to receive educational benefits. Veterans can apply online. See the VA link to learn more about how to apply for educational benefits.
2. Once the Veteran provides the Certificate of Eligibility, OST will manage and work with the Veteran to complete the other forms needed to finish the enrollment process (i.e. VA Form 22-199, VA Form 22-8864, Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training).
3. OST provides the Veteran access to the LMS to start the Apprenticeship training; the Veteran can also request to access live courses.
4. OST generates reports to the VA for the Veteran’s monthly reimbursement.
5. With the successful completion of the program, the Veteran receives a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship certifying them as a Government Business Development Specialist.