1. Establishment; purpose. The department shall, using existing resources and available grant funding, establish and implement in accordance with this section the Health Care Employment for Military Veterans Program to assist eligible veterans who desire to obtain employment in civilian health care occupations in the State. [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] 2. Evaluation of military health care occupational specialties. The department, in implementing the program, shall create a document, referred to in this subsection as "the military-to- civilian crosswalk," that describes the military training and experience that members of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard of any state or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces are required to complete to engage in various military health care occupational specialties and compares that required military training and experience with the education and training requirements for equivalent or similar civilian health care occupations in this State. The military-to-civilian crosswalk must include information to assist eligible veterans, occupational licensing boards and postsecondary education institutions in the State in determining: A. The gaps that exist between the military training and experience obtained by individuals who served in specific military health care occupational specialties and the education and experience required to obtain national certification in equivalent or similar civilian health care occupations; and [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] B. The gaps that exist between the military training and experience obtained by individuals who served in specific military health care occupational specialties and the education and experience required to obtain any required licensure or certification to perform an equivalent or similar civilian health care occupation in this State. [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] 3. Direct assistance to eligible veterans. The department, in implementing the program, shall provide direct assistance to eligible veterans. The department shall: A. Assist eligible veterans in compiling comprehensive portfolios of their military training and experience; [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] B. Collaborate with postsecondary education institutions in the State to assist eligible veterans in receiving academic credit for experience, education and training the eligible veterans obtained during military service; and [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] C. Advocate for eligible veterans who request assistance in enrolling in postsecondary education programs in the State or in securing employment in a health care occupation in the State. [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] 4. Coordination with the Maine Apprenticeship Program. The department shall ensure collaboration between the program and the Maine Apprenticeship Program, established in section 3202, to recruit employers in the State to sponsor eligible veterans to serve as apprentices in health care occupations. [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).] 5. Priority. If the number of eligible veterans seeking assistance from the program exceeds the capacity of the program, the program shall give priority to eligible veterans who were discharged or released from military service no longer than 2 years prior to seeking assistance. [PL 2017, c. 326, §1 (NEW).]
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