Vet's Retraining from Mideast

[jlseymour]

I just sent this to my US Senator Mel Martinez from Florida.
I would like for engravers and us wannabees to contact our State and Federal Rep. to support this retraining or something to help the Vets returning home.
This is a great vocation for anyone but for someone handicaped it will be very rewarding.


I have heard the Vets coming back from the Mideast with handicaps may get training for hand engraving.
I hand engrave with air accessed equiptment which can be done with limited abilities.
There's a number of schools that are top rated.
There will be links from the the ones below that have other schools links.

www.grstools.com
GRS makes most of the engraving equiptment and has a great group of instructors.

Ray Cover
www.rcoverengraving.com
Great course with a limited number of students.


Steve Lindsay
www.lindsayengraving.com
Great equiptment perfect for someone handicaped.

Take a look at their sites, I think you will be impressed and there is a need for hand engravers.
Thanks for your time,
Jerry Seymour

 

[monk]

hmmmm, this seems the most sensible notion ever posted on the forum. if even 1 vet could acquire a career in engraving this way, what a great situation. sounds like a winner all around to me.

 

[Sam]

If anyone knows a handicapped or disabled mideast war veteran that would like engraving instruction, I would be happy to donate some of my time to get them started. They can contact by email.

 

[Ron Smith]

I am always willing to help those in search of knowledge also. I think there are some formal govt. programs that do this aren't there? Never the less, it truly needs to be common knowledge among the troops that there are alternatives for them as craftsmen if they choose. I think contacting the representatives is an excellent idea to let them know something is available, and expose them to this web site...............Ron S

 

[monk]

i live 25 miles southwest of pittsburgh, pa. if there's any way i could assist in this endeavor, get in touch.
i'm retired from the 9 to five and always have time to lend a hand in a project such as this.

 

[Brad Hartliep]

If they are doing it through vocational rehab that is usually handled through the VA Hospital or sometimes in collaboration with the local/state employment/workforce agency (In Texas it's called the Texas Workforce Commission - they do a joint vocational rehab program with the VA), so anyone interested in pursuing this should contact their local Veterans Service Representative (VFW, DAV, County Service Officer, etc.). If they try to use their GI Bill, it will have to be at an approved school (I.E - Trinidad and Lassen are probably VA-approved schools), usually accredited schools. If you just want to volunteer your time as an instructor teaching somebody I would just get ahold of the local VFW or DAV chapters and see if they can put you in contact with some of the disabled vets. I was disabled in Germany back in 1989 but was Honorably discharged instead of Medically discharged and I had no GI Bill (it was voluntary during those years) otherwise I would have gone to engraving school years ago...

 

[Ron Smith]

I took a man on years ago through the Texas emloyment commission, taught him how to engrave and do jewelry work. Haven't heard from him in years and don't know if he continued, but I think he did. I don't know if the employment commission still does that or not, but there used to be watch and jewelry schools here in Ft. Worth........Chamber of commerce might be able to help get information.......Ron S

 

[jlseymour]

We have a watch and jewelry votech in Winter Park, FL. A friend went to the jewelry part afew years ago through the VA for retraining, They paid for all his tools and I mean all his tool to do Jewelry repair at a few thousand bucks...
He is checking on the school through the VA.
I am also a Nam Vet and I am checking with them also.
Any Vet can call for what benifits you have left.
Even if you used them years ago you may still have some benifits you can use...

Calling all Vets to call your VA for Info and stir the honey bucket...

JL Seymour

 

[John B.]

I had several Vets that took my engraving classes as part of their rehab program.
The Veteran's Administration or the State Employment Agency refered them to Lassen or Trinidad College.
These agencies required me to fill out a simple form and then provided the veteran a full set of tools.
I was proud to be able to give a little in return to these great men and women who had given so much on our behalf.
Thank you to all the present instructors who offer to help our veterans.
There are a lot of fine people in engraving, jewelry and related fields.

John B.

 

[Weldon47]

Sam,

Perhaps GRS & Emporia State could team up to provide an accredited source of engraving education for our veterans. Just a thought,

Weldon