The national unemployment rate for veterans has improved in recent years, hovering around the civilian rate of seven percent. At the height of the recession, returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans were unemployed at nearly double the rate of non-veterans. A host of programs have been created to help former servicemembers support themselves after their military service ended.
One unique program is the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, or EBV. UConn is part of a consortium of business schools that offer the free program to veterans who want to become business-owners. WNPR profiled the program a couple of years ago and wanted to check in on its progress.
Lucy Nalpathanchil spoke with UConn EBV Director Michael Zacchea as the fourth bootcamp began. Zacchea is a retired U.S. Marines Lieutenant Colonel and Iraq War veteran. He said EBV has helped graduates "get to the point where they're selling goods and services in the marketplace within twelve months of entering our program."
